Maverick (Star Valley Book 3) (26 page)

It was its own little miracle, really.

She buttoned her shirt, hastily, now that the haze of lovemaking was starting to fade but suspected she would have less trouble taking it off the next time. When she turned to him, he had his own shirt on, as well, and his hat once again covering his wavy dark hair.

“I love you,” she told him. “I don’t know why I couldn’t say it before.”

Austin wrapped one arm around her, pulled her into his side, and squeezed. “Because life’s a gamble, Leah, especially when you want something this much. I don’t blame you for being afraid to trust it. I’m all in, though. Are you?”

She beamed up at him, her Star Valley cowboy. “Yes. Absolutely, yes. I’m all in.”

‡

A
ustin helped her
back down the slope and guided the way back to camp, sad that it had to end so soon. He squeezed her hand gently, though, because he knew he would miss her touch and wanted it fresh in his memory after she left.

“We considered sending a search party but no one wanted to be blinded by your lily white ass,” said Court.

Beside him, Leah whimpered and he tightened his arm around her waist. “We’re getting married.”

Court grunted.

“I mean, obviously,” Austin added.

“Oh, obviously,” Court bit out. “What does that mean?
Obviously
?” Austin’s eyebrows shot up. “What exactly are you trying to say? Bringing your woman out here, parading her in front of me, telling me it’s
so obvious
y’all are getting hitched.”

“Court, I—”

“Fuck you,” snapped Court. “How’s that for obvious.” He turned and nudged BlackJack into a trot.

“Hey!” yelled Austin. “I wasn’t trying to say anything! I didn’t mean—”

But there was no point in yelling. He was yards away now, galloping hard, and showed no signs of stopping.

“Damn it,” Austin muttered. He turned to Leah’s whose mouth was still open. He shook his head slowly. “I kind of knew Sawyer and Cassidy’s wedding would rub him the wrong way.”

“Why?” asked Leah, staring after the man who was abandoning them.

Austin sighed. “When Rowan came back to take care of her father, that was the first anyone had ever heard about Willow.”

Leah gasped. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. She had tried to tell Court when she first got pregnant but he didn’t want to hear it, wanted nothing to do with her and…well…he thought she’d taken care of it.”

Leah stilled beside him and he squeezed her again.

“He never told us, never brought it up once. So when Rowan came back and we all saw that little girl…”

“She looks exactly like you! Like all of you!”

“Yeah, it was kind of hard for her to hide it. And Court, dumb as he can be sometimes, thought he was going to get her back, get both of them. A ready made family, I guess. Just add water, I heard Sawyer say once. Pretty much sums it up.”

“And she didn’t get a choice?”

“Well, she did get a choice and she didn’t choose him.”

“I mean, he didn’t ask her?”

Austin shook his head. “No. No, he did not. My little brother, unfortunately, has gotten everything he’s ever wanted his whole life. I won’t say he didn’t work for it. I know he did here on the ranch and I know he did in the rodeo, but he still had it all come easy. Too easy, our dad would say. And when Rowan turned him down…” He winced still remembering how dark things had gotten. “Well, it wasn’t good. And he’s still pretty sore about it, still an asshole on most days. But…I didn’t mean anything by it when I said we were getting married.”

“He took it for a rebuke.”

“I think so. Which I would do, if he weren’t already so torn up about it. I don’t think he needs any of us kicking him while he’s down.”

“Is he going to come back?”

Austin kicked up some dirt with the edge of his boot. “Yeah. Believe it or not he’s become pretty responsible these days. Not that he’d ever go to town and prove that to any women willing to give him a chance. Without his help, I wouldn’t have made this much progress up here. He knows it. He knows I need him. He’ll come back in an hour or so, once he’s cooled off.”

He turned to Leah and she rubbed his arm, trying to soothe him. The corners of her mouth were tight and he could tell she was trying to hide her true feelings by offering him a smile. He sighed. “I know. But a week’s not that long, and it’s my turn. Gabe and Seth need a break.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

He reached up and touched her nose with his finger. “You didn’t have to.” He was getting much better at reading her face.

“I know you have to stay. I just…I’ll miss you. That’s all.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re all I’m going to think about while I’m up here.”

“I’ll bring you lunch tomorrow,” she offered.

“That’d be great.”

He watched her go until he finally lost sight of her and set himself to stoking the campfire since Court wasn’t around to do it.

Suddenly, a noise
broke through the sound of the encroaching thunder. Austin wasn’t certain he even recognized it, but when the others joined it, he realized the dogs were sounding the alarm. He lunged for his tent, found the pistol he’d stashed under his bedroll, and cocked it as he tore ass up the slope toward the sounds of their barking.

The first raindrops hit him as he snaked his way through the canyon path on foot. He could hear someone shouting, but the voice was lost in another roll of thunder. It was nearly dark now as the sun’s last rays clung to the horizon. He lost his footing in the dirt that was quickly becoming mud under his boots. He could only follow the sound of the clash between the dogs and the intruder who’d happened upon their patrol.

When Austin finally turned the last corner, he could make out a figure, surrounding by the pack, cursing and throwing a rock at the largest one. Kinka, Austin knew he was called, and the dog dodged the projectile easily and came back snarling, clearly offended.

“Fuck off!” the figure bellowed.

Austin wasn’t sure if he was hearing the man correctly. It was only two words, after all, but the voice sounded familiar. “Hey!” he shouted, raising the pistol.

As the man turned and squinted through the rain, Austin was finally certain who it was.

Palmer Conroy.

Palmer only gave him a moment’s notice before he kicked out at the smallest dog who’d edged closer. It was only a glancing blow. She sprang up at him, powerful jaws gaping wide, and clamped over his forearm with a fierce snarl. Palmer went to one knee, free arm flailing.

Austin ran hard at them, waving his own arms. “Back up!” he shouted to the dogs because he’d forgotten to ask Mac Archer what he was supposed to say if they actually caught anyone on the property. “Back up, back up!”

They seemed to understand and the closest one, the kick recipient, let go of him and skirted just out of Palmer’s reach. Palmer, instead of running now that he had the chance, turned instead to Austin and staggered to his feet. He came at Austin full force, feet pounding in the mud.

Austin lifted the gun to chest level. “Palmer don’t!”

Palmer either didn’t see the gun or didn’t think Austin would use it because he never slowed, even as the dog was once again closing in on him from behind. The dog caught his rear foot and pitched him forward. He slammed into Austin just as he squeezed the trigger and they all crashed into the mud. Lightning lit up the sky all around them.

‡

L
eah frowned at
the fast moving clouds and glanced at Willow seated across from her at the porch table. “Let’s go inside,” she said, gathering her work tools and putting them into a box. “The storm’s almost here.” The corners of the little girl’s mouth tugged down but she didn’t argue as Leah filled the first box and hefted it off the table. The first drops of rain started to fall as she ducked into the house to set the box on the living room table. Then she headed back out to help Willow gather up her own jewelry project. But Willow wasn’t there.

Squinting into the rain that was now falling in sheets, Leah spotted her standing in a puddle in the driveway. “Willow!”

The little girl picked up the cardboard box, now empty of its stash of colored beads. “It blew away!” she yelled back. “They’re all in the dirt!” She cast about helplessly around herself, lamenting the loss of the shiny baubles.

“Willow get back up on the porch!” Leah cried just as a streak of lightning split the sky.

The girl jumped and let out a high pitched scream. Leah, her own heart in her throat, scurried down the wooden steps toward the little girl. Rain pelted her face as she rushed across the gravel, arms already out and reaching for Willow. “Come on!” she shouted above the howl of the wind whipping around the house and in between the barns. “Run!”

Ear-splitting thunder made Leah’s ears ring. Willow dropped the cardboard box and wisely abandoned her scattered treasures. Leah gripped her hand and turned to run. Lightning struck again and loud boom rattled her teeth. It must’ve hit one of the trees behind the house.

She tugged the little girl’s hand and ran for the safety of the covered porch. The rain was coming down so hard she was already drenched, shivering, and blinking against the onslaught. She pushed Willow up the steps, urging her on, when her own foot hit the bottom board, she felt it slip out from underneath her.

The rain seemed to fall fast, hundreds maybe thousands of drops hit her in the moment it took Leah to fall herself. It was a strange, terrifying stretching of time that at once seemed unreal and completely inevitable. She threw out her hands for something to grab, something to slow her momentum. Her left hand came down on the railing beside her, but the wood was slick and she couldn’t hold on. She felt her finger nail split as it clawed through the board and finally she crashed onto the steps.

All the breath went out of her and she couldn’t even muster a scream.

“Leah!” Willow screamed and reached for her.

Leah rolled into the grass, clutching her stomach, as the rain continued to beat down on her.

“Leah, Leah!”

Bright stars blurred Leah’s vision so she only heard the front door open, she didn’t see it.

“Oh, my God!” Dakota cried. “Leah!” Leah heard footsteps on the stairs. “Stay on the porch. Just stay there. “Leah?” she called loudly. She gripped Leah’s arm trying to pull her up. “Can you get up? Are you all right? Jesus, are you okay?” Dakota struggled, slipping in the mud alongside her. Neither made any progress to the porch. Then Dakota tipped back her head and screamed. “
Walker
!”

Mere seconds later, the door flew open again. This time Leah’s vision had cleared enough to see the huge man barreling down the steps toward her. The thundering of his boots rivaled the storm overhead.”

Walker gathered her in his arms and Leah clutched at him. She looked down at the mud on her jeans and the rainwater soaking the denim. None of that really mattered. What caught her eye was the dark stain spreading between her thighs and the pain in her belly. “Please, no,” she whispered but her prayer was lost in a crack of thunder.

“Dakota?” called Sofia, coming out onto the porch and pulling Willow to her.

“She fell!” Dakota shouted back.

The older woman pushed Willow into the house and closed the door. Then she sprinted down the stairs, splashing mud with her leather boots. “Get her to my truck,” she barked at Walker. “Hurry!”

Walker slid Leah into the passenger seat then Sofia pushed him away. “Go get your brother,” the old woman said quietly.

Walker nodded and turned to make a run for the horse barn.

Leah groaned and pressed her hands to her belly as Sofia gunned the truck’s engine down the driveway. When they hit the highway, she reached out and squeezed Leah’s thigh.

“Just hang on, mija. I’m going as fast as I dare.”

It felt like hours before they reached the Star Valley Medical Center. Rowan met them outside, under the awning. “Dakota called me!” she told them, lowering Leah onto a gurney with the help of another man. “She said you got caught in the storm.”

“Willow’s fine,” Leah managed to tell her. “She’s fine.”