“Did you see that?” Duke said with the shake of his head. “He didn’t even wait for me to answer. Kids hate me.”
Kat couldn’t help but laugh. And as the rest of her family moved into congratulate them, both Kat’s and Zander’s alike, she let herself soak up the joy in that moment.
Lorraine was next to greet Kat; she could see why the family was so fond of their dear Grandma Lo. She was smart, level headed, and she loved her family fiercely.
“Welcome to the family, hon. I’m so very glad fate brought you our way.”
Kat felt fresh stirs of happiness and hope rising within her as she returned the woman’s embrace. “Thanks, Grandma Lo. I’m glad it did too. The Benton family really feels like home to me.”
The truth of that statement swelled in her heart as she took in the large group in the back yard. Children giggling and playing, loved ones sharing a good time. Yes, these people, combined with her own family, were home indeed.
And the way Kat saw it—whether she and Zander were at the cabin, back at his penthouse, or celebrating an anniversary in the Maldives, home was a very good place to be.
The End
Thank you for reading Stepping In For the Billionaire Groom. To pre-order the next in the series, click here. Have you read the others in the Benton Brothers Romance Series? Click here to find out.
Download a free book from Kimberly Krey when you sign up for her newsletter below. For now, enjoy this sample chapter from Reese’s Cowboy Kiss, featuring witness protection, rancher style.
Excerpt from Reese’s Cowboy Kiss
by Kimberly Krey
Sample Chapter from Reese’s Cowboy Kiss
by Kimberly Krey
Blake rolled down his truck window as he neared the airport, inhaling the fresh Montana air. Sure it might be only six in the morning, but he knew it would be a great day. The sun was up, the weather was fine, and he was about to get the ranch help he so badly needed. Uncle Earl had called just as Blake was about to post the ad, letting him know the good news – they had a witness who needed protection. One with ranch experience, no less. Talk about luck.
After bringing the truck to a stop, he reached an arm out the window and yanked the ticket stub from the small machine. The yellow bar raised, allowing him to enter. He’d been told the witness would have an escort. An officer, from what he gathered. So when Blake saw a man dressed in uniform standing under the specified airline gate, he allowed for a pleased smile. “That was easy,” he said under his breath. But where was Reese? The guy he’d be taking back to Emerson Ranch?
His brow furrowed as he noticed a woman standing next to the cop. Not just any woman, he realized, running an appreciative gaze over her figure. Tall, blonde, and curvy in all the right places, she was the sort that could stop traffic with her appearance alone.
Blake pulled to the side of the curb a few gates away to check the text once more, making sure he had the gate name correct. “Hmm.” He tapped out a quick message to let the officer know he’d arrived:
I’m here,he typed.In a black pickup truck.
He looked up to the pretty woman while waiting for a reply. A snug pair of Levi’s. A fancy-looking top, and a pair of bright red cowgirl boots that belonged more in a shopping mall than an actual field. The cop next to her pulled out his phone, lifted his chin, and motioned for Blake to pull forward.
“What’s going on?” He shifted the gear into first. If he didn’t know better, he’d say the cop was the very man who’d just received his text. But it couldn’t be; he didn’t have Reese with him. Still, Blake obeyed, rolling up to the curbside where they stood.
The cop motioned for him to roll down his window. “Are you Mr. Emerson?” the man in uniform asked as the window slid down.
“Yes.” Blake glanced at the girl behind the man. She was hunching down to grab her luggage.
“Well if you’d kindly exit your vehicle I can introduce y’all properly, have you leave your John Hancock in a few places, and you two will be on your way.”
Blake’s eyes widened.Who two?What was he missing?
The officer cleared his throat, reminding Blake he was supposed to exit the vehicle. “Oh,” he said, shutting off the engine. “Let me just…” He climbed out of the truck, lifted the hat off his head, and ran a hand through his unruly hair. It was impossible not to look at the beauty next to the cop. In addition to being stunning beyond all reason she was the subject of the strange mystery at hand. Who was she and why was she there instead of the guy he’d planned to take home?
“You brought ID, I assume,” the cop said. “I just need to verify that you’re Earl’s nephew ‘fore we proceed.”
Blake tore his eyes off the woman, pulled out his wallet, and handed the man his driver’s license. After a thorough look at the thing, the officer handed it back.
“I guess we’re good to get down to business then.” He motioned to Blake first. “This here is Mr. Blake Emerson, your new escort. And Blake,” the man continued, motioning to the blonde beside him, “this here is Reese.”
What? Was he kidding?Blake had known a kid named Reese back in the third grade. A little towheaded know-it-all who ran his mouth all the time. He’d expected a towheaded boy. Man. Guy. Not a tall, boot-wearing blonde. An inner part of him misbehaved – the stupid, hadn’t-been-close-to-a-woman-in-years part. The larger, much smarter part took over with a vengeance. What in tarnation was he supposed to do with this woman? And how could she possibly help on the ranch?
