Marsha’s.
What had happened in the past was done. Finished. Over. None of them got a redo. From here on out Will was determined to find a way to earn his son’s respect and maybe Marsha’s, too. “Did Ryan enjoy hanging out at the farm?”
“He wouldn’t stop talking about Javier, Miguel and Bandit,” she said. “Ryan loves dogs, but with both of us at school, I didn’t think it was fair to own an animal and leave it alone all day.”
Maybe Will could win Ryan over if he bought him a dog. It had worked for Conway.
“Don’t even think about it,” Marsha said, as if she’d read his mind.
“The dog could live with me and when Ryan visits—”
“That’s a generous offer, Will, but Ryan’s going to be focusing more and more on building his résumé for college and depending on what activities he becomes involved in, he may or may not have time to travel to Stagecoach in the summer.”
Will choked the steering wheel and pulled off the road, then shifted into Park. He couldn’t believe Marsha would tell him he had a son after all these years and then not give him an opportunity to be with Ryan. “What good will it do to connect with Ryan if you two never come back to Stagecoach?”
“You can’t expect us to drop everything in our lives, so we can spend summers here, while you go about working your construction jobs?”
He swallowed his anger, grudgingly admiring the way she stood up to him. The spark in her eyes ignited a slow burn in his gut and suddenly he found himself leaning across the seat. “I’m going to kiss you.”
“Okay.” The word escaped her mouth in a whisper of air that caressed his cheek.
He angled his head and brushed his mouth against hers. His first thought was how soft her lips felt. He slid his fingers through her hair, holding her head while he deepened the kiss. She tasted sweet and hot all at once and he couldn’t get enough of her taste and scent. He moved his hand to her hip then up along her rib cage to her—
His cell phone beeped, startling them apart.
“Aren’t you going to check the text?” she asked in a husky voice.
The spell had been broken. Will released Marsha and looked at his phone. “It’s from Johnny,” he said. “Shannon went into labor. They’re heading to the hospital in Yuma.”
Any plans to pick up where they’d left off had died a quick death. “My niece or nephew has rotten timing.” He texted Johnny that he was on the way to the hospital, then made a U-turn. “I’m sorry about lunch, but family comes first.”
Marsha was awfully quiet during the drive to Yuma and Will suspected that didn’t bode well for the kiss they’d shared.
Chapter Eight
“Did I make it in time?” Will said when he entered the waiting room of the maternity ward at the Yuma Medical Center where his brothers had gathered.
Marsha hung back, not wanting to intrude on the family moment.
“They took Shannon into the delivery room,” Porter said. He glanced behind Will. “Hey, Marsha.”
“Hello.” She sat in the chair nearest the door.
Conway’s gaze swung between Will and Marsha and she hoped her mouth wasn’t swollen from the kiss Will had given her a short while ago. She’d been so flustered she hadn’t touched up her lipstick before entering the hospital.
“Where were you going when Johnny texted you?” Conway asked.
“Ajo,” Will said.
Mack pointed to Will’s mouth and grinned.
“What?”
“When did you start wearing pink lipstick?” Mack chuckled and the rest of the Cash brothers hooted.
Embarrassed, Marsha felt her face warm.
“Knock it off, Mack,” Will warned. “Where’s Clive and Shannon’s brothers?”
“Shannon’s dad left Phoenix an hour ago, but I don’t think he’ll make it in time and Matt and Luke are in court today,” Conway said.
The waiting-room door opened and Johnny stepped inside, wearing a green surgical gown. He wasn’t smiling.
Marsha’s embarrassment forgotten, her stomach
What had happened in the past was done. Finished. Over. None of them got a redo. From here on out Will was determined to find a way to earn his son’s respect and maybe Marsha’s, too. “Did Ryan enjoy hanging out at the farm?”
“He wouldn’t stop talking about Javier, Miguel and Bandit,” she said. “Ryan loves dogs, but with both of us at school, I didn’t think it was fair to own an animal and leave it alone all day.”
Maybe Will could win Ryan over if he bought him a dog. It had worked for Conway.
“Don’t even think about it,” Marsha said, as if she’d read his mind.
“The dog could live with me and when Ryan visits—”
“That’s a generous offer, Will, but Ryan’s going to be focusing more and more on building his résumé for college and depending on what activities he becomes involved in, he may or may not have time to travel to Stagecoach in the summer.”
Will choked the steering wheel and pulled off the road, then shifted into Park. He couldn’t believe Marsha would tell him he had a son after all these years and then not give him an opportunity to be with Ryan. “What good will it do to connect with Ryan if you two never come back to Stagecoach?”
“You can’t expect us to drop everything in our lives, so we can spend summers here, while you go about working your construction jobs?”
He swallowed his anger, grudgingly admiring the way she stood up to him. The spark in her eyes ignited a slow burn in his gut and suddenly he found himself leaning across the seat. “I’m going to kiss you.”
“Okay.” The word escaped her mouth in a whisper of air that caressed his cheek.
He angled his head and brushed his mouth against hers. His first thought was how soft her lips felt. He slid his fingers through her hair, holding her head while he deepened the kiss. She tasted sweet and hot all at once and he couldn’t get enough of her taste and scent. He moved his hand to her hip then up along her rib cage to her—
His cell phone beeped, startling them apart.
“Aren’t you going to check the text?” she asked in a husky voice.
The spell had been broken. Will released Marsha and looked at his phone. “It’s from Johnny,” he said. “Shannon went into labor. They’re heading to the hospital in Yuma.”
Any plans to pick up where they’d left off had died a quick death. “My niece or nephew has rotten timing.” He texted Johnny that he was on the way to the hospital, then made a U-turn. “I’m sorry about lunch, but family comes first.”
Marsha was awfully quiet during the drive to Yuma and Will suspected that didn’t bode well for the kiss they’d shared.
Chapter Eight
“Did I make it in time?” Will said when he entered the waiting room of the maternity ward at the Yuma Medical Center where his brothers had gathered.
Marsha hung back, not wanting to intrude on the family moment.
“They took Shannon into the delivery room,” Porter said. He glanced behind Will. “Hey, Marsha.”
“Hello.” She sat in the chair nearest the door.
Conway’s gaze swung between Will and Marsha and she hoped her mouth wasn’t swollen from the kiss Will had given her a short while ago. She’d been so flustered she hadn’t touched up her lipstick before entering the hospital.
“Where were you going when Johnny texted you?” Conway asked.
“Ajo,” Will said.
Mack pointed to Will’s mouth and grinned.
“What?”
“When did you start wearing pink lipstick?” Mack chuckled and the rest of the Cash brothers hooted.
Embarrassed, Marsha felt her face warm.
“Knock it off, Mack,” Will warned. “Where’s Clive and Shannon’s brothers?”
“Shannon’s dad left Phoenix an hour ago, but I don’t think he’ll make it in time and Matt and Luke are in court today,” Conway said.
The waiting-room door opened and Johnny stepped inside, wearing a green surgical gown. He wasn’t smiling.
Marsha’s embarrassment forgotten, her stomach
Similar Books
