Harlequin American Romance November 2014 Box Set: The SEAL's Holiday Babies\The Texan's Christmas\Cowboy for Hire\The Cowboy's Christmas Gift (13 page)

“Mom, you eavesdrop far too well.” She sighed. It didn't matter now. All the cats were out of their flimsy bags. In her heart, she'd known that Ty was right: secrets didn't stay buried forever, not these kinds of secrets, anyway.

“You realize that your marriage stole a little bit of Madame Matchmaker's thunder.” Betty got herself a piece of cake, plopped down next to her daughter, taking a bite with a sigh of pleasure. “Not bad cake, if I do say so myself.”

“I think Cosette understands that things just happened.”

“She likes to wave her magic wand, though. I feel like the Lafleurs might get back on a solid marital footing if they had some good luck, and that matchmaking business of theirs is key. I've been thinking this over, and I know how we can make things better for her and Phillipe.” Betty grinned. “We're going to let her work her matchmaking magic on
Daisy
.”

Jade got herself a piece of cake, too, figuring she might as well enjoy another slice, since she was the bride. “But Daisy and who? I don't even have a good idea for that.”

“We'll let Cosette handle that little snare.”

“To what end?” Jade wondered. “Daisy doesn't want to get married, and I haven't heard anyone but Squint mention he'd want to tangle with that whirlwind.”

Betty straightened. “Not Squint. He's too nice. Too damaged. He needs something good in his life—not Daisy Donovan and her gang of wild men.”

“And then there're those guys.” Jade licked her fork. “Whoever marries her is going to have to put up with her gang. They're not exactly a barrel of monkeys, and I'm pretty sure every one of them is on Robert's payroll over and beyond the work that they do for his kingdom, as you referred to it.”

“I thought that was inspired.” Betty beamed. “Maybe I'll go into the wedding-cake business.”

“Mom, you don't have any time to do one more thing.”

“You know what I wish? I wish you'd had time for a honeymoon.” Betty shook her head. “You know, your father and I went to Oklahoma for ours. We camped out under the stars. It was nice.”

Jade wasn't sure Ty had even thought about a honeymoon. There wasn't time before he went back to his military service, and besides, she was still nursing.

She just wanted her marriage to be a real one, and the look on Ty's face today when Betty had spilled the beans—okay, flung the whole pot of beans right at Robert's head—hadn't boded well. “I'm glad Dad and you had a lovely honeymoon. And I'm sure Ty and I will do something, one day.”

Betty set her plate on the coffee table. “I'm going to start cleaning up. I want you to do nothing but be a bride today. Suz and Mackenzie can help. You just relax.”

“I'm not going to relax,” Jade said, getting up with her. “All the fun's in the kitchen.”

Betty hugged her. “Be mad at me, but don't be mad at me forever. I couldn't bear it. Robert was right, I dread the thought of my darling chick leaving me. You might move to another state to be with that hunky SEAL husband of yours. I would if I was you.”

“I don't think so.” She relaxed into her mother's hug, enjoying the love. “I'm not sure what Ty's got in mind. And I'm not mad at you. I'm astounded by what you did, but then again, you're my mother. I suppose the apple didn't fall far from the tree.”

The back door flew open and Daisy marched in, her long, chocolate hair flying.

“I hope you're both happy!” She glared at them.

“Sit down, Daisy,” Jade said, recognizing that her new sister-in-law was in a twirl. “Let me get you a nice, hot cup of tea. It's really cold outside.”

Daisy didn't sit, didn't move. The glare in her eyes could have frozen water. “I hope you're both happy with the way you behaved today. Very happy.”

“Look, Daisy, it wasn't—” Jade began, but Betty put a hand on her arm.

“What's wrong, Daisy?” Betty asked.

Daisy's dark eyes blazed. “My father's had a heart attack, and it's all your fault! You just couldn't keep your big mouth shut. You had to tell all those horrible lies!” She looked completely wild and unsettled. “You've always been horrible and mean, Jade, you and Mackenzie and Suz. You're regular queen bees.” Daisy burst into tears, something Jade had never seen her do.

“Now, girlie,” Betty said, but Daisy rounded on her.

“Don't you say a word! This is all your fault! You just had to be horrible, and if my father dies, I'm going to, well, I don't know what!”

“You're upset, Daisy, and rightfully so. Sit down here and rest a minute.” Jade steered her to a chair at the table. “Tell us what happened.”

She quickly got a plate of wedding cake and some cookies, putting them in front of Daisy. Betty grabbed the teakettle and poured a cup of hot water for tea, setting a floral cup next to the sweets.

“You know what happened. Your horrible husband practically shattered my dad's jaw—”

“Shattered?” Jade asked.

“Well, no,” Daisy said. “It's just badly bruised, the doctor says.”

Jade let out a breath, glancing at her mother before she sat down across from Daisy. “And the heart attack?”

“Well, it's not actually a heart attack. It's a severe attack of angina. Brought on by stress!” She glared at Betty, then scarfed a cookie in record time. Started in on the wedding cake. “Mmm, this is good. Maybe I'll hire you to make my cake when I get married.”

Jade raised a brow. “Are you getting married?”

“Do you think I'm going to let your daughters become my father's sole heirs after me?” Daisy asked.

“I don't expect that your father cares anything at all about my children,” Jade shot back.

“He will. Dad's all about progeny and the future-generations thing.” Daisy sighed. “I'm thinking about Francisco. Wouldn't Mr. and Mrs. Francisco Rodriguez Olivier Grant look nice on wedding invitations?”

Jade and Betty both gawked. “Frog?” Jade asked. “Why him?”

“He's ripe for the picking.” Daisy shook her head. “Then again, Squint isn't hard on the eyes. It's just that Frog is so obviously on the hunt for a bride.” She beamed. “I want a very stylish wedding gown from France. And a real wedding. None of this justice-of-the-peace stuff like you did.”

Jade rolled her eyes. “I don't think you're going to get Frog. I think Suz has got her eyes—”

“Shh!” Betty said, her shushing startling both women. “Here, Daisy,” she added, too brightly, “let me get you another cup of tea.”

“Did you say Suz has her eyes on Frog?” Daisy looked positively electrified by this news. She hopped up from the table. “Thanks for the chat, girls. I have somewhere to be. By the way, congratulations on your wedding, Jade, though I don't think your marriage will last too long.” She took one last piece of cake for the road. “I heard Ty telling a nurse that he thinks he's leaving the navy. Can you imagine? After he worked so hard to become a SEAL?” She shook her head. “It's a shame. But he says he needs to be here with his daughters and wife. I think no marriage lasts when one party has to give up everything to please the other partner, but what do I know?”

“Yes, what do you know, Daisy?” Betty demanded. “I don't recall you having a degree in marriage counseling.”

Daisy laughed and waved as she headed out the back door. Jade sank into a seat.

“Don't listen to her,” Betty cautioned. “She came in here to stir up trouble, and she has.”

She certainly had. But Jade knew Daisy was telling the truth. If Ty had said he was planning to leave the navy, then he was. He wasn't the same man who had left BC. No doubt he felt turned inside out.

Jade's heart sank. It was too soon for him to make that decision. There were a lot of emotions flying around from the holiday homecoming, the wedding, finding out he was a father, finding out who his father was.

But Daisy was right: he'd worked too hard to become a SEAL. And Jade was the reason his life had totally blown up, from a too-talkative mother to secrets Jade herself had kept from him.

When he came home tonight, she was going to do her best to convince her handsome SEAL that everything was going to be just fine. He had to go back, had to follow his dream.

She intended to fight for her marriage.

Chapter Fifteen

A storm had turned loose inside Ty. Everything he'd once thought was the firm foundation of his life had been swept away.

He looked at his birth father lying on a bed in the hospital, giving commands to the nurses as if they had nothing better to do than be his personal servants. And of course, this was Robert Donovan, so who was going to tell him to pipe down?

“You need to pipe down,” Ty said. “You don't need to always act like everywhere you go is part of your personal fiefdom. Your ticker is clearly telling you to chill out.”

Robert stared at him, startled to hear a type of advice no one had dared give him before. “Why are you here?”

“Because.” Ty sighed tiredly. “Because I hit you in your stupid mouth, because you had a small cardiac event and because you're my daughters' grandfather.” He waved a hand dismissively. “Trust me, I don't want to be here any more than you want me to be.”

“So now that you know you're related to money, you want to keep your eye on the golden goose?”

Ty looked at Robert with emotions bordering on disgust. “Really? That's your best shot? Always falling back on your big, fat wallet?”

Robert didn't look thrilled by Ty's lack of respect for his wallet. “You won't be in my will. And I expect some blood work to be done to prove this spurious claim your wife has come up with.” He grunted, displeased by the entire turn of events. “In fact, I may have the nurses stick you while you're here.”

“I think a simple swab will do,” Ty said, “but knock yourself out. Look, just because we share a bloodline doesn't mean you're my father in any real sense of the word. So don't try to act like one at this late date.”

Robert's bushy brows rose. “What does that mean, exactly? Are you turning your back on my money?”

“I couldn't care less if you have five dollars or five million. By an unfortunate turn of circumstance, your wife didn't like you enough to want a child with you.” Ty felt that was a travesty. Still, Jade hadn't told him about his children, either. If he hadn't come home, he still wouldn't know. Might never have known. He drummed his fingers on the stiff metal-and-vinyl chair. This whole business with Jade trying to keep everything quiet was going to have to stop. Eve and Marie were his, and he wanted to know everything and anything about them. Maybe not with the attention to detail Sam apparently liked—down to the pooping schedule—but all the stuff that made a man a father, Ty planned to be in on.

“I'm staying in Bridesmaids Creek,” he said. “Just to keep an eye on you, old man.”

Robert's frowned at the disrespect he perceived from Ty's comment—and the adjective. “Old man! What son refers to his father that way?”

“I am not your son. Only in the blood sense. Please leave off all guilt trips. You're embarrassing yourself.”

“Brave talk coming from a man on the government payroll.” Robert sniffed. “See how much you have to live on and then I'll hear a different tune. You can't raise two babies and have a wife on a—”

“People do it all the time. Besides, I'm not exactly hurting financially.”

“I'll buy your house, as I've offered to do many times. That should send your daughters to college.”

Ty shook his head at Robert's endless calculations. “My dad sold you the land behind his house. You've had enough from the Spurlocks. You're not getting any more.” He stood. “I have to go. Get on the mend, so I can give you hell.”

“You know, Jade was awfully proud when you made it.”

He felt a warm spot grow in his chest. “How do you know?”

“She went around town, telling everyone. She talked about you a lot.”

This was news to him. Based on the amount of information he'd had from her while he was away, he'd have banked on the fact that she hadn't thought about him much. “Butt out, Robert. If I want a marriage counselor, I'll track one down. Just because we're unfortunately related doesn't mean I want any father-son chats, either.”

“Yeah, well, I could use some assistance.” Robert looked at him speculatively.

“With what?” Ty dreaded what he was about to hear. Donovan was as manipulative as the day was long. But he'd tried to coldcock the guy, so maybe he owed him a listen.

“Your sister—”

“Start over,” Ty warned. “I'm serious. I want no discussion of us being a family. Do not try to tweak my heartstrings. As far as I'm concerned, I just learned that my family tree has a very undesirable root.”

The older man shook his head. “I could use some help with my daughter.”

“Can't help you.”

“When I look at you,” Robert said, drawing a deep breath, “I'm pretty proud.”

“I don't care.”

“What I'm saying is that I get why your mother...wasn't eager for me to raise a son. Raise you. Why she changed her mind about Daisy, I don't know.” He sighed, sounding older than Ty had ever heard him sound. “Maybe she thought having a daughter would change me.”

Ty remained silent, unmoved.

“Daisy is the apple of my eye. Having her just made me determined to conquer the world. You learn a little late in life that world-conquering is fine and dandy, but you really need to incorporate a few other elements into child rearing.” He looked at Ty for a moment. “Your parents did a real fine job with you. Honestly, you're the kind of man any father would be proud to call his son.”

Ty shook his head, not about to go there.

“So,” Robert said heavily, “back to Daisy. She's already so much like me, and now that she knows she has a fractured family tree, she says she's on a mission to marry.”

Ty snorted. “Sorry,” he said, holding up a hand. “It's just that we're talking about Daisy.”

“She says she's not going to let your daughters be the talk of the town. That they're not going to be my only legacy, as far as grandchildren go.”

“That ol' family tree thing biting you in the ass, huh? Kind of wish you'd read
The Book of Virtues
to her when she was growing up?”

Robert shrugged, closed his eyes. “I don't know what I would have done differently. Everything, I suppose. All I know is that now I don't want my kingdom fought over.”

“No fighting here. I don't want a dime of your dirty money.” Ty was incensed. “You've made that money off the backs of folks in this town that you either flat-out robbed by manipulation, or tried to crowd out with fear.” He stood. “Your entire kingdom, as you call it, is very safe from the Spurlock clan. You have my word on it.”

“But you'll help me with Daisy.”

Ty hesitated. “What exactly do you want me to do? Daisy's hell on wheels. She's going to do precisely what she wants.”

“I don't want her running off and marrying some joker who's after my money.”

“You've been lording your money over this town for years. Where do you think someone could be found who wouldn't want in on a chunk of change?” Ty hated the fact that he was even thinking through Robert's dilemma. “What you need is Madame Matchmaker's expertise. Only problem is you've about ruined her and Phillipe's marriage by putting them under a load of financial pressure. You've wrecked his business in your pursuit of his little shop on the—” Ty stopped at the cagey look on Robert's face. “Oh, I get it. You've ticked off everyone in this town who has the resources to help you, and you want me to run interference. Hell, no. You made your bed, now lie in it.”

Robert dolefully rubbed his chin where Ty had coldcocked him, then pitifully massaged the area over his heart in a silent effort to stir up a little guilt.

“Oh, for crying out loud, Robert,” Ty said, relenting slightly. “Who, exactly, do you have in mind for your wild-child daughter?”

“I was thinking,” he replied enthusiastically, “maybe Sam or Frog, or Squint. You picked them, after all. You wouldn't have brought anyone to this town who wasn't honorable.”

“You're asking me to hang one of my buddies out to dry.”

Robert smiled. “There's gold at the end of the rainbow. Maybe one of your friends would think that's a plus.”

“I thought you just said you didn't want anyone in the family who was after your dough.”

“Those boys aren't from here. They know nothing about me, to speak of. And besides which, I'm not above trying to sweeten the pot. I just don't want anyone marrying my daughter who loves my money more than he loves her.”

“You want the moon. What you're asking for is going to take matchmaking into a whole new gear.” Ty edged to the door. “It would need skilled manipulation, with maybe even a little miracle or magic on the side.”

“And you're the man who came up with the idea to bring a bunch of high-quality bachelors to town to marry off the local population of women, and improve the gene pool. All in an effort to save this town, namely from me.” Robert grinned hugely. “I think I've come to the right place for what I need.”

“This sucks,” Ty said. “I'm not saying I'm helping you.”

“If you quit the navy, it'll look like you're scared of me.”

“Where did that come from?” Ty stared at the old man. “Does your mind never quit working?”

“Nope.” He laughed, pleased. “I'm just saying, you need to remember that you're a hero for this town. Stay a hero. And find my daughter someone just like you. Maybe a little less stubborn, but otherwise the same.”

“Stubborn comes with the brand. You don't get a SEAL without a heavy dose of stubborn, old man. Know what you're getting into.”

Robert closed his eyes with a smile, and waved a hand majestically to dismiss him.

Ty rolled his eyes, still stunned that this ornery man could be his father, and departed, disgruntled beyond words.

All he wanted right now was Jade. It was his wedding day, for crying out loud, and he still hadn't had the kiss he'd been waiting for.

* * *

J
ADE
GASPED
WHEN
the back door blew open and her husband walked in. “Ty! You scared me!”

“That is not what a man wants to hear when he returns to his bride's arms.” He pulled her close, kissing her thoroughly, melting into her. “Oh, God, I missed this.”

“I missed you, too.”

She sounded breathless, and that was exactly how he wanted her. “Let's go have our honeymoon,” Ty said.

“I think we should talk first, not that I want to talk on my wedding day.” Jade sneaked her arms up his back, pressing him against her. “But in the spirit of the Christmas season, and in the spirit of being a totally honest, up-front bride, we probably should.”

“And then we kiss. And other things.”

She laughed. “Lots of other things. Betty's going to keep the babies, I've pumped some milk, and you and I are going away for the night.”

“Where?” He didn't care, he just wanted to hold her.

“Your house for tonight. We'll stay close in case something comes up with the girls. Not that Mom isn't totally competent, but just in case. Then—” Jade kissed him more deeply, in a way that started his body sizzling “—Mom's wedding gift to us is a honeymoon in Paris.”

“Paris?” He leaned back. “That's awesome. Expensive, but awesome.”

Jade smiled, and he wanted to see that smile on her face always. “Apparently, Mom has saved up over the years for my wedding day. She wasn't counting on me having a home wedding in a post-maternity dress. She said the amount of money she'd put back for a wedding dress alone will cover the airfare.”

“I love your mom.” Ty was the luckiest man on the planet. “So what are we talking about?”

“Right now, we're taking our slices of wedding cake and going to your house. I'm all packed. Mom's fretting that I don't have a trousseau or a going-away outfit, and that no one threw birdseed or paper hearts at us, and I didn't toss a bouquet. Most of all, she's worried that I don't have a wedding negligee.”

“It wouldn't be on you five seconds. Tell her it was good money saved.”

“That's what I told her. But she's a mom. She's going to worry. Just like we're going to worry about our girls.”

He actually had a lot of worries going on at the moment. “Let's get you on my white horse, then, and hit the honeymoon trail.”

“But we talk first. We really, really have to talk, Ty.”

He knew what this was all about. He would set her mind at ease, and then he was going to make love to her for the entire length of their honeymoon night. He picked up the honeymoon hamper Betty had thoughtfully packed.

“Let's go, bride. Talking isn't exactly my idea of foreplay.”

She suddenly looked a little sad. “I know. But we really have to talk, because I promised you I wouldn't keep things from you anymore. And that's a promise I intend to keep.”

* * *

I
T
WAS
THAT
last bit that had Ty apprehensive. He didn't like his wife sounding so worried. He knew they needed to talk. But talking was something they should have done before, and she was right—she'd held things back from him. And he'd held things back from her.

He couldn't get a man-pass for that. He was just as guilty. So he took her to his house, opened the door and bent down to scoop her into his arms. “I'm a traditional guy,” he said, and she kissed him.

“I like being in your arms. You can carry me over this or any other threshold.”

That sounded better. More like she wasn't about to tell him to hit the road. He should be grateful if she wanted him to hit the road, because he was going to need a push to leave her behind.

“Wow,” he said, and she got down from his arms, stunned by the transformation of his house.

“Yes, wow. Did you let the Christmas elves in?”