Chapter Sixteen #2
He shifted the gear back into drive and continued on to town. The rest of their ride remained silent until they pulled up to the sheriff’s office. “Wait, and I’ll help you out.”
Hope rolled her eyes, but she kept her butt planted in the seat until Gage came around and opened the door. “Thank you, baby.”
He leaned in and stole a kiss, robbing Hope of her ire. It didn’t take much to make her melt for him. The way he called her baby and touched her sent her over the edge.
“Let’s go in,” Gage said, pulling her gently to his side and locking the truck with a click of his fob. He held the door open for her, admiring her ass in the sundress she’d slipped on.
“Hey, Gage. There you are.” The officer raised a brow when he took in the way Gage had his arm around Hope’s waist. “Ah, and you must be Hope.”
“Yes, hello.” She reached out to shake his hand, but their hands barely touched before Gage grunted and pulled her hand back.
“Ho, ho, so that’s how it is. Let’s get this over, then.” He led them to the back of the station and into his office. “Please take a seat.”
“Thanks, Sheriff McCain.” Hope stepped around the chairs and took a seat to the right, leaving the left for Gage.
“Call me Ray,” the sheriff suggested as he sat down behind his desk.
“I don’t think that’s appropriate,” Hope insisted.
“We’re practically cousins. At least Gage and I are.” He shrugged.
She twisted in her chair, grabbed the arm of it, and narrowed her brows at Gage. “You two are related?”
“Yes.” Another personal thing he’d kept from her. She wanted to get up and storm out of the office, but she had nowhere to go. That only angered her more. She loved Gage and hoped that he would treat her with the love and respect he claimed he felt for her.
“Oh. Okay.” She sat back in her seat and faced the sheriff. Her back remained straight, and her face hardened.
“Uh, oh. That’s never a good sound.”
“We’ll talk about this later. I need to get them before they come back. I have enough problems at the moment.”
“That you do. That you do,” Ray chuckled.
“Here’s the copy you need.” Gage slapped the flash drive onto the desk.
Ray popped in the flash drive and opened the file. Gage had copied thirty minutes in total. While the video played, Ray filled out the paperwork.
“Yep. This is what we need. Thanks, Gage. Please read this and sign here. We’ll be after those bastards today.”
“Here ya go.” He slid the signed document back to his cousin and then stood up. “Come on, baby. Let’s get dinner while we’re here.”
“Are you sure you want to be seen with me?”
The tone of her voice caught Gage by surprise, but the look of pain in her eyes nearly broke him. “Don’t start that shit.”
Gage shook his cousin’s hand and took the copy of the paperwork with him.
He slid his hand around Hope’s waist and led her outside.
Gage could feel her tensing up and trying to pull away.
They walked to the SUV, and before he opened the door, he pinned her to it.
“You’re mine.” With a growl, he crashed his mouth down on hers, kissing her desperately.
When he pulled away, he winked. “I don’t want my mom to meet you because I don’t want her to steal your time from me, and I know she will.”
“When were you planning on telling her about me?”
“She knows all about you, honey. I told her about you the day after they arrested your father, but she’s been busy working, and so have I.
I’m sure she’ll be at the ranch very soon.
” He loved his mother, but he already had a hard time getting Hope alone with him.
The ranch work demanded more effort on his part than he remembered, including the paperwork.
“That’s understandable.” He read her expression very clearly. The stiffened form and flat mouth told him she didn’t believe him.
“So how about the diner down the street?” Gage pointed to local diner just half a block down and across the street.
“I’ll be happy with any place you pick as long as we’re out.”
“Of course. I’m sorry I’ve kept you in so long. The diner will be great.” They walk down the street to the Spring Water Diner. He held the door open. The door dinged as they entered, grabbing everyone’s attention.
“Gage!”
A woman threw her arms around him, and he encircled her in his arms, lifting her.
Jealousy surged through Hope as she stared at the beautiful woman.
She’d never had a chance to date or be in a relationship, so this experience really stung.
She attempted to choke back the insecurity and straightened her shoulders, brushing a small bunch of hair out of her face and while making herself look unbothered.
She might not have been in love before, but she had experience of hiding her emotions.
“Oh, my goodness! You must be Gage’s Hope.” She threw her arms around Hope, shocking her. The woman pulled back, gripping Hope’s biceps and smiling at her. The genuine happiness in her eyes baffled the young woman.
“Hope, this lovely yet crazy woman is my mother, Grace.” Gage wryly chuckled.
Hope’s eyes widened. She did a double take between the two. His mother looked about his age. “Your mother?”
“Yes. See why I didn’t introduce you two sooner?” Gage laughed and pulled Hope to his side.
His mother swatted Gage’s forearm. “Where are your manners?”
“Are you dining here?” Hope asked Mrs. Gibson.
“No, actually, I own the diner with my sister, Kelly.” Hope’s eyes widened with that information.
It explained why Gage said she was busy working and hadn’t had a chance to meet.
She was a business owner and truly successful.
Gage hadn’t been lying about it and that calmed Hope’s fears and insecurities for a moment even though she was a bit intimidated by such a powerhouse of a woman.
Hope nodded, putting it all together. “Oh, well, that’s amazing.”
“Please take a seat over here. I’ll bring you a menu.” She kissed her son’s cheek and walked away with a little extra pep in her step.
“Thank you,” Hope uttered to the fleeting woman.
“Come, baby.” Gage took her hand and led her to a seat.
“This is a nice place.” Her voice had a curious lilt in it that she couldn’t hide and that drew Gage’s attention instantly.
His brows raised and his eyes bore into hers with equal parts curiosity and humor. He grabbed her hand and pressed. “Go on, get it out. You’re curious.”
“Okay, I had no idea she was your mom. She looks so young.”
“Well, she’s about almost fifty. She had me at eighteen.”
“Wow, she’s glowing. I thought…”
“I know what your pretty little head thought, but I haven’t been on a date in a long time.” The confession surprised and elated Hope. With her youth and inexperience she was a world behind Gage, and she had doubts about her place in his heart.
“I’m silly.” Hope played with a strand of her hair, ducking her head down.
“No, you’re not. I’d murder any man who’s arms you jumped in to,” he snarled.
“Ha. Well, that’s never going to happen. Unless we break up and I start dating someone else.”
Gritting his teeth, Gage said, “We’re not going to break up. End of story.”
“I was just making a point,” Hope stated, reaching out and brushing her hand over his. He snatched in and interlaced their fingers.
Gage’s temper hadn’t calmed down. His jealousy only kicked in as he thought about her leaving him for someone else. It hadn’t occurred to him that she’d ever want anyone else. “I’m gonna make a point of fucking you on this table for everyone to see that you’re mine.”
“Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.”
“Don’t test me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Please. You’d kill someone before you’d let anyone see me naked like that.”
“Damn right. I sure as hell don’t want them hearing you in the throes of passion.”
“Hey, none of that talk in the restaurant. I can’t have you murdering my customers.” Grace handed Hope a menu with a charming smile. “So when is the wedding?”
“Mom.”
“What? You told me how you felt. I thought that’s why you brought her here.”
This time Hope’s eyes widened larger than ever before and her mouth parted.
“Oh, you haven’t asked her yet.”
He looked at his mom like she’d lost her mind. He needed to get Hope alone. The middle of the diner wasn’t the place to ask her to marry him, although she’d killed the surprise. “Mom, can you give us a moment?”
“Sure. Can I get you something to drink?”
“A beer, and water for her.” Grace’s eyebrows darted toward her hairline, a smile forming on her lips as she looked at her son and then to Hope.
“I’ll go get that.” She left the table with a grin. Hope couldn’t figure out why she stared other than Gage ordering for her. Whatever. Hope had been more interested in the whole wedding thing.
“Sorry about that. It’s not how I wanted to ask you.”
“You wanted to ask me?” Hope’s brows scrunched up while her insides were vibrating with nervous, excitable energy.
“Of course. I made that clear that once we crossed that line, there was no turning back. I was fucking serious as can be. I love you, Hope.”
“I just…well. I didn’t think you even took me seriously. You didn’t tell me about your mother or cousin.”
“I have to say I’m selfish. I didn’t want to share you yet. I loved having it just us for the short time I had. It’s a dick thing to do, but I’ve never felt this way before, and the constant fear of losing you doesn’t allow me to think straight. Fuck, neither does my always hard and ready cock.”
“So are you going to ask me?”
He bit down on his bottom lip, visibly anxious. “This isn’t the best place for it, but I love you.”
He stood up and walked around to her side, dropping down on one knee, tilted her chair and asked, “Will you—my sweet Hope—do me the honor of being my wife? I promise to do my best to allow you to be the woman you want to be, but I need you more than I need to breathe. Will you?”
“Of course, Gage. It hasn’t been long, but I knew from the moment you led me into your house that I was falling in love with you.”
He slid the ring over her ring finger with a room full of people looking on. A flash of a camera caught their eyes, and they turned to see Gage’s mother taking pictures with tears in her eyes.
Gage lifted her out of her chair, wrapped her up in his arms, and kissed her passionately. The crowd around them cheered them on, but neither cared about that. They held tighter and kissed longer until she threw her leg around his waist and moaned. Gage didn’t want to share her with anyone.
“Thank you, everyone, but excuse us.” He turned to his mom and said, “Walk us to the truck. Hope and I have a lot to celebrate.” Gage led the ladies out of the restaurant.
Just before they reached the vehicle, Grace apologized, “I’m so sorry about all of this.”
“No, it’s okay, but I’m going to take Hope out to dinner in Austin. We’ll get together on the weekend for a nice family dinner and some wedding planning. I want to get married within the next month.”
“Oh, heavens. Yay! I’m so excited. I’m so happy to have you in our family!” His mother was practically dancing in the
“Thank you, Mrs. Gibson.”
“Oh, no. Please call me Grace.”
“Okay. Thank you, Grace.” They all exchanged hugs, and they jumped into the SUV while Grace hurried back into the restaurant where Gage was sure she’d be lauded by her customers for getting the engagement to happen.
“I’m so sorry about that woman. I love her, and she’s wonderful, but she’s been bugging me for weeks to meet you.”
“I get it. She’s sweet. Is she always like that with your…”
“Don’t finish that sentence. No. Because I’ve never brought a woman home. My father’s failures made me the man that I am.”
“Wow.”
A loud noise echoed between them and Gage chuckled while Hope blushed. “Talk about wow—your belly is growling. Let me feed you. I’m already a bastard for keeping you locked up. I can’t handle knowing that I’m starving your pretty ass.”
They went to Austin together and spent the evening celebrating before driving home near midnight.
“I’m so tired,” she yawned, linking her fingers and stretching her arms down between her legs.
“I know. Shit. I have a busy day tomorrow. I’m going to be gone from sun up. Are you going to be okay at the house? The hands and Bill will be around.”
“I’ll be worried about you. You know I haven’t forgotten for one minute that you’re meeting with Navarro.” She narrowed her eyes at him. He smirked as he tilted his head.
“I promise I’ll be safe.” They pulled onto the main road to the ranch and hit the security area that now lit up when someone passed it.
She nodded with acceptance, which pleased Gage. It wasn’t like it would change his plans, but at least she wouldn’t be furious with him. “Fine, but until it’s time to get up, can you hold me?”
“That is an easy request, my lovely fiancée.” Saying the words out loud sent a bolt of satisfaction through his chest. He’d never felt this way before about anyone and he would never again. Hope had been his coming home.
She snuggled her head onto his shoulder until he parked in front of the main house. He nudged her to her seat just long enough for him to get out and come around to get his precious cargo.
“Come on, my sleeping beauty.” He carried her into the house and to their room, gently undressing them both. She woke a couple of times to assist. Once they were both tucked into bed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back into his chest, spooning comfortably.
“Goodnight to you as well, my little baby,” he whispered, rubbing her flat tummy where he was certain their baby was growing.