I was more relieved than I’d ever been in my life when I saw Dean’s truck pull in and him come running over. He rushed right past the Ice Queen and Sheriff Thompson, coming to stand protectively beside me with his arm moving up to rest firmly around my shoulders.

“What’s going on here, Laurie?” Before I could answer, Dean turned his attention to the sheriff. “Lou, what’s the meaning of this? My husband is pregnant and these children have been through enough recently, without you showing up here with your lights flashing and this woman in tow to harass their father.”

The sheriff heaved a loud sigh as he scratched the side of his florid jaw while Helen spoke up with an ugly sneer across her deceptively beautiful face.

“Listen, hick. I have it on good authority that you two aren’t legally wed. That nullifies the judge’s orders, so I’m here to collect my heir.”

Dean’s voice sounded cold as ice as he responded. “I’m sorry, don’t you mean to say heirs plural? Careful lady… Wouldn’t want people to know what a bitch you really are.”

Dean let go of my shoulders, and stooped to pick up Kiki who was hugging my legs and crying that she didn’t want to leave me. Dean calmly set her on his hip and kissed her cheek, then turned to Matty.

“Matty, there is an official looking paper and a receipt sitting on the kitchen table—it came in an envelope from the county. Can you run in and get that for me, son?”

Without hesitation, Matty was off and running, slamming the screen door behind him with a bang. We could hear his shoes thumping against the wooden floors as he ran straight back to the kitchen.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Chuck skulking around near the corner of the house, and turned back to my former mother-in-law.

“Helen, exactly what is this good authority you mentioned that told you my marriage was false? Perhaps you could clear that up for me, because you would need proof to back up a claim like that.”

Helen triumphantly turned and pointed to a red-faced Chuck. “Trust me, I have a witness. And he’s standing right there. He’s been working for you—and spying for me—almost since the moment you arrived here.”

Dean snorted. “So, you basically have the witness of a man who overheard the frustrated words of a newlywed husband who had just had a fight with his pregnant omega?” Dean chuckled and turned to the sheriff.

“If we’re going to be using things like that in official reports, Lou, you’ll end up arresting every husband in town at some point.”

Matty came flying back out right then, and handed Dean the marriage license and receipt from the county that we’d received a few hours ago. Dean glanced over them, then moved down the steps to show them to the sheriff. Helen looked over his shoulder in horror as she realized what the paper said, while Sheriff Thompson merely winked at us with a satisfied smirk.

“Well, I’d say that this is all the proof I need to see to know that things are hunky-dory here. Listen, boys, I sure am sorry that I bothered you and frightened the children. Is there anything I can do for you? Perhaps a restraining order or two?”

I started to shake my head, but Dean spoke up. “Yes, Sheriff. Actually, you can. Now that I know that this man has been working for this woman, I’d like you to see him escorted off our property, because he’s fired. But first, can you watch while he packs his things and look for a phone that might match one with the number that I gave you? You know, the one that was sending us threatening texts and hang-up calls before the wedding? Come to think of it…” His voice trailed off for a moment.

When he began to speak again, a chill moved up my spine when I realized what he was insinuating.

“Come to think of it, Sheriff. He has been working here almost since Laurie arrived. In fact, he was here the day that—“

Before Dean could finish, Helen interrupted. “I didn’t tell him to open any gates and risk any of the children’s lives. You can’t prove a thing there.”

The sheriff turned to gaze at Helen with a speculative frown. “That’s an interesting jump, ma’am. See, the thing is—nobody said anything about any gates. Why don’t you sit tight for a bit, while I escort your friend here back to his quarters to collect his things.”

Helen glared at where her car was pinned in between my truck and the Sheriff’s car. She wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. While Sheriff Thompson escorted Chuck to his quarters, I took Kiki from Dean and sent the three children inside. When I came back out after getting them situated with a snack in the kitchen, I found Dean’s grandmothers climbing out of their car.

“Excuse us, pardon us,” Granny Libby said as she accidentally, but completely on purpose, bumped into Helen on her way up the steps. Helen sniffed and went to go sit in her car. Good riddance, bitch.

“Where are those grandbabies of ours, I heard they needed some Granny time, because some jerk was here traumatizing them?”

I grinned and pointed at the door. “They’re right inside at the table.”

Dean shook his head. “But first, would you care to explain how you ladies knew something was going on over here?”

Grandma Dot waved him off. “You know damn well that I was listening to my scanner, how else would I know? Now hush, young man. We need to go see to our babies.”

Dean shook his head “I thought the sheriff told you not to use that thing, Grandma.”

Dot waved him off. “My nephew Lou can stuff that bunk where the sun don’t shine. I’ll not be told what to do by a boy whose butt I used to diaper. Now, tell me—do you need my help here?”

Dean quickly explained what was happening in a voice low enough that Helen couldn’t overhear if she was eavesdropping from her car. While he filled Grandma Dot in, Granny Libby came over and pulled me into a hug. Before she stepped away again, she whispered in my ear.

“Give our grandson a chance; you can trust him with your heart. I promise, honey. Dean’s heart is all yours for the taking.”

The kids came to the door right then, excited to have heard the grandmothers’ voices. I was surprised for the second time that day, when I saw Granny Libby sign a greeting to Chris through the screen door. Dot smiled when she noticed the stunned look on my face.

“My girl has many talents, trust me—you haven’t seen the least of it yet. Now listen, why don’t you let us take the kids away from here for a few hours. I think they’ve seen enough, don’t you?”

I immediately agreed, and the two ladies sprang into motion as they ushered the kids out to their car and loaded them in. I smiled when I noticed that they even had safety seats for the younger two.

While they were all piling into the car, Dean about made me fall over. “I was wondering… what would you think about getting a puppy? Omegas love puppies, right?”

I bit back a laugh. “Dude. Not pregnant ones who are going to have an infant to deal with soon… are you being serious right now? No. I’ve already got four kids and one on the way. I don’t need a damn puppy.”

“Three kids… you miscounted,” he said after a moment’s thought.

“No, I didn’t. If you think a pregnant person wants a puppy, then you get relegated with the kids, because obviously you need a keeper too.”

I was grinning at Dean’s ridiculousness while I lifted a hand to wave goodbye to the kids.

They’d barely left when the sheriff came walking around the side of the house, with Chuck in handcuffs. Helen jumped out of her car and came rushing over to nose her way in and probably try to see what the sheriff was carrying.

He was holding a plastic bag with a phone inside. After he shoved Chuck into the back seat of his car and slammed the door he turned and proceeded to arrest Helen. He was still reading her the rights, when she interrupted.

“Wait, I demand to know on what grounds do you think that you are going to arrest me? I need to know what to tell my lawyer when he goes after your badge.”

The sheriff chuckled. “I’d like to say that I’m arresting you on the grounds of being an asshole, but let’s start with assault and the attempted murder of a minor.”

Helen was sputtering with rage, when the sheriff held up the plastic bag. Dean and I moved closer as he held the phone up and demonstrated what was on its screen right through the bag.

There was a picture on the phone that showed a photograph of Chris lying in that field, but—it was time stamped about forty minutes before he’d been found. My blood ran cold as I thought about this woman ever having wanted to get her hands on my babies.

The sheriff explained what he’d found. “This photo here is part of a string of texts, which I’ll be happy to go over with Mrs. Adams back at the station when her attorney shows up. Thing is, she ordered her henchman to do something to shake things up around here. When the boy got hurt, Chuck texted asking her what to do. There’s a text from her that said, I quote, who cares—that one is defective anyway. He’s not the heir, just leave him there until he’s found. The longer it takes, the worse his loser parent will look.”

I was crying long before the sheriff finished describing the evil texts he’d read, Dean wrapped his arms around me and held me tight while the sheriff finished reading Helen her rights and loaded her into the back seat of his cruiser beside Chuck.

“Sorry about her car, boys. I’ll arrange to get it towed out of here within the hour.”

We nodded our thanks to the sheriff, and watched him leave with the lights on the patrol car flashing. I whispered to Dean, and I clenched my fists at my side.

“How could one woman be so evil, and to a child! Let alone her own grandchild, but any child? I don’t understand…”

Dean answered by pulling me in for another hug. Somehow our hug turned into a kiss… and then another kiss… and then a longer kiss… until I finally found the strength to pull away, and look into Dean’s eyes.

“I don’t understand. I thought that you didn’t want to be with me.”

“I have never in my entire life not wanted to be with you, Laurie. And now that I know what it’s really like to be with you,” Dean stopped and waggled his brows. “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away—if you’ll have me, that is.”

To answer his question, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss.