Epilogue
A year later, the family all gathered in the living room on Christmas Eve to celebrate. And they had a lot to celebrate, Travers McGraw thought as he looked at his burgeoning family.
He watched his oldest son, Cull, pour the champagne—and the nonalcoholic sparkling grape juice.
“So much has happened,” Travers began, his voice breaking with emotion as he raised his glass in a toast. “I have my family back and so much more.” He laughed and looked at the women who’d joined the family in the past year—all of them pregnant. “I never thought I’d live to see my first grandchild born, let alone four.”
The room erupted in laughter. Cull and Nikki had started it by getting married and pregnant right after their wedding, then Ledger and Abby, then Boone and C.J.
“We have so much to be thankful for this holiday,” he said and looked to his daughter, Jesse Rose. She’d moved in and was now working with the horse business right alongside her father. Travers had extended offers to her adoptive mother to come visit over the past year, but she hadn’t come out to the ranch yet.
So much had happened but at least now the kidnapping was behind them. And Marianne would be coming home soon to stay. She’d come for a few visits, but the doctor said they needed to take it slowly. Finding out that she’d had nothing to do with the kidnapping had been huge in her recovery. That and seeing both of her once-lost babies now grown.
“You said Tough has been going by to see mother?” Cull asked.
Travers nodded and smiled. “He said it’s gone well. She knew him right away.”
“Unlike Vance Elliot,” Cull said. “He fooled us for a while. I was starting to believe he really was our brother.”
“Vance got his head turned by the idea of cashing in on becoming Oakley,” Travers said. “He knew it was wrong.”
“I heard that you paid for Vance’s lawyer,” Cull commented, clearly not approving.
“Yes, I did,” his father said. “I saw something in him. In fact, when he gets out of jail, I’ve offered him a job.”
“Dad, do you think that’s a good idea?” Ledger asked.
“I do. He’s had a rough life. I like to think that showing someone like him kindness can change him.”
“Count the silverware,” Cull said, but he patted his father’s shoulder. “You always see the good in a person. I guess it’s something to aspire to.”
Boone laughed. “Nothing wrong with being a skeptic. It balances things out.” C.J. poked him in the ribs.
Travers laughed. “I’d like to toast Nikki. If it hadn’t been for her... Once she started asking questions, the truth started coming out. Thank you,” he said, raising his glass. “And congratulations. I heard your book made the New York Times bestseller list the first week out.”
They all raised their glasses.
“And to Jesse Rose,” Travers said. “It is so wonderful to have you home.”
* * *
BOONE LOOKED AT his beautiful wife. It was true what they said about being pregnant. C.J. glowed. He couldn’t believe how quickly this past year had gone. Mostly he couldn’t believe that not only had he gotten up the courage to ask C.J. to marry him, but that she’d accepted.
After Christmas last year, he’d driven her back to Butte. They’d talked a lot on the way home, but mostly about the kidnapping and Jesse Rose’s return. C.J. had still been dealing with Hank’s death and all the secrets he’d kept from her.
Back in Butte, he’d stayed to help C.J. clean out Hank’s office and close it for good. When he couldn’t think of any other excuse not to return to the ranch, he’d finally realized that he couldn’t live without this woman.
He’d asked her out to dinner, gotten down on one knee and proposed.
To his shock, she’d said yes.
He’d been even more shocked when she’d wanted to return to the ranch and give up her PI business in Butte.
It wouldn’t be the same without Hank and I’ve fallen in love with your family, she’d said.
Just my family?
She’d laughed and thrown her arms around him. I never thought I’d fall in love with a cowboy. But, Boone McGraw, you’re the kind of cowboy who grows on a girl. Take me home, cowboy.
* * *
THE LIGHTS ON the Christmas tree twinkled, the air rich with the smell of freshly baked gingerbread cookies and pine. C.J. breathed it all in, feeling as if she needed to pinch herself as she stood looking at this wonderful family scene. She wished Hank could see this. Maybe he could.
She felt Boone come up behind her. He encircled her with his arms. She leaned back against him and closed her eyes as his hands dropped to her swollen stomach, making her smile.
“Happy?” he whispered.
“Very.” She opened her eyes and turned in his arms. “I’ve never had a family like this before.”
“Well, you do now. I think Hank would be happy for you.”
She nodded. “I was just thinking of him. It’s all he ever wanted for me.” But it was more than she had ever dreamed possible. When Boone had gotten down on one knee and asked her to marry him it had been the happiest day of her life.
C.J. had thought she couldn’t give up her private investigator business. The truth was she wanted a family of her own far more. And now they were expecting. She couldn’t wait.
What made it even more fun was that her two sisters-in-law were also expecting and Abby was pregnant with twin girls while she and Nikki were having boys. With all three families building on the ranch and not that far apart, their kids would all grow up together here.
She couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful. Jesse Rose was as excited as anyone. All this family and soon all these babies.
Don’t worry about me, Jesse Rose had said. One of these days I’ll find me a cowboy and settle down myself. But I’m never leaving Montana.
“I feel like all of this is a dream,” C.J. said now to her husband. “If it is, don’t wake me up.”
Boone laughed. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart, and many more to come,” he said and leaned down to kiss her as the doorbell rang.
“Enough of that!” Cull called from where he and Nikki had gone into the kitchen to check on dinner. “Someone answer the door!”
“I’ve got it!” Boone gave her another quick kiss before heading to the door.
* * *
TO BOONE’S SURPRISE Tough Crandall was standing on the doorstep.
“I was invited,” Tough said, taking off his Stetson.
Boone studied his brother. There was no doubt that this cowboy was Oakley McGraw. But he was determined not to be one of them. Good luck with that, Boone thought.
“Of course you were invited,” he said to his brother. “It’s Christmas and like it or not, we’re family.” Tough didn’t have any other family since both his adoptive parents had passed away. Nor did the stubborn cowboy want to be a McGraw, he’d said. But Travers had been visiting him on and off and had obviously somehow talked him into spending Christmas with them.
“Help me with the presents I have out in my truck?”
Boone laughed. “You got it.” Together they went out and brought in all the gifts. “Hey, everyone, Tough’s here,” Boone announced as they came back inside.
His brother actually smiled as he wiped his feet and stepped in.
Say what you will about the McGraws, they were the kind of family that grew on you—whether you liked it or not.
Travers smiled and held out his hand to Tough. “Glad you could make it, son. I don’t believe you’ve met everyone,” he said after a moment. He began to introduce each of the family and new additions as he went around the room.
When he got to Jesse Rose, he hesitated. Tough was looking at his twin sister wide-eyed. For the past year, Jesse Rose had been dying to meet her twin, but Tough had been dragging his feet.
“This is...Jesse Rose,” their father said.
Tough shook her hand. Their eyes locked and the cowboy seemed to be at a loss for words. “I had no idea,” he said, his voice breaking.
She laughed, smiling as she asked, “No idea what?”
“That I would feel...such a connection.”
“We’re twins. Plus we share quite a history, wouldn’t you say?”
He nodded. “It’s the first time I’ve really felt like I was a part of this family.”
“Well, now that you have,” Travers said, “you’re just in time for dinner. After that we’re going to be opening presents.”
“And singing Christmas carols,” Jesse Rose said. “It’s going to be our new tradition.”
“I can see where we’re going to have a lot more new traditions,” Travers said, putting his arm around Tough and Jesse. “But you might change your mind about the carols when you hear my sons sing.”
“Not all of them are tone-deaf,” Tough said and grinned.
Boone listened to the good-natured ribbing during dinner. Later Jesse Rose brought out her guitar and began to play “Silent Night.” C.J. came to stand by him. He pulled her close, his eyes misting over as he counted his blessings and his family began to sing.
* * * * *
Don’t miss the first two books in the
WHITEHORSE, MONTANA:
THE MCGRAW KIDNAPPING series:
Available now from Harlequin Intrigue!
Keep reading for an excerpt from by Amanda Stevens.
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