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  Julie rose to meet him each time, her pleasure increasing with each push of his hips. He twisted and plunged and she let out a cry.

  “Jake! Oh, Jake… you feel so… oh, God.”

  He slid out, slid in, tilting her lower body to take him more deeply. “I feel so what, baby?”

  “So good. So good… oh, God.”

  He kissed her and she tasted his sweat. He was holding himself back for her, she knew, and that turned her on even more. She lifted her upper body right off the floor and held on to his shoulders. His huge hands were under her back, holding her in place. Without a word, they both knew what they needed.

  Fuck calm, he thought. I need to see her come.

  His strokes were powerful now as he tried to get as close to her as he could. He lowered her to the carpeted floor, buried his face in her neck, and let go of all control. He ground in to her, felt her lower lips squeeze him with each plunge.

  “Say my name when you come, baby.” He licked her throat. “Let me know you know who’s making you come.”

  Helpless to resist, unable to stop the tension and release inside of her, Julie’s pussy started to flicker and spasm. He felt it and closed his eyes against his own release. She was shaking wildly now, begging him to send her over the edge.

  “Please, Jake. Please!”

  “Now, Julie.” He drove in to her without mercy. “Now, baby… let it go.”

  She screamed his name as her body shattered and that cry of pure ecstasy on her lips was a sound that Jake wanted to hear forever. There was nothing better; knowing that he had done this to her, that she was sobbing and panting and screaming his name was the best thing in the whole damn universe. In those moments, Jake knew he’d kill for her if it meant that he’d hear his name spoken that way again, even just once.

  Her climax wrenched his own out of him: he slammed in to her one final time and then he pushed himself up on his hands, threw his head back. His eyes were closed, his whole body was riding the wave of sensation and he wanted it to go on forever. She dug his fingers in to his back as he found his own release; she loved feeling this huge, strong man quiver in her arms. She loved knowing that she had done this to him.

  With a groan, Jake lowered his massive upper body on to her gently. She ran her hands through his hair and kissed him. They lay together, unmoving, their breaths slowing down and their bodies relaxing.

  Jake pulled out of her and pushed himself on to his knees.

  “Come on. In to bed with you.”

  She took his hand and they stood up. He laid her down on the tumbled bed and went in to the bathroom. She propped herself up on one hand and watched his ass and shoulders with pure lust. The man had a body to die for.

  Jake laid down beside her and gathered her in his arms. “You doing OK?”

  “You’d better believe it, cowboy.”

  Jake looked at her, those mint-green eyes glowing at him, and felt a familiar tug on his heart. She was just the most amazing woman he’d ever known… most days, he couldn’t believe that she loved him back.

  OK, Weston. Now.

  He pulled back from her a bit. “Julie?”

  “Yeah, hon?”

  “I… ummm… I want to talk to you about something. Something kind of serious.”

  She looked at his tense face. “OK. Is something wrong?”

  “No. Oh, no. But I… well, I wanted to bring something up with you.”

  Julie sat up. “Alright. Go ahead.”

  “OK.” Jake took a deep breath. “Well, you know how Annabeth is back with us?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And the thing is, every time I look at her, I feel so bad for her. Losing her husband.”

  “I know. Me too.”

  “And it kind of reminds me that we don’t know how long we’ll be with the people we love. It reminds me to… to tell them how I feel while I still have them.” He stroked her red-gold hair, the curls falling around her sweet face. “What happened with Vicky’s husband a few months ago just made it even clearer, you know. I could so easily have lost you that night and Phil could have lost Vicky.”

  She nodded quietly, remembering Carl beating Vicky almost to death, Carl hitting her.

  He reached in to the bedside table and pulled out a box. Julie stared at it.

  “Jake. Is that… oh, my God.”

  He opened the box and she saw the ring nestled in it. Her mouth dropped open.

  “Julie… I love you and I want to be with you, for real. Will you marry me?”

  She thought about all her years of being alone and lonely, not wanted by anyone and blinked back tears even as she smiled. “You have no idea how many times I want to answer ‘yes’ to that question.”

  He grinned. “Just once will do, baby.”

  “Yes.”

  He took the ring out of the box and gently slid the gold and diamonds on to her hand. His heart pounding, Jake lifted her fingers to his lips. “And now it’s official. Engagement, marriage, babies. All of it, everything. I want it all with you.”

  Julie looked down at the ring glinting on her finger: it was perfect. She looked up at him, saw the tears in Jake’s gray eyes. “I love you. I am going to love being your wife… having your babies… being with you.”

  They kissed, their hands joined. The kiss deepened and Julie felt the fire spark inside of her again. Jake pulled back to look at her.

  “Want to celebrate, baby?”

  She moaned as his fingers traveled up between her thighs, moving towards her hot sex.

  “Oh, you bet, baby.” She gasped as his finger slid inside of her. “You bet.”

  **

  Annabeth stared at the laptop screen in disbelief.

  The book is done.

  She looked at her pages and pages of handwritten notes, at the printed-out e-mails of Catherine’s suggested revisions, at the formal requests from the publisher. Every single thing was checked off. She was done.

  She opened her e-mail account and wrote a short letter to Catherine, telling her it was all finished and thanking her for everything she had done over the past two-and-a-half years. She attached the file, pushed ‘send’.

  And just like that, she was free.

  She got to her feet slowly, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she was now almost able to go. She went in to the kitchen and opened the door to the highest cabinet. She stretched up on her toes and took down the bottle of wine that she’d bought for this exact reason. It was the wine that she and Cam had shared in Paris when he had proposed and the wine they had chosen for their wedding. She had drunk it at the two biggest ‘beginning’ moments of her life, and she was going to make sure she drank it at the end.

  Annabeth heard a sound outside and she looked in to the open area outside her cabin. There was Eric and it looked like he was off on a hike. His legs were strong and muscled, his curly black hair was hidden under a baseball cap. He looked so outrageously healthy and tanned and fit, she wanted to burst in to tears. He was just so vibrant, and she was just so close to death and it made her sad for what could have been.

  She went in to her bathroom and got in to the shower. She wrapped her arms around herself and slid down the wall. She sat in the tub, the water coursing down her shoulders and hair, rocking and gasping, and she wept.

  After a few minutes, Annabeth got to her feet, determined now, and ready.

  Stop crying. Get dressed. Go say your goodbyes.

  **

  Mathilda Velasquez gripped Julie’s hand in her own, a smile splitting her face almost in two as she stared down at the ring. She looked at Jake, saw his joy just shining out of him.

  “My God, you two! I am thrilled for you… you have no idea!”

  She hugged them both, then pulled back and clapped her hands. “We need to celebrate this… what are we gonna do?”

  Jake grinned. “I know you’re a big fan of parties over in the staff quarters, Mattie. I bet Tammy would want to plan the Hen Night over there.”

&
nbsp; “Nothing fancier?” Mattie asked. “Maybe somewhere where we’d actually need to dress up and make a reservation?”

  “Oh, no,” Julie said. “I’d prefer something here, with food prepared by Manny. I mean, I don’t need fancy and expensive and elegant. We’re getting married right here, after all.”

  “You are?” Mattie’s silver eyes were brilliant in her wrinkled face. “At the ranch?”

  “Yep,” Jake said. “Under the blue sky, with mountain wildflowers in Julie’s hair.” He ran a huge hand over Julie’s curls and pulled her in for a kiss.

  Mattie shook her head. “You two are just incredible. So, how’s about I help Tammy plan the party, and you just show up, Julie? Maybe next month?”

  “Sounds good,” Julie said.

  Just then, Annabeth appeared in the stables door. “Good morning.”

  “Well, hey, girl!” Mattie said. “Come on over here and hear the good news.”

  Annabeth walked over. “What’s the news?”

  Julie extended her slim hand and Annabeth looked down at the diamond glittering in the bright morning sun. “Oh! Oh, my God!” She hugged Julie, hugged Jake, surprised at the burst of happiness and excitement that passed through her. “Congratulations!”

  “Thanks, Annabeth.”

  “So… any details planned yet?”

  “Nope, nothing.” Jake shrugged. “All we know for sure is we’ll be married here at the ranch. Beyond that… it’s all up for discussion.”

  Annabeth felt tears prickling her eyes. “I think getting married here would be perfect.”

  “Yeah.” Julie looked at what Annabeth had in her hands. “What’s that?”

  “Oh. Oh, yes.” She pulled herself together a bit. “I’m leaving soon, and I wanted to give you a goodbye gift.”

  “You’re leaving soon?” Julie said, perplexed. “But isn’t the cabin booked for another six days?”

  “Yeah. But I finished the book far more quickly than I thought I would, so I’ll be leaving early. The day after tomorrow. I’ll pay for the whole reservation, of course.”

  “Don’t even worry about that,” Julie said. “I’m just happy the book is done! We need to celebrate this, right?”

  “Oh, no. No need for that. Anyway, I just wanted to give this to you.”

  “Annabeth. There’s no need to buy gifts…”

  “I didn’t buy it. It’s mine and I want you to have it.”

  “Really?” Julie said.

  “Yes. Open it.”

  Carefully, Julie opened the lid and gasped. “Oh. It’s beautiful.” She pulled out a silver necklace with an emerald pendant; it was graceful and delicate and feminine. “I can’t accept this, Annabeth.”

  “I really want you to.”

  “It’s too much…”

  “No.” Annabeth shook her head. “You have been nothing but supportive and warm and kind to me and you’ve pulled me through some dark times, I can tell you that. Cam gave this to me the day after he proposed… it’s actually perfect that I’m giving it to you now, in light of your news."

  Mattie was very still. “Tomorrow’s the anniversary of Cam’s death, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, no.” Julie was horrified.

  “It’s OK.” Annabeth smiled. “I’m really OK. Better than I have been in a while. I really want you to have this, Julie. Please. It would make me happy.”

  “Are you absolutely sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “OK, then. Thank you.”

  The women hugged again, but Julie met Jake’s and Mattie’s eyes and saw her own unease and disquiet reflected there. Something wasn’t quite right, but none of them could put their fingers on it.

  Annabeth drew back now and gave them all a brilliant smile. “OK, so! I’m off! You guys take care now…”

  They watched her walk up the hill towards the staff quarters and then they exchanged glances.

  “I’m not the only one who’s a bit worried, right?” Jake said.

  “No, hon.” Julie shook her head. “You’re definitely not alone in that.” Just then her cell phone rang. “Oh, boy. It’s Tammy…”

  Tamara Jenkins was Julie’s best friend, as close as a sister. She lived with Rob Cathay, the Sales Director at Open Skies. Funny, sassy and halfway to insane, Tammy was the first person she had told about the engagement. Sadly, it had been a voicemail, since Tammy was at a fashion design conference, but Julie knew Tammy would kill her if she had started telling people at the ranch without telling Tammy beforehand.

  Jake grinned. “Brace yourself, babe.”

  “I know, right?” Julie pressed ‘answer’. “Hey, Tammy.”

  Tammy shrieked. No words – just one long shriek. Julie held the phone away from her ear and Jake and Mattie could hear the noise. Everyone laughed.

  The shriek tapered off and Julie carefully held the phone close to her head. “Ummm. You done?”

  “For now! Engaged! Jules… engaged!”

  “Yeah....”

  “OK, when do we party?”

  “I think you and Mattie need to talk about that.”

  “Put her on the phone. Right now. We’ve got some planning to do…”

  Julie gave Mattie the phone. “It’s for you.”

  **

  Annabeth knocked on the door of Vicky Thompson’s private staff apartment. She heard footsteps inside and the door opened. Phil Dobson was standing there, strong and broad and handsome.

  “Well, hey Annabeth.” His green eyes blazed down at her. “How you doing?”

  “Good. You?”

  He ushered her in. “Busy in here.”

  She looked around at all the packing boxes, the stacks and piles of things all over the place. “Vicky and Sonia are moving?”

  “Yep.” He looked delighted. “They’re moving in with me.”

  “What? Really?”

  “Yeah. My house isn’t huge, mind you, but I have more than enough space for a bedroom for Sonia. We’ll be fine there.”

  “I’m so glad.”

  “Me too.” He smiled, his battered face sweet and soft. “We’ll be having a housewarming party in about six weeks, after we do all the renovations and stuff, so I hope you’ll come. I mean, if you can drive in to Clarity from Denver.”

  “Um. Sure.”

  “Great. So, what can I do for you, hon?”

  “I was hoping to talk to Vicky.”

  “She’s not here, I’m afraid. She’s in Colorado Springs at the shelter.”

  “Oh, right.” It hadn’t occurred to her that Vicky might be doing her community service at the shelter for battered women and children this morning. “How’s that going?”

  “Good. Really good.”

  “She doesn’t find it… upsetting? It doesn’t trigger her?”

  Phil’s face clouded. “A bit, sometimes. But she’s tough. We get through it.”

  Annabeth nodded. She was sure that when Vicky was taken back to all those years trapped in a violent marriage, Phil was right there pulling her back to now. She thought about Vicky’s six-year-old daughter, another casualty and survivor of Carl Thompson. Vicky had kidnapped Sonia and given her to Vicky’s mother for safekeeping and then Vicky had run to Open Skies, looking for a new start, a better future for her and Sonia. An experience like that had to leave some scar or hurt on the little girl.

  “And Sonia? How’s she doing?”

  Phil’s face broke in to a huge smile. “Great. That girl is bright and smart and funny and just so damn sweet. She’s a joy, Annabeth. Truly.”

  “God, I’m so glad. I was worried she’d have a hard time adjusting to all this.”

  “Yeah, me too. I really thought she’d be scared of me, you know. Her father hurt her, and she was skittish around men. But we took it slow and now she’s all about the hugs and the cuddles. Kisses my nose when I leave for work in the morning.” He grinned. “Most precious damn thing that happens to me all day, I swear.”

  Once again, Annabeth
felt tears in her eyes.

  Phil saw them and looked concerned. “Hey, you OK, hon?”

  “Oh, sure. I am. That’s just so beautiful.”

  “So, why did you need to talk to Vicky?”

  “Oh. Oh, right.” Annabeth wiped her tears away. “Would you give her this for me?” She handed Phil a box. “It’s a gift.”

  “A gift?”

  “Yeah. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow, and I wanted to give this to her.”

  “So soon? I thought you were here longer.”

  “No. I’m checking out early.”

  “Oh. Well, sure, hon. I’ll make sure she gets it.”

  “Thanks. And – and can you just tell her one thing?”

  “Of course.”

  “Tell her that I admire her so much for what she’s done… her building up a whole new life. She’s strong and amazing and I want the best of everything for her.”

  Puzzled, Phil looked down at her. “OK.”

  “And please tell her that this gift is special… that my husband Cam gave it to me when I beat cancer. It symbolizes strength and triumph and new beginnings and I can’t think of anybody better to have it.” She held Phil’s gaze. “You’ll tell her?”

  “I – I will.”

  “Thank you. Goodbye, Phil.”

  “Goodbye, Annabeth.” He shut the door behind her.

  OK. That was weird. Why do I feel so uneasy about all of that?

  Chapter Three

  Eric came back from his hike sore and tired, but happy. He’d never seen anything like the mountains around Open Skies, and he was officially in love with them. He’d always considered himself a Texas boy, but now he was wondering about that.

  The wild flowers in the Rocky Mountains were stunning, and so different from the plants and blossoms that he saw in the heat and warmth of Texas. Vibrant and tough, the mountain flowers thrived and gloried in the air and wind and sun. They would dig down in to a rock crevice and just take root and bloom there – literally spring forth out of that hardness. Some were deceptively delicate, and he thought maybe he liked these the best… the true hidden nature of the flower hidden by an unassuming exterior. Beautiful to look at; difficult to hurt. Adaptable and smart and damn near impossible to kill.