Love at First Night Bonus Scene
Hawk
Six Years Later
Our children stand in line by height, leaning against one of the ranch fences for family photos. Eli poses tall and proud at five years old, his ebony hair a messy mane, despite all of the work his mama put into detangling his head.
Next is Tayanita, two years younger and a few inches shorter. Her tight black braids whip back and forth keeping time with her fidgeting. Last is Scott, a chubby one-year-old with fat cheeks and thick, straight black ebony locks, who excels at blowing kisses, making raspberry noises, and contagious belly laughs.
Every time the photographer gets them lined up perfectly, Roxy and I hold our breaths only to have them break formation in some hilarious way. Based on what we’ve seen in the photo shoot so far, I’d wager eighty percent of the pictures of the kids are candid.
While Roxy’s going for the kind of perfection we can plaster on Christmas cards and refrigerator magnets, I’m more appreciative of their quirky, spirited behavior. After all, it has their gorgeous mama written all over it.
Milton shakes his head next to us, his arm wrapped possessively around his wife of three years, Honey. She’s a Filipino gal thirteen years younger than him. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the age gap at first, but their deep and abiding love for each other couldn’t be more obvious.
Honey laughs along with Scott, clapping her hands and exclaiming every five minutes or so, “They’re adorable! Absolutely adorable!”
Leaning towards Milt, I tease, “Your woman seems to be growing awfully fond of kids. Before you know it, you’ll have your own brood to contend with.”
He scratches his head, admiring his wife. “I imagine we will. Family has definitely brought out the best in you two.” He nods towards Roxy and me.
I nod enthusiastically, and Roxy strokes my back, saying, “I couldn’t ask for a better daddy than Hawk. Or a better husband—”
Milt raises his hand to stop her.
She laughs, shaking her head. “I know. I know. Too much information.”
“We have a deal,” Milton says leveling his gaze at his sister.
She chuckles, pointing at both of us and correcting, “No, you two have a deal. As for me, I never agreed to not talk about my man. But I do try to keep it to a bare minimum out of respect for your sensitive ears.”
Honey laughs, stroking the side of Milton’s face playfully. “Yes, very sensitive ears.”
We’ve spent hours out here soaking up the warm rays of mid-July and posing in every formation you can imagine…on haystacks, on horses, by the fence, on the steps of the ranch house porch, in front of the trees. Earlier, we even had my dad and Grandpa Billy out here, taking photos with the kids balanced on their knees. Roxy keeps coming up with new portrait ideas, which has me racking my brain for an excuse to make her leave. After all, for my surprise to work, we need to stick to the schedule.
Milton clears his throat, shooting me a warning glance.
I mouth back. “I know.”
Roxy talks to the photographer again, explaining the next poses she’d like to see. I sneak another peek at my watch. We’re out of time.
Wrapping my arms around her from behind, I whisper in her ear, “We’re done, my heart. Trust me.”
She starts to protest, so I twirl her around, planting an unexpected kiss on her full red lips. “We’re done here. Give the photographer a break, wife.”
“Okay…” the stubborn raven-haired woman says, her brow ticking up. I know that look. She’s getting annoyed with me. But I’ll risk her wrath because what I’ve got planned is one hundred percent worth it.
Sliding my hand down her arm, I lace my fingers with hers, striding forward. Calling back over my shoulder, I ask, “You good with everything, Milt?”
He gives us a thumbs up.
Honey laughs and claps her hands enthusiastically, blowing kisses in our direction. “Have fun, you two!”
I wince, afraid she’s about to spill the beans. I’m not sure if Milt registers my expression or anticipates, from experience, how close his wife is to saying too much. But to my relief, he clamps his hand over her mouth, calling, “Get out of here you two!”
Roxy looks confused, glancing back over her shoulder. “Wait, are Milt and Honey watching the kids? What about paying the photographer?”
“All handled,” I grumble, pulling her gently in my direction. “Don’t you worry about a thing. You hear?”
Fifteen minutes later, we drive toward the Gold County Sheriff’s Office, and the jig is up. Well, part of it, at least. “Are we going in the helicopter?” Roxy asks breathlessly, excitement illuminating her face.
I nod, my heart glowing at the sight of her joy. She doesn’t know where we’re going, yet. But I hope she’ll find it as special as I intend it to be.
Once we’re airborne, my wife’s eyes round with excitement, taking in the expansive vistas below. Pointing out the window, she identifies Hollister and the Silver Fork, looking miniscule and ant-sized below. To my amazement, she makes out my foster brother Travis’s black Chevelle, and we wonder where the bad boy, his hometown sweetheart wife, Faith, and their kids are headed. Over Three Nations, we watch a band of wild horses race across waves of sage, the epitome of freedom.
Civilization gives way to vast verdant tracts of forest. Patches of brown attest to past wildfires. Small lakes glitter like sapphires, punctuating the landscape. But the one I’m after is much bigger and entirely unforgettable.
When it finally comes into view, Roxy puts her hand over her mouth, her eyes filling with tears at the spectacular sight. Lake Tahoe. “Da ow aga,” she says reverently—the “edge of the lake.”
She reaches out grabbing my hand, and I wink, asking, “It’s even more beautiful from up here, isn’t it?”
“Leave it to a Hawk to show me this gorgeous view.”
I bring her hand to my lips, kissing her soft skin as reverently as she stares at the water below. “That’s what God put me on this Earth to do, my heart…spend every day figuring out little ways to make you happy.”
“A sunset helicopter ride over Lake Tahoe is anything but little,” she gasps, taking in the waters below. “De-ek Wadapush,” she exclaims, observing Cave Rock looming to the left, another of the tribe’s sacred sites. “They say medicine men used to meditate and pray there. And there are so many legends centering around that place. Beautiful.”
Our eyes sink into Tahoe’s exquisite turquoise depths, one of the clearest lakes in the world, making out large, white granite boulders at Sand Harbor and the glittering jewel-like waves of Emerald Bay, punctuated by Fannette Island, an upthrust of granite sprinkled with evergreens.
“Da ow aga was sacred to the People,” she says thoughtfully. “A place imbued with healing powers and life—the source of our food and traditions. The life giver of the land, animals, plants, and the People.”
I nod, respectfully.
“We need to bring Grandpa Billy up here and the kids.”
“Not sure Grandpa will feel it in his blood and bones the way you do. After all, he is Delaware…”
“Grandma Dot would’ve loved it up here. I wish she could have lived to experience this.”
“Are you crazy, woman? Grandma was mad at me for putting you on the back of a horse, let alone taking you in the air. She’d have tanned my hide for endangering her little princess.”
Roxy chuckles. “She would have, wouldn’t she? And as for getting her in the air? She never stepped foot in an airplane in her entire life. Always wondered how that worked being married to Grandpa Billy, a former fighter pilot.”
I knit my brows together. “I imagine he had more than his fill of flight time in Vietnam.”
We soar above the lake, identifying King’s Beach, North Lake Tahoe, and all of the major sights, while taking in stunning views of the setting sun. The sky layers in shades of blue, pink, and gold interspersed with great puffy white clouds, and the calm waters of the lake mirror the vibrant hues of the firmament, echoing the heavenly perfection.
As the gloaming gives way to the twinkling lights of night, I fly towards Stateline for the next round of surprises.
“Where are we going?” she asks breathlessly.
“You let me worry about that, my heart. Relax and get your fill of this stunning place, the place your people have called home since time immemorial.” She sighs, turning her gaze towards the windows and savoring every moment of our flight. “Thank you, husband. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
I smile. “You’ve done everything over the years to fit in with this horse-loving Sho-Ban brave. Figure I can return the favor, honoring your people and heritage. I can’t wait to bring the kids up here so they can learn firsthand about their mama’s heritage. For this trip, I’m being selfish, though… I want you all to myself.”
Her face fills with delight as I touch the bird down atop Harrah’s in Stateline, a high-rise casino. A concierge greets me with our room keys and a bottle of champagne. I request he put the bubbly on ice in our room and pocket the cards.
“What in the world are we doing now?” she asks, her eyes rounding.
Grabbing her hand, I help her down, leaning in to kiss her luscious mouth. “I booked a luxury suite on the top floor, and we’ve got dinner reservations in a little over two hours at the resort’s five-star steakhouse,” I say glancing at my watch.
“But I didn’t pack clothes or anything,” she worries.
I chuckle. “Remember when I said you have to trust me?”
She nods.
“Well, it goes for right now, too. I enlisted your bestie, Lily, to help pack. And she also assisted in picking out a couple of new evening gowns that are going to look stunning on your sexy curves. Milt and Honey have the kids handled for the next week. In other words, you get to sit back, relax, and enjoy life, Mrs. Daggett.”
I start to draw her closer, but she beats me to it, standing on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around my neck. Leaning into her, I take her mouth slowly and sensually, letting my hot breath and lips feather over hers before deepening the kiss until she moans.
In a low whisper, I add, “But first, I’m going to give you a full body massage. And I mean full body. Then, we’re going to enjoy the resort’s recommended vintage from our in-room hot tub. Next, I’m going to spread you out on the bed and eat my fill of that beautiful brown pussy of yours. I won’t stop until you scream my name and come for me like a good girl…”
“And then?” she pants, her cheeks glowing.
“I’m going to bend you over the balcony and slide slowly into your slick channel, taking you from behind and teasing you until you beg me to fill you with my cum. I won’t stop until your pussy milks my cock dry. Sound like a good start to our mini vacation?” I ask with a lopsided grin and a wink.
“Sounds like the start of our next baby,” she teases, grabbing my shirt collar and pulling me down for another kiss.
“I’m fine with that, too,” I growl, hungrily claiming her mouth.
Fletcher
As an Army veteran and renowned cardiologist, I make my living healing broken tickers. A man of science and data, I’m gifted in the operating room but incapable of healing my own deep wounds…
Until I meet Drew, a romance writer and expert in matters of the heart. Polar opposites, we couldn’t approach life more differently. But fate keeps throwing us together, which has me wondering if Drew’s capable of writing the happily ever after we both crave.
Pre-order the next steamy installment of the Rough & Ready Country series, Love at First Beat.
