Page 120 of Porter's Angel
Morningstar glowered over at West, while Porter did his best not to remind him that he was usually on the wrong side of the law. Lacy sat on the cold dirt across from them, handcuffed next to a deputy who read him his rights.
Porter was more than happy to give Lacy his space until the man whipped menacingly around to Cadence. “You haven’t seen the last of me, you know. We share something pretty significant together.”
Her baby.
Porter scowled. Cadence had told him that the guy could only force a DNA test in Virginia if they wanted financial help. No way would they put up with the strings that Lacy’s money would bring. “You have nothing together,” Porter said. “You ever come near her again, and I’ll grind you into the dirt.”
Cadence leaned into Porter’s shoulder for comfort as she faced Lacy, too. “I stand by what I said. They aren’t yours.”
They?
Porter didn’t ask under Lacy’s glare, only fixed his most hardened look on the man who’d made her life miserable for far too long. He reserved that kind of fury for the range when going up against wild animals, and there was nothing more rabid than this criminal. “You heard the lady—she’s a Slade now. We protect our own.”
Lacy startled at the announcement. Porter almost did, too. He hadn’t meant for his proposal to come out that way, but Cadence didn’t fight him, only burrowed deeper into his side. “Guess you don’t want to mess with all these cowboys and Christians,” she told Lacy. “We’re not the type to shrink from a fight.”
Taking that as her approval, Porter kissed her cheek. He moved her away from her frowning ex. “You don’t mind?” he whispered into her ear.
“Mind?” she asked. “Oh, Porter. I can’t imagine my life any other way than with you. You are my family… and I accept. There’s nothing I want more than to be a Slade.”
That’s what he liked to hear. He couldn’t keep from her a second longer. His lips found hers. A charge of attraction sizzled through him at her eager response. Her gentle touches kept him captive. Her fingers slid over his shoulders as he tugged her closer. Hurt arm or not, he could now celebrate that they would finally be together.
The soft wind brought the sounds from the concert closer. Emily was singing something about fireflies in the summer sky. If he wasn’t mistaken, he heard Nash’s teasing voice in response. The words were lost, but Porter felt the sentiment. He ran his hands down Cadence’s back.
Her hand brushed his injury.
He winced.
“You poor baby,” Cadence said.
“Kiss it better?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “How about I stand vigil by your bedside at the hospital—I’m sure it’ll be the first of our many hospital visits… you know, if our twins take after you at all.”
“Twins?” His knees went weak at the thought, and he burst into laughter. “I’ll teach them everything I know.”
“You’d better not.” Her lips found his again and she effectively stopped his nonsense more than anyone had ever managed to do.
Life was about to get a whole lot more fun.
Epilogue
Cadence slid the plaque over the entrance of the greenhouse. She’d saved that pretty little sign for the end.
She sighed, wondering what her mother-in-law would make of it, but it seemed like the perfect touch for Lily’s garden. Now that the last bit was finished, the grounds were every bit as glorious as she’d imagined they’d be.
Ballerina, their little Akbash puppy, ran circles beneath her ladder.
She broke into a smile. Her hand rested on the top rung. Imagination meeting expectation? That was a rare feat. And yet, that had been her life ever since Porter had rushed her into the sheriff’s office to tie the knot only a few short weeks ago.
He still hadn’t told his twin.
No, Porter was determined to get one surprise over on his errant brother.
They’d break it to him today. Liv’s little baby boy was coming at any moment, and so Nash was flying over with West from Nashville. West was supposed to be taking his kids for the week, but if Porter’s breathless complaints could be believed, West fully expected his brothers to take over his responsibilities.
The demands were all on that Honey-Do list that West had compiled after claiming that he’d rescued his brothers from themselves, though it sounded like he’d been fully reimbursed with the deal of the century.
Eva, on the other hand… something was happening there. She’d heard Porter on the phone with Nash talking about it. Eva was head over heels in love with West, and though West seemed to object as much as her daddy did over their union, he’d always been the type to pay up… and she’d stuck her nose out for them all.