Vivian Arend - Rocky Mountain Heat

Her face glowed red but her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Um, Blake, if you’re talking about the trip home from the Stampede? I knew it was you.”

A funny feeling tickled his stomach. “You knew?” Holy shit, she’d known all the time?

She licked at her lips and nodded. “I don’t remember much from the start, but suddenly it was like I woke up. Well, I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten into the situation, but there was no way in hell I was going to give up the opportunity once I had it.”

He stared at her. Unbelievable. “You are more trouble than anyone I’ve ever met in my life.”

Blake shook his head, and they both laughed, soft at first and then louder until he was lying flat on his back beside her.

When they finally calmed and he wiped the tears from his eyes, he noticed the time. “Damn, we’ve got to get ready.”

Jaxi stood slowly, biting her lip. Blake swung around and wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her close as he sat on the bed.

“I’m sure it’s done by now,” Blake teased.

Jaxi leaned into him as he kissed her belly. “I can’t believe you woke me early to pee on a stick. Just remember I already told you the answer.”

Blake followed her into the tiny bathroom, crowding against her back. He dropped his chin to her shoulder as she lifted the small white indicator.

“What’s it say?” He kissed her neck. Couldn’t stop touching her.

“It says you owe me a trip to Calgary to buy maternity clothes like I already told you last week.”

Blake slipped his hands over her still flat stomach, imagining how it would feel round and heavy with their baby. All the doubts, all his worries were a thing of the past.

The future was feeling mighty fine.

Jaxi looked at the community people gathered around, faces gleaming at them with delight. Blake’s fingers interlocked with hers as he led them firmly down the path toward the outdoor barbecue reception.

“You sure we need to stay for this?” Blake whispered in her ear. “’Cause I got plans.”

Jaxi poked him in the side. “We have a whole lot of tomorrows for sex but we’re only getting married once. Behave.”

Blake grumbled under his breath. “I want to get to the good stuff.”

They were swept apart into a sea of well-wishers.

Everywhere Jaxi looked she saw family. Matt and Travis manned the barbecue with Mike, grilling a steady stream of thick steaks. Joel was in charge of the music, and she smiled as he raced to make sure everything was ready at the large dance area they’d built on the lawn. Jesse mixed drinks and flirted with the girls while he restocked the large ice-filled buckets with long-necked beer bottles. Marion, finally free of her cast, visited with Jaxi’s parents while Daniel hovered at her side.

Jaxi watched Blake as he spoke with their friends, laughing and receiving congratulations from their neighbours. Her heart filled with joy at the realization she was living her dream.

It wasn’t long before they were back together, swaying on the dance floor for a first dance. Jaxi slipped into his arms and sighed with happiness.

“You’re looking mighty sexy in them boots, Mrs. Coleman.” He twirled her a bit and let her skirt flare against his legs. “You going to tell me if you’ve got panties under that pretty little dress?”

“Of course, I’m wearing panties.” Blake’s face fell a little. Jaxi lifted a brow. “You going to pout because I wanted pretty undies to remember this day?”

“You’ll have plenty to remember it by without needing some bits of fluff and lace.”

She was sure she would, but still.

“Think of it this way. You enjoy unwrapping presents, don’t you?” Heat swelled between them, and Blake drew her closer, his fingers splayed possessively over the open keyhole in the back of her dress. She rested her head on Blake’s shoulder, dancing close and easy. She waited until he relaxed completely before she spoke again. “Of course, if you don’t want to unwrap I made sure nothing would get in your way.”

Jaxi counted slowly, aiming for ten. Before she’d reached five, Blake jerked for a moment, and they stumbled. He recovered in time to keep them upright but she’d felt the increase in his heart rate.

“You saying your panties have no crotch? Hot damn, are you trying to kill me right here on the dance floor?” He nudged his erection harder into her body. “Now we have to keep dancing until I can walk past my ma without blushing and embarrassing everyone.”

She laughed.

His voice, dark and husky, drifted over her skin like a caress. “There will be a price to pay.”

“I love paying my debts. You can strip-search me later.”

He stumbled again, and this time the laughter welled up from deep inside her until it burst out and flowed over them both. Swaying on the dance floor, family and friends all around, Jaxi felt the satisfaction she’d been working to achieve for so many years. She’d finally come home, and it wasn’t the land or the house or even the family she’d just joined.

It was Blake, and he was all the home she’d ever need.

Lazy Days of Summer, fourteen years earlier

The screams rising from the coulee had changed in the past ten minutes from fun to fearful. Blake flicked the reins to head Midnight over to see which one of his little brothers was in need of getting his britches tanned. Because sure enough when they weren’t fighting for each other, they were fighting each other.

Blake let Midnight take her head as she picked her footing down the steep trail that led toward the swimming hole where loud shrieks continued to echo off the clay embankments. Individual voices grew clearer and Blake grinned. It wasn’t often Travis ended up on the hurting side of the equation.

He rounded the bend and darted his gaze over the scene. Chaos was in full reign. His youngest four brothers and a spare little boy, all in jean cutoffs and nothing else, were covered from head to toe in dark mud. Joel and Jesse, the six-year-old twins, raced in circles, waving their hands frantically while they shrieked at the top of their lungs. Twelve-year-old Daniel was attempting to pry the skinny newcomer off Travis with one hand, his free hand swatting the air with desperate jerks.

Travis screamed again—the eight-year-old was madder than Blake had ever heard the little bully. His attacker was the only one in the area not hollering or swearing at the top of his lungs. Blake watched as the kid swung and connected another solid blow to Travis’s jaw.

Time to stop the fun and games.

“Enough, you little hoodlums.” Blake dismounted and waded in, ready to pull the combatants apart and deliver a timely big brother from hell speech. “Every one of you, get your…”

Then he realized what was causing all the arm swinging and at least half the swearing. Just to the side of the main fight lay a giant wasp nest.

It appeared to have been ripped clean in two.

Blake felt a little like swearing now himself. “Daniel, get the twins back to the house. Take Midnight, and clean her saddle completely after you get hosed off.”

Pausing to make sure Daniel nodded in agreement, he turned his attention to the screaming boys at his feet.

Wasps whizzed around them, and he felt the first sting on his leg. Pulling hard, he lifted the still-swinging blond banshee, grabbed Travis by the wrist and toppled the three of them into the shallows of the swimming hole. “Get ready to hold your breath. Travis, I mean it. Stop screaming and take a big breath. On the count of three.”

He pulled them all under, pushed off the bottom toward the middle of the stream and allowed the gentle current to float them for a good ten count before letting their heads pop up to the surface of the water. The angry buzz was still audible but fading as he hauled his squirming cargo to the shore, dragging the boys over the grassy bottom to the lower edge of the trail.

“Get on up there. Now! Get home and let Ma deal with you. Little idiots, what were you thinking?”

Travis knew enough to sense Blake’s patience was gone. He turned and raced up the hill without even complaining that it was someone else’s fault. The other kid. He didn’t seem to know it was time to stop fighting and start running.

“You ain’t my boss.” Eyes narrowed, chin jutting out as he glared up at Blake. It would have been funny if they both weren’t dripping wet and filthy.

“I am now, Slick. Get on up there. My ma will see to those welts before we get you home. Unless you’d prefer I take you home now and let your folks deal with you?”

The skinny little thing didn’t look more than five years old. Pale wisps of hair stuck up where the mud had washed off, but the dirt seemed permanent on other portions of the creature. “They ain’t there. My mom’s gone to town for grub. I can take care of myself.”

Blake counted to ten. There was no way he could go home and tell his mom he’d let some little tyke wander off without his folks—wasp-stung, filthy, and pounded from fighting Travis.

Even though it looked like the little beast had gotten the better of that particular deal.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Jax.”

“Jack?”

He was given the you’re-too-stupid-for-words look. “J-A-X. My name is Jackson, but Momma and Daddy call me Jax.”

“Well, Jax, you gotta come home with me for a bit. If your folks are gone, you could probably use a little dinner. We’ll hose off the mud and get something to eat. I think my ma’s got leftover chicken around we could nab. Deal?”

Blake knew the second he mentioned food that it would work. The kid was skinny as all get out. Jax scrambled up the embankment and trotted next to him, little legs working double time to keep up with Blake’s wide stride.