Page 1 of A Triple C Ranch Christmas Wedding
Chapter 1
Eagle Rock, Montana
“Gunny,when are you going to ask Lucy Woods to marry you?” Hank “Montana” Patterson, CEO of Brotherhood Protectors asked.
Gunnery sergeant Jack “Gunny” Barr had stopped by the Brotherhood Protectors office to pick up his next assignment. The former Marine enjoyed working for Hank and being a part of the brotherhood, all of whom were veterans.
He thought about the engagement ring currently tucked inside his pocket. The custom-ordered ring had turned out exactly as he’d wanted, after weeks of deliberation over the design.
How do you surprise and please a woman who is a jewelry designer?
You watch her for a month, as she designs and creates jewelry of her own, to learn what she likes, what she dislikes, and you listen to her very closely.
She’d thought he was just interested in her business and being supportive. She’d had no idea he had another motive.
He’d been waiting for the right moment to ask Lucy to marry him but, so far, that moment hadn’t arrived. The guys had been teasing him about when he would ask her, but this was the first time Hank had brought it up.
Hank was waiting for an answer, but Jack wasn’t sure what to tell him.
“Soon,” Jack mumbled, though he had no idea how much longer “soon” would be. Impatience and nervousness—unfamiliar emotions, at least to him—had ridden him ever since he’d picked up the custom designed ring.
Lucy was so busy getting her new jewelry design business off the ground that she had little time left for romance. Her online store, Bedazzled and Bejeweled, was on hold while she filled custom orders for a jewelry store in Bozeman, which catered to customers from all over the world and had started carrying her designs.
Hank held out a folder to Jack with the information he would need to familiarize himself with before his next assignment.
Jack took the folder and flipped the front page open, glancing down at it. “Another actress,” he said.
“Yes. Her boyfriend just broke things off, but he’s also an actor, so there’s nothing unusual there. She has a premiere to attend and several other events. Basic bodyguard service for a month, and then I’ll cycle you back here.”
One thing they’d all learned about Hollywood actresses was that many of them had fantasies of making it with their bodyguard. Cycling the men with shorter assignments prevented close attachments.
Jack’s first job with the Brotherhood Protectors had been protecting the actress, Angelica Glory, from a love obsessed stalker. It turned out he’d also needed to protect her assistant, Lucy Woods, as well. Since then, he’d guarded many celebrities, but none of the jobs since, or in the future would be as memorable as his first job.
He’d fallen in love with Lucy and hoped to make her his wife.
L.A. wasn’t Jack’s favorite place, but he hadn’t asked Hank to exclude him from any out of state assignments yet. If Lucy said “yes,” he would. There’d be a wedding and a honeymoon to work around.
“When do you want me there?” he asked.
“Tomorrow or Friday,” Hank said. “Depends on how early you want to get there. She has a luncheon on Saturday, which isn’t in the folder, because her manager forgot to tell us.”
“Great,” Jack said. “I’ll go Friday. That gives me tonight to ask Lucy.”
“Good luck.” Hank grinned at him. “She’s a great gal.”
“Thanks.” Jack’s thoughts were already on tonight, and how he would ask her—not on the upcoming job. Warmth spread through his chest at the thought of seeing her again.
The image of Lucy in his mind led his thoughts away. The way her big blue eyes lit up when she saw him always made his day. Her long, black hair was soft, touchable and shone in the right lighting. Her pink, kissable lips tasted so good when they kissed. To Jack, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and the most loving woman he had ever known.
Lucy was more than just a ‘great gal.’ She was the love of his life, and whether she said yes, or no tonight, she would always be the woman who held his heart.
Realizing his mind had drifted, he redirected his thoughts.
He would pop the question, get her answer, and then refocus on what he needed to do for the job.
“Anything else I need to know about this job?” he asked.
“Nope,” Hank said. “You’ve got everything.”
