“So you’ve not given up on Crystal?” Dillon asked his youngest brother.
Bane shook his head. “No. A man can never give up on the woman he loves. She’s in my blood and I believe that no matter where she is, I’m in hers.” Bane paused a moment. “But that’s the crux of my problem. I have no idea where she is.”
Bane then studied Dillon’s features. “And you’re sure that you don’t?”
Dillon inhaled deeply. “Yes, I’m being honest with you, Bane. When the Newsomes moved away they didn’t leave anyone a forwarding address. I just think they wanted to put as much distance between you and them as possible. But I’ll still go on record and say that I think the time apart for you and Crystal was a good thing. She was young and so were you. The two of you were headed for trouble and both of you needed to grow up. I am proud of the man you’ve become.”
“Thanks, but one day when I have a lot of time I’m going to find her, Dillon, and nobody, her parents or anyone, will keep me from claiming what’s mine.”
Dillon saw the intense look in Bane’s face and only hoped that wherever Crystal Newsome was that she loved Bane just as much as Bane still loved her.
JASON GLANCED OVER AT Bella who was talking to her parents. The Bostwicks had surprised everyone by flying in for the reception. So far they’d been on their best behavior, probably because they were still in awe by the fact that Jason was related to Thorn Westmoreland—racing legend; Stone Westmoreland—aka Rock Mason, New York Times bestselling author; Jared Westmoreland, whose reputation as a divorce attorney was renowned; Senator Reggie Westmoreland, and that Dillon was the CEO of Blue Ridge. Hell, they were even speechless when they learned there was even a sheikh in the family.
He saw that Bella was pretending to hang on to her parents’ every word. He had discovered she knew how to handle them and refused to let them treat her like a child. He hadn’t had to step in once to put them in their place. Bella had managed to do that rather nicely on her own. They had opted to stay at a hotel in town, which had been fine with both him and Bella. There was only so much of her parents that either of them could take.
He inwardly smiled as he studied Bella’s features and could tell she was ready to be rescued. “Excuse me a minute, Micah, I need to go claim my wife for a second.” Jason moved across the yard to her and as if she felt his impending presence, she glanced his way and smiled. She then excused herself from her parents and headed to meet him.
The dress she was wearing was beautiful and the style hid the little pooch of her stomach. The doctor had warned them that because of the way her stomach was growing they shouldn’t be surprised if she was having twins. It would be a couple of months before they knew for sure.
“Do you want to go somewhere for tea…and me,” Jason leaned over to whisper close to her ear.
Bella smiled up at him. “Think we’ll be missed?”
Jason chuckled. “With all these Westmorelands around, I doubt it. I don’t even think your parents will miss us. Now they’re standing over there hanging on to Sheikh Jamal Yasir’s every word.”
“I noticed.”
Jason then took his wife’s hand in his. “Come on. Let’s take a stroll around our land.”
And their land was beautiful, with the valley, the mountains, the blooming flowers and the lakes. Already he could envision a younger slew of Westmorelands that he and Bella would produce who would help take care of their land. They would love it as much as their parents did. Not for the first time he felt as if he was a blessed man, his riches abundant not in money or jewelry but in the woman walking by his side. His Southern Bella, his Southern beauty, the woman that was everything to him and then some.
“I was thinking,” he said.
She glanced over at him. “About what?”
He stopped walking and reached out and placed a hand on her stomach. “You, me and our baby.”