Broken (Brody Brothers Book 4) Read online

  “Winsome. Baby.” His arms tightened around her, but still managed to hold her with such fierce gentleness it was as though he feared she might break. “Look at me. I need your eyes on mine.”

  She lifted her face to his. “What? If you don’t want to hear that you made me fall in love with you, you probably shouldn’t have worked so hard to make it happen.”

  “There you go again, jumping to the wrong conclusion and making me out to be the bad guy.” With a shake of his head, he caught her hair in his hand. “You’re damn right I worked hard to make you fall in love with me. From the time I crossed your path again at your old man’s funeral, getting you to love me was my only plan. Getting you to trust me is something I’ll work on for the rest of my life. I swear it.”

  She shook her head, searching his eyes for the truth. “I don’t know why, but all of this… it’s just so hard to believe. Is this really happening?”

  “It’s really happening.” Kissing her temple, he brushed the curls from her brow. “I know what your life was like growing up, and I know it gave you scars that no one can see. But do you really think no one could ever love you? Love you the way the earth loves the rain? It’s like you have zero expectations of anyone even giving a damn about you, much less loving you.”

  Dazedly she shook her head. “Uh, pretty much.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s bullshit right there, and you need to get rid of it, ASAP. Everyone who meets you loves you, but that’s not even close to what I feel for you. But you can’t see it because you’ve got one helluva blind spot when it comes to me. All this time you haven’t been able to see me standing right the fuck in front of you, showing you that I’m the man who’d do just about anything to be the place where you belong.”

  Not even the oxygen could make her lungs work when he talked like that. “I want to believe you. I want to believe…”

  “That I love you? Come on, woman,” he said, giving her a little shake. “You were brave enough to run into a burning building to free up animals that terrify you, so I know you’ve got enough courage to take that final step. Ask me the question, and I swear I’ll answer truthfully.”

  She swallowed hard and opened her heart. “You really love me? You weren’t just after Smiley Lake?”

  “I really love you, and I don’t give a shit about that lake.” He smiled, so smug and confident he was lucky she was too weak to smack him. “I can’t believe it took me running into that burning building to rescue you for you to figure out that I’d literally walk through fire for you, but here we are. You’re every good possibility I’ve ever had in my life, Winsome. I’ll be damned if I’m ever going to let you go.”

  All at once, her heart was lighter than air and all her aches and pains became utterly insignificant. “Every good possibility? You’ll have to explain that one.”

  “It’s simple.” Still smiling, he pressed his lips to her brow, though she sensed he was frustrated by the oxygen mask. “I look at you and I see so much. My best friend who knows me as well as I know myself. My lover, who trusts me more deeply than anyone’s ever trusted me, which is a gift more precious than gold. My wife—”

  “Your wife?” Holy crap.

  “My wife,” he went on, giving her a hard look as if daring her to say otherwise, “who’s going to share her life with me until the end of our time together on this earth. And the mother of my children, who’d better inherit this amazing hair of yours,” he added, tightening his fingers on it as if fascinated by its texture. “That’s what I mean when I say good possibilities. When I look at you, good possibilities are all I see. When you’re looking at me the way you are now, I know those possibilities are going to someday be a reality.”

  “Wow,” she whispered while the tears continued to fall, only to be caught in the lining of the oxygen mask. “That’s one heck of a marriage proposal.”

  “You don’t have to give me an answer right away, because I know in the end I’m going to get what I want. You, with my ring on your finger, and my baby in your belly. Take all the time you need to get used to it.”

  Oh my God. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the things you say.”

  “I’m just telling you the truth as I know it. And the truth is you love me just as much as I love you. Doesn’t get any simpler than that.”

  “I need to talk to my grandmother before I do anything,” she said, dazed, but that had nothing to do with smoke inhalation. Time and again, her man always managed to bowl her over in the most delicious way. “She needs to understand that you’re so much more than your last name. You’re the man I love more than my next breath, so she needs to get used to us being together.”

  “I think you’re going to find that your granny is just fine with us being together.” With a satisfied smirk, he fished into his pocket and held up a battered-looking envelope. “She gave me the deed to the Smiley homestead.”

  And she thought this day couldn’t get any crazier. “What?”

  He nodded and carefully pressed it into her bandaged hand. “Remember before I left this morning—though, holy hell, it feels like a lifetime ago—I had to talk to Killian? I told him I was headed for your grandmother’s to lease Smiley Lake for whatever price she wanted, and he okayed that. Once I got there, though, the price was exactly what you thought it was going to be—me, leaving you alone.” He lifted a shoulder. “No way in hell was I going to do that.”

  “Yeah?” A happy little laugh escaped her, and she couldn’t help but snuggle closer. “Not even for Smiley Lake?”

  “Not even for all the lakes in the world. Before you came along, I had no fixed point in my life. I was drifting aimlessly and not even giving a fuck about it. Then that asshole father of yours up and died. That was when I remembered there was a time in my life when I couldn’t get you out of my mind, and I knew I had to see you again. It was my idea to talk to you the day of your father’s funeral,” he added, surprising her. “Once I’d remembered you, I couldn’t forget you. That’s what I told your grandmother, so offering me the lake in exchange for getting out of your life was never going to happen. If she wasn’t going to lease the land to us at whatever price she wanted, I told her we’d use the lake without her permission in this time of emergency, and she could sue us for damages later. I was getting into my truck when she called me back and handed me the deed.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Just like that. Well,” he amended, thinking about it, “she also told me to take good care of you. Like I need someone to tell me that. You’re my world. Of course I’m going take care of you with everything I’ve got.”

  Her poor abused throat knotted so much she had to consciously will the muscles there to relax. “She knows you’re my everything. I told her that. I’m just so sorry I didn’t remember that when I saw those stupid photos of Lake Smiley.”

  “I should’ve told you about that survey, so the blame’s solidly on me, not you.”

  A man who took responsibility for his bad behavior was worth his weight in diamonds. “Guess I’m not the only one who’s still got trust issues, huh?”

  “You could say that.” He sighed, grimacing. “I didn’t trust you enough to stay if I told you about it, and I sure as hell didn’t want to lose you, so I just kept it to myself.”

  “Idiot,” she murmured, and hoped he saw the smile behind the mask. “As if I could ever leave my heart.”

  “We’ve got to promise each other that no matter how much we get in our own way, we never forget how much we love each other, baby girl,” he said, as serious as she’d ever seen him. “I can’t bear the thought of losing you, so when I fuck up—and it’s me, so it’s gonna happen—don’t give up on me, yeah?”

  Damn, her eyes were stinging again. “As if I ever could.”

  “We just have to remember that this love we’ve got is everything good and beautiful, and nothing can tear us apart because when we’re together, we’re home. Think you can do that?”

  “Watch me,” she whisper
ed, and pulled her mask down long enough to kiss him.

  Epilogue

  Seven months later

  “I’m so glad you could share this day with me, Granny.” Setting her bouquet of white roses and a rainbow of Texas wildflowers on the round banquet table where her grandmother sat, Winnie took the older woman’s hand in both of hers. The space behind Green Rock Ranch’s main house had historically been the party space for the Brody family, and all the stops had been pulled out for her and Des’s wedding reception. Wooden panels of a dance floor had been laid down near the bandstand, where a five-member country-western band played all the favorites. The scent of roasting meat perfumed the air from the caterers’ tables on the wide verandah, while wait staff cruised the crowd with champagne and appetizers—Green Rock Ranch’s organically-raised filet mignon and horseradish crostini, shrimp and avocado wonton bites, and beef and bleu cheese stuffed mushrooms. Thankfully the weather had cooperated, with the sun beaming down from a cloudless sky. But as brilliant as it was, it was nothing compared to what Winnie felt inside.

  A dream she’d never dared to dream as a child had come true. The most perfect man in the world was now her husband, and today was the beginning of the rest of their life together.

  Together.

  In her opinion, there wasn’t a better word in the English language.

  Granny chuckled and squeezed her hand. “Where else would I be, silly girl? You’re my treasure. I couldn’t miss my girl’s happiest day, now could I? And I got to roll down the aisle with you, too. That was a dream come true for me.”

  Nothing could have made Winnie happier. “I was so proud to be with you. I did have a moment when the pastor asked who gave this woman to Des, and you hesitated,” she added dryly. “For a second I thought you were going to give the whole shebang a solid ‘nope.’”

  “As if I’d ever do that,” came the tongue-clicking reply. “I’ll have you know that I was trying not to cry out of happiness. Just looking at the two of you standing there, at the very beginning of your life, so much in love that a person can see it glowing around you… Oh, Winnie. You don’t know how happy it makes me to see you happy.”

  “I am.” She raised her grandmother’s hand to her mouth for a kiss. “Des makes me happier than I ever knew I could be.”

  “You do the same for him. When I saw how much that man loved you—choosing you over Smiley Lake—I knew he was the one for you. You’re his whole world, child.”

  The very thought made her throat tighten. “That’s good, because he’s mine.”

  It was true. Over the past several months, her life had undergone a vast transformation. She still designed fashion for Cleone’s Closet, but she no longer worked within the shop. Nor did she live in the apartment on the second floor. After she’d recovered from the fire and could once again thread a needle with her newly healed hands, she and Des had had a long heart-to-heart about their future. To her delight, he was adamant that they live together while she planned their wedding. He was fine with her working at whatever she wanted to do, just as long as she was there at night to greet him when he came home.

  Nothing pleased her more than to do just that.

  She’d never been great in the kitchen, but Celia was an excellent teacher and was just a phone call away if things suddenly got smoky. When Winnie had pulled off her first business dinner party for Des—an old rodeo friend who was interested in partnering with Green Rock to provide bull-riding stock for all of North America—she’d been thrilled beyond belief.

  But as thrilled as she’d been by that, the greatest accomplishment she quietly took the bow for was Des’s invitation to Killian to come over for a beer. Of course, he’d wrangled his oldest brother into helping him move furniture around to make way for her cutting table, sewing and embroidery machines, but still.

  Progress.

  And it was beautiful.

  Des wasn’t the only one who had done a lot of personal evolution. Little by little she’d learned how to share not just her space, but herself, with the man she loved. Her online store, Passion for Fashion, was going gangbusters, thanks to Celia’s marketing genius. But rather than allow herself to be run off her feet trying to create every order all by herself, she now had a handful of seamstresses on the payroll to fill the orders. She still did quality control herself, inspecting every item personally to make sure it was up to her standards, but handing off the production time to employees meant she now had more time to spend with Des.

  Best. Decision. Ever.

  She no longer had any question about Des or her place in his world. They belonged together, and they both knew it.

  Moving into his lonely house out by Lone Sentinel Butte had been a breeze since he’d hired movers to box up everything in her apartment while she’d still been recovering from the fire. She hadn’t had to lift a finger. Then he’d made room for her in his house like he’d been waiting to do it his whole life, and soon began trying to figure out how to renovate his personally designed house built for one, to add more rooms for their future children.

  Just the thought made her heart flip-flop. Early on, they’d discussed whether or not to start a family right away, but with the thought of Granny in the forefront of her mind—who was scandalized enough that Winnie had moved in with Des before marriage—she’d wanted to wait.

  As of tonight, the wait was over.

  “Ladies.” Des appeared, looking too hot for words in his tux, though the formal tie was gone and the first third of the studs were undone. Smiling, he bent to kiss Winnie before resting a quietly possessive hand on her shoulder. “I’m in the mood to dance. Which one of you is willing to cut a rug with me? Miss Heavenly?”

  Her grandmother gave a startlingly girlish giggle. “Oh, my goodness, you two lovebirds go on and enjoy yourselves. I’m just going to sit here and dream of holding my first great-grandchild. Y’all might want to think about that, by the way. I’m not going to live forever, you know.”

  “I like the way your granny thinks.” Once Des had Winnie out on the dance floor, he held her close and nuzzled his nose against hers. “In fact, I like her, period. I know we started out kind of rough, but we’re at a point now where I know she’s good people.”

  Aw. “She feels the same way about you.”

  “Good. I’m a fan of anyone who’s in full support of you getting in the family way ASAP.” He gave her a little spin and polished the move off with a dip. “Sound good to you, Mrs. Brody?”

  “As a matter of fact, it does, Mr. Brody.” Laughing up at him, she slid her fingers into his dark hair and brought him mouth down to hers. “It does, indeed.”

  *

  “Yes. Oh God, yes.”

  “That’s it.” Des deep-breathed and tried to hold back until his woman was at her peak. To make sure she got there, he pulled her ass up higher until her head and chest were flat on the mattress and his penetration was complete. “Gonna bury my seed in you so deep, baby girl. Feel me giving you my baby. Feel me giving it to you.” The base of his spine began to tingle, and he groaned as the bliss began to overtake him. Every time, he marveled. He touched heaven when he was inside his Winsome. Every fucking time.

  God, how he loved knowing this was where he belonged.

  Eyes closing, he slid a hand over her hip and down to her pussy, searching by feel for that sweet little nub. The moment the stroked her clit, she lost her mind, gasping out a semi-scream that was his name, and it was so beautiful he gave himself over to the explosion of pleasure, riding that crest of ecstasy until he couldn’t go anymore. With one final thrust he emptied himself into her, wishing all the while that he never had to leave her.

  “I know you’re a rancher who knows all about hormones and baby-making,” Winnie said minutes later after they’d managed to get their breath back. “But I literally stopped taking the pill as of this morning. It’s going to take a while for my hormones to get themselves regulated, so I don’t want you to be disappointed if I don’t get pregnant right away.�
�

  “If you think I’m fucking you for the sole purpose of making babies, you’re out of your damn mind.” Well and truly satisfied, he settled back into the pillows and pulled her to his side. It was his favorite sleeping position, on his back with her head on his chest, his arm around her, their legs a tangled mess and her arm holding on to him like he was her favorite teddy bear. “Being inside you is where I belong, because you’re my home. It’d be great if a baby came from that, but trust me on this, Winsome. I’m never going to be disappointed, because I’m fucking the woman of my dreams, who also happens to be my wife and best friend. Nothing gets better than that.”

  A soft sound escaped her. “How is it you always know exactly what I need to hear?”

  “Magic. And I’m just telling it like it is.” His arm tightened around her, and he turned his head to press his lips against the crown of her head. “Like how I’m going to really enjoy the hell out of our honeymoon.”

  That had her glancing up at him. “What honeymoon? I thought we’d decided not to have one since we’re coming into calving season and you didn’t want to let your brothers down.”

  “I also don’t want to let my wife down. My brothers are fine with us taking off for a couple weeks,” he went on when she continued to stare at him. “We’ll be back in time to help with the end of calving season.”

  “Back from where?”

  “A place I’m told is on your bucket list.” Giving her one last squeeze he rolled over, opened the nightstand’s drawer and took out an envelope. “I told you I wanted you to get a passport so you could accompany me whenever I had to take business trips, right? I’m cool with that, but I wanted you to get a passport so I could take you… here.”

  With her eyes growing bigger by the second, she sat up, modestly clutching the sheet to her chest in a way that still delighted the hell out of him, and took the envelope. The next second she gasped and clutched the envelope to her heart while staring at him with huge eyes. “Paris? You’re taking me to Paris?”