Page 183 of Beat of Love
His brows shot up. “Not the douchebag’s ring.”
“Hell, no,” she said with a soft laugh. She stood, walked over to her purse on the dresser, and pulled out a small jeweler’s box. “Maebh gave this to me.”
His voice gentled. “Mammy?”
She nodded and handed him the box.
He opened it slowly — and let out a low breath.
Then, without a word, he slipped the ring onto her finger, his hands steady, his eyes never leaving hers.
It fit like it had always belonged there.
Like she had always belonged with him.
“Now, make love to me, Rafferty Lawson.”
52
Dreams
Lawson’s Landing, the next night …
A baby cried. Outside. He scrambled to his feet and leaned out the window, He could just see the edge of tree where the girls were sleeping.
He frowned. What was that?
And then his eyes widened.
A coyote. It was a coyote! Aidan had shown them a picture of one in the animal book.
He pulled his body back inside, his heart beating fast.
Coyotes killed cows.
That’s why Pa was out hunting today. There were coyotes on the ranch, and Pa formed a posse to go and search for them.
“But the cotie’s here,” he whispered.
The baby cried again. Louder this time.
And his heart jumped in his chest.
His sisters were outside.
With the coyote.
He peeked out the window again.
His eyes bulged.
The coyote was carrying a baby!
“Stop!” he shouted. “Put her down!”
The coyote kept running, disappearing behind the thicket of huckleberries.
“No, no, no!”
