Bad Boy's Bride Read online

  A little part of her was just hanging there, anticipating…

  Something.

  She sighed as she finished preparing Shiloh’s lunch, cut up chicken breast and apple sauce. In her heart, she was still foolishly hoping for that fairy tale ending…

  Right now, sitting in front of Shiloh’s high chair and spooning apple sauce into his mouth, she felt more like Cinderella.

  “Quit spitting it on your shirt!” she scolded him, her words lacking heat.

  Shiloh just grinned and picked up another piece of chicken from his plastic plate, jamming it in his mouth.

  “Your manners are seriously lacking, buddy.”

  Once he was fed, she took him upstairs to change his clothes. Then she found a splotch of apple sauce on her shirt, and ended up changing her tank top.

  Today was just… one of those days. Shiloh was the best kid, but he was still a toddler. He was a miniature tornado, creating a path of destruction and dirty laundry everywhere he went these days.

  Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she sorted through her clean t-shirts, trying to keep an eye on Shiloh. He crawled around the floor at her feet, pushing a toy truck around with single-minded determination.

  She glanced at her phone.

  Sawyer.

  Heart suddenly leaping into her throat, she answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Are you home?” he asked without preamble.

  “Ummm, yeah…” she said, grabbing a t-shirt.

  “Can I meet you on the front porch in five minutes?”

  “I—” she started, then paused. “I guess? It’s just me and Shiloh at the house today, so… he’s with me wherever I am.”

  “Even better. See you in five.”

  “Okay…” she said.

  Disconnecting the call, she frowned at the faded t-shirt in her hand.

  “Buddy, I can’t wear this,” she told Shiloh, who ignored her completely.

  Digging through her drawers, she found a light blue tank top and a fresh pair of shorts. By the time she’d changed, brushed her hair, and stopped Shiloh from trying to flush his toy truck down the toilet, the doorbell rang.

  Stifling a nervous groan, she scooped Shiloh up and carried him downstairs. Opening the front door, she found Sawyer standing there with flowers and a somber expression.

  “Um, hi,” she said.

  Her heart squeezed when she realized that Sawyer was actually speechless, his gaze locked on Shiloh.

  “Shiloh, this is Sawyer,” she told her son, smoothing back the dark, messy mop of his hair.

  “Sawyyyyyy,” Shiloh said, trying to say the word.

  Sawyer glanced at Remy, clearing his throat. “I want… can he call me Dad?”

  Remy felt tears prick her eyes.

  “Of course. Shiloh, can you say Daddy?”

  “Daddddd,” Shiloh said. He squirmed, wanting to get down.

  Remy set him on his feet, grinning when he immediately went to explore the bouquet of lilies that Sawyer held. Sawyer played the moment perfectly, kneeling down and letting Shiloh squish the flowers experimentally.

  “Fwower,” Shiloh said, looking up to Sawyer for approval.

  Remy saw Sawyer’s throat work, could barely hold it together when she saw how emotional he looked. Sawyer glanced at her, pinning her with that gorgeous hazel gaze.

  “He looks so much like Colt and Walker did as kids,” Sawyer said.

  “He looks like you.”

  If there was something sweeter than watching Sawyer interact with Shiloh for the first time, Remy didn’t know what it might be. Shiloh patted Sawyer’s hand, pointing at the flowers.

  “Shi, did you smell the flowers?” Remy asked, her voice gone thick.

  “Nooooo,” he said, giving her an angelic grin.

  “See if they smell good, buddy,” she suggested.

  Shiloh crouched down and stuck his whole face in the bouquet, then immediately reared back and sneezed. He toppled over, but Sawyer caught him with one hand, putting him back on balance.

  Shiloh looked up at Sawyer and laughed.

  They stayed like that for a little while, Sawyer seeming awestruck by Shiloh, Remy watching them both. Feeling like her heart was about to burst, it was so full of joy.

  After a while, Sawyer stood again, giving her a look.

  “Can we take a drive?” he asked.

  “Well, there’s no one to watch Shiloh,” she said, brushing a lock of hair back from her temple.

  “I kinda thought he could come with us.”

  “Oh! That’s so nice, but… he needs a car seat and stuff,” Remy said, pulling a face.

  “I got one.”

  Remy couldn’t help the shocked look she gave him.

  “You did?”

  “Yeah. Took me about an hour to install the thing in my car…” he said with a shrug.

  “They’re notoriously difficult to install,” Remy said with a smile.

  “So… what do you think? Take a ride into town with me?” he asked again.

  “Okay,” Remy said, taking a breath. “Sure, why not.”

  It took a minute to gather a bag of Shiloh’s things — it was never as simple as walking out of the house, not with a toddler in tow. Once Shiloh was fastened into the super fancy car seat in Sawyer’s Range Rover, Remy hopped in the front seat.

  “Let’s do this thing,” she said, giving him a hesitant smile.

  Sawyer gave her a long look, but didn’t say anything. He drove toward town, moving no faster than thirty miles an hour at any point.

  “You don’t have to drive like a grandma, you know,” Remy told him.

  Sawyer shrugged. “Never driven a car with any kid in the backseat, much less my own kid. Not gonna rush it.”

  Remy laughed. “Whatever makes you happy.”

  Shiloh started fussing in the back seat after a minute, until Remy turned on the radio. As soon as she tuned into the pop station, he calmed down, bobbing his feet to the music.

  “You raised him to like Katy Perry?” Sawyer asked.

  “You try telling a kid what to listen to,” Remy said. “See how that goes over.”

  Sawyer did grin at that.

  “Stubborn, huh?”

  “Yep. He’s a Roman man, through and through,” Remy said.

  Sawyer drove through town, past The Speckled Hen and the grocery store, past his father’s new house. Remy watched out the window as the town crawled by; Sawyer was driving at a true snail’s pace now, and it was getting harder and harder not to tease him about it.

  He pulled up in front of a grassy lot, across from the small K-8 school in town. Sawyer climbed out and made a great show of unbuckling Shiloh, making the toddler laugh by pulling silly faces as he freed him.

  “Can I carry you?” Sawyer asked Shiloh.

  Shiloh’s brow furrowed, and for a moment Remy thought he’d refuse, turn to her for comfort. Instead, Shiloh just cocked his head and looked at Sawyer expectantly.

  “Go ahead,” she said when Sawyer turned to her for reassurance.

  Sawyer picked Shiloh up as though he was made of glass. It would’ve been funny, if it didn’t give her a big knot of guilt right in the middle of her chest.

  She’d had her reasons, certainly, but keeping Sawyer and Shiloh apart so long… it hadn’t been the right thing to do. Seeing them together like this, she knew that without a trace of doubt.

  Sawyer carried Shiloh into the grassy field, regret blatant on his face when Shiloh insisted on being put down.

  “Don’t take it personally,” Remy said, giving Sawyer a comforting pat on the shoulder. “He likes to explore.”

  Shiloh was already off, crawling around in the grass, exclaiming in delight when he scared a cricket into the air.

  “He’s incredible,” Sawyer said, shaking his head. He turned his gaze onto Remy, eyes dark with emotion. “You did a really good job with him, you know? I just wish you hadn’t had to do it alone.”

  Remy bit her lip, dropping her gaze.<
br />
  “That was my own choice, at least partly.”

  Sawyer took her hand, lacing her fingers with his.

  “You made a mistake. The more I think about it, the more I understand. If I had to make the same choice…” he said.

  Remy felt a tear slip down her cheek.

  “I was afraid,” she admitted. “I still am. If you wanted, you could take him from me.”

  Sawyer reached out and brushed the tear from her cheek.

  “Maybe I could try… but I have a feeling you wouldn’t let me.”

  Remy smiled and sniffed. “Probably not.”

  “I would never put you in that position.”

  Remy couldn’t help herself. She flung her arms around Sawyer, hugging him as hard as she could. He chuckled and slid his arms around her, letting her feel the rumble of laughter in his chest.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “For understanding.”

  “I think we could both use a little forgiveness, huh?” he said, his breath teasing her neck.

  “Yeah,” she agreed, her heart giving a squeeze.

  He eased back, looking down at her.”I have something for you.”

  Sawyer released her, walking back to his car. He opened the passenger door, dug around for a moment. When he returned, he held a crisp and official-looking document, offering it to her.

  Remy took it, scanning it over.

  “A deed?” she asked, glancing up at him.

  “Yeah. For this lot we’re standing on.”

  “Ummm…. why?” she asked.

  “You and Shiloh need somewhere to live,” he said, holding up a hand. “This is… call it the first of several acts of contrition.”

  “Oh,” she said, confused. “This is nice, Sawyer, but… I don’t want your money…”

  “Look, Remy. You’ve done so much, raising Shiloh all by yourself. There’s no way in hell that the mother of my child will ever want for anything, though. I’d be ashamed,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand.

  “So… a house,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s just… a lot.”

  “It’s not enough,” he insisted.

  Remy looked down at the deed again, gathering her courage. “Is it… is the house just for me and Shiloh?”

  “Well… if that’s what you want…” he said, giving her a helpless look. “Oh, Remy… don’t cry…”

  Her face screwed up, she tried to fight tears.

  “What if I want more than that?” she asked, her voice gone to gravel.

  “Look…” he said, squeezing her hand. “Remy, don’t cry. Please.”

  “I’m trying not to!” she protested. Between the deed in one hand and Sawyer holding the other, there wasn’t much she could do to stop the traitorous tears leaking from her eyes.

  She turned her head, surprised to see her parents pull up in their pickup truck. Then Shelby and Larkin… then Micah. Finally she saw Walker’s Escalade, Colt riding shotgun.

  “Sawyer?” she asked, looking to him.

  “I asked them to join us,” he said. “I hope that’s okay.”

  “What is happening?” she asked, pleading with him for answers now.

  “You’ve been really patient,” he said, releasing her hand so that she could wipe at her face. “Just wait one more minute, okay?”

  Behind her, Shiloh squawked and ran over to Remy’s mother, who scooped him up with a happy smile. All around her, her family and Walker’s family approached. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw The Colonel pull up in his Mustang, though he and his mistress didn’t get out of the car.

  “Hey Rem,” Shelby said, bounding over to give Remy a hug. “You look like a hot mess right now, girl.”

  “Thanks!” Remy said, flustered.

  “Are we all here now?” Sawyer asked, looking around.

  “Think so,” Remy’s father said, turning to wave to Shiloh, who gave his grandfather a cheesy grin.

  “Okay. You ready?” Sawyer asked Remy.

  “Me?” Remy asked, going red. “This is your show, soldier. I’m just along for the ride.”

  “Damn straight,” he said, giving her a brilliant grin. “Try not to cry, okay?”

  He reached in his back pocket and got down on one knee, showing her a black velvet ring box. Remy’s mouth opened in a shocked O, and she plastered her hands over her heart.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, eyes wide.

  “I’m trying to be romantic. Give me your hand, Remy.”

  She looked at Shelby. Her sister rolled her eyes and waved a hand.

  Remy turned back to Sawyer, giving him her right hand.

  “Other hand,” he said. “You’re terrible at this.”

  “Well, I’ve never done this before!” she said, giving him her left hand instead.

  “Shhhhh,” Sawyer said, popping open the ring box and liberating a giant diamond ring.

  “Oh my god,” Remy moaned.

  “Remy…”

  “Sawyer!” she squeaked.

  “Woman! Let me propose, if you don’t mind.”

  Remy tamped her lips together, trying not to dissolve into hysterical, tearful giggles.

  “Remy Alice River…” he said, holding her hand in his as he looked up at her, going somber. “Will you marry me?”

  “I… yes?” she said, her heart in a tumult.

  “You’d better sound a little more sure than that,” he said, giving her a stern look. “This is forever. Do you want to be my wife?”

  “Yes!” she said, overcome. “Yes, of course I do!”

  He grinned. “Good choice.”

  Sawyer slid the ring onto her finger, then stood. Remy almost knocked him over this time, pressing her lips to his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and dipped her backward, then lifted her up off the ground.

  She broke the kiss with a laugh, her heart overflowing. When she turned, looking for Shiloh, her mother was waiting to hand him over.

  Shiloh in one arm, Sawyer in the other, Remy looked between her two favorite men, awestruck.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone cry this much during a proposal,” Sawyer said, brushing tears from her cheeks.

  “Well, maybe no girl has ever been this lucky,” Remy said.

  “Delayed gratification,” Sawyer said, “For both of us.”

  He hugged her and Shiloh, the three of them suddenly more than they were just a few minutes ago.

  “Family,” she said.

  Sawyer nodded. “Family.”

  After a minute, Sawyer eased back, giving Remy room to go to her mom, her sisters. She ended up hugging everyone, even Walker and Colt, and crying on everyone too.

  The whole affair was kind of a hot mess, but it was also completely fitting. For her, for Shiloh, for Sawyer.

  This was exactly the fairy tale they all deserved.

  Shiloh went back to Remy’s mother, falling asleep in her arms after all the excitement. Not that he comprehended the meaning of any of it, but babies understood emotion better than almost anybody.

  “Well… now what?” Remy asked Sawyer, once everyone had said their congratulations.

  “That’s not enough for you?” Sawyer asked, teasing.

  “I just meant…” Remy asked, then laughed. “No, I guess not.”

  “I think maybe Shiloh is ready to go back to your parents’ house,” he said, slipping an arm around her waist. “And I thought maybe you and I would go back to my place for the night.”

  “Oh! That sounds… good,” she said, her cheeks heating.

  “Good?” he echoed, kissing her lips.

  “Mmmhm,” she said.

  “Well, all right. Get in the car,” he said, releasing her and swatting her on the butt.

  Blushing, Remy said her goodbyes, turning even redder when Shelby and Larkin blew her loud, silly kisses. Between siblings, there was never really any growing up, apparently.

  Remy waited in the car for Sawyer, twisting her huge platinum ring around her finger. It didn’t quite f
it, a little loose, but… there was time yet to get that fixed.

  She smiled to herself, thinking that her life was a lot like her new ring. It would take a little adjustment to get used to all the changes, but… there were only good things ahead of her.

  That much she knew for sure.

  When Sawyer got into the car, he gave her a devilish smile.

  “How are you feeling, Rem?”

  “Bowled over,” she said, smiling back at him.

  “Well, buckle up. We’re not done yet.”

  He pulled the car out of the drive, letting Remy’s imagination run wild as he drove toward Roman Ranch.

  What else could there possibly be? she wondered.

  When Sawyer came around to open her door at the ranch, he surprised her yet again by leading her to the main house instead of his little studio apartment. When he opened the front door, Remy’s jaw dropped.

  The whole downstairs was completely empty, even the clunky modern kitchen.

  “Your surprise is… the furniture is gone?” she asked, giving Sawyer a skeptical look.

  “My surprise is, there’s nothing left except a bed upstairs,” he said with a wink. “Because I figure we’re going to need it before you redecorate.”

  “Redecorate… to live here?” she asked, puzzled.

  “Unless you want to keep living with your parents until the house is built,” he said, a dimple flashing in his cheek as he smirked. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not that patient.”

  She flushed. “You are bad right now.”

  “You have no idea,” he said, reaching out to brush a fingertip over her new ring. “I don’t want to see you in anything but this for a full day.”

  “Sawyer!” she said.

  Too late… he grabbed her by the waist, threw her over his shoulder, and headed for the stairs.

  27

  Sawyer wasn’t joking about the furniture. Upstairs in the master bedroom, there was nothing but a lamp, a side table, and a bed.

  A big, freshly made bed.

  Remy had about three seconds to take this in as Sawyer carried her over to the bed, setting her down only long enough to strip off his boots, shuck his shirt.

  Reaching up, Remy ran her fingertips across the bare expanse of his muscular chest, her body warming with hunger for Sawyer.

  Make that… her future husband.