Dreams of Forever: Seduction, Westmoreland StyleSpencer's Forbidden Passion Page 15

  “McKinnon? What makes you so sure that I’m not pregnant?”

  He looked down at her, deep into eyes that had the ability to turn him into putty in her arms; eyes that he enjoyed gazing into each and every time he had entered her body. The eyes that would take on a darker shade just seconds before she came.

  “The reason I know you aren’t pregnant is because I can’t get you pregnant.” Ignoring the confused look on her face he continued. “About the same time I found out Martin wasn’t my natural father, I found out that my real dad had had a rare blood disease that neither he nor my mother knew about. In fact, it was only discovered after he’d been in that car accident that eventually took his life. Although there’s no health risks to me, the disease makes me a carrier, which I can pass on to any children I have. I couldn’t do that to a child, so I made the decision around eleven years ago to have a vasectomy.”

  She shook her head, not sure she’d heard him right. “You’ve had a vasectomy?”

  “Yes. So now you know why there can’t ever be a future for us.”

  She looked stunned and then moments later said, “Excuse me. Maybe I’m a little dense or something but I really don’t see your point.”

  “You will eventually and if you’ll excuse me I need to take a shower. And I think it will be for the best that you stay at your own place tonight…in fact from now on.”

  And without giving her a chance to say anything, he turned and walked toward his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

  * * *

  For the longest time, Casey just stood there, seemingly rooted in place as her mind replayed all that McKinnon had just told her. Was a similar announcement what sent Lynette running? For goodness’ sake, if that was true then the woman really hadn’t loved McKinnon at all.

  A part of Casey, the stubborn Westmoreland part, wanted to follow McKinnon right now, beat on his bedroom door and have it out with him. Surely he didn’t think his inability to have children meant she couldn’t love him, or didn’t love him? But after thinking about it for a few moments she knew he did think that way; mainly because another woman had done that very thing.

  Her heart went out to him. Had he and Lynette not discussed other options such as adoption? Had Lynette not wanted to go another route? No wonder Henrietta had said it was a good thing the woman didn’t live around these parts since seeing her and her child would probably bother McKinnon. Now Casey understood. Seeing that child would be a reminder of what he hadn’t been able to give the woman he’d loved.

  He had walked off, letting her know he preferred being alone tonight, and for once she would grant him his wish. Mainly because she needed to think things through to determine what would be the best way to handle McKinnon. How could she make him understand that it didn’t matter to her and she would be willing to adopt a child one day, or even consider artificial insemination?

  She sighed as she headed toward the back door to return to her own place. Tomorrow she intended to put her plan into motion. Before, it had been seduction. Now, it was all about satisfaction, and she wouldn’t be satisfied until McKinnon understood that she was the one woman who would always be by his side, no matter what.

  * * *

  Early the next morning Casey found Norris in the stables and requested a day off work. There was someone she needed to see and talk with immediately.

  McKinnon’s mother.

  The moment she pulled into the yard, Morning Star Quinn stepped out of her home wearing a huge smile. Not for the first time Casey thought the woman was absolutely stunning with her huge dark eyes in an angular face, high cheekbones and long, straight black hair that flowed past her back. It was apparent she was Native American and she looked more in her thirties than in her fifties.

  “Casey, this is a pleasant surprise,” Morning Star said, giving her a hug. “Is everything all right?”

  Casey shook her head. “No, but I believe eventually everything will be. First I need to talk to you about something important.”

  “Sure. Come inside and join me in a cup of coffee.”

  Casey followed the older woman inside and the moment she stepped foot across the threshold, she felt a special warmth. She followed Morning Star into the kitchen and sat down at the table. “Is Mr. Quinn at home?”

  Star glanced up from pouring the coffee, smiled and said, “No, he and your father went hunting today. I don’t expect either of them back until later. Do you need to see him, as well?”

  “No, you’re the person I came to see. I’d like to talk to you about McKinnon.”

  Morning Star’s dark brow lifted as she joined Casey at the table. “What about McKinnon?”

  “I’m in love with him,” Casey came right out and said, thinking she needed to let Mrs. Quinn know how she felt up front. She began to relax when she saw the huge smile that touched Morning Star’s lips.

  “I saw it happening,” Morning Star said, taking a sip of her coffee.

  Surprise lit Casey’s face. “You did?”

  “Yes. It was there in your eyes whenever you looked at him and I saw the same look in his.”

  Casey sighed as she took a sip of her tea. If he loved her that was definitely news to her. “We’ve been together ever since the night of my party,” Casey said, pretty sure she didn’t have to paint a picture of what she meant by that. “And last night McKinnon sort of broke things off. He told me about his health issue and for some reason he’s convinced that—”

  “Because of it the two of you couldn’t have a future together even if you wanted one,” Morning Star finished for her.

  Casey met the older woman’s eyes. “Yes.”

  Morning Star didn’t say anything for a long moment, but then she met Casey’s gaze and said, “We all have Lynette Franklin to thank for that. She took off right after McKinnon confided in her.”

  Casey nodded. She had figured as much. “But that was her. What does how she reacted have to do with me?”

  Morning Star smiled. “Because you are a woman. McKinnon sees you as a person who would probably make some child a wonderful mother, a child he can not give you. He really thinks he’s being noble in cutting you loose.”

  “Well, he’s not. Of course I want children, but we can adopt. Giving birth to a child isn’t such a big deal to me.”

  “It is to some women and he knows it.” Morning Star sighed deeply before continuing. “Making the decision to have a vasectomy was probably one of the hardest things my son had to do because he loves children and always wanted to settle down one day, marry and have some. He was torn about what to do until one particular day when he had to go to the hospital for his annual tests.”

  “What happened?”

  The older woman stood and walked over to the sink. Then she turned around and Casey could see the love and pain for her child etched on her face. “While in the waiting room, McKinnon met a man who was also a carrier. The man shared with McKinnon how he’d unknowingly passed the disease on to his six-year-old son, and the rough time his son had had before dying the year before. It’s my understanding that from that conversation, McKinnon swore that he wouldn’t have any children and risk passing anything on to them.”

  Casey wiped a tear from her eye, saddened by the stranger’s loss and even more saddened that

  McKinnon’s dream for a family had died that day, too. “I refuse to walk away and let him go through life alone with this, Mrs. Quinn.”

  “He’s pretty much made up his mind that he will never let another woman into his life.”

  Casey stood and met Morning Star’s gaze with a defiant look in her eyes. “Well, we’ll just see about that. I love McKinnon and I won’t let him turn his back on what we can have together. I simply refuse to let him do that.”

  Morning Star smiled. “And I’m happy to hear it. No matter how difficult he gets, don’t l
et him push you away. Fight him with your love.”

  Casey nodded. She intended to do that very thing.

  * * *

  McKinnon spotted Casey the moment he turned the corner of the ranch house. She’d sent a message by Norris that she needed to see him, and not knowing if it could wait, he had put his work aside to look for her.

  On his way he’d seen Henrietta leaving and wondered why she had ended her workday early. Since it was Friday, chances were she probably had something to do and had forgotten to mention it to him.

  He inhaled deeply. Casey was standing in the courtyard by the flower beds, the same place she’d been standing the night they had shared their first kiss. He muttered a curse. That was the last thing he needed to think about now. But hell, how could he not when she looked so beautiful standing there in jeans that cupped her bottom so deliciously and a short silky-looking blouse that showed what nice breasts she had; breasts he had touched and tasted so many times. He let his gaze flick over them one last time before putting his control in place.

  “Norris said you wanted to see me, Casey,” he said, trying to stop his heart from hammering away in his chest.

  She looked up at him. “Yes. I thought we could finish our discussion now.” She watched as his body moved into that stance she loved—arms crossed over his broad chest and booted feet braced apart. The man certainly had the body to fill out any pair of jeans he put on. Today his hair was pulled back in a ponytail, making him look very sexy.

  He blew out an impatient breath. “We finished our discussion last night. There’s nothing to add or subtract.”

  “I think there is and would like for you to hear me out.”

  His lips pressed into a firm line and he inhaled deeply. “Okay, say whatever it is you have to say so I can get back to work.”

  She nodded and slowly crossed the courtyard to him. He nervously rubbed his hand across the back of his neck when she came to a stop. She was too close for comfort and she smelled too damn good.

  “I just want to get a few things straight in my mind, McKinnon. Let’s do scenario number one. If I had come to you the other night and told you that I had a female condition that stopped me from ever giving you a son or a daughter, would you have ended things between us for that reason?”

  “Of course not!”

  “Okay, let’s move to scenario number two. If, for any reason, I wanted to adopt a child, would you have had a problem with that?”

  McKinnon frowned, wondering where she was going with this. “No, I would not have had a problem with it.”

  “And what if I wanted to try artificial insemination to get pregnant? Would you have a problem with that?”

  “No, I wouldn’t have a problem with that, either.”

  “That’s good to know.” Then she placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Then what the hell is your problem,” she snapped, all but screaming at him. “What kind of woman do you think I am to expect more from you than I’m willing to give myself? Just like I wouldn’t expect you to walk out on me if I couldn’t produce a child, I would think you would have the decency not to expect the same thing from me. But do you? Hell, no! You expected me to be like that other woman—who evidently didn’t know a good thing when she had it—and run off. There’re plenty of babies out there who need a loving home, a home that we can give. I think it’s a crying shame that you think so little of me.”

  “Casey,” he said in a low tone, so low it almost sounded like a whisper. “It’s not that I think so little of you. It’s because I think so much of you that I want you to have more. I love you. I love you so much it hurts and knowing I can’t give you the one thing you might want one day is killing me.”

  Casey inhaled slowly and deeply, taken aback by his words of love. “If you love me as much as you say you do, then listen for a moment to what I want, McKinnon. I want you. The man who tries so hard to hide that easy grin and those kind eyes. The man who showed me just what real love is about, made me see what a wonderful human being my father is and helped me to understand why my mother was willing to live the rest of her life on memories. Well, unlike her I can’t be that content, McKinnon. I want you. If I never gave birth to a child it wouldn’t matter as long as I had you. I love you and to me, to us, that should be all that matters. We will handle the rest when the time comes.”

  She reached out, locked her fingers with his, felt the tenseness slowly ebbing away in them. “I want you to be there for me, McKinnon, to hold me close in the middle of the night, to make love to me, to wake up with me. I think these past three weeks have shown us how good we are together, and if it’s only just you and me, then that’s how things will be. But since you like kids and so do I, I can see a child in our future, a child we will make ours—a child we will watch grow in our love. Martin isn’t your biological father but I know you don’t love him any less. The same will hold true with our child, our children.”

  She took a step closer, and after releasing his hand, she lifted hers to cup his chin. Misty eyes stared into his. “Let go, McKinnon. Stop protecting your heart. Place it in my care for safekeeping and I promise it won’t ever get broken again.”

  Before Casey could take her next breath, McKinnon’s arms closed around her, brought her to the solidness of his body, and he lowered his mouth to hers. This kiss was like the others, full of passion. It made her world tilt, the ground shake and every bone in her body melt. But then it was different. It was a kiss of love and devotion. Not only was he giving her his heart, he was giving her his body and soul, as well.

  He then swung her up into his arms and gazed at her. “Will you marry me?” he asked in a voice filled with emotion.

  “Yes!” she said, smiling brightly. “I’ve gone through seduction, satisfaction and now the next step has to be a wedding—Westmoreland-style. One that will last forever.”

  He leaned over and placed another kiss on her lips and whispered, “Yes, sweetheart. Forever.”

  Epilogue

  McKinnon glanced over at his fiancée sitting beside him in the church. He knew weddings made some people cry but Casey was taking it to a whole other level. He put the handkerchief back in his pocket, deciding it was useless for dabbing her tears. He knew of only one way to shut her up. So, ignoring the wedding proceedings at the front of the church, his parents and her father and stepmother, who were sitting beside them, he leaned over and kissed her.

  And as he’d known she would, she melted right into his arms, so he pulled her from her seat and settled her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned close into his body. “Thanks, I needed that,” she whispered contentedly in his ear.

  “Make sure you tell that to your brothers and cousins after the wedding,” he whispered back. “They’re staring, giving me dirty looks.”

  Moments later, everyone stood when the preacher presented Ian and Brooke Westmoreland as a married couple. Cheers and applause sounded inside the Lake Tahoe church that had accommodated over three hundred guests.

  It had been a beautiful day for a wedding and all the Westmorelands were present. Even Delaney, who looked like she would deliver anytime. Jamal’s jet was ready to return them to Tehran immediately after the reception. He was determined that their second child be born in his homeland, as well.

  McKinnon and Casey hung back while everyone departed the church for the Rolling Cascade, Ian’s casino and resort, where a huge reception would be held. “Okay, why so many tears today?” McKinnon asked, pulling her into his arms.

  She glanced up at him with tear-stained eyes. “Because I could feel Ian’s and Brooke’s love, and because I have so much to be thankful for myself. Next month around this time I’ll be the bride and you’ll be the groom. For a moment I could picture you standing there, pledging your life to me. And also, the ceremony was beautiful.”

  McKinnon nodded
as he took her hand and led her out of the church. “Yes, it was.” They had decided on a November wedding that would take place on Corey’s Mountain. Savannah would have delivered her baby by then. Corey was thrilled to be the father of the bride, and to say McKinnon’s mother and Abby were excited about planning a wedding was an understatement.

  He thought about the party the two women had thrown together last month and shook his head. He and Casey expected their wedding would be on a much larger scale, although they’d let it be known they wanted a small affair. But Morning Star Quinn and Abby Westmoreland didn’t know the meaning of small.

  “Do we have to stay at the reception for a long time?” Casey asked, stopping on the church step and getting on tiptoe to bring her lips closer to his.

  “No, not for long,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  Their lips met in a kiss that held promises.

  Moments later she stepped away from him and smiled. “I’ve decided where I want to spend our wedding night, McKinnon.”

  “You have? Where?”

  “Our cave.”

  He lifted a brow. She looked serious. He smiled, actually liking the idea. “You sure you don’t mind finding yourself backed up against a wall?”

  She smiled and took his hand as they walked down the church steps. “Not as long as you let me demonstrate my horsemanship to you later.”

  He chuckled and leaned down and whispered, “Baby, you can ride me anytime.”

  * * * * *

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