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There were smiles and chuckles when Robby waved his arms and squealed. Riggs opened his arms and Georgie moved into his embrace. “I love you, Riggs. You’ll always be the real deal to me. My very own American born hero.”
Emotion swelled inside him, choking back words, but not the overwhelming joy that filled him, and something more. Something he never anticipated or expected.
For the first time in his life, Riggs felt whole.
Excerpt from
Cotton Creek, Book 21: Gunner’s War
PROLOGUE
It all started with a wedding. It was one of those rare evenings. The air was cool but not so much as to demand a sweater or jacket. Stars shown overhead, brilliant even with the blue moon that marked the date.
The last of the season’s fireflies danced in the air, almost like keeping time with the music. Once more, Heritage Ranch was decorated for a celebration—the wedding of Russ to Naomie and Riggs to Georgie.
Gunner stood to one side of Riggs, proud to be asked to stand as best man, although less than keen on the collar that chafed his neck. It’d taken months for him to grow accustomed to wearing jeans, and he preferred his fatigues and a t-shirt. The Walkers didn’t care what he wore for work or on his time off. But this wasn’t either of those times.
This was special. He never thought he’d be standing beside Riggs, listening and watching as Riggs promised himself to a woman. Till death do them part. That was big. And Riggs did it.
Gunner didn’t blame him. Georgie was an amazing woman. She’d overcome things that would have broken many people, and through it all, she held onto her humanity and compassion. It took a special person to achieve that.
She was devoted to Riggs and the baby, Robby, he’d adopted. In fact, she was smiling as much at Robby as Riggs right now, as Riggs held him on his lap, fending off little hands who tried to snag each bite Riggs tried to eat.
They made a nice family, and to his surprise, it made him wonder what it would be like to have that kind of love. He reckoned it was better that he didn’t know because sometimes knowing made the wanting more keen, and he’d accepted that he’d never again deserve to have something like that.
He failed when it mattered the most, and it cost him everything. There was little left but duty and now work. Being a ranch hand was hard work, but he’d always welcomed physical challenges and, to his surprise, liked the job. Riggs swore he was born to be a cowboy.
Gunner didn’t know if that was true but had learned that he got quite a bit of attention from the single women at the Honky Tonk Bar and Grille when he frequented it on the weekends for a few beers with the guys and a plate of the best barbecue he’d ever tasted.
Cheers went up when the DJ presented the brides and their grooms to the assembly, and the party moved into full swing. Gunner got himself a plate of food and a beer, sat at one of the tables, and watched the people on the dance floor as he ate.
“Mind if we sit with you, Gun?”
Gunner recognized the voice and looked behind him to see Grady, his wife Charli, and a woman who was every bit as big and fit as Charli. A smoking hot brunette with hair cut short and eyes the color of a Caribbean sea. Holy shit. This night was definitely looking up.
“Pull up a chair,” he responded and rose to pull out a seat for the woman.
“Well damn, Gun, you got manners since I last saw you,” Grady quipped.
“Hell, he doesn’t need them,” the woman said, looking at Gunner. “You’re Gunner Hale, and I’m Oakley Redhawk.”
“Yes, I am, and not quite sure how you know that. And what do I call you?”
“That’s yet to be decided,” she looked around. “It’s not every day a gal meets a real-life hero.”
“You’re not talking about me.”
“Oh, so you don’t hold the record of most doors kicked down by a SEAL in the last decade?”
Gunner cut a look at Grady as he answered. “Who told you that?”
“Let’s just say it’s a well-known fact to people in service.
Gunner sure didn’t expect that, but it definitely spiked his interest. He rarely met a woman who looked like Oakley and was some kind of operative.
“Well, color me impressed. What branch of service, ma’am?
“Originally, a marine. Now, one of those no one talks about. Are you still active?”
