The Texan's Bride (18 page)

“Did you find that?”

“Yes.” She kissed his lips. “I was able to forgive my father and Angela. They were both very manipulative people and they both loved me in their own destructive way. They weren’t perfect, but neither am I.”

He cupped her face. “To me you are.” He kissed her long and deep and she melted into everything that was right in her world. “Please don’t ever leave me again.”

“I won’t,” she promised, and poked a finger into his chest. “You’re going back to work.”

“I don’t know. I don’t have the drive anymore.”

“Excuse me.” She drew back. “Where’s my Cadde?
The man who eats, breathes and is consumed with the oil business?”

He tucked her hair behind her ear. “He found something more important…love.”

“Oh, Cadde.” She wrapped her arms around him. “But you’re still going back to Shilah. No way is Hooter taking control. We’ll consolidate our shares and the Hardins will own fifty-one percent.” When he tried to speak, she placed her forefinger over his lips. “I’m Roscoe Murdock’s daughter and I always get my way.”

He smiled. She smiled.

“Maybe in a few days, then,” he conceded.

“And now we have to take down this tree, put the decorations and ornament away. At Christmas we’ll look at it and remember the child that brought us together.”

“I just wasn’t taking it down until you came home.”

She caressed his face and marveled at the strong love they shared. Against the odds their bond had survived. “What’s that?” She pointed to the small silver-wrapped box beneath the tree.

“I bought that for you for Christmas.”

She crawled on her hands and knees to get it. Ripping off the paper, she threw it to the side. Mirry sniffed the ribbon just in case it was something to eat. Opening the box, she gasped.

“It’s an…”

“Engagement ring,” he finished for her. “I was going to ask you to marry me for real this time and I thought we’d get remarried in a church.”

Tears rolled from her eyes and once again she couldn’t stop them.

He crawled to her side and took her hand. “Have you ever looked at the inside of your wedding band?”

“No. Why?” She smiled at him through happy tears.

“
Forever
is inscribed inside, as is mine.”

She removed her ring to see and there it was in very tiny letters. Her heart wobbled. “I’ve never taken it off and I never thought to look. Did you have it inscribed?”

“No. Roscoe said, ‘Boy, my girl needs a ring,’ so I went to a jewelry store. They just happened to have these rings. The jeweler said that sometimes a couple likes a message inside so I bought them. It was easy and quick, but deep down in my heart I must have known we’d make this marriage work. Now I’m glad I bought them ’cause the message fits. And…and I’m a one marriage type of guy.”

A shadow marred his handsome face and she knew what he was thinking. She kissed his cheek. “You’re nothing like your father.”

He lifted her hand. “Jessie Murdock Hardin, will you marry me?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” She flew into his arms and knocked him backward, rings and all. Cadde reached for the engagement ring and managed to slip them onto her finger.

“I love you,” he murmured, holding her face. “No force, no manipulation, just an everlasting love.”

“I love you, too—forever,” she replied, meeting his lips.

Jessie thought she would never feel joy or happi
ness again, but she did and could. That was a miracle in itself.

They were going to make it.

With this much love, how could they not?

One year later

C
ADDE GLANCED AT HIS WATCH
. Jessie had a doctor’s appointment this morning and she should have called by now. Pushing the worry away, he went back to his laptop and the numbers. They had drilled the second Louisiana well and it came in as big as the first one. Shilah was in the black—big-time. He was proud of that, but the company was never more important than Jessie.

Leaning back, he placed his hands behind his head. A lot had happened in the past year. They’d gotten remarried in the little country church in High Cotton, Texas, with family and friends around them. Jessie had worn white and she’d never looked more beautiful. As he’d stared into her eyes that day he knew he had to keep her safe and the only way to do that was to move away from the horrible memories of the Murdock house.

Later, they talked about it and decided to build a house in High Cotton like Chance. They’d be surrounded by family, friends and neighbors in a community that had to be as safe as it could get. It had worked out fine and Jessie wasn’t paranoid or fearful. Sometimes she was a little too independent for his peace of mind.

He glanced at his watch again. Jessie was meeting
Myra for lunch and it was already eleven-thirty. Why hadn’t she called?

Again, he put his fears aside and went back to the numbers. His fingers paused over the keyboard as he remembered the busy year. They had to do something for Rosa and Felix. They’d given many years of their lives to Jessie so Cadde gave them a choice. He would buy them a house anywhere in Houston or build one next to them in High Cotton. He and Jessie had decided they wanted their home to themselves. Rosa and Felix had opted for the home in High Cotton. Jessie was like a daughter to them.

The plan worked well. Rosa and Felix now had a life and so did Jessie.

It seemed the Hardin boys were returning to the place of their birth, except Kid. He owned the property between Chance and Cadde where their parents’ house sat, crumbling. It was an eyesore and soon they’d have to do something about that.

Cadde was happier than he’d ever been. They’d managed to survive the tragedy and they talked about the baby from time to time without the numbing pain. Happiness and time had worked miracles. Now, if Jessie would just call.

The door opened. Jessie slipped in and was in his lap before he knew it. She cupped his face. “Feel my hands. They’re like ice. It’s so cold.”

Every worry in him relaxed and he kissed her deeply, his arms holding her tight. “Where’s your coat?” he asked against her lips.

“I left it in Barbara’s office. I don’t need it in here. I have two strong arms to warm me.”

He stroked her dark hair. She’d cut it a little shorter but it still tumbled down her back, the way he liked. “Aren’t you supposed to meet Myra for lunch?”

She kissed his nose. “I canceled.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

There was that voice. That I’m-gonna-knock-you-for-a-loop voice. “Something’s wrong. What is it?” He looked at her and then at the door. “Didn’t you forget something?”

She poked him in the ribs. “No, silly. He’s with Barbara because I need to…”

He stood, holding her by the arms. “I’ll get him. I haven’t seen him since this morning.”

Their three-month-old son had been born in November and they had been overwhelmed with joy. They were still adjusting to parenthood. He was over-the-top nervous. She was relaxed.

He pushed the stroller into the room and knelt down to look at his son, Jacob Hardin. His head tilted to the side. His cheeks were kissable fat, as Jessie called them. When he opened his eyes, they were black like his mother’s. His boy had inherited the cap of brown hair from him, along with the shape of his face. Everytime he stared at his son, he felt an incredible weakness of pure joy at the miracle they’d been given. His love soared to the rooftops.

“Cadde, honey, please don’t wake him. He’ll want to nurse and we have to talk.”

He kissed the top of his son’s head and stood, bracing himself. “What is it? What’s wrong?” He knew something was by the note in her voice and he was avoiding it every way he could. They were happy. If anything was wrong with Jessie, it would be another blow that would bring him to his knees.

She reached for his hand and led him to his chair. “Just stay calm. It’s not bad.”

“What is it?”

“Are you calm?”

“Yes.”

“I’m pregnant.”

“What!” He took a step backward and fell into his chair. “No. We have a baby. See.” He pointed to Jacob. “There he is. And Rosa said you couldn’t get pregnant while nursing.”

Jessie sat in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well, we’ve proved that old wives’ tale wrong.” She rested her face in his neck and he melted like chocolate on a warm day. “Please don’t be upset. I’m looking at it as a blessing for everything we’ve been through.”

He kissed her cheek. “I’m just worried about your health. That’s three pregnancies too close together.”

“The doctor says I’m fine. The baby is fine and Jacob is growing by leaps and bounds.”

“Oh, Jessie.” He smoothed back her hair and looked into her gorgeous eyes. “You have to stop hitting me with things out of left field. It’s making me crazy.”

“It keeps us on our toes.” She snuggled into him.

“Oh, no.”

“What?”

“We’ll have to get a bigger stroller, another car seat and a larger car. And we were going to visit your aunts this summer. Now we’ll have to postpone.”

She drew back. “Cadde, pregnant women can fly.”

“But…”

“No buts. We’re going. I want them to meet you so they can see I have a wonderful husband and that we got through all the bad stuff.”

“We could go earlier,” he suggested.

“I don’t think so. It’s February and Shay’s baby shower is in late March at our house and the baby is due in early June. We can’t miss that.”

“No, we can’t.” Chance and Shay were expecting their first child and they’d planned its arrival for when Shay wasn’t teaching. It must be nice to plan those important events. He and Jessie seemed to roll the dice on birth control, but he was happy. Like Jessie had said, it was another blessing.

She lifted an eyebrow. “You okay now?”

“As long as you’re in my arms. That’s…”

A loud wail interrupted them and Jessie immediately went to their son. “The doctor said I have to put him on a bottle real soon.”

“He’s not going to like that.”

Before she could reach Jacob, the door swung open and Kid stood there.

“Did I hear a baby cry?”

“He’s hungry.” Cadde explained the baby’s wails. “Jessie’s going to nurse him.”

As usual, Kid paid him no attention and unstrapped
Jacob, lifting him out. The baby stopped crying, happily flailing his fists at Kid.

Jiggling him in the air, Kid cooed, “Hey, partner, you like breasts?” Slobber fell on Kid’s shirt, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Put him down,” Cadde said.

“Uncle Kid has a calendar in his office that has nice breasts. I’ll show you.”

“Do not show Jacob naked women. Hand him over to Jessie.”

Kid walked out the door with the baby in his arms.

Cadde sighed. “That’s the man who didn’t like kids. Go figure.”

Jessie slid onto his lap again. “Go figure.” She ran her finger down his nose. “People change.”

“Mmm.”

“There are baby wipes in your truck and milk stains on the carpet. Not to mention mustard on the steering wheel. Go figure.”

He smiled. “I love you.”

“I’ll love you forever,” she whispered, and that sounded about right to him.