Law Man (Dream Man #3)(143)

“Hurry home tonight,” I said softly back. “Casa Bonita. Bray and Brent confirmed though they did it under protest and informed me they’ll be wearing disguises because if any of their g*y posse sees them in Casa Bonita they’ll get kicked out of the club. Tess called and told me she, Brock and the kids are meeting us there. So are Kenny and his kids. LaTanya and Derek are following us.”

“Got it.”

“We’ll be ready when you get home.”

“Got it.”

“We still on for those viewings with the real estate agent on Saturday?” I asked.

“Yep,” he answered then threw out his own question. “You sittin’ by the pool right now in a bikini?”

“Yep,” I answered.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

I grinned.

My man thought I was hot.

“I’m also covered in suntan oil,” I shared.

I heard that sound I knew and loved come from deep in his chest, Mitch’s immensely attractive chuckle.

Then he said, his voice deep and vibrating with his laughter, “Mara.”

I closed my eyes.

That was mine.

Mine.

A life ahead of me with a beautiful, good man who said my name often with his deep voice vibrating with laughter.

And again, my soul sighed.

“Auntie Mara!” Billie yelled. “Come dunk me!”

I opened my eyes.

“The princess speaks,” Mitch muttered again, a smile in his voice.

“You know it,” I replied, my smile in mine.

“And love it.”

My soul sighed yet again.

That was mine too.

All mine.

“Right,” I whispered. “Love you, baby.”

“Love you too, honey.”

“Ready?” I asked.

“Ready,” he replied, a smile again in his voice.

“Break,” I whispered, my smile also in mine.

Then he was gone.

Epilogue

Hometown Bud Lawson

Mitch

Thirteen years later…

“That shirt burnin’ your skin?”

Mitch was looking down at his wife who was wearing a Colorado Rockies jersey.

The number on the back, 9.

“Absolutely not,” she replied and he grinned.

“Any Cubs fans see you in that, they’re gonna throw you out of the Die Hard Club,” Mitch warned.

“I’ll take my chances,” Mara muttered.

Mitch grinned.

“We’re late, we’re late! Sorry, we’re late.” They both heard and Mara’s head turned as Mitch’s eyes went down the row to see Billie and her latest boyfriend scooting along the row, her dark hair shining in the bright Colorado sun, way too f**king much of her long, tanned legs exposed by her short-shorts.

It was early April. It should be cold. At least chilly.

Not in Colorado. It was eighty-six degrees and had been for two weeks.

Tomorrow the forecast was snow.

But today, Billie was in short-shorts. And she had been for two weeks, Mitch knew from the evidence of her legs being tan.

“For the record,” Mitch muttered, his eyes having moved to Billie’s most recent, “I do not like that guy.”

He felt Mara’s gaze and he looked down at her to see her lips pressed together but her eyes dancing.

Then she unpressed her lips and whispered, “You never do.”

“I like this guy less,” Mitch informed her.

Mara’s shoulders started shaking as her eyes continued dancing and she pressed her lips together again.

“And also, you need to have a word with her about those f**kin’ shorts,” Mitch went on.

Mara’s entire body started shaking.

“I’m not jokin’,” he whispered.

“You never are,” she whispered back.

No, he never was. When Billie hit fifteen what Mara called The Battle of Skin commenced. Mitch thought Billie exposed too much. Billie disagreed. Mara waded in explaining to Mitch that he was overprotective. Mitch explained to Mara that was his job. Mara told Mitch to relax. Mitch told Mara it wasn’t his job to relax; it was his job not to let his girl leave the house exposing too much skin seeing as he was a guy and he knew what guys had in their heads. Especially at fifteen. And sixteen. And, like Billie’s most recent, twenty-one.

Mitch lost a lot. Women, he found, since his f**king house was full of them, ganged up on you. They also had staying power. It was worth the effort but it wasn’t worth the headache you got in the long run. So he always gave the effort but he usually gave in.

Billie was nineteen, he got that. But his girl would be forty and he’d always give a shit.

About everything.

“We’re here!” Billie cried then sat her ass down in the empty seat beside Mara while whatever-the-f*ck-his-name-was (Mitch didn’t trouble himself with remembering them, he’d learned that early) sat next to her. His girl’s eyes came right to him. “And, Mitch, it wasn’t Ridge’s fault we were late. It was mine.”

Ridge.

Right. The kid’s name was Ridge.

Fuck.

Who named their kid Ridge?

“Dad! Mom! Shift! I wanna sit by Billie!”

Mitch turned to his daughter who was sitting next to him.