Rocky Mountain Wedding Read online

  “Ruby.” Sawyer jogged around the fireplace and caught up to her. “You’re here,” he murmured, leaning in for a kiss.

  She turned it into a quick peck before backing away. “I need to step outside. I think I need some—”

  “There’s something I have to tell you,” he interrupted with a worried frown.

  That didn’t help her stomach any. She swallowed against the volcano rising in her throat. “What is it?”

  “My parents are here.”

  “What?” Nerves swirled, intensifying the chaos in her stomach. The Hawkins weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow. She’s already been nervous about meeting them—the quintessential model parents. She needed time to prepare…

  Sawyer eased an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “They got in earl—”

  “Sawyer!” A woman’s voice echoed in the vaulted room.

  Marybeth Hawkins bustled past the fireplace, followed by a man dressed in crisp khaki pants and a starched polo shirt. James Hawkins. She recognized him from the pictures Sawyer had shown her.

  “Is this Ruby?” the woman demanded to know.

  She tried to smile, really tried, but moving, even engaging one more muscle seemed to hurt her stomach more. She had to lie down…

  “Yes.” Her fiancé’s shoulders seemed to tense. “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Ruby.”

  “Wonderful to finally meet you,” his mother said through a tight-lipped smile. “I’m Marybeth.”

  While the words were polite, they weren’t warm. Neither was her gaze. She reminded Ruby of one of those women you’d see in a Viagra commercial—refined elegance with her white hair cut in a stylish crop, just the right touch of eye shadow and mascara, dressed in a chic flowy tunic with leggings and boots. Marybeth Hawkins might’ve looked like her sister—the same plump lips and glowing cheeks. But her sharp blue eyes were assessing instead of warm and peaceful like Elsie’s.

  Didn’t she like her? Ruby’s stomach roiled. Heat gathered in her throat. “Um, it’s nice to meet you, too,” she almost whispered. Air. She desperately needed cold, clean air.

  “This is my dad, James Hawkins.” Sawyer gestured to the man with his same facial structure, his same thick wavy hair, though his father’s was graying.

  “It’s a pleasure, Ruby,” he said in a formal tone.

  But she could only nod. The nausea had gained momentum and was now crowding into her throat. No. Not now. Not here. She couldn’t throw up in front of her in-laws!

  “Please excuse me,” she choked out, clutching her stomach and making a break for the patio doors. A cold sweat blanketed her neck and she knew there was no way she’d make it in time. Instead, she stooped to her knees and threw up in the potted evergreen plant two feet away from the doors.

  “Ruby…” Sawyer knelt by her side before she could inhale a breath. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” she cried. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Humiliation pulsed in her cheeks. Instead of making a good impression on Sawyer’s parents, she’d thrown up in front of them.

  Marybeth stood over her, a hand pressed against her chest as though she were in shock.

  Tears mingled with the perspiration on Ruby’s cheeks.

  “Hey.” Sawyer rubbed a hand against her back. “It’s okay.” He glared up at his mother.

  “Of course it’s okay,” she said quickly. “It’s not your fault. You poor thing. I had morning sickness constantly when I was pregnant. I’m sure it’s just the baby,” the woman murmured.

  “What baby?”

  Brookie. Still on her knees, Ruby spun.

  Their daughter stood near the kitchen door.

  Oh no. Ruby closed her eyes. This wasn’t how she’d wanted Brookie to find out about the baby.

  An awkward silence crowded the room. Sawyer’s parents seemed to look at him for direction.

  With a squeeze on her hand, he promised her everything would be okay. Then he stood. “Hi there, sweet girl.” He held out his arms for a hug, but Brookie stood stationary, staring at them, eyes narrowed into slits of suspicion.

  “What is she talking about?” the girl asked, a tremor running through the words. “What baby? Who’s pregnant?”

  Marybeth’s mouth gaped as though she’d just realized her mistake. “Oh. Um. Well…” She shot her son a desperate look.

  His jaw tightened. “Mom, Dad, maybe you should help Aunt Elsie in the kitchen.”

  “Great idea,” his father said, already halfway to the door.

  “I’m sure she has so much to do,” his mother added, scurrying behind him. “We’ll see you all in a little while.”

  While they made a quick escape, Ruby slid her hand into Sawyer’s and he pulled her to her feet. Her legs shook, but she couldn’t tell if it was from throwing up or from the way Brookie looked at them. Like she knew they were hiding something from her.

  Sawyer’s hand didn’t let go of hers. Somehow his strength, his warmth always seemed to give her the courage she needed. “Brookie, we need to talk to you,” she said, glancing into Sawyer’s kind, calming eyes. The love she saw there never failed to reassure her. This wasn’t the best time to tell her about the baby, but they couldn’t lie. They’d worked too hard to build her trust. If they didn’t tell her now, they’d have to start all over.

  “Let’s get you into a chair first, babe,” Sawyer said, nestling her under his arm and leading her around the fireplace until they’d made it to the leather sofa in the sitting room.

  Brookie followed at a distance, still eyeing Ruby with that heartbreaking mistrust.

  Sawyer waved her over and patted the seat between them. “There’s something we want to tell you,” he said carefully, glancing at Ruby as though he didn’t know quite how to put it.

  After a brief hesitation, Brookie crept over and wedged herself between them.

  Hope gathered, crowding Ruby’s heart. Who cared what that horrible little girl at school had said? Brookie knew they loved her. She knew they wanted her. A baby wasn’t going to change that.

  She turned to look into the girl’s dark vivid eyes, still seeing so much of her younger self there. “I’m expecting a baby,” she said, heart flipping. “Which means you’re going to have a brother or a sister.”

  She waited for the ecstatic openmouthed grin that had taken over Brookie’s face when she’d given her the locket. Instead, the girl scooted to the edge of the couch, head tucked, shoulders slumped. “Why do you need a baby? I thought you wanted me.”

  “We do want you,” she assured her, the hope steeling into something harder—determination. It fortified her against the fear. “This doesn’t change anything, Brookie.” She smoothed a finger over the heart-shaped locket that dangled around the girl’s neck. “Remember? You’ll always be our daughter no matter what.”

  “We promise,” Sawyer added. “No matter what. Forever.”

  She nodded, but her eyes were still cast down, and she wouldn’t look at either one of them.

  “It’ll be great having a brother or a sister,” Sawyer insisted, taking her hands in his like he hoped his excitement would rub off on her. “That means you’ll always have a best friend. Someone to play with. And you can always watch out for each other.”

  Despite the nausea lingering in her stomach, Ruby smiled at him. Love bloomed in her heart yet again for this man. Sitting with him and hearing the love overflowing in his voice as he talked to their daughter made her heart feel whole. It was the same feeling she had to believe Brookie would experience one day. The girl still had so much to overcome—the mistrust, the fear, the insecurity. But she couldn’t have found a better dad than Sawyer. And Ruby might not be the perfect mother, but her love for these two children of hers knew no limits.

  Whatever it took for Brookie to find wholeness and happiness, they would get her through this together.

  * * *

  “I propose a toast!” Dad raised his glass.

  Everyone
around the dinner table quieted—Bryce and Avery, Ben and Paige, Isaac and Julia, Elsie and Thomas. Brookie had been pretty quiet since the great revealing of the pregnancy, but at least her smile was starting to come back.

  “To my son and his beautiful new wife,” his father said. “May you find the same happiness your mother and I have.”

  A blush intensified Ruby’s natural coloring, making her face radiant as everyone cheered and clinked their glasses together.

  Sawyer couldn’t help but smile. Had to hand it to Dad. The man was making a heroic effort to atone for the disaster earlier. Come to think of it, Mom wasn’t doing such a bad job either. Before dinner she’d made sure there was a proper introduction and she’d rearranged the seating so Brookie got to sit by her. She’d even insisted that the girl start calling her Grammy, just like all of her other grandchildren. During dinner, Mom had entertained Brookie with stories about him growing up—God knew she had plenty of material.

  “To Ruby and Sawyer!” everyone chorused. A jovial tone took over the room as they clanged their glasses again.

  “May you two kids have a long and happy marriage,” Thomas added, stretching his arm around Aunt Elsie and nestling her in against his side.

  Color rose to her face, too. In typical Aunt Elsie fashion, she scooted some distance between them. Though Thomas had become a fixture around the ranch as of late, Aunt Elsie insisted they weren’t dating.

  “To the babies!” Paige blurted, then slapped a hand over her mouth.

  “Babies? As in plural?” Sawyer asked, jaw suspended in disbelief. Did she know something he didn’t?

  Paige turned to Ben’s sister, Julia. “Sorry! I’m just so excited that I’m gonna be an auntie!”

  “What?” Aunt Elsie gasped.

  Isaac and Julia both grinned. “We didn’t want to steal Sawyer and Ruby’s thunder with the wedding coming up and everything,” Isaac said.

  “But yes,” Julia continued. “We’re expecting a baby, too. Next spring.”

  “Oh my God!” Ruby shot out of her chair and threw her arms around Julia. “Are you kidding? This is the best news!”

  Sawyer followed her to the other side of the table and shook Isaac’s hand. “Congratulations, man.” Those two deserved it. After everything Julia had been through with her accident and with Isaac in the navy, they’d finally reconnected at Ben and Paige’s wedding. Now here they were, starting a family of their own.

  “Maybe the babies will share a birthday!” Avery cried, bouncing Lily on her lap. “Think of the parties we’ll have. It’ll be so much fun!” She pressed a kiss against her daughter’s temple. “You’re going to have little cousins to play with, sweetie.”

  Sawyer cringed. He knew Avery hadn’t meant anything by it, but Lily already had a cousin. He looked over at his daughter, and sure enough, Brookie’s smiled had thinned into a worried expression.

  A hurricane-force sadness beat against his chest. No matter how many times they told her they loved her, that they wanted her, she still doubted. She still doubted her place here with them, with their extended family.

  Bryce happened to be sitting across the table from Brooklyn. His cousin shot him a look of understanding before he reached over and patted her hand. “And all of the babies will have the best older, wiser cousin in the world,” Bryce told her. “They’re gonna want to be just like you.”

  “Of course they will,” Avery agreed quickly, her face flushed. “You’re such a good cousin to Lily,” she went on.

  Murmurs of agreement hummed around the room while all of the adults exchanged concerned glances. They knew Brookie’s struggle. They’d seen it over the last month.

  Ruby looked at Sawyer with sadness muting her eyes. This was what she’d worried about. Why she hadn’t wanted to tell her about the baby yet. They hadn’t been able to make the adoption official, and he had a feeling Brookie wouldn’t feel secure until they did. That was the worst part about it. Damn. He had to call the social worker again. See if they could move things up. He didn’t know what to say anymore…

  “To Brookie!” Mom said, raising her glass and saving the whole mood of the party. She squeezed the girl’s hand. “We’re so happy you’re part of our family now.”

  A shadow of a smile crept across Brookie’s lips as everyone raised their glasses.

  “To Brookie!”

  Sawyer silently thanked his mother with a smile. Brookie might doubt now, but someday she would know. She would feel connected, and her whole identity would be rooted in something bigger.

  As long as they had this community—this family—they could make it through anything.

  Chapter Five

  You don’t have to stay, you know,” Ruby said, fully aware that the comfort of snuggling up with Sawyer on the couch robbed the words of any real conviction. The yawn that broke through clearly revealed she never wanted him to leave. “Shouldn’t you be out partying to celebrate your last weekend of bachelorhood?”

  “Screw bachelorhood,” Sawyer said, massaging her shoulder. “This is where I want to be.”

  Yes. Her, too. They were sitting in her living room—the living room that would be officially theirs in just two more days. And it was so cozy and lovely. Almost indulgent. Something out of a dream. After they’d put Brookie to bed, Sawyer had built a fire. It crackled inside the charming brick hearth, painting the room with a tranquil glow that somehow caressed away the tension from the scene at dinner. Ruby burrowed even closer to Sawyer’s solid shoulder, though it was difficult to scooch her lower body right up against his, what with Nellie the wonder dog wedged between them.

  “Thanks for driving us home.” After everything that had happened at dinner, Sawyer had wanted to get Brookie tucked in so he could make sure she was okay. The poor girl had been so quiet on the ride home. So withdrawn. Though they’d tried to coax out her feelings with the questions they’d learned in their training, she kept insisting that she was simply tired and wanted to go to bed.

  Ruby hoped that was the case. It sure hadn’t taken Brookie long to fall asleep.

  “Oh, by the way, I’m staying all night,” Sawyer said in his don’t argue tone. “Need to keep an eye on you. You weren’t feeling good earlier.”

  As if she needed a reminder. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the memory of that special meeting with his parents. “I can’t believe I threw up in front of James and Marybeth Hawkins.” They were the picture of sophistication and class.

  “They’ve already forgotten all about it,” he insisted.

  She laughed. “Right. They’ll never forget that introduction.” She sure wouldn’t.

  “They love you,” he murmured in her ear. “Because I love you.”

  She rested her head against his chest, feeling his heart beat right into hers. “I love you, too.” That was what grounded her now, what kept her steady. Love. She prayed it was enough. For him. For Brookie. For the baby. She might not be able to fix everything in their lives, but she wanted to love them all well.

  Still, if the scene at dinner was any indication, this was going to be a long road with Brookie.

  Fatigue pulled at her eyelids. “Are we crazy, Sawyer?”

  He stretched his neck to peer down at her, those blue eyes focused and intense. “What’d you mean?”

  “I mean jumping into all of this so fast. We’ll have two kids.” The thought was so foreign. Six months ago, she never thought she’d even have one child…

  “We’re not crazy,” he said, pulling her in tighter. “We’re brave.”

  That’s what he’d taught her. How to be brave. And as long as they were together, she could do it—anything, whatever it took. She held her breath, wanting to feel only the solidness of his body against hers. The strength. The love. That was real. That bond was real.

  Sawyer touched his lips to the ridge of her ear, prying a soft sigh from her mouth. Goose bumps spread across her right side, pricking her body with that delicious anticipation only he could tease out of he
r.

  “This is what life is about, Ruby. This is what matters.” His warm breath grazed her eardrum. “You and Brookie and the baby are what matter to me.”

  His lips slipped down her neck, to the base of her jaw, where his tongue grazed her skin, and she should’ve been prepared, but every time he kissed her that way—all passionate and indulgent—it hit like a shock, causing a wave of pleasure to ripple down her stomach, then back up again until she wanted nothing more than to be pressed against him, clinging to him while they made love…

  With a disgruntled sniff, Nellie stood and shook herself, sighing as if to say not again.

  Ruby laughed. The dog was like a teenager who got grossed out every time Mom and Dad started to get frisky.

  Without a glance back, Nellie pranced down the hall, presumably heading for the princess doggy bed Brookie had moved into her room.

  “Come on.” Sawyer scooted himself off the couch and took her hand in his, pulling her up against his body, his strong hands massaging her shoulders in the most sensual, inviting way. “After the day you’ve had, I think you could use a back rub.”

  She could use more than a back rub, but she didn’t need to tell him that. He knew her. Everything. Over the last couple of months, she’d held nothing back from him. And now, even the thought of his hands on her body was enough to send sparks of hunger dancing through her.

  “It was a pretty tough day,” she agreed, following him to the bedroom. She hadn’t felt so sick in a long time, but after she’d eaten something, all of a sudden, her stomach seemed to settle.

  With a wicked grin, Sawyer turned and locked the bedroom door. “Which means you deserve some special treatment.” He slipped behind her and unzipped her dress, working his hands beneath the fabric to caress the tension from that vise grip that had claimed her spine.