The Westmoreland Legacy

Two

Teri McRoy sipped her coffee as she stood at the window and looked out.

For miles all she could see were beautiful plains, valleys and mountains. The Torchlight Dude Ranch, located in Torchlight, Wyoming, was a luxury guest ranch on over a thousand acres just west of Cheyenne. Mac had first brought her here for their honeymoon ten years ago and had promised that one day he would bring her back.

He never had.

Knowing she needed time alone to deal with a few issues, this was the first place she’d thought of coming due to the wonderful and lasting memories she had of the time spent here with Mac. Now she was glad she had come. She missed her girls more than anything and appreciated her in-laws for their quick response in coming to look after them. Her daughters couldn’t ask for better grandparents. Mac’s parents were the best. She couldn’t imagine leaving the girls with anyone else right now. But still, she was compelled to check on them every day. She needed to hear their voices. As expected, they would tell her they missed her—and tell her how much fun they were having with Pop and Nana.

One of the things Teri liked most about this dude ranch was that you didn’t have to stay in the main house. If you opted for more privacy, there were several small cabins spread out over the thousand acres. It was beautiful. Part of the package was that you got your very own horse to use daily and it was delivered to you each morning. Hers was a beautiful white stallion named Amsterdam. Over the past three days, she and Amsterdam had gotten to know each other well. She wasn’t even put off by his spirited side. Being the horse expert that she was, she loved the challenge.

As she stood there thinking about just how idyllic this cabin was, she knew in her heart the one thing missing was her husband’s presence. She missed Mac and always did whenever he was gone for long periods of time, although she tried hard not to let him know it. He had a dangerous job and she’d known that when she had married him. She’d also known he could be summoned away at a moment’s notice without being able to inform her of where he was going or how long he’d be gone. The longest time he’d ever been gone was seven months. This time it had been almost nine and she was beginning to worry. What if...

Teri shook her head, refusing to go there. Mac expected her to be strong and handle things while he was gone. Unfortunately, this time around it was hard for her to do that. Things had happened that she hadn’t counted on and her heart broke more and more each day.

Mac was a good man. A wonderful father and loving husband. He provided for his family, whatever their needs were. Financially, Mac’s girls didn’t want for anything. However, she was discovering that there were some things that money couldn’t buy. Peace of mind. More good days than bad. And a marriage that was more blissful than stressful.

A part of her wanted Mac to not only be on the ranch with her to share in the beauty again, but to also just hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. She needed him to not blame her for what had gone wrong. Even if it was the news of losing the very thing he would have wanted.

A son.

When she felt her tears fall again she drew in a deep breath. Her grief counselor had talked to her, told her that miscarriages were more common than most people even knew. She’d done nothing wrong.

The counselor didn’t know the half of it.

She was not supposed to get pregnant. Mac had said that although he would have loved to have a son, when it didn’t happen with Tasha that was it. He felt four kids were enough for her to handle on her own while he worked as a SEAL.

They’d talked to her doctor about getting her tubes tied, which could be done as an outpatient procedure. They’d scheduled the surgery, but he’d gotten called away. She was to keep the appointment for the procedure regardless. Then she’d gotten the call from the doctor saying results from presurgical blood work revealed she was already pregnant. There had been no way to reach out to Mac to let him know, but she figured he would eventually be happy about the news. Everything was going fine, but then four months later she’d miscarried.

She fought back the sob rattling her chest. When she was told she was having a boy she’d started thinking of names and in private moments called him TT. Tiny Thurston. She had wanted to share the news with Mac and had worried that by the time he returned, she would have had their son without him.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she finished the rest of the coffee before forcing her mind to remember something else...namely that phone call she had received from the man who’d been her grandparents’ attorney and the news he’d given her. The couple she’d sold her ranch to, close to twelve years ago now, were putting it on the market. According to the terms of the contract, they had to give her the first opportunity to buy it back. At the time she’d made that stipulation, she didn’t think they would go for it, but the Jacobins had wanted to buy the ranch badly enough to agree with her terms. And of course, she’d thought they would never sell the ranch, but according to her grandparents’ former attorney, because of Mr. Jacobin’s failing health, they had no choice.

For her, that offer was a dream come true. She’d only been given ten days to take it and it had to be done in person. Unlike when she’d sold the ranch, she and Mac now had the means to buy it back. But the time frame meant the decision had to be made without Mac’s input. So, she had.

She had weighed the advantages against the disadvantages and, in the end, she’d decided that buying the ranch would be good for her family. A bigger house. More land for their kids to spread out and enjoy. Getting back to nature. A way to supplement their income after Mac retired, if they decided to raise cattle for market.

Remembering her days spent on the ranch while growing up, she wanted the same kind of memories for her girls. There were good schools in the area and although most of the neighbors who’d been her grandparents’ friends had passed on, their heirs were people Teri had grown up with and whom she looked forward to sharing friendships with again.

Teri had figured she wouldn’t be gone but for a day and appreciated her neighbor and friend Carla for agreeing to watch the kids while Teri flew to Terrell, Texas, to finalize the sale. The day after she returned to Virginia was when she began having stomach pains. Within twenty-four hours, she’d lost the baby. Although the doctor claimed her traveling had nothing to do with it, she couldn’t help wondering if it had.

She’d gained the ranch she’d thought lost to her for good, but lost the baby she’d never expected to have.

Losing the baby had been hard and she appreciated her in-laws for their love and support during a very difficult time for her. She’d tried pulling herself out of the slump she’d felt herself slowly sinking into, and when she’d been nearly at her wit’s end, she’d called her in-laws after her grief counselor suggested she get away for a while.

Had the home she’d repurchased been empty she would have gone there, but the sellers had asked to remain in the house three months before they were required to move out. She had no problem with that since Mac was gone on a mission and she didn’t want to move their family to the ranch without letting him know what she’d done. She could just imagine Mac returning home to find a for sale sign on their home in Virginia without knowing all the details of why.

So here she was trying to deal with a number of things and wishing her husband was here with her. But then, maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t. She believed he would understand how she felt about losing the baby and give her all the support and love she needed, but there was also the issue of the ranch she’d purchased. Would he understand that she’d done what she felt she had to do in the time limit she’d been given? They’d talked about getting a new house, but how would he feel about moving from Virginia to Texas? To the house that used to be her childhood home?

The other piece was that she’d paid a lot for the purchase, deciding to pay cash instead of getting a mortgage. How would Mac react when he found out she’d used their money to do so, without consulting him?

All those questions with no answers were issues that had kept her up at night.

She had endured long weeks of foreboding and her senses were filled with unease and worry about both situations. The surgery to have her tubes tied had been rescheduled and she was having apprehensions about that, and although a part of her wanted to believe that buying the ranch had been for the best, she wasn’t sure how Mac would feel about it.

Being here at this ranch had helped soothe her mind and she didn’t regret coming here, although she did miss the girls. There were so many activities to enjoy, and yesterday she’d even helped with the branding of the cattle and participated in a roundup. After today, she would only have four days left here and then she would return to Virginia, to her daughters and to wait for Mac to come home.

Mac.

Lately things hadn’t been so great between them.

They seemed to argue more when he returned after being away. She didn’t think it was related to PTSD; it was just a case of two strong-willed individuals not always agreeing on certain things. It was so hard for him to understand that while he was away, she was both mom and dad, and when he returned it wasn’t easy for her to relinquish one of them. Usually by the time she did, he was gone again. Why was it becoming a vicious cycle that seemed to threaten their marriage to the point where she’d begun feeling that she was taken for granted?

There it was again.

Questions with no answers. Problems that needed solving.

She wanted, for the time being, to clear her mind of all of it and to recall a time when she didn’t have any worries. Or at least not too many—for even back then she had been trying to decide how she would run a ranch without her grandparents. But all those years ago she had been a young girl who’d met a man she knew was meant to be a part of her life and she a part of his.

As she stood there sipping her coffee, her mind drifted back to that time...

Ten years ago

Less than an hour after her friend LaDorria had introduced them, Teri had known Thurston McRoy was a take-charge kind of man who was military through and through.

In addition to being breathtakingly handsome, he was also incredibly charming and outrageously kind. She’d discovered just how kind when they’d left the rodeo and they’d gone, along with LaDorria and Lawton, to this bar-and-grill for food and beer. He’d opened doors for her, pulled out chairs and hadn’t tried taking control of their conversations.

He hadn’t come on too strong, yet he’d managed to overwhelm her just the same. She had discovered he was someone easy to talk to, someone who had the ability to make her feel comfortable around him. It seemed LaDorria and Lawton had intentionally left them alone by staying on the dance floor. But she hadn’t minded. It was during that time that she’d gotten to size him up. To see how he treated people, from the waiter who took their order to the busboy who’d come to clear off their table. He’d treated everyone with respect and gone out of his way to make their servers feel appreciated.

Although she had enjoyed that night with Mac, she hadn’t been certain he would want to see her again. He’d asked for her phone number at the end of the night, but that didn’t particularly mean anything. She’d long discovered that some men didn’t care about dating a girl who not only loved horses but who was an ace on the back of one. Then there was her skill with a rope and her expertise with barrel racing. They preferred women who were all class and sophistication. Ones who wore expensive gowns rather than jeans and a Western shirt.

It didn’t take long for her to see Mac wasn’t that type of man. He had followed up their date with a number of phone calls. Her ability to rope a calf didn’t bother him and he’d even said he liked how she looked in a pair of jeans. He’d told her that although he wasn’t an expert on a horse like she was, he could ride and enjoyed riding because his grandparents owned a horse ranch.

Then there was the night he’d surprised her and shown up at one of her rodeos in Montana. She had won her competition that night and had felt good about it. After the rodeo she had seen him waiting on her, dressed as a cowboy with a Stetson on his head. She had found herself even more attracted to him and had offered no resistance when he’d taken her hand to lead her over to the SUV he’d rented.

“Where are we going?” she asked him when he opened the vehicle’s door.

“I’m taking you somewhere to celebrate your win. You looked fantastic out there and you did an awesome job.”

His words had made her feel good. Pretty darn special and she felt even more special in his company.

They’d had a lively discussion on their way to the restaurant for dinner. He’d told her more about both his grandfathers and how their time in the military had made him desire a military life of his own. She knew when his maternal grandfather had retired he and Mac’s grandmother had purchased a ranch in Florida.

“I’ve never been to Florida.”

He glanced over at her strangely when he brought the car to a stop in the restaurant’s parking lot. “You haven’t?”

“No. I heard the beaches there are beautiful.”

He nodded. “They are, but then, Texas has beautiful beaches. I remember spending the weekend in Galveston one year.”

She’d been tempted to inquire who he’d spent the weekend with but hadn’t. Instead she said, “I bet you had a lot of fun.”

“I did,” he said, grinning over at her.

During the walk to the restaurant’s door he told her more about himself and the more she got to know about him, the more she liked him. That night had pretty much established how things would be between them. She had accepted that he’d opted for a career as a navy SEAL and she knew any woman in his life would have to live with that choice. Since she’d been seriously considering selling her ranch, the idea of having a life with him, which would include traveling around the world, intrigued her.

When he invited her to Barcelona, she’d said yes right away, and those two weeks had been a game changer. She’d seen just what life with Mac would be like. As he showed her around Spain, she’d fallen in love with him. She had been a virgin and the night they’d made love for the first time was something she would never forget. He had made it special for her.

They had talked a lot, as well. Mac had told about his parents’ interracial marriage and how dedicated they’d been to making it successful, remaining partners in all things. That was the kind of marriage he wanted for himself. One filled with love and commitment. She’d known that was the kind of marriage she wanted for herself, too, one where divorce would never be an option. The kind she was raised to believe her own parents had found, and the kind she knew her grandparents had shared.

Those had been the best two weeks of her life and before she left to return to the United States, he’d asked her to marry him.

Not seeing any reason to have a long engagement, they’d gotten married a month later and she had no regrets.

* * *

Teri brought her thoughts back to the present. Lawton and LaDorria had gotten married a year after Mac and Teri and they were still together, living in New Mexico with their two kids. Lawton had gotten out of the military and had gone to work for the FBI. LaDorria had expanded her love of photography and opened her own shop. Teri and Mac heard from them from time to time, and she always looked forward to the Christmas photo card they sent each year. They always looked so happy. So perfect. She didn’t want to think about how things weren’t so photo perfect with her and Mac.

Placing the coffee cup aside, she moved toward the bedroom. It was time to get dressed for her daily morning ride on Amsterdam.

* * *

“I’m sorry, Mr. McRoy, but your name is not on the registration. Until Mrs. McRoy gives her permission for you to be added, we can’t give you a key to her cabin.”

Mac forced back his anger, trying to understand the man’s position. He knew the rules were due to security measures, which he should appreciate. After all, for all the staff knew, he could very well be an ex-husband intent on doing bodily harm to his wife. That wasn’t the case, although he would admit his anger had only grown on the flight here. It had been his fifth flight in less than twenty-four hours. His fifth flight since his commanding officer had told the team they were free to go home and, unless there was some type of international crisis that required their SEAL team to go into action, they had the next six months on leave.

It was six months all of them needed after their last operation. Because of the success of their mission, Americans would be able to sleep safe at night, and to him and his teammates, that was what truly mattered. But for him the battle wasn’t over whenever he returned home. Those were the times he had to fight to reconnect with Teri. “That’s fine,” he finally said, seeing the man’s features relax. He knew the clerk had expected an argument and a part of Mac was raring to give him one, but what would have been the use? “Do you have any idea where she is so she can give me permission?”

“We tried calling the cabin and she’s not answering, so we can only assume she’s out riding. I believe she does that every morning.”

“Does she come here for breakfast?”

“No. She’s in one of the cabins farthest away, one with a stocked kitchen.” And then, as if realizing he might have provided too much information, he added, “That’s all I can tell you. I left Ms. McRoy a voice-mail message. If you’d like to sit over there and wait, I’m sure she will be returning my call shortly.”

“I’d rather wait outside. That way I can walk around a bit to stretch my legs. Can I leave my gear here while I do?”

“Yes, sir, you can.”

Mac handed his duffel bag to the man before turning to walk out the door. He stepped out on the porch and drew in a deep breath, appreciating the moment of breathing in good American air. He’d been in Libya too long and was glad to be home. Only thing, he wasn’t home. It wasn’t even close enough to home to suit him. Getting on another plane within a few hours after getting off one hadn’t made his day or his night, which he was yet to have. He hadn’t slept in over thirty hours.

Glancing around, he saw the changes that had been made since the last time he’d been here on his honeymoon. There was a spanking new barn that was a lot bigger than the last one had been. Even the main ranch house had gotten a face-lift. It was three times the size it was before. He’d noticed the sign that read Under New Management the moment he’d walked into the place.

He was about to step off the porch when his cell phone rang. Recognizing the ringtone, he pulled the phone out of the back pocket of his jeans and clicked on. “Yeah, Bane?”

“You know the routine, Mac. You didn’t touch base with any of us to let us know you’d gotten home.”

He released a frustrated breath before saying, “I’m not home.”

“Why the hell not?” That question came from another team member, Gavin Blake, whose code name was Viper. That meant in addition to Viper and Bane, Mac was on a call with the other two team members he was close friends with, as well: David Holloway, whose code name was Flipper, and Laramie Cooper, whose code name was Coop.

“Because when I got home, I discovered Teri was missing.”

“Missing? What do you mean Teri was missing?” Flipper wanted to know.

“And your answer better be good, Mac. I hope she hasn’t finally taken enough of your BS and left your ass,” Coop added.

Mac rubbed his hand down his face. He didn’t need his teammates to remind him that at times he wasn’t the easiest man to get along with. “Will the four of you calm down?” Leaning against the porch post, he then told them what he knew. At least what his parents had told him. Which hadn’t been much.

“And you haven’t seen her yet?” Bane asked.

“No. I haven’t been here but a few minutes. She’s out riding and since my name isn’t on her registration, they won’t tell me which cabin she’s staying in or give me a key.”