May, the following year
Wilder slipped behind the new stable and sneaked up on Cosette, snaking his arm around her waist and whisking her into one of the empty stalls. She squealed and laughed as he butted her up against the wall.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Stealing a kiss from my wife before all the hoopla starts.” This coming July marked the anniversary of their first year as a married couple. It had been every bit as awesome as Wilder had expected.
During the year, Cosette had worked tirelessly to rebuild the stable and open the equine therapy practice. Six horses. A private office and drive. The fencing had been done and Mercy Abrams had flown out to help them with the details. Today was a private grand opening with friends and family to celebrate this accomplishment.
A baby’s cry echoed in the distance, but Wilder ignored it and let himself get lost in Cosette’s kiss—this woman who belonged to him.
The crying continued and grew closer.
“You have to learn when Daddy says no crying, he means it. Yes, he does.” Beckett Marsh was baby-talking to his squalling son, and Caley and Shepherd had announced they were expecting. Wilder hoped Cosette didn’t get the bug too fast. He was enjoying having her all to himself. But sometimes when Beck’s son wasn’t wailing, he itched for a few babies himself.
Cosette smothered a snicker at Beckett’s baby talk, and they crouched low to not get caught. “I also wanted to tell you that your dad is here,” he whispered.
He’d been released on parole four months ago. They weren’t close by any means, and Wilder was pretty sure Leon was okay with that and understood, but he was here for this, and they’d let him video call into the wedding to watch.
Beckett had given Cosette away.
“See, that’s better. No crying,” Beckett cooed.
“Are you in here demanding our son not cry?” Aurora stomped into the stable, and Wilder and Cosette peeked over the stall wall. “Have you learned nothing being married to me?”
“Possibly,” he said in a teasing tone.
Maybe Wilder should clue them in on the fact they weren’t alone.
“And I’m not demanding anything other than some teething gel and a bib. The slobber is off the chain,” Beckett said.
“Have you seen Caley?” Shepherd swaggered into the stable. “I can’t find her.”
“She was puking in the guest bathroom twenty minutes ago. The smell of hay made her sick,” Aurora said. “That’ll pass.”
Shep scrunched his nose. “Not soon enough,” he muttered.
Wilder covered Cosette’s mouth to stifle her laugh, and when that didn’t work, he shoved her into the hay and kissed her again. That shut her up.
“Anybody seen Wilder or Cosette?” Evan’s voice boomed across the stable. “The caterer is looking for her. Which reminds me, I’m starving. Can we order a pizza and not tell Cosette? Who wants to eat froufrou food? It’s not a tea party.”
Jody’s voice sounded. “The photographer is here.”
Since they’d all be dressed up, they were having new team photos taken for the Covenant Crisis Management website. Cosette included. She was still part of the team. He’d tossed his policy on not dating—or marrying—employees.
“We should stop making out in the hay and tell them we’re in here. Besides, Evan needs to know I did not order froufrou foods.”
“No way.” Wilder picked hay from her hair and helped her sit up. “And yes, you did,” he whispered. “They’re all doll-sized. We’re grown men. We don’t eat doll food.”
She made the pouty face he adored.
“I smell them,” Jody said.
He inwardly groaned. He wanted five more minutes alone with his wife.
Jody popped her head over the stall door and grinned. “Making out in the hay.”
“I hate that sniffer!” Wilder teased and helped Cosette to her feet. “And it’s our stable. We can do what we want.”
“You might wanna pick the straw out of your hair before our photo,” Shep said. “Just an observation.”
Cosette huffed, and she and Wilder went to work doing so.
“Y’all! Y’all!” Caley came running, huffing and puffing, her face pale.
“Quit running,” Shepherd growled.
“I’m pregnant, not helpless.” She shrugged off his remark. “Wheezer’s here. With a date!”
He’d been more himself lately, since Roger Renfrow had been doing some counseling with him.
Cosette had invited the Carson girls to come for equine therapy. She’d also sweet-talked Wilder into building small guest cabins for patients and their families who needed to come from out of town. He’d never be able to say no to her.
“A date?” Wilder asked. “Bring her into the control room. I want to give her a lie detector test before this goes any further.” Wilder was half joking. At some point you just had to get back in the saddle and trust again. In people. In God.
He trusted this team—this family—with his life. And now that he didn’t feel the need to carry everything on his own shoulders, he could lean on them for support. He’d finally realized leaning on friends and God didn’t make you weak. It made you strong.
He put his head on Cosette’s and she hugged him to her.
Wilder had never felt stronger.
* * * * *
If you liked this story from Jessica R. Patch, check out the rest of The Security Specialists miniseries:
Deep Waters
Secret Service Setup
Available now from Love Inspired Suspense!
Find more great reads at www.Harlequin.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from Killer Country Reunion by Jenna Night
Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003