“I tried to get answers out of you, but nothing added up.”Roux looked at his father apologetically.“I couldn’t get everyone’s hopes up.”
His voice turned garbled.“It would have killed Mom if it wasn’t true.”
They all glanced over her way.Maxie was taking her turn reuniting with her mother as Zac looked on.Roxie was surprised at how similar they looked.When they hugged, it was hard to tell them apart.Their mother looked like their older sister.She was sleek and trim, and her clothes were trendy.
“Well, it would have helped if I’d known you spelled your name with an ‘x’,” Roxie complained.Impulsively, she gave her brother a big kiss on the cheek.“Mwaaah.”
She had a brother.
She was so happy; she could barely stand it.When she saw a lone figure hovering nearby, she grabbed him, too.Make that brothers with an “s.”
“Mwaaah.”She plastered kisses all over what had to be her youngest sibling’s face.He squirmed and turned red.Finally, Roxie pulled back.“What’s your name, handsome?”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets.“Maddox.”
He was young, but out of them all, he’d be the biggest heartbreaker.Roxie knew that in a flash.He looked like the high school quarterback and the shy loner all wrapped up in one.She never expected she’d have to use her pepper spray against teenage girls, but no bubble-headed tramp was going to get her claws into this one.“Hi, Maddox with an ‘x’.I’m your big sister, Roxie.”
He finally grinned.“I’ve heard stories about you.”
Her breath caught.“Really?”
The kid looked over at the other two women who looked so much like her.“I’ve heard stories about all of you.”
Roxie didn’t know why that surprised her, but it did.She hadn’t known they existed—any of them—but someone remembered her as a little girl.A time she couldn’t remember herself.“Maxie.Lexie.We have brothers!”
Her sisters hurried over, smiling and crying.Lexie took a turn hugging Roux, and Maxie caught Maddox’s hand.Roxie pulled away to let them have their turn.
Leaning her head against her dad’s shoulder, she tried to get her emotions under control.“Stories?”she murmured.
She wanted to hear them all.
He tucked a curl behind her ear.“You, in particular, were hell on wheels.”
“She still is.”
Billy!Roxie spun.She’d forgotten about him entirely.He was standing right behind her.She took one look at his face and leapt at him, arms open wide.She’d found her family.The dream had come true, and he was there to take part in it.The impact was enough to send him back a step, but he caught her and stayed upright.
“Congratulations, babe,” he whispered into her ear.
“It came true.”Her impossible dream had come true.
“I see that.”
“And I’ve got you back, too.”Her gaze lifted, catching his brilliant green one.He was so tall, so strong, so sexy… and so hers.
Impulsively, Roxie went up onto her toes and kissed him.Wholeheartedly and lustily.He fisted his hand in her hair and lifted her right off the ground.She kicked up her heels and hoots and more hollers rang throughout the bar.
Billy was breathing hard when he put her back on her feet.Sheepishly, he held out his hand to the tough guy who’d just claimed her as a daughter.“Billy Cannon.I’m Roxie’s husband.”
Her father’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise, but he caught Billy’s hand and gave it a firm shake.“Dexter Jones.I’m Roxie’s dad.”
For such an imposing man, his voice cracked on the word.
“Jones,” Billy whispered into her ear.“It really was your last name.”
Roxie swallowed hard.She’d had a name.She’d had an identity.
Tears stung her eyes again, and she waved her hands.Enough with weeping and blubbering.
