Page 76 of Cruelest Contract (Storm’s Eye Ranch)

JULIAN

The Following Spring…

N othing stops the passage of seasons. They circle around as inevitably as the sky keeps watch above our heads.

Every spring carries the scent of new life and this one is no different. There’s not an acre of the ranch that isn’t touched. A vivid carpet of grass already covers the graves of my parents.

They rest side by side now. Cassio and Teresa. Together in death long after they were brutally separated in life.

The stone angel is no longer alone. Her dark prince has come home to her.

Fort and I have already left our carefully selected wildflowers, spoken our silent words of mourning and returned to our mounts. We don’t speak when Getty lingers for longer. Our brother is entitled to take as much time as he wants. We’ll never judge.

Beneath my saddle, Omerta remains impressively still. I’ve spent my life around animals and I know they understand more than we assume. It’s not unthinkable that my father’s horse understands this is sacred ground.

The two of us have become good friends in recent months. I gently pat Omerta’s neck as a thanks for his patience.

In time, Getty withdraws and returns to his waiting horse. He gives us a solemn nod and we leave our parents to their peaceful rest for now. But only for now. We’ll be back.

Perhaps next time I’ll bring my sons. It’s never too early for them to learn their history. Today they are ten weeks old. They don’t know it, but this is also their mother’s birthday.

Within a minute we’re within view of the house. The ranch is full of activity today. Miguel and the cowboys are overseeing the arrival of two hundred head of cattle. Construction sounds echo from the site where the new clubhouse and sheds are being built.

On the business front, Sonny and his boys are due back by evening. Long before our most loyal Capo took a bullet for this family, he proved his worth and his promotion is very deserved. I’ve entrusted him to convey messages in person when the need arises.

If anyone has a problem with this, they learn to quit having a problem with one phone call from me. And they get put on notice to expect a visit from my brothers if they don’t back down.

As for me, I don’t leave the ranch too often anymore. The heart of our family is right here so it makes sense to run the family from here, with my wife and children nearby. They will forever come first.

Fort and Getty walk a few paces ahead but I gently tug on the reins with a “Whoa” command to bring Omerta to a pause. I just want to take in the sight of my family.

Cecilia is sitting on a picnic blanket spread out in the flat grassy field in front of the barn.

A shade umbrella is unfurled overhead. Her legs are tucked underneath her and she’s a vision in a pale pink dress with her hair loose.

She doesn’t see me because she’s looking down at our boys.

The sound of her laughter carries across the field and speaks directly to my heart.

Nearby, Tye is sprawled in the grass with his sunglasses on.

He stayed behind to keep Cecilia company.

Of my three brothers, Tye is enjoying his role as uncle the most. It’s not uncommon to run into him in the middle of the night when we’re trying to get the twins back to sleep.

If one of the babies wakes up, usually both of them wake up.

But no matter the hour, their doting Uncle Tye never fails to come running when he hears their cries.

Any other time, I would take Omerta back to his stall myself. But today when Caleb jogs over and asks if I need a hand, I climb down and hand the reins over.

“We’ll ride again soon,” I promise the horse and tell Caleb to make sure he gets a treat.

Cecilia is watching me now. As always, when our eyes lock, an electric current races through my blood. The day she chose me was the day my destiny began.

Quickly erasing the distance between us, I drop to my knees at the edge of the blanket, remove my hat, and lean over to kiss my wife’s cheek.

At the last second, she turns her head and our lips meet.

My deep groan of desire is suppressed. She’s still healing from her C-section and exhausted from breastfeeding two infants so I’ll keep my sex-deprived thoughts to myself for a little while longer.

She’s not fooled and breaks away with a knowing smile. “Looking good out there, cowboy.”

I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear because I’ll snatch any excuse to touch her. “Nothing beats this view right here.”

I still have the power to make my wife blush. I consider this my timeless obligation.

Our sons are wide awake and dressed in little baby overalls that were sent by Alice. She already claimed the role of Favorite Aunt and often insists on speaking to the twins directly via phone, declaring that they need to get used to the sound of her voice.

Alice will be moving to Vigilance this summer. She’s already secured a teaching job at the middle school. I have no problem with this or with anything else that makes Cecilia happy. In fact, unbeknownst to even my wife, I nudged the school board to hire her best friend.

The babies, lying side by side, are always very aware of each other. They cry whenever separated for more than a couple of minutes.

Devoted brothers already, they are Antonio and Massimo Tempesta.

Heavy names for such little guys.

We call them Tony and Max. My initial fear that I’d fail to tell them apart was unfounded. Watching their distinctive personalities assert themselves by the day is hilarious.

Tony has an easygoing nature. He already laughs a lot. Max is tougher to please. His mouth turns down whenever he’s irked that his world hasn’t been arranged correctly. Then his little arms wave in the air, irate about the injustice of it all.

Needless to say, their mother and I adore them both.

Grabbing a giraffe rattle that’s lying nearby on the picnic blanket, I shake the thing right above their heads.

Tony studies the toy with a thoughtful look on his cute little face.

Max, however, tries to kick it out of my hand and then his face crumples when he doesn’t immediately succeed.

I lower the rattle and until one of his flailing arms knocks it free.

“Good job, buddy,” I tell my son and he gives me a gummy grin.

Tye rolls to his side and props himself up on his elbow, watching us. “Are we going out tonight to celebrate our birthday girl?”

“Out?” Cecilia laughs. “What’s that?”

“And what do you mean our girl?” I possessively pull my wife into my lap.

Cecilia slings her arms around my neck. “Mel says Enzo is making a special birthday dinner tonight with all my favorites. And these two gentlemen hanging out on the blanket can’t be without their primary food source for long.

” She turns her face to whisper in my ear.

“Then we can celebrate in private after we get the kids to sleep.”

FUCK YES!

“You guys go ahead,” I tell Tye, keeping Cecilia in my lap while I try not to pant over the prospect of getting naked with her later. “Just promise you’ll behave yourselves.”

“No worries.” Tye gives me a lazy grin. “I’m a great chaperone.”

The hell he is. But I’m in no mood to argue when I’m holding my wife and the sun is shining.

I’ve approached Cecilia’s birthday with caution, unsure if she’d want to celebrate at all. I figured it might hurt too much and dredge up too many memories of Gabriel.

She doesn’t speak his name often. But today, on the birthday they shared, I’m sure he’s on her mind.

“You will stay for dinner, right?” Cecilia asks Tye.

“When have you ever known me to skip out on food?” he says. “Of course I’ll be at your birthday dinner.”

“Good,” she says, snuggling closer to me. “I’ll need help eating all the cupcakes.”

“What cupcakes?” I ask.

“Angelo sent a huge box filled with gourmet cupcakes.”

“That’s shockingly thoughtful of him.”

She laughs. “He admitted he owed me some cupcakes. He sent a note telling me not to let anyone steal these.”

Getty and Fort arrive on the tail end of that conversation.

“Who stole your cupcakes?” Fort wants to know.

“No one this year,” she says with a giggle.

Getty hunkers down on the edge of the picnic blanket and removes his hat. Tony is babbling his little heart out and Max is kicking his legs like he’s training for a marathon. My brother smiles at his nephews.

At unexpected moments such as this one, the loss of my father hits me particularly hard.

We didn’t always have an easy relationship but I miss him something fierce. There are plenty of times when I wish I could ask his advice. I expect there will be many more in the years to come.

Seeing glimpses of him in my brothers is a big comfort. And as the twins grow, he’ll also live through them. I have so many stories to tell my boys.

What I’ll also tell them is not to overlook the ordinary moments. These are the best ones. Sitting here with a view of the ranch under a clear sky with their mother in my arms is nothing short of magic.

“You’re having deep thoughts,” Cecilia teases and lays a couple of playful kisses along my jaw.

Our twins are both now babbling to each other on the blanket. My brothers are having a spirited argument over which of the three of them will be the designated driver tonight. And I draw my wife closer for a slower, more sensual kiss without a care who might be watching.

Inevitably, we’ll all face more challenges in the future. Some of them we’ll see coming. Some of them we won’t.

But any battle we’ve ever fought is worth the struggle when it leads us to days like this.

Our family has faced many tests. But no matter how we bruise and bend, we don’t break. Our enemies do.

This is the promise I make to my wife.

It’s the legacy I’ll leave to my sons, who will get to choose whether or not they’ll follow me or find their own distinctive path.

“What’s on your mind?” Cecilia asks when we finally separate. “You seem like you have something you want to say.”

My brothers abruptly pause their argument. Even the babies quit babbling as if they are listening in.

She’s right. I do have something to say.

“Happy Birthday, Cecilia Tempesta.”

**Want to see more of Julian and Cecilia? Click HERE for the spicy Epilogue Part 2**