WHEN THEY WEREN’T far from the big house, Dan, the cowboy man, shouted ‘He-yaw’ as loud as he could, and with that, the stagecoach took off at an alarming clip. Stephanie grabbed hold of the seat beneath her bouncing butt and held on for dear life.
This is what’s called a dramatic entrance, she thought as her ride made a mad dash for the Villa’s stable. As the coach clattered along, she was turning this way and that, hoping not to end up on her ass at the bottom of the carriage and trying to take in the transformation revealed to her astonished eyes. Everywhere she looked, decorations and props made the stately Villa and outbuildings a colorful Wild West town.
She spied a large event tent, two enormous chuck wagons, ‘50’ signs of every size, shape, and color imaginable, a bunch of carnival-style games, and more people in costume than a stage production of Oklahoma. The carriage slowed down as it approached the distinctive horse barn and then picked up speed as they drove into the riding arena.
People were screaming, clapping, and cheering from all directions as they made several circles around the ring. Feeling like the Queen of England, she leaned out the window laughing happily and using her regal beauty queen wave.
That man! She was going to have to love him into next week for doing all this just for her.
When the stagecoach pulled to a hoof-stomping halt, Calder was right there to open her door and offer his hand to help her down. Right then, she didn’t care how many eyes were on them. Overcome with love for the man who was changing her entire life, she practically flew out of the carriage and launched into his waiting arms. As the assemblage of people hooted and hollered with obvious delight, she kissed him for all she was worth.
Drawing apart as he lowered her to the ground, Calder laughed and squeezed her tight. “Hello to you too, Duchess. I’m thinking by your reaction that I did good?”
“You did very good, Mr. Dane. Very good indeed.”
He leaned in close and whispered, “I’m glad you’re pleased, but you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
Remembering what she had on, Stephanie whispered back, “Neither have you.”
Letting go as she found her feet, he reached for her hand, stopped, did a double take, and then slapped his free hand over his eyes.
“Oh my god, woman. What have you done now?”
“What?” she asked innocently. “I”—she made sure to cough—“obeyed. Right?”
She came damn close to laughing in his face when she saw his jaw tighten, and he grumbled, “That is so not the top I picked out.”
Clinging to her feigned posture of female innocence, she pouted as prettily as she could, rubbed her hand on his chest, and simpered sweetly, “But baby, my shoulders would fry in this sun. I didn’t think you’d mind if I avoided a nasty sunburn.”
She was aware that Tori, Drae, and Daniel were approaching. So were Lacey and Dylan. Oh, and from the other side of the arena, Parker and Angie were also headed straight for them.
“Goddammit, Duchess. You might as well be naked. That bra,” he growled. “Your stomach.”
“What? No good?”
The look he gave her left Stephanie in no doubt that her last taunt went too far. Instead of being worried, her entire body lit up with an exquisite blushing bloom of arousal that was better for her skin than a shit-ton of expensive creams. Nothing was quite as beneficial to a woman as having an agitated alpha get all broody and jealous for no reason.
“We’ll discuss this later,” he told her gruffly.
She had to bite her lip when it started to quiver with laughter. “Promise?”
He looked at her long and hard. “I realize you’re winding me up for a birthday spanking, but darling’, I’ve got other plans for that ass of yours tonight.”
Stephanie barely had time to sputter and respond before people overwhelmed her with birthday greetings.
“Mom!” Victoria hooted with affection laced with humor. “In those shorts and those fantastic boots, you look more like thirty than fifty!”
Accepting the family’s best wishes, she endured the hugs, kisses, and teasing jokes with all the pageant-savvy aplomb she could muster. Everyone was talking excitedly. There was a caricature artist! And a mechanical bull. Betty’s BFF, Cheryl Prescott was all set up and doing face painting for the little ones present. Everywhere she looked, tables covered with red and white checkered cloths, hay bales, and cowboy hats decorated the area. The air was thick with the mouthwatering aromas wafting from the chuck wagons.
“First things first,” Calder eventually joked as he pried her away from the family. Taking her hand, he led her out of the riding ring and across the way to a vintage looking wanted poster with a cutout in the center for those having their photo taken.
With Tori and everyone else snapping away, she and Calder posed for a dozen shots—some serious, some wacky, and some just plain crazy. When they’d had enough, he palmed her ass in the tiny shorts, kissed her forehead, and murmured low in that deeply sexy voice he knew melted her panties, “I want you.”
Their eyes locked, and she knew every time she saw one of their pictures in the future she’d remember his words. Only Calder would use an old-fashioned wanted poster to make a point.
After that, the afternoon whizzed by. The rodeo portion of the festivities was nothing short of hilarious. As Ben handled the announcing duties, the construction crew dressed up like rodeo clowns and caused all sorts of mayhem. When it was time to present the awards, Calder escorted her to the center of the ring, slapped a headpiece and microphone on her, and let her have the stage.
She couldn’t believe that he actually had real belt buckles and trophies engraved with her name, the number 50, and a Justice logo for good measure. In the end, she gave everyone who rode or roped something for his or her efforts, managing to earn her a frown of displeasure from Calder when she planted a big smacking kiss on the champion’s cheek.
When it got too hot to think, they slid into the big tent, which was mercifully outfitted with some A/C. They ate, laughed, and schmoozed with everyone as if they were a couple making the rounds at a wedding reception.
As the time to cut the cake neared, Tori got everyone’s attention with one of those two-finger whistles she did that could shatter glass. A skill her father had taught her as a young girl.
Remembering her long, lost love, a strange calm settled over her. This was something new. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by all she’d lost when Daniel died, lately, she’d come to feel nothing but joy at his memory. She had Calder and baby Daniel to thank for the change. Something was deeply cathartic about replacing grief and loss with joy and excitement for the future.
“Okay, okay. Settle down,” Tori grumbled.
Stephanie looked around at the crowd pressed into the big tent. It was standing room only with everyone gathered in clusters.
Calder reached for her hand and kissed it. She liked the way his lips on her skin made her feel. Sometimes, he’d do it in the middle of the night if one or both of them got up for any reason. He kissed her hand every time she greeted him. He kissed her hand when she was being a twit. He kissed her hand across the dinner table. It was all good in her book.
Tori commanding the spotlight like a boss brought a wide smile to her mother’s face. She’d lucked out in the kid sweepstakes. Victoria was a spectacular human being, and she wasn’t just saying that ‘cause she birthed the girl. Not everyone could bounce back from a personal and professional crisis and land in a way that changed several lives for the better.
“Before we crack open the champagne and toast my beautiful mother’s birthday, we have to let two people who couldn’t be here today weigh in on the festivities.”
There was some activity at the table next to them, but she was too focused on her daughter to pay much attention.
“As y’all know, our intrepid leader, Major Alexander Valleja-Marquez and his Irish bride, the fantabulous Mrs. Meghan Marquez, are still honeymooning.”
Snickers broke out all around. “Is that what you call it?” she heard Parker growl to Angie.
Calder played surrogate Big Daddy and chastised him to, “Be nice,” which got the handsome lawyer an elbow in the ribs from Angie.
“But they sent along a video greeting that we’re gonna project on the tent wall to my left,” she announced as she pointed toward it.
Chairs moved as people jockeyed for position, and all Stephanie could do was laugh when Calder leaned in to whisper something. “Seriously? A video greeting?” he mocked. “Sheesh. What? No hologram?”
Tori pointed to a new face in the crowd. A girl named Remington, who Stephanie thought had the most beautiful black hair she’d ever seen, was at the next table fussing with a laptop and some other gadgets. All of a sudden, the theme song from Star Wars came booming through a PA system.
The thundering song ended, and Meghan’s voice followed. “Give it a rest, Major.” Then what was best described as Celtic river dancing music rang out followed by the Marquez bride giggling and saying, “Glenfiddich. Still for pussies.”
Everyone laughed and stared at the tent wall waiting for an image to appear. When it did, a loud gasp followed by gales of laughter filled the room.
A wide shot appeared of what looked like the inside of a trailer littered with clothes, empty pizza boxes, crushed beer cans, and ripped open bags of cookies and Cheetos strewn everywhere.
In the middle of the chaotic scene were two people sitting together on a sofa. As the camera zoomed in and the wide shot focused, projected on the wall had to be the funniest thing she’d ever seen in her entire life.
It was Alex and Meghan. Only, it was an Alex and Meghan that no one had ever seen before.
Wearing a ripped, dirty form-fitting tank top she heard commonly referred to as a wife-beater and his hair a complete mess was the big man himself. He had several days of beard growth on his face and a comical heavy gold chain hung with a garish looking ‘M’ covered in some sort of tacky bling. He was relaxing on the sofa, the top of his pants undone and a hand slipped just inside the waistband.
A couple of Cheetos were also stuck to his gut.
Next to him was Meghan. Or who she thought was Meghan. Hair looking more brown and dirty than auburn and beautiful, she was hulling peanuts over a brown paper bag with an honest-to-god cigarette hanging from lips smeared with some mighty awful looking fire engine red lipstick.
Alex took a swig from a beer can, turned a toothy grin on the camera, and let loose with a world-class burp and what sounded suspiciously like an answering fart.
His greeting? “Yo. People.” Which he growled through a series of near belches. Cramming a handful of Cheetos into his mouth, he chewed and wiped a hand across his lips a few times.
When Meghan took the cigarette out of her mouth and ashed it in a beer can wobbling precariously on a lopsided coffee table, Stephanie turned wide, disbelieving eyes on Calder who was slack jawed at her side.
“Baby,” Alex grunted to his wife. “Get Daddy another cold one.” Meghan pursed her lipstick-smeared lips but said nothing. When she rose from the sofa and stepped over Alex’s outstretched legs, he thumped her on the butt as she passed and grumbled, “Hurry it up, wife.”
Parker laughed first. Then Draegyn. And not just a small, amused chuckles. Nope. They immediately went for full-throated guffaws that spread like wildfire around the tent.
When Alex started speaking again, the laughter died, and a hush fell over the gathering. Calder squeezed her fingers, and she swung her gaze to his. His subtle nod was full of meaning. Even if Alex Marquez was a deadbeat on Skid Row, when he spoke, people listened.
“So I hear you’re having a blowout party at my place. Really?”
The deadpan expression on the Major’s face and the sardonic edge to the question actually made the man holding her hand squirm a little. A quick glance at Drae revealed he too was looking a bit sheepish. Only Parker sat grinning like a loon.
Alpha men. Who can figure them out?
“Imma let that one go.” He paused for dramatic effect, burped again, then stared into the camera and added, “For now.”
Meghan reappeared and shoved a can of beer in her husband’s face. He looked at it, raised a brow, and then looked up at her. After a second, you could hear her sigh heavily before cocking her hip and cracking the flip top open on the can as all the while the cigarette dangled from her lips.
These two needed a web show! Their act would be a rollicking good time, if only for the amusement of Family Justice.
After Meghan stepped over her husband’s legs again, sat down, dropped the cigarette into a can, and resumed cracking open the peanuts, he took a long pull of the beer and smirked at the camera.
“Got ‘er trained up real good now.”
Meghan huffed and looked at him incredulously, shook her head, muttered something under her breath, and went back to what she was doing.
“Take note, Stephanie. This is what life will look like if that old fart gets off his lazy ass and asks you to marry him.”
At that, Angie started giggling uncontrollably. Her laughter was infectious because it only took a second for Stephanie to join. She heard Tori say, “Red! He’s ruined you, girl!”
Calder groaned, “Oh, for the love of god,” hung his head for a moment, cleared his throat, and resumed watching. What in the world was that reaction all about?
“Anyway, anyway …” Alex snorted while a sly grin appeared. “Bummed that I’m missing your big five-oh, Steph!”
Steph? Steph? Who the hell was Steph? Nobody ever called her that.
“Fifty,” he groaned. “God.” Shuddering for effect, he mugged for the camera and let everyone know how he felt. “I hope Drae remembered to install safety grips in your shower.”
Stephanie nearly choked on the drink she was sipping when Calder leaned in close. “He means those fuck handlebars.” The amusement in his voice made her tummy flutter. Calder was an expert when it came to creative uses for those handy shower safety aids.
As if the funniest thing ever had just occurred to him, Alex sat forward and slapped a hand on his knee as he chuckled. “Guess after this we should see about getting some wheelchairs, walkers, and a couple of those riding scooter things you see in Wal-Mart.”
The sidesplitting, exaggerated visual Alex managed to create with just a few words was enough to send the entire room into an eruption of laughter.
Holding up his can of Budweiser—that alone was funnier than hell because Alex did not enjoy a cold Bud as much as his crew did—he offered a snarky smirk and asked everyone to raise his or her drinks in a toast.
“Stephanie Bennett. Happy birthday, girl. Here’s to turning fifty! The ultimate F word, right?” he joked with a wink, wink.
Turning to Meghan, he asked, “Baby. You got anything to say?”
It wasn’t until then that Stephanie keyed in on Meghan’s outfit. Her white t-shirt with the word Bride in bright pink script showed a black line drawn through the word with ‘wife’ scribbled beneath. She was also sporting an enormous hickey, visible when she pushed some of the tangled, dirty hair off her shoulder.
“Happy birthday, Stephanie,” Meghan muttered.
Alex growled. “Come on. You can do better than that. People expect more of my wife than two words.”
Meghan’s head whipped to the side, and her glare was easy to read. “Oh, shut up,” she spit out.
Alex’s hand shot out, grabbed her arm, and right before everyone’s startled eyes, yanked her hard until she flew over his legs like a bad child about to get an ass whupping.
The laughter in the room turned to roars of approval. Alex and Meghan’s Shut-Up Game was the stuff of tongue-in-cheek legend around the compound.
“And on that note, folks, got a wife to tame.” Looking directly into the camera as it zoomed in for a close-up of his face, her last view of Meghan was of her sputtering and wiggling as she sprawled across Alex’s legs. “Stephanie … much love, lady.”
That seemed like it until Alex laughed and murmured low as if what he had to say was for her ears alone. “Oh, and I left you a present. In the barn.” He chuckled. “It’s up to you to find it, though! I suggest starting in the tack room,” he said with a wicked leer and a wink.
And then the image of Mr. and Mrs. Marquez faded and the words Happy birthday, Stephanie appeared. It was a perfect greeting. One that was going to get a lot of people talking and laughing, and something she’d always remember.