Harlequin Special Edition August 2017--Box Set 1 of 2 by Allison Leigh

Author:Allison Leigh
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488029424
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Austin had looked forward to Cade’s bachelor party as much, if not more, than the wedding. At Cade’s request, the foster brothers had gathered around the fire pit in the meadow a short walk from the house. For many years, the meadow and the log cabins forming a semicircle behind the fire pit had been their sanctuary.

When Austin had come to live at Thunder Mountain, only three cabins had been here. He’d stayed up at the ranch house the first year because he’d been so young, but then he’d graduated to the cabins. Recently a fourth cabin had been added to expand the sleeping space for the academy students. Normally the teens would be living in the meadow, but the wedding had been scheduled during the break between the summer and fall semesters.

The menu for the night was simple—steak, baked potatoes, beans and beer. Cowboy chow. Austin had been part of the two-man team cooking the steaks. The other chef was Jake Ramsey, a firefighter who’d learned to fix hearty meals for a bunch of guys while on duty at the station.

Finn O’Roarke, who’d flown in from Seattle with his wife, Chelsea, made sure an iced tub of beer remained stocked with his signature brew, O’Roarke’s Pale Ale. Several brothers had chopped enough wood to keep the fire going all night once the food was cooked. Now that Drew had other plans, Austin was willing to turn the party into an all-nighter.

The wives and fiancées were up at the house having their own event, leaving the meadow to the men. It was like old times, with their foster father, Herb, rounding out the group to an even dozen. And just like old times, the talk was mostly about women.

Everyone who wasn’t in the know wanted to hear Zeke Rafferty’s story. Of all of them, he’d been the least likely to marry and settle down. Yet tonight his fiancée, Tess, four months pregnant with their son, was up at the house with the other ladies. The wedding would take place next month and Zeke looked like he couldn’t wait.

“I never thought I’d say this out loud, but babies rock.” Zeke took a swallow of his beer. “I can’t walk past a display of stuffed animals anymore without buying one.”

“I hear you, bro.” Damon Harrison’s daughter had just turned eight months. “We finally bought a hammock for Sophie’s room so we had a place to put ’em all. We’re way past the teddy bear stage. Or the mammal stage, for that matter. She just got a plush tarantula from her uncle Zeke.”

Finn shuddered. “Way to traumatize the baby, Zeke.”

“Are you kidding?” He laughed. “She loves it. Nothing scares Sophie.”

“I won’t let her bring it to the wedding, though,” Damon said. “Wouldn’t want Finn to run screaming out of the barn.”

“No, no, have her bring it,” Austin said. “I guarantee Drew would love a video of that little cherub scaring Uncle Finn with a stuffed tarantula.”

“Yeah, I wanna see that,” Jake said.

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