It could be his toughest mission yet:

win back his wife.

When navy SEAL and honorary Westmoreland Mac McRoy returns home, he discovers his wife has left. Teri has retreated to the Wyoming ranch they’d planned to visit together, and is resentful when he follows. She doesn’t want a second honeymoon; she wants a marriage Mac doesn’t take for granted. But life-or-death circumstances are about to put their love to the ultimate test.

BRENDA JACKSON is a New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred romance titles. Brenda lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and divides her time between family, writing and travelling.

Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.

Also by Brenda Jackson

The Westmorelands miniseries

The Real Thing

The Secret Affair

Breaking Bailey’s Rules

Bane

The Westmoreland Legacy miniseries

The Rancher Returns

His Secret Son

An Honorable Seduction

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

His to Claim

Brenda Jackson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09237-1

HIS TO CLAIM

© 2019 Brenda Streater Jackson

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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Acknowledgements

To the man who will always and forever be

the love of my life and the wind beneath my wings:

Gerald Jackson, Sr.

Special thanks to my readers who are attending

the Brenda Jackson Readers Reunion 2019

as we cruise to Aruba. Fun! Fun! Fun!

I always enjoy spending time with you!

To all my readers who requested Mac’s story.

This book is for you.

Sending congratulations to my goddaughter,

Ty’ra Malloy, who is celebrating her graduation

from Florida State University.

Your Goddy is very proud of you!

Though thy beginning was small,

yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

—Job 8:7

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Acknowledgements

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Epilogue

Note from the Author

About the Publisher

One

Thurston McRoy, called Mac by all who knew him, got out of his rental vehicle and slid the keys into the pocket of his jeans. There was a dark blue sedan parked in his driveway.

At two in the morning.

It looked like a brand-new luxury Lexus and had a Georgia license plate. The only people he knew who lived in Georgia were his parents. Was this their vehicle?

They would often visit Virginia to check on his wife, Teri, and the kids whenever he was away for long periods of time. With his work as a navy SEAL, he often took part in missions where he was out of communication with his family. He appreciated his parents for all they did to make his work easier on his family. However, he was surprised to see their car here, tonight. Over the last year or so, they’d begun staying at a nearby hotel whenever they came to town. Unfortunately, there were no longer any spare rooms at the McRoy house.

The last time Mac had come home, he’d discovered Teri had given Tia, their oldest daughter of nine, her own room—namely the spare room. According to Teri, Tia was at the age where she now wanted privacy from her three younger sisters, Tatum, Tempest and Tasha. But did she have to take the only spare room in the house? The one that doubled as his man cave whenever he came home?

He and Teri had always talked about buying a bigger place. Frankly, he had more than enough means to make it happen thanks to the investments he’d made on the advice of his friend and teammate, Bane Westmoreland. However, over the past several years, he’d been gone a lot, sent on several missions, and he was too hands-on to even think of letting her make such a major purchase like that without him. He knew exactly what he wanted in a home and Teri knew what she wanted. And their wants were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. She wanted a two-story home and he wanted ranch style. The fewer stairs he had to climb, the better.

Tonight, he was returning home from an eight-month-long, highly classified covert operation near Libya. During that time, he hadn’t been able to let anyone, not even Teri, know of his whereabouts. He had left home in the wee hours of the morning after making passionate love to his wife, without being able to tell her where he was going or when he would return.

As a toddler he recalled sitting on his maternal grandfather’s knee and listening to stories of his military days, specifically as a SEAL. His paternal grandfather had been a military man, as well, an army ranger. Although Mac’s father hadn’t been in the military Mac had decided early in life protecting his country was something he wanted to do. Being a SEAL had always been his dream and he’d worked hard to make that particular dream come true. Now after almost twenty years whenever he thought it was time to retire, a part of him was convinced there was one more mission, one more opportunity to defend the country he loved.

The last operation had been brutal, but all the members of his team were alive and accounted for. Now he was glad to be back home with his wife and kids, and as much as he loved his parents, he hadn’t counted on having any company. He needed a cold beer and his wife. Not necessarily in that order.

He figured everyone was in bed, yet an uneasy feeling crept over him as he entered his home. He paused in the foyer. Was that the television he heard coming from the living room? Typically, Teri would be in bed before ten because she got up around six to jump-start her day.

Tatum was seven and attended a different school than Tia. Tempest was five and attended kindergarten at the same school as Tatum. Tasha, their baby, who was barely three, attended day care. He hadn’t liked the idea of Tasha in day care, but Teri claimed Tasha needed to be around kids her age at least a few days a week to start developing her social skills.

Mac hadn’t wanted Teri to work outside the home, either, but she’d insisted that she needed to get out of the house for a while during the day. So now she was working part-time at one of the libraries in town.

Mindful of not waking the kids, while at the same time intent on not scaring his parents, he took out his phone and texted Teri. She practically slept with the phone beside her. When the message didn’t immediately show as delivered, he frowned, wondering what was wrong with her phone. He’d tried calling her earlier, twice in fact, when his plane had landed in DC. He hadn’t gotten an answer either time.

What was going on?

He placed his gear down and was headed toward his bedroom when his father rounded the corner. Carlton McRoy nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw his son.

“Damn it, Mac, you trying to give me heart failure?” his father asked. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Mac crossed the floor to give his father a bear hug. “You weren’t supposed to hear me. I’m a SEAL, Dad.”

“Why didn’t you ring the doorbell?”

Mac thought that was a crazy question. “I live here. I don’t need to ring the doorbell. Besides, I didn’t want to wake anyone. By the way, I like your new set of wheels.”

His father beamed. “Thanks. It’s your mom’s car. I surprised her with it as an early anniversary gift. It’s been almost forty years, you know.”

Yes, Mac knew. He was the oldest of two and Carlton and Alexis Youngblood-McRoy hadn’t wasted any time after their wedding to start a family. He’d been born a week shy of their first anniversary. He figured he was supposed to be one and done, but his sister Kylie had been born on his parents’ tenth anniversary. “That’s a nice gift.”

“I thought so, and Lex was more than deserving,” his father said.

Mac smiled. His parents were special. There weren’t two adults he admired more and they had always been great role models for him and his sister. Their interracial marriage had worked for them because they’d always said love got them together and it would be love that kept them together.

“Thurston!”

Mac glanced around and chuckled when his mother practically threw herself into his arms. “Hey, Mom,” he said, placing a kiss on her cheek.

“I heard voices and thought one of the girls had awakened.”

“No, it’s just me and Dad. He saw me when I was headed down the hall to my bedroom to let Teri know I was home.”

He still had his arms around his mother’s shoulders when he felt her tense up. “Mom? You okay?” he asked, looking down at her.

He thought the same thing now that he’d thought while growing up. His mother was a beautiful woman with eyes a unique shade of blue and ash-blond hair. His father had a dark chocolate complexion, which accounted for Mac and his younger sister’s skin tone being a combination of the two.

When his mother still hadn’t answered his question, he turned his eyes to his father, who had the same wary expression on his face that Mac’s mother wore. Releasing his arm from around his mother’s shoulder, Mac straightened to his full height of six feet three inches. “Okay, what’s going on?”

When his parents glanced at each other, that uneasy feeling from earlier crept over him again. Not liking it, he turned to go down the hall toward his bedroom when his father reached out to stop him.

“Teri isn’t here, Mac.”

Mac turned back to his father. His mother had moved to stand beside his dad. “It’s after two in the morning and tomorrow is a school day for the girls. So where is she?”

His mother reached out and touched his arm. “She needed to get away and she asked if we would come keep the girls.”

Mac frowned. He knew his wife. She would not have gone anywhere without their daughters. “What do you mean she needed to get away? Why?”

“She’s the one who has to tell you that, Thurston. It’s not for us to say.”

His mother looked up at him with an uncomfortable expression on her face. His gaze left his mother and moved over to his father, who was wearing the same look.

“What’s going on, Dad? Mom? Why can’t you tell me the reason Teri felt she had to get away?”

“Because it’s not our place to do so, son.”

Mac drew in a deep breath, not understanding any of this. Because his parents were acting so secretive, he felt his confusion and anger escalating. “Fine. Where is she?”

It was his father who spoke. “She left three days ago for the Torchlight Dude Ranch.”

Mac’s frown deepened. “The Torchlight Dude Ranch? In Wyoming?”

“Yes.”

“What the hell did she go there for?”

His father didn’t say anything for a minute and then gave Mac an answer. “She said she always wanted to go back there.”

Mac rubbed his hand across his face. Yes, Teri had always wanted to go back there, the place he’d taken her on their honeymoon a little over ten years ago. And he’d always promised to take her back. But between his covert missions and their growing family, there had never been enough time. Teri, who’d been raised on a ranch in Texas, was a cowgirl at heart and for a short while had competed on the rodeo circuit due to her roping and riding skills. She’d even represented the state of Texas as a rodeo queen before they’d met.

When they’d married, she had given it all up to travel around the world with her naval husband. She’d said she’d done so gladly. Why in the world would Teri leave their kids and go to a dude ranch by herself?

He knew the only person who could answer that question was Teri.

“I tried calling her twice from the airport and she’s not answering her phone,” he finally said, his tone truly filled with anger now.

“She probably couldn’t. We talk to her every day when she calls to check on the girls. The reception at the dude ranch is not good and she has to drive into town to call out. Teri usually phones us around five every evening. I’m sure she’ll be calling today as usual, so you’ll get a chance to talk to her,” his mother said, smiling.

He stared at his parents. Did they honestly think he intended to hang around and wait for Teri’s call?

“I want to see the girls. I won’t wake them, but I need to see them before I leave.”

“Leave?” his father asked, looking at him strangely.

“Yes, leave.”

“Where are you going?” his mother asked.

He met their gazes. “I’m going to the Torchlight Dude Ranch.”

“Now?”

“Yes. Now.”

Moments later, he slid open the door to his oldest daughter’s room. Tia was asleep but he needed to look at her for himself to see that she was all right. He smiled as he studied her in sleep. She had her mother’s mouth, but that was about it. Everything else was his. Her eyes didn’t need to be open for him to know they were the exact color of his. A color so rich they looked like dark chocolate.

He’d been the one who’d chosen the name Tia for their first child and it had been Teri’s decision to name all the other girls with the starting letter of T like his and Teri’s names. Tia was determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a cowgirl, which was why she’d been taking horse-riding lessons since she turned five. He still didn’t like the idea of her competing, though, not even in her age group, which was another thing he and Teri couldn’t agree on.

Leaning down, he placed a kiss on Tia’s cheek before leaving the room to check on Tatum and Tempest. Both had honey-brown eyes like Teri and favored their mother a lot. There was barely a two-year difference in Tatum’s and Tempest’s ages and the two were extremely close. They looked out for each other. He liked that about them. He figured that unlike Tia, they would never grow up and ask for separate rooms. They would enjoy being in each other’s pockets for as long as they could. Placing kisses on their cheeks, as well, he moved to the room that was closest to his bedroom. The one where three-year-old Tasha slept.

Although he tiptoed into the room, he wasn’t surprised when Tasha’s eyes flew open and she stared at him a minute before a huge smile touched her lips. “Daddy!”

She threw himself into his arms and he held her. After three girls, he and Teri had been hoping for a boy, but when the nurse had placed Tasha in his arms, it hadn’t mattered that he had gotten a fourth girl. Tasha looked more like him than any of the others. She was his Mini-Me.

Picking her up into his arms, he went over to the rocking chair he’d gotten for Tia, the one that had been passed down from daughter to daughter. He gazed down at his daughter and saw dark brown eyes staring back up at him.

“Tasha loves Daddy.”

He smiled. “And Daddy loves Tasha.”

Cradling her against his chest, he began rocking her back to sleep. Having come back from such a dangerous mission, he needed peace in his life at that moment, but he knew true peace wouldn’t come until he went after Teri and found out what was going on with her. Why she’d called his parents to keep the girls so she could get away.

Other than him, his sister and his parents, Teri had no family. Her parents had died when she was young and her grandparents had raised her on their ranch in Terrell, Texas, which was a stone’s throw from Dallas. When Mac had met her, the grandparents she’d adored had died and at twenty-three Teri was trying to run the ranch alone. After their whirlwind romance she’d made the decision—one that he knew had been hard for her, even though she’d never complained about it—to sell the ranch and accept his marriage proposal. She’d turned in her spurs to become a SEAL wife.

It had been her suggestion that they go to a dude ranch for their honeymoon, which would be her last hurrah as a cowgirl. That had been two weeks he’d totally enjoyed, and he’d gotten to show her how well he could handle a horse, thanks to his mother’s family, who’d owned a horse ranch in Ocala, Florida.

The timing of their meeting had been perfect. He’d just graduated from the naval academy three years before and was enjoying being a SEAL. It had been his intention to remain a bachelor for quite a while, but all that had changed after he met Teri.

As he continued to rock his daughter back to sleep, Mac closed his eyes, recalling the day Teri Cantor walked into his life...

Ten years ago

“Damn, Lawton, will you slow down?”

Mac glanced over at the man walking beside him. Lawton was walking so fast you’d think he was rushing to put out a fire. Against his better judgment, Mac had let Lawton talk him into coming here of all places—a rodeo—just to see a woman.

“You shouldn’t walk so slow,” Lawton said, grinning, not breaking his stride.

“Whatever. Now, how did you and this woman meet again?”

“We met online three months ago and officially met last month when I flew to Atlanta for the weekend. She’s a photographer for the Bill Pickett Rodeo circuit. LaDorria mentioned they would be in the DC area, so I figured this would be my chance to see her again.”

As they neared the entrance to the arena Lawton slowed down and so did Mac. “Is there a particular spot where the two of you plan to meet once we’re inside?” Mac asked, looking around.

“Yes. She said to meet her at the booth that sells the commemorative booklets.”

Ten minutes later they were there, and Lawton introduced Mac to LaDorria Clark. Mac had to admit she was an attractive woman, and just for the hell of it, he asked if she had a single friend. She quickly replied, “It just so happens I do. Her name is Teri and she’s competing tonight.”

LaDorria grabbed one of the commemorative booklets and flipped through to a certain page, pointed and said, “This here is Teri.”

Mac figured if a man could fall in love with a photograph, then he had done so in that moment. The very beautiful woman in a cowgirl outfit was smiling for the camera and she captured his heart then and there.

“What event is she competing in?”

“Roping and barrel racing. She’s the current champ in the women’s division. She was also rodeo queen last year.”

Mac looked at the photo again. He could definitely believe that. He figured her age was around twenty-two or twenty-three and she had the most gorgeous pair of honey-brown eyes. They were perfect for her high cheekbones and full, shapely lips. Her skin was the color of rich mocha and he loved the way the mass of curly hair fell around her shoulders.

He looked over at LaDorria. “And you’ll introduce us?”

She laughed. “Yes, just as soon as the rodeo is over, and only if you cheer for Teri tonight. Like I said, she’s competing.”

As far as Mac was concerned, Teri Cantor didn’t need him cheering for her because she had her own fan section in the stands. And she was good. So good that she won both competitive events easily. He couldn’t help admiring how well she handled a horse, how skillfully she rode the animal. Nor could he fight his attraction to her—she was a beautiful woman in person and in action in the ring. And he definitely liked the way she looked in her cowgirl outfits. She had changed into a couple of different ones and each one he would claim as a favorite.

He liked the way she handled a rope and how easily her lasso fell over the cow’s head. He knew that sort of aptitude came from hours of practice. That meant she was well disciplined.

Mac had heard the comments from the men around him. Men who’d made it obvious they had the hots for Teri. Some had even admitted to hitting on her and striking out. He hoped he wouldn’t be one of those men.

He thought about other women he’d dated in the past. Most liked the idea of dating a military man, but none ever fancied marrying one. They’d all heard the life of a SEAL’s wife was too demanding. The thought of not knowing where their husband was and when he’d be returning was just something they couldn’t tolerate.

Their attitude was something he hadn’t been able to tolerate, either. Although he had no intention of acquiring a wife for years to come, it still bothered him how some women thought a relationship was all about them. They had no idea that a navy SEAL wife was, in a way, serving her country, as well.

“I just got a text from LaDorria,” Lawton said at the end of the rodeo. “They asked us to give them thirty minutes and then they’ll meet us by that souvenir table again.”

“Okay, and it looks like you’re kind of serious about LaDorria,” he said to Lawton.

“I am. I just hope she’s serious about me.”

Mac hoped she was, as well, since Lawton was a pretty decent guy.

It was almost forty-five minutes later, but Mac was convinced it was worth every minute of waiting for LaDorria and Teri to arrive. When he saw Teri Cantor walking toward them, he thought she looked even better up close and in person.

She had changed out of her riding outfit into a pair of slacks and a blouse that made her look feminine as hell. Her hair was no longer tied back away from her face but hung in loose curls around her shoulders. He could tell the moment their gazes connected that there was interest between them and he didn’t intend to let that interest go to waste.

“So, what do you think?” Lawton leaned over to ask before the two women had approached them.

Mac’s response was quick and honest. “I think I’m in love.”

Lawton laughed but Mac was totally serious. That was how his father claimed it had been for him when he’d seen Mac’s mother for the first time, when the two had been attending classes together at Ohio State University.

Mac drew in a deep breath and didn’t release it until the women had reached them. Introductions were being made by LaDorria. “Teri, I’d like you to meet a friend of Lawton’s. Thurston McRoy.”

Teri offered him her hand and the moment he took it, he felt...something flow through him. From the look in her eyes, he knew she’d felt it, as well.

“Nice meeting you, Thurston.”

He smiled down at her. “My friends call me Mac.”

She nodded. “Okay. It’s nice meeting you, Mac.”

“Same here.” And he truly meant it.

That night they went to one of the bar-and-grills that stayed open late. He got to know her better but not as well as he wanted to. They exchanged phone numbers and stayed in touch, sometimes talking on the phone at night for hours.

They had their first official date a month later, when he’d flown to Montana to watch her perform in another rodeo. That was when he was about to be stationed in Spain and he’d wanted to see her again before leaving the country.

They exchanged texts and phone calls whenever they could, and it was two months later that she’d told him she was thinking about selling her ranch and moving to New York. She felt that maybe it was time to put her college degree in business to good use. He’d known it would be a tough decision for her to make. From their talks, he knew how much she’d enjoyed living on the ranch.

Once she made the decision to sell the ranch it had sold quickly, and before she could pack up and move to New York, he had persuaded her to visit him in Barcelona. When she said she would, he’d made all the arrangements and had sent her an airline ticket within twenty-four hours. He had been there to pick her up from the airport and the moment he saw her again he’d known he wanted to make her a permanent part of his life.

Teri had spent two wonderful weeks with him in Spain and it was during that time that they’d shared a bed for the first time. Making love to her had been just like he’d known it would be.

She’d literally rocked his world.

The intensity of their sexual joining was powerful. It was as if her body was made for him and his for her.

Before leaving to return to the States, he’d asked her to marry him, and she’d accepted.

A month later they were married.

* * *

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Mac opened his eyes and glanced down at Tasha. She had gone back to sleep. Standing, he placed his daughter back in her bed and then he walked out of the room.

It was time to go find his wife.

Two

Teri McRoy sipped her coffee as she stood at the window and looked out.

For miles all she could see were beautiful plains, valleys and mountains. The Torchlight Dude Ranch, located in Torchlight, Wyoming, was a luxury guest ranch on over a thousand acres just west of Cheyenne. Mac had first brought her here for their honeymoon ten years ago and had promised that one day he would bring her back.

He never had.

Knowing she needed time alone to deal with a few issues, this was the first place she’d thought of coming due to the wonderful and lasting memories she had of the time spent here with Mac. Now she was glad she had come. She missed her girls more than anything and appreciated her in-laws for their quick response in coming to look after them. Her daughters couldn’t ask for better grandparents. Mac’s parents were the best. She couldn’t imagine leaving the girls with anyone else right now. But still, she was compelled to check on them every day. She needed to hear their voices. As expected, they would tell her they missed her—and tell her how much fun they were having with Pop and Nana.

One of the things Teri liked most about this dude ranch was that you didn’t have to stay in the main house. If you opted for more privacy, there were several small cabins spread out over the thousand acres. It was beautiful. Part of the package was that you got your very own horse to use daily and it was delivered to you each morning. Hers was a beautiful white stallion named Amsterdam. Over the past three days, she and Amsterdam had gotten to know each other well. She wasn’t even put off by his spirited side. Being the horse expert that she was, she loved the challenge.

As she stood there thinking about just how idyllic this cabin was, she knew in her heart the one thing missing was her husband’s presence. She missed Mac and always did whenever he was gone for long periods of time, although she tried hard not to let him know it. He had a dangerous job and she’d known that when she had married him. She’d also known he could be summoned away at a moment’s notice without being able to inform her of where he was going or how long he’d be gone. The longest time he’d ever been gone was seven months. This time it had been almost nine and she was beginning to worry. What if...

Teri shook her head, refusing to go there. Mac expected her to be strong and handle things while he was gone. Unfortunately, this time around it was hard for her to do that. Things had happened that she hadn’t counted on and her heart broke more and more each day.

Mac was a good man. A wonderful father and loving husband. He provided for his family, whatever their needs were. Financially, Mac’s girls didn’t want for anything. However, she was discovering that there were some things that money couldn’t buy. Peace of mind. More good days than bad. And a marriage that was more blissful than stressful.

A part of her wanted Mac to not only be on the ranch with her to share in the beauty again, but to also just hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. She needed him to not blame her for what had gone wrong. Even if it was the news of losing the very thing he would have wanted.

A son.

When she felt her tears fall again she drew in a deep breath. Her grief counselor had talked to her, told her that miscarriages were more common than most people even knew. She’d done nothing wrong.

The counselor didn’t know the half of it.

She was not supposed to get pregnant. Mac had said that although he would have loved to have a son, when it didn’t happen with Tasha that was it. He felt four kids were enough for her to handle on her own while he worked as a SEAL.

They’d talked to her doctor about getting her tubes tied, which could be done as an outpatient procedure. They’d scheduled the surgery, but he’d gotten called away. She was to keep the appointment for the procedure regardless. Then she’d gotten the call from the doctor saying results from presurgical blood work revealed she was already pregnant. There had been no way to reach out to Mac to let him know, but she figured he would eventually be happy about the news. Everything was going fine, but then four months later she’d miscarried.

She fought back the sob rattling her chest. When she was told she was having a boy she’d started thinking of names and in private moments called him TT. Tiny Thurston. She had wanted to share the news with Mac and had worried that by the time he returned, she would have had their son without him.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she finished the rest of the coffee before forcing her mind to remember something else...namely that phone call she had received from the man who’d been her grandparents’ attorney and the news he’d given her. The couple she’d sold her ranch to, close to twelve years ago now, were putting it on the market. According to the terms of the contract, they had to give her the first opportunity to buy it back. At the time she’d made that stipulation, she didn’t think they would go for it, but the Jacobins had wanted to buy the ranch badly enough to agree with her terms. And of course, she’d thought they would never sell the ranch, but according to her grandparents’ former attorney, because of Mr. Jacobin’s failing health, they had no choice.

For her, that offer was a dream come true. She’d only been given ten days to take it and it had to be done in person. Unlike when she’d sold the ranch, she and Mac now had the means to buy it back. But the time frame meant the decision had to be made without Mac’s input. So, she had.

She had weighed the advantages against the disadvantages and, in the end, she’d decided that buying the ranch would be good for her family. A bigger house. More land for their kids to spread out and enjoy. Getting back to nature. A way to supplement their income after Mac retired, if they decided to raise cattle for market.

Remembering her days spent on the ranch while growing up, she wanted the same kind of memories for her girls. There were good schools in the area and although most of the neighbors who’d been her grandparents’ friends had passed on, their heirs were people Teri had grown up with and whom she looked forward to sharing friendships with again.

Teri had figured she wouldn’t be gone but for a day and appreciated her neighbor and friend Carla for agreeing to watch the kids while Teri flew to Terrell, Texas, to finalize the sale. The day after she returned to Virginia was when she began having stomach pains. Within twenty-four hours, she’d lost the baby. Although the doctor claimed her traveling had nothing to do with it, she couldn’t help wondering if it had.

She’d gained the ranch she’d thought lost to her for good, but lost the baby she’d never expected to have.

Losing the baby had been hard and she appreciated her in-laws for their love and support during a very difficult time for her. She’d tried pulling herself out of the slump she’d felt herself slowly sinking into, and when she’d been nearly at her wit’s end, she’d called her in-laws after her grief counselor suggested she get away for a while.

Had the home she’d repurchased been empty she would have gone there, but the sellers had asked to remain in the house three months before they were required to move out. She had no problem with that since Mac was gone on a mission and she didn’t want to move their family to the ranch without letting him know what she’d done. She could just imagine Mac returning home to find a for sale sign on their home in Virginia without knowing all the details of why.

So here she was trying to deal with a number of things and wishing her husband was here with her. But then, maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t. She believed he would understand how she felt about losing the baby and give her all the support and love she needed, but there was also the issue of the ranch she’d purchased. Would he understand that she’d done what she felt she had to do in the time limit she’d been given? They’d talked about getting a new house, but how would he feel about moving from Virginia to Texas? To the house that used to be her childhood home?

The other piece was that she’d paid a lot for the purchase, deciding to pay cash instead of getting a mortgage. How would Mac react when he found out she’d used their money to do so, without consulting him?

All those questions with no answers were issues that had kept her up at night.

She had endured long weeks of foreboding and her senses were filled with unease and worry about both situations. The surgery to have her tubes tied had been rescheduled and she was having apprehensions about that, and although a part of her wanted to believe that buying the ranch had been for the best, she wasn’t sure how Mac would feel about it.

Being here at this ranch had helped soothe her mind and she didn’t regret coming here, although she did miss the girls. There were so many activities to enjoy, and yesterday she’d even helped with the branding of the cattle and participated in a roundup. After today, she would only have four days left here and then she would return to Virginia, to her daughters and to wait for Mac to come home.

Mac.

Lately things hadn’t been so great between them.

They seemed to argue more when he returned after being away. She didn’t think it was related to PTSD; it was just a case of two strong-willed individuals not always agreeing on certain things. It was so hard for him to understand that while he was away, she was both mom and dad, and when he returned it wasn’t easy for her to relinquish one of them. Usually by the time she did, he was gone again. Why was it becoming a vicious cycle that seemed to threaten their marriage to the point where she’d begun feeling that she was taken for granted?

There it was again.

Questions with no answers. Problems that needed solving.

She wanted, for the time being, to clear her mind of all of it and to recall a time when she didn’t have any worries. Or at least not too many—for even back then she had been trying to decide how she would run a ranch without her grandparents. But all those years ago she had been a young girl who’d met a man she knew was meant to be a part of her life and she a part of his.

As she stood there sipping her coffee, her mind drifted back to that time...

Ten years ago

Less than an hour after her friend LaDorria had introduced them, Teri had known Thurston McRoy was a take-charge kind of man who was military through and through.

In addition to being breathtakingly handsome, he was also incredibly charming and outrageously kind. She’d discovered just how kind when they’d left the rodeo and they’d gone, along with LaDorria and Lawton, to this bar-and-grill for food and beer. He’d opened doors for her, pulled out chairs and hadn’t tried taking control of their conversations.

He hadn’t come on too strong, yet he’d managed to overwhelm her just the same. She had discovered he was someone easy to talk to, someone who had the ability to make her feel comfortable around him. It seemed LaDorria and Lawton had intentionally left them alone by staying on the dance floor. But she hadn’t minded. It was during that time that she’d gotten to size him up. To see how he treated people, from the waiter who took their order to the busboy who’d come to clear off their table. He’d treated everyone with respect and gone out of his way to make their servers feel appreciated.

Although she had enjoyed that night with Mac, she hadn’t been certain he would want to see her again. He’d asked for her phone number at the end of the night, but that didn’t particularly mean anything. She’d long discovered that some men didn’t care about dating a girl who not only loved horses but who was an ace on the back of one. Then there was her skill with a rope and her expertise with barrel racing. They preferred women who were all class and sophistication. Ones who wore expensive gowns rather than jeans and a Western shirt.

It didn’t take long for her to see Mac wasn’t that type of man. He had followed up their date with a number of phone calls. Her ability to rope a calf didn’t bother him and he’d even said he liked how she looked in a pair of jeans. He’d told her that although he wasn’t an expert on a horse like she was, he could ride and enjoyed riding because his grandparents owned a horse ranch.

Then there was the night he’d surprised her and shown up at one of her rodeos in Montana. She had won her competition that night and had felt good about it. After the rodeo she had seen him waiting on her, dressed as a cowboy with a Stetson on his head. She had found herself even more attracted to him and had offered no resistance when he’d taken her hand to lead her over to the SUV he’d rented.

“Where are we going?” she asked him when he opened the vehicle’s door.

“I’m taking you somewhere to celebrate your win. You looked fantastic out there and you did an awesome job.”

His words had made her feel good. Pretty darn special and she felt even more special in his company.

They’d had a lively discussion on their way to the restaurant for dinner. He’d told her more about both his grandfathers and how their time in the military had made him desire a military life of his own. She knew when his maternal grandfather had retired he and Mac’s grandmother had purchased a ranch in Florida.

“I’ve never been to Florida.”

He glanced over at her strangely when he brought the car to a stop in the restaurant’s parking lot. “You haven’t?”

“No. I heard the beaches there are beautiful.”

He nodded. “They are, but then, Texas has beautiful beaches. I remember spending the weekend in Galveston one year.”

She’d been tempted to inquire who he’d spent the weekend with but hadn’t. Instead she said, “I bet you had a lot of fun.”

“I did,” he said, grinning over at her.

During the walk to the restaurant’s door he told her more about himself and the more she got to know about him, the more she liked him. That night had pretty much established how things would be between them. She had accepted that he’d opted for a career as a navy SEAL and she knew any woman in his life would have to live with that choice. Since she’d been seriously considering selling her ranch, the idea of having a life with him, which would include traveling around the world, intrigued her.

When he invited her to Barcelona, she’d said yes right away, and those two weeks had been a game changer. She’d seen just what life with Mac would be like. As he showed her around Spain, she’d fallen in love with him. She had been a virgin and the night they’d made love for the first time was something she would never forget. He had made it special for her.

They had talked a lot, as well. Mac had told about his parents’ interracial marriage and how dedicated they’d been to making it successful, remaining partners in all things. That was the kind of marriage he wanted for himself. One filled with love and commitment. She’d known that was the kind of marriage she wanted for herself, too, one where divorce would never be an option. The kind she was raised to believe her own parents had found, and the kind she knew her grandparents had shared.

Those had been the best two weeks of her life and before she left to return to the United States, he’d asked her to marry him.

Not seeing any reason to have a long engagement, they’d gotten married a month later and she had no regrets.

* * *

Teri brought her thoughts back to the present. Lawton and LaDorria had gotten married a year after Mac and Teri and they were still together, living in New Mexico with their two kids. Lawton had gotten out of the military and had gone to work for the FBI. LaDorria had expanded her love of photography and opened her own shop. Teri and Mac heard from them from time to time, and she always looked forward to the Christmas photo card they sent each year. They always looked so happy. So perfect. She didn’t want to think about how things weren’t so photo perfect with her and Mac.

Placing the coffee cup aside, she moved toward the bedroom. It was time to get dressed for her daily morning ride on Amsterdam.

* * *

“I’m sorry, Mr. McRoy, but your name is not on the registration. Until Mrs. McRoy gives her permission for you to be added, we can’t give you a key to her cabin.”

Mac forced back his anger, trying to understand the man’s position. He knew the rules were due to security measures, which he should appreciate. After all, for all the staff knew, he could very well be an ex-husband intent on doing bodily harm to his wife. That wasn’t the case, although he would admit his anger had only grown on the flight here. It had been his fifth flight in less than twenty-four hours. His fifth flight since his commanding officer had told the team they were free to go home and, unless there was some type of international crisis that required their SEAL team to go into action, they had the next six months on leave.

It was six months all of them needed after their last operation. Because of the success of their mission, Americans would be able to sleep safe at night, and to him and his teammates, that was what truly mattered. But for him the battle wasn’t over whenever he returned home. Those were the times he had to fight to reconnect with Teri. “That’s fine,” he finally said, seeing the man’s features relax. He knew the clerk had expected an argument and a part of Mac was raring to give him one, but what would have been the use? “Do you have any idea where she is so she can give me permission?”

“We tried calling the cabin and she’s not answering, so we can only assume she’s out riding. I believe she does that every morning.”

“Does she come here for breakfast?”

“No. She’s in one of the cabins farthest away, one with a stocked kitchen.” And then, as if realizing he might have provided too much information, he added, “That’s all I can tell you. I left Ms. McRoy a voice-mail message. If you’d like to sit over there and wait, I’m sure she will be returning my call shortly.”

“I’d rather wait outside. That way I can walk around a bit to stretch my legs. Can I leave my gear here while I do?”

“Yes, sir, you can.”

Mac handed his duffel bag to the man before turning to walk out the door. He stepped out on the porch and drew in a deep breath, appreciating the moment of breathing in good American air. He’d been in Libya too long and was glad to be home. Only thing, he wasn’t home. It wasn’t even close enough to home to suit him. Getting on another plane within a few hours after getting off one hadn’t made his day or his night, which he was yet to have. He hadn’t slept in over thirty hours.

Glancing around, he saw the changes that had been made since the last time he’d been here on his honeymoon. There was a spanking new barn that was a lot bigger than the last one had been. Even the main ranch house had gotten a face-lift. It was three times the size it was before. He’d noticed the sign that read Under New Management the moment he’d walked into the place.

He was about to step off the porch when his cell phone rang. Recognizing the ringtone, he pulled the phone out of the back pocket of his jeans and clicked on. “Yeah, Bane?”

“You know the routine, Mac. You didn’t touch base with any of us to let us know you’d gotten home.”

He released a frustrated breath before saying, “I’m not home.”

“Why the hell not?” That question came from another team member, Gavin Blake, whose code name was Viper. That meant in addition to Viper and Bane, Mac was on a call with the other two team members he was close friends with, as well: David Holloway, whose code name was Flipper, and Laramie Cooper, whose code name was Coop.

“Because when I got home, I discovered Teri was missing.”

“Missing? What do you mean Teri was missing?” Flipper wanted to know.

“And your answer better be good, Mac. I hope she hasn’t finally taken enough of your BS and left your ass,” Coop added.

Mac rubbed his hand down his face. He didn’t need his teammates to remind him that at times he wasn’t the easiest man to get along with. “Will the four of you calm down?” Leaning against the porch post, he then told them what he knew. At least what his parents had told him. Which hadn’t been much.

“And you haven’t seen her yet?” Bane asked.

“No. I haven’t been here but a few minutes. She’s out riding and since my name isn’t on her registration, they won’t tell me which cabin she’s staying in or give me a key.”

“That’s understandable,” Viper said.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Calm down, Mac,” Bane warned.

Now they were the ones telling him to calm down. “I am calm. I haven’t hit anything yet.”

“And you won’t. Listen to what Teri has to say. She must have had a good reason for taking off and leaving the kids with your folks,” Coop was saying.

“Yes, and try to be understanding, no matter the reason,” Viper suggested.

“And another thing,” Flipper, the most recently married one of the team, spoke up to say, but Mac stopped him.

“Hold up. I don’t need you guys giving me marital advice. I’ve been married a lot longer than any of you.”

“That might be true, but you have a tendency to act like an ass at times, like you know everything,” Coop said. “We’ve been gone awhile. Eight months, twelve days and fifteen hours to be exact. Show your woman how much you miss her, love her and appreciate her.”

Mac shook his head. “Like I said, guys, I don’t need your advice. I know how to handle my business.”

“Your way of handling things doesn’t work all the time, Mac,” Viper said. “That’s all we’re saying.”

Mac rubbed the back of his neck and felt a tension headache coming on. He never got headaches. “Duly noted. Now, goodbye.”

“Hey, call us later to let us know things are okay,” Bane said.

Mac rolled his eyes. “I’ll think about it.” He then clicked off the phone.

* * *

Teri had returned to the cabin after her morning ride and was about to go into the kitchen to prepare something to eat for breakfast when she noticed the blinking light on the cabin’s telephone. She thought about ignoring it, thinking it was probably the resort manager giving her a rundown of that day’s activities. However, she felt compelled to answer it anyway. Her cell phone was out of range and wasn’t working. What if it was her in-laws trying to reach her?

Moving quickly to the phone, she picked it up to retrieve the message. “Ms. McRoy, this is Harold at the front desk. Please call me as soon as you get this message.”

Teri pressed the number seven and Harold picked up immediately. “Harold, you called. Is something wrong?”

“No, ma’am. There’s a man here who says he’s your husband and has asked for a key to your cabin. Company policy restricts us from doing that. Said his name is Thurston McRoy.”

Teri’s heart suddenly began pounding hard in her chest. Mac was here? She drew in a deep breath. He must have returned and found she’d left and her in-laws had told him where she was? Had they also told him why she’d taken off? Did he know—

“Ms. McRoy? Is it okay to give him a key with directions on how to get to your cabin?”

She swallowed. “Is he there? If so, please let me talk with him.”

“No, he’s not here inside. He stepped outside.”

Probably to cool off, she thought. Coming home and finding her gone had probably pissed him off. Coming after her would have made him angrier. Then being denied access to her cabin would have made the situation even worse.

“I can go outside and get him if you need to talk to him.”

She drew in a deep breath. Knowing Mac, she figured that would agitate him even more. “No, that’s not necessary. Please give him a key and directions on how to get here.”

“Okay, I will.”

When Teri hung up the phone, she drew in a deep breath.

She wouldn’t have those additional three days alone here after all.

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