Free (Calahan Cowboys 08) The Cowboy Soldier's Sons by Tina Leonard Page B

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    Tempest met Shaman’s gaze. His stomach tightened, just looking at her. “You make me crazy for you,” he told her.
    “More wine,” Kendall said, and Xav laughed.
    “One day Kendall’s going to fall in love, and you and I will have our revenge, bro,” he said to Shaman.
    Shaman surprised everyone by leaning over to kiss Tempest. Then he took her hand in his. “Marry me.”
    Tempest’s eyes went huge in her face as she stared at him.
    “Come on,” Shaman said. “Aunt Kendall is dying to be your maid of honor. Uncle Xav can be my best man. We’ll do it nice and quiet in Las Vegas.”
    “All right,” Tempest said, shocking him.
    He grinned. “I knew you couldn’t resist me.”
    “But,” she said, and Shaman held his breath, “I want Cat to be my junior bridesmaid.”
    “Deal,” Shaman declared. “I can probably work that out with my brother. Everybody on board?”
    He glanced at his sister and brother.
    “I am,” Xav said, high-fiving Shaman.
    “I guess,” Kendall said ungraciously, and Shaman laughed.
    “You sound like Mom when she’s not happy with us,” he said, and Kendall stiffened.
    “Welcome to the family, Tempest,” Kendall said, her tone much sweeter. She’d obviously been stung by his comment. “It will be so wonderful to have an actress in the family. Maybe you could even give us one of these wonderful paintings of you for the main house.”
    Tempest blinked. Shaman glanced at her, then his sister. “What paintings?”
    Kendall looked at him, frowning. “The huge ones at the four corners of Cactus Max’s. Didn’t you notice? They’re life-size, Shaman, not hard to spot.”
    He looked around with a sinking heart. Tempest was on every wall of Cactus Max’s, in various stages of costume. How had he missed it? Obviously, all he could see was her in the flesh.
    He forced himself to look around, taking in the town of Tempest’s tribute to their favorite daughter. She was stunningly beautiful in the oil renderings, and in that moment, Shaman realized that he and Tempest were, as Kendall had noted, as different as night and day. “Wow,” he said.
    Next to him, Tempest squirmed a little. “That’s not real life.”
    “Looks real to me.” He didn’t know what else to say. He hadn’t figured on falling in love with a movie star when he was fighting in the dirt-laden, dangerous war zones he’d lived in for the past ten years. He looked at Tempest, who stared back, her normally lively face a little pale and drawn. She didn’t look all that happy, and he wanted her to be. “Sure you want to get married?”
    Tempest nodded slowly.
    He ran a thumb along her bottom lip. “It’s going to be all right,” he told her, feeling her uncertainty. And he just hoped like hell that he was right.

Chapter Seven
    They flew to Las Vegas the next night with Cat. Gage came along, of course, to see his brother marry Tempest. Rafe Callahan flew the Callahan jet, which meant that Fiona could go, too, as well as Chelsea, Gage’s wife.
    Fortunately, Tempest had a white pantsuit she could wear. Kendall had asked—nicely—if her pale peach skirt and jacket would be all right, pairing that with cream high heels. Cat wore a darling white dress, tea-length, with white flats.
    But it was Shaman who held Tempest’s gaze. Dress jeans, dark jacket, leather belt, black dress boots made him look dangerous and sexy, and it was all she could do to make herself believe they were actually going to be married.
    She and Shaman stepped up to the altar, with Cat beside them, holding Tempest’s white rose bouquet as the rings were exchanged. Tempest’s heart thundered as she looked into his dark eyes. She couldn’t believe this amazing man was going to be her husband, and the father of her child.
    The ceremony was over so quickly it didn’t feel much like a wedding. She’d barely said “I do” when Shaman gave her a brief kiss, and then Xav and Gage were congratulating her.
    Her new husband was very