Barbara Dunlop - His Convenient Virgin Bride

She looked to Amber. “Give me the keys.”

“You’ll never catch him,” said Melissa. “And it’s dangerous to try.”

“Take the Cessna,” McQuestin put in.

Royce looked at the old man, then grinned. “We’ll take the Cessna.” He grabbed the keys from Amber and headed to the truck at a trot. “Come on,” he called to Stephanie.

She sprinted after him.

It was a five-minute drive to the ranch airstrip. Royce sped through his pre-flight checklist. Stephanie slapped on the earphones and strapped into the seat and braced herself for takeoff.

In no time, they were skimming a thousand feet above the ranch road. The road met the main road, and they banked east. There’d be little traffic before the Interstate, so Alec’s black car should be easy to spot.

After they found him? Well, things were definitely going to get tough. She tried to come up with a speech in her mind, something, anything that might help him forgive her. But she was drawing a blank.

“Painful, isn’t it?” asked Royce through the radio.

“I was so stupid.”

He laughed. “We all are. I told Amber she should marry her former fiancé. I could have lost her right then and there.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Stephanie peered out the small windshield, scanning the length of road in front of them. Range land whizzed by, with the occasional barn or stream. “We don’t know how this one’s going to turn out.”

“He loves you, Steph.”

“I may have killed that.”

“You can’t kill it. Believe me, you can’t kill it.”

Stephanie drew a breath, desperately trying to convince herself that Royce knew what he was talking about. But the fact was, he didn’t. His and Amber’s relationship was unique and special. It wasn’t representative of every other relationship in the world.

“There he is,” said Royce, pointing to the road. And Stephanie’s heart went into overdrive.

Royce overflew the car, checked for traffic, then turned the Cessna in a tight circle, bringing it down on the pavement of the road. They coasted to a stop, and he shut off the engine.

Stephanie removed her headphones, unclipped the harness then clambered out of the small seat, stepping on the wing strut before dropping down to the pavement.

“Go get ’em, tiger,” Royce called with an encouraging grin.

Stephanie couldn’t muster up a smile in return. Her palms were sweating and her knees were weak. She took a few trembling steps along the centerline, watching for Alec’s car to come into view. She didn’t have long to wait.

The black car coasted to a stop, but Alec didn’t get out.

Squinting, at the tinted windshield, Stephanie forced herself to walk toward it.

Finally the door opened, and Alec stepped out, frowning. “What the hell?”

“I’m sorry, Alec.”

He looked at the plane, then back to her. “What the hell?”

“It’s Royce. We were afraid you’d beat us to the airport and get on a plane, and I wouldn’t be able to find you.”

“So you landed on the highway? Have you lost your mind?”

“I came to apologize.”

He was still frowning. His eyes were squinted down in anger. “It never occurred to me in a million years that I’d have to make this rule. But don’t you ever, ever take my baby up in an airplane and land on a public roadway.”

“It’s perfectly safe. We checked for traffic.”

“Stephanie.”

“Okay. Okay. I won’t.” She paused. “But don’t you want to know why I’m here?”

“To say you’re sorry?”

She screwed up her courage. “To say I love you.”

His expression never flinched. “They told you about me buying the stable?”

She nodded.

“And you’re grateful for that?”

“It’s not about gratitude.”

His look turned skeptical. “Really?”

“It was never about gratitude for Blanchard’s Run.”

“That’s not what you said an hour ago.”

“I lied an hour ago.”

“But you’re not lying now?”

“No.”

He took a step forward, jaw clenched, expression grim. “Explain to me, Stephanie. How exactly am I supposed to tell the difference?”

It was a fair question. She moved closer to him. “I guess you can’t.”

His expression softened ever so slightly. “So, when you tell me that you love me? Which, by the way, I desperately want to believe-”

“But you need proof?” she ventured.

“And it can’t be sex.”

“Too bad.” Her voice dropped low. “I’ve been thinking about sex all week.”

Something twitched in his expression.

“I missed you so much,” she told him. “I thought about you all morning. I imagined you pulling me back into your arms, holding me tight, and telling me everything was going to work out for us.”

“And instead I threatened to sell your home out from under you.”

“I should have listened longer. And it shouldn’t have mattered. I should have been able to handle the hard truth.”

“I should have started with the punch line.”

“I love you, Alec. I don’t know how to prove that to you, but I’m willing to do anything you say.”

A grin twitched the corners of his mouth. “Marry me?”

“I already did.”

He reached out and took her hands in his. “Have my baby? No. Wait. You’re already doing that.”

She couldn’t help but smile.

“And since we’re already having amazing sex…” He drew her in closer. “I can’t come up with a single thing that would definitively prove you love me.”

“I could shoot somebody,” Stephanie ventured.

His hand slipped to the back of her neck, fingers burrowing into her hairline. “What are you talking about?”

“Amber said it was some kind of a joke. It meant you loved me.”

“I do love you,” he admitted, and a heavy weight lifted from Stephanie’s chest. “But there’ll be no shooting involved.”

“Okay by me. Hey, I have an idea.”

“Shoot.”

She rolled her eyes. “What if we live happily ever after? We pull that off, you can be sure that I love you.”

Alec smiled as he leaned in. “Deal.” Then his lips came down on hers, and he drew her tightly into the circle of his strong arms.

She pressed her body against him, clinging to him, loving him with ever fiber of her being.

After considering nearly every wedding location on the planet, Amber had finally decided on a casual wedding at the ranch. She and Royce were married in the meadow overlooking Evergreen Falls.

She’d confided in Stephanie that it was as far removed as she could get from a cathedral and a ballroom in Chicago-the plan she’d had in place with her former fiancé, the one who was now married to Katie, her best friend and maid of honor.

It was full on summer, a year since Stephanie had met Alec. Their baby girl was now three months old, and little Heidi had slept the ceremony away in her father’s arms. Now she was resting her head on his shoulder, staring wide-eyed at the lively country band that had taken over the deck of the ranch house.

The patio had turned into a dance floor, with the overflow spilling onto the lawn.

“You going to start riding again?” Royce asked Stephanie as he twirled her in his arms to the sweeping strains of a breakup song.

“I just got the okay from the doctor.”

“But did you get the okay from Alec?”

Stephanie laughed. “Did you get the okay from Amber to keep flying?”

Her brother frowned.

“Same thing,” she pointed out.

“Not exactly.”

“Yes, exactly.”

“How many times have you fallen off a horse?”

“Dozens,” she responded. “Hundreds.”

“I rest my case. I’ve never once fallen out of my airplane.”

Stephanie caught the warm gaze of her husband, and he playfully waved Heidi’s hand in her direction.

“Alec wants me to ride,” she informed her brother.

“Alec wants you to smile. Trust me, he doesn’t want you to ride.”

“He can’t stop me.”

“He can get you pregnant again.”

“He would nev-” Stephanie frowned. Wait a minute. Was that why he was being so cavalier about birth control?

Royce started to laugh.

Stephanie stopped dancing and drew back from his arms. She turned, eyes narrowing in Alec’s direction.

Alec shot back a look of confusion.

“Melissa,” Royce sang, drawing his six months pregnant sister-in-law into his arms.

“What did you say to her?” Melissa’s laughing voice followed Stephanie to the edge of the patio.

Alec’s brows narrowed in confusion, while Heidi gurgled and waved her arms toward Stephanie.

“How many kids do you want?” she asked Alec, retrieving her daughter and settling Heidi against her shoulder.

“As many as I can get,” he answered with a grin.

“I’m not giving up riding.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t keep me pregnant all the time.”

“Who says I’m trying to keep you pregnant?”

“Royce.”

Alec’s gaze shot past her. “Well, what the hell does Royce know?”

She leaned in. “You didn’t want to use a condom last night.”

Alec lowered his voice. “You’re still breast-feeding.”

“It’s not foolproof.”

“Nothing’s foolproof.”

“I’m jumping Rosie-Jo tomorrow,” she warned.

“Go for it. I’ll baby-sit.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. And stop listening to your brother. He’s trying to stir up trouble.”

Stephanie glanced to where her brother had switched dance partners once more. He now held his bride, Amber, in his arms, her gauzy white dress flowing around the satin slippers on her feet. He whispered something in her ear, and she smacked him in the shoulder. He just grinned and winked.

That was her brother Royce, all right, stirring up trouble.

“I think our princess is tuckered out,” said Alec, smoothing his hand over Heidi’s silky hair as her mouth stretched in a wide yawn.

Stephanie smiled. “Home?”

“Home.” He nodded.

She turned and caught Amber’s gaze, giving her a little wave.

Amber mouthed, “thank you,” keeping her head tucked against Royce’s shoulder. They’d see each other for a proper goodbye in the morning before the couple left on their honeymoon.

“Want me to take her?” asked Alec as they made their way toward the stairs to the deck. Through the house was the fastest way to the driveway and their truck.

“I’m fine,” Stephanie answered, starting up the short staircase while Alec kept close behind.

Heidi’s warm little body relaxed into sleep, even as they passed the drummer.

“Keys in the truck?” asked Alec as they crossed the living room.

“Should be.” Stephanie snagged a final cheese puff from the buffet on the dining room table. “You’re still hungry?” Alec teased.

“You try feeding a baby.” She took two steps back and washed the cheese puff down with a strawberry.

Alec pulled open the front door and stood aside to let her pass.

“Thank you, sir,” she mocked as she sashayed through.

“I just like the view from-” Alec nearly barreled into the back of her where she’d frozen still on the top step.

“Hello, Alec.” Damien gave him a nod.

But Stephanie’s gaze was fixed on the man standing next to Damien. He was older, clean shaven, his jawline softer, face wrinkled and shoulders stooped.

The front door banged open to Royce’s jovial voice. “You trying to sneak-” Royce stopped, too. Then a lighter set of footsteps came to a halt on the porch.

“Stanton,” Royce growled.

Alec stepped around Stephanie and Heidi, putting his body between her and Norman Stanton.

“We’d hoped the party would be over,” Damien apologized.

“What the hell are you doing?” Alec demanded of his friend.

Royce took a step forward, coming parallel with Alec, while Jared appeared out of nowhere.

Norman Stanton cleared his throat. “I’m sorry-”

“You’re sorry?” Royce roared.

Norman swallowed convulsively, and Stephanie found herself pitying the man.

“I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“This is my wedding.”

“I knew you were leaving tomorrow,” said Damien, stepping forward to hand Royce an envelope.

Alec stepped up to Damien, voice low. “Start talking.”

Norman spoke up. “I never meant to hurt any of you.”

Jared stepped forward. “If you’re not hightailing it off Ryder land in about thirty seconds, you’re the one who’s getting hurt.”

“It was Clifton,” said Norman.

“Don’t you dare speak my father’s name.”

“Damien?” Alec warned in another undertone.

“I thought he murdered Frank!” Norman all but wailed.

Everyone stilled, and Stephanie found herself mesmerized by the pain in the older man’s eyes.

“He was my brother. And he was murdered. And I went after revenge.”