had changed out of her riding outfit into a pair of slacks and a blouse that made her look feminine as hell. Her hair was no longer tied back away from her face but hung in loose curls around her shoulders. He could tell the moment their gazes connected that there was interest between them and he didn’t intend to let that interest go to waste.
“So, what do you think?” Lawton leaned over to ask before the two women had approached them.
Mac’s response was quick and honest. “I think I’m in love.”
Lawton laughed but Mac was totally serious. That was how his father claimed it had been for him when he’d seen Mac’s mother for the first time, when the two had been attending classes together at Ohio State University.
Mac drew in a deep breath and didn’t release it until the women had reached them. Introductions were being made by LaDorria. “Teri, I’d like you to meet a friend of Lawton’s. Thurston McRoy.”
Teri offered him her hand and the moment he took it, he felt...something flow through him. From the look in her eyes, he knew she’d felt it, as well.
“Nice meeting you, Thurston.”
He smiled down at her. “My friends call me Mac.”
She nodded. “Okay. It’s nice meeting you, Mac.”
“Same here.” And he truly meant it.
That night they went to one of the bar-and-grills that stayed open late. He got to know her better but not as well as he wanted to. They exchanged phone numbers and stayed in touch, sometimes talking on the phone at night for hours.
They had their first official date a month later, when he’d flown to Montana to watch her perform in another rodeo. That was when he was about to be stationed in Spain and he’d wanted to see her again before leaving the country.
They exchanged texts and phone calls whenever they could, and it was two months later that she’d told him she was thinking about selling her ranch and moving to New York. She felt that maybe it was time to put her college degree in business to good use. He’d known it would be a tough decision for her to make. From their talks, he knew how much she’d enjoyed living on the ranch.
Once she made the decision to sell the ranch it had sold quickly, and before she could pack up and move to New York, he had persuaded her to visit him in Barcelona. When she said she would, he’d made all the arrangements and had sent her an airline ticket within twenty-four hours. He had been there to pick her up from the airport and the moment he saw her again he’d known he wanted to make her a permanent part of his life.
Teri had spent two wonderful weeks with him in Spain and it was during that time that they’d shared a bed for the first time. Making love to her had been just like he’d known it would be.
She’d literally rocked his world.
The intensity of their sexual joining was powerful. It was as if her body was made for him and his for her.
Before leaving to return to the States, he’d asked her to marry him, and she’d accepted.
A month later they were married.
* * *
Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Mac opened his eyes and glanced down at Tasha. She had gone back to sleep. Standing, he placed his daughter back in her bed and then he walked out of the room.
It was time to go find his wife.
Teri McRoy sipped her coffee as she stood at the window and looked out.
For miles all she could see were beautiful plains, valleys and mountains. The Torchlight Dude Ranch, located in Torchlight, Wyoming, was a luxury guest ranch on over a thousand acres just west of Cheyenne. Mac had first brought her here for their honeymoon ten years ago and had promised that one day he would bring her back.
He never had.
Knowing she needed time alone to deal with a few issues, this was the first place she’d thought of coming due to the wonderful and lasting memories she had of the time spent here with Mac. Now she was glad she had come. She missed her girls more than anything and appreciated her in-laws for their quick response in coming to look after them. Her daughters couldn’t ask for better grandparents. Mac’s parents were the best. She couldn’t imagine leaving the girls with anyone else right now. But still, she was compelled to check on them every day. She needed to hear their voices. As expected, they would tell her they missed her—and tell her how much fun they were having with Pop and Nana.
One of the things Teri liked most about this dude ranch was that you didn’t have to stay in the main house. If you opted for more privacy, there were several small cabins spread out over the thousand acres. It was beautiful. Part of the package was that you got your very own horse to use daily and it was delivered to you each morning. Hers was a beautiful white stallion named Amsterdam. Over the past three days, she and Amsterdam had gotten to know each other well. She wasn’t even put off by his spirited side. Being the horse expert that she was, she loved the challenge.
As she stood there thinking about just how idyllic this cabin was, she knew in her heart the one thing missing was her husband’s presence. She missed Mac and always did whenever he was gone for long periods of time, although she tried hard not to let him know it. He had a dangerous job and she’d known that when she had married him. She’d also known he could be summoned away at a moment’s notice without being able to inform her of where he was going or how long he’d be gone. The longest time he’d ever been gone was seven months. This time it had been almost nine and she was beginning to worry. What if...
Teri shook her head, refusing to go there. Mac expected her to be strong and handle things while he was gone. Unfortunately, this time around it was hard for her to do that. Things had happened that she hadn’t counted on and her heart broke more and more each day.
Mac was a good man. A wonderful father and loving husband. He provided for his family, whatever their needs were. Financially, Mac’s girls didn’t want for anything. However, she was discovering that there were some things that money couldn’t buy. Peace of mind. More good days than bad. And a marriage that was more blissful than stressful.
A part of her wanted Mac to not only be on the ranch with her to share in the beauty again, but to also just hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. She needed him to not blame her for what had gone wrong. Even if it was the news of losing the very thing he would have wanted.
A son.
When she felt her tears fall again she drew in a deep breath. Her grief counselor had talked to her, told her that miscarriages were more common than most people even knew. She’d done nothing wrong.
The counselor didn’t know the half of it.
She was not supposed to get pregnant. Mac had said that although he would have loved to have a son, when it didn’t happen with Tasha that was it. He felt four kids were enough for her to handle on her own while he worked as a SEAL.
They’d talked to her doctor about getting her tubes tied, which could be done as an outpatient procedure. They’d scheduled the surgery, but he’d gotten called away. She
