He gazed down at her picture. Blonde hair blown by the wind, staring at the camera with a shy smile curling her lips. The only woman he’d ever wanted to be his.
A new year. A new chance. New roots—
An old love.
It was damn time. It was past time.
Mark shot to his feet and looked around. There was so much to do that he couldn’t up and go this very minute, but fuck waiting any longer. He would take what he needed. He would give and become who she truly deserved.
It was going to be a wild ride and probably take every bit of sweet talk he could manage, but by the time he was done, Mark Coleman was determined—Dana would finally be his.
SP Ranch Journal
~Michael Coleman, July 1984~
Was in town today and overheard someone mention the Whiskey Creek Colemans. Turns out that’s George’s piece of land. Makes sense, with the way the creek meanders through most of their section.
Took a bit of chat time and paying for a few cups of coffee, but a few other names finally dropped. I live on the SP ranch, and Randy is on Moonshine land, which cracks me up.
Did Grandpa Stan and Great Uncle Peter ever regret the times they got tipsy on the moonshine they made? Or just mad about the fact they hid the jars on each other? Randy said he finds a stash every few months or so. I wonder how long that will continue.
No nicknames for Ben’s or Mark’s sections yet, but it’s amusing to think that will come eventually.
5
Ashley glanced around the room and wondered at the magic.
It was a brief moment of calm in what had continued to be a very active household. She’d just finished nursing the baby, and he was lying contentedly in the bassinet on the couch. River and Daisy were miraculously still napping, and Ashley had even gotten in a forty-five-minute snooze before Forest had woken up hungry.
How had it come to this? She’d come back to Rocky five years ago, looking for a place to settle down and hopefully find some quiet happiness. What she’d found were two strong and devoted men who had given her more than just a place to set down roots. They’d given her a future and a family and so much more.
Cassidy? He was her endless joy.
Travis had brought her into the Coleman clan and grafted her onto strong, sturdy stock. He’d also twisted his way into her heart, some sharp barbs gripping tight yet protectively guarding her as well.
Love had tangled his, and hers, and Cassidy’s lives into something that made her think of a beautiful Celtic knot. Together, yet each strand independent and strong. That she knew there was always someone ready to stand at her side was a type of magic.
They both made her heart sing. They made her body ache and fly.
Two strong arms curled around her from behind, and a scruffy cheek brushed hers. “You’ve been standing there like a statue for nearly five minutes. Being inspired by your muse?”
“Something like that.” She twisted, looking into Cassidy’s face, his green eyes shining at her with amusement. “Counting my blessings.”
“Me too. One.” He leaned close and kissed her. His arms tightened, and suddenly she was airborne. Ashley wrapped her legs around his hips instinctively, fingers thrust into his hair. As he deepened the kiss, she found herself pressed against the nearest wall.
“You’re not counting very high.” Travis’s rougher tone was filled with amusement.
“I’m taking my time,” Cassidy said against her lips. Eyes fixed on hers. “I suppose he can be number two.”
“I suppose,” Ashley agreed, tilting her head to peek over Cassidy’s shoulder. “Oops. I think he heard us.”
Travis caged them both with his body, pinning them in place as he leaned over Cassidy’s shoulder to kiss Ashley. He pulled back just slightly, and Cassidy sucked in a breath.
A hand had slid between Ashley’s body and Cassidy’s, and she hummed her approval. “I like it when you guys show up in the middle of the afternoon.”
“It’s a brief stop, tempting as it is to make it longer,” Travis growled, scraping his teeth along Cassidy’s jaw before stepping back. “We should grab the kids, Cass. Daniel’s expecting us.”
Slightly disappointed, Ashley voiced her curiosity. “You stealing them away to Daniel’s?”
Cassidy carried her to the nearest chair, settling with her on his lap, legs draped to one side. “T is right. As much as we’d like to continue this, you have the girls coming over, yes?”
She’d found a treasure trove of boxes hidden in the attic of the old Peter’s house where they now lived. In the ongoing quest for Coleman memory book information, she’d convinced one sister-in-law and a few cousins-in-law to come make an afternoon of it. “They’ll be here in half an hour.”
“Daniel asked for help boxing some furniture orders he needs to ship before the end of the year. Between his boys and us, we’ll keep the babies safe,” Travis promised. “You have Forest, though.”
The one thing Ashley never worried about in the Coleman family was their protective instincts around children. “Okay. Have fun.”
Cassidy cupped the back of her neck. “We’ll have more fun when we get back tonight,” he promised before searing her lips with a red-hot kiss.
And when Travis joined in, taking control before she’d had much of a chance to gasp for air, Ashley realized it might not be magic but a good old-fashioned lack of oxygen making the room sparkle with a million twinkling lights.
Dangerously sexy, seriously committed. Impulsively, Ashley wrapped an arm around both their necks and gave a huge squeeze before letting go.
Travis’s lips twisted up. “What was that about?”
“Just making sure I reset the magic button. I like what we’ve got,” she admitted. “I love what we’ve got. I want to recognize how blessed I am. How loved. How much I love you both.”
“Here I was going to make some smartass quip about your magic button, then you had to go and be all heart-achingly sweet,” Cassidy complained. “Love you too.”
Travis didn’t say the words but pulled her against him again for a brief, intense hug before briefly vanishing upstairs with Cassidy.
Her guys and oldest babies were out the door a few minutes later. Ashley sighed happily and slid into the kitchen to get the kettle going. She was still pumping on happy endorphins when her expected company showed up, all four of them.
Jaxi from next door arrived first. Ashley had been spending more and more time with her, much to both their amusement.
Melody and Allison crowded into the house next, laughing as they hung up coats and marched into the kitchen. They were not only cousins-in-law but had been good friends for many years before becoming related by marriage.
Add in Laurel, the youngest and newest Angel Coleman, and the kitchen was suddenly very full.
Melody looked at the stack of boxes lined up beside the sturdy kitchen table with something near to dismay. “You’re kidding. When you said you’d found some boxes, I thought maybe half a dozen. Have you been using these to insulate the walls?”
“I don’t understand why they’re still here,” Allison teased. “You’re supposed to nest before the babies arrive, not after.”