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Jaxon didn’t say anything for a minute as he glanced around the room and met each man’s gaze. “I am very much aware that Nadia has a strong personality. However, I don’t have any choice about taking Nadia on. I’ve fallen in love with her.”
Words like “damn,” “crap” and “shit” escaped several of the men’s lips.
“Have you taken the time to get to know her?” Riley Westmoreland asked.
“No, but it doesn’t matter. I fell in love with her the moment we were introduced. But then that’s how things work in the Ravnel family.”
“They work that way in the Austell family, too, so I know where you’re coming from,” Callum said, grinning. “Falling in love for some men might be a slow and reluctant process, but for me it was automatic. I fell in love with Gemma the moment Ramsey introduced us.”
“It was that way for me, as well,” Dylan Emanuel said. He’d become the most recent addition to the Westmoreland family when he’d married Charm Outlaw ten months ago. “I’m a firm believer in love at first sight.”
“That’s all well and good, but I’m not sure five months will give you enough time to grow on Nadia. She can be stubborn,” Reggie Westmoreland, the other senator in the family, said.
Jaxon leaned back in his chair. “I believe it can be done...without any interference from any of you.”
“As long as you don’t plan to do anything illegal or break her heart.”
It was the first time Dillon had spoken. Any input from Dillon meant a lot since Nadia was his wife Pam’s youngest sister. Jaxon knew Nadia was not just Dillon’s sister-in-law, but that he also considered her the baby sister he never had since his parents had had six boys.
“I won’t do anything illegal, and I won’t break her heart. I just need all of you to know my intentions. And like I said, I prefer no interference.”
“That means we can’t tell our wives,” Thorn Westmoreland said. “That shouldn’t be a problem. We abide by the rule that whatever we say in this room stays in this room.”
All the men agreed. However, Dillon said, “I’m telling Pam. Nadia is her youngest sister and I feel she has a right to know. Don’t worry about her interfering because she won’t. She knew about Aidan and Jill and didn’t interfere with them.”
Jill was another of Pam’s younger sisters. Jaxon had been told of Aidan and Jill’s secret love affair during medical school. Little had they known that Pam and Dillon had been fully aware of what was going on between them.
“You and Pam were too perceptive,” Aidan said, grinning over at Dillon.
“Some things just can’t be hidden,” Dillon responded. He glanced back at Jaxon. “I’m trusting you to do the right thing by Nadia.”
“And I will, I promise you. Like I said, I want her to be my wife and will do my best to win her over.”
“Well, just be prepared that with Nadia, your best might not be good enough,” Durango Westmoreland said, shaking his head. “To be honest, Nadia isn’t the one I’m worried about.”
“Same with me,” Stone Westmoreland said, laughing. “In other words, Jaxon, we’ll be here to help tend to your bruises when Nadia gives you the boot.”
Jaxon actually saw a look of pity in a number of the men’s eyes. Even Dillon’s.
“You guys aren’t scaring me any,” Jaxon said, laughing and tossing out another card.
“Don’t say we didn’t warn you,” Jared Westmoreland said, smiling.
At that time, King Jamal Yasir, who’d acted as dealer, went around the table to ask each player if they wanted to bet or call. No one raised the bet, and they began showing their hands.
Everybody groaned loudly when Jamal proclaimed Storm Westmoreland the winner of the tournament.
One
A month later
“Did you hear us, Nadia?”
Nadia Novak rubbed her temples and wished she hadn’t heard what her sisters Jillian and Paige had said. Jaxon Ravnel was in Gamble scouting out land to expand his business. Why? Hadn’t he bought enough land last year in Forbes, Texas, for the same reason? Besides, it wasn’t like Gamble was a major city in Wyoming, even if it had grown in population over the past few years.
When her oldest sister, Pam, had married Dillon Westmoreland fifteen years ago and packed up a thirteen-year-old Nadia, a fifteen-year-old Paige and a seventeen-year-old Jillian to live with them on his huge spread in Denver called Westmoreland Country, Gamble had been a town with a population of barely five thousand. There had been only one hotel, few fast food places and a theater that showed movies months after they were released.
Now thanks to a progressive mayor, Gamble’s population had quadrupled. There were several hotels and theaters and a slew of fast food places. Sprawling housing developments had sprouted up as well as a megamall. With rumors circulating about a possible ski resort coming in about five years, Nadia figured one day Gamble would be as popular as Jackson Hole.
