Authors: Joan Johnston
The Bridegroom (39 page)
Reggie took the few steps to reach Becky and hugged her sister. “Oh, my goodness,” she said with a laugh. “How wonderful!”
“Well, to be honest, my dear, you have no business playing tag or drinking beer, either,” Clay said.
Becky’s eyes went wide. “Oh, my goodness. You, too?”
Reggie laughed. “Me, too!”
The sisters put their arms around each other’s waist and began to walk along the gravel path sharing stories of their trials with the early stages of pregnancy.
“Well, we certainly are
de trop
,” Mick said as he watched their wives walk away without looking back. “I think I’ll go play tag with the children.”
“I’ll get us some beer,” Clay volunteered with a grin.
As he looked out across his mother’s rose garden, Clay realized how blessed he was. Reggie had chased all the shadows away. Every day he loved her more. And he had never been so aware as he was now, with another child on the way, that everything he had ever wanted, everything he had ever needed to be happy, was his because of her.
Good friends. A loving wife. And, of course, the laughter of children.
Dear Readers,
This novel concludes the Captive Hearts series, which includes
Captive, After the Kiss, The Bodyguard,
and
The Bridegroom
. Next, I’m taking the Blackthornes to modern-day Texas in a new series which chronicles the adventures of their descendants in America. Hope you’ll come along for the ride!
Look for
The Cowboy, The Texan,
and
The Loner
in stores now. And watch for
A Stranger’s Game,
in stores March 2008.
I love to hear your suggestions and comments. You can reach me online at
www.joanjohnston.com
.
Happy Reading
,
Joan Johnston
This book is dedicated to my editor, Maggie Crawford, who besides her marvelous editorial and marketing talents, loves chocolate desserts, Broadway theater, and spending a sunny Sunday afternoon at a Dolphins football game as much as I do
.
Bitter Creek Series
THE COWBOY
THE TEXAN
THE LONER
Captive Hearts Series
CAPTIVE
AFTER THE KISS
THE BODYGUARD
THE BRIDEGROOM
Sisters of the Lone Star Series
FRONTIER WOMAN
COMANCHE WOMAN
TEXAS WOMAN
Connected Books
THE BAREFOOT BRIDE
OUTLAW’S BRIDE
THE INHERITANCE
MAVERICK HEART
And don’t miss …
SWEETWATER SEDUCTION
KID CALHOUN
Joan Johnston is the
New York Times
bestselling author of forty-seven novels and novellas, with over ten million copies of her books in print. She received an M.A. in theater from the University of Illinois and was graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Joan writes full-time and splits her time between homes in Florida and Colorado. You can reach Joan through her web site at
www.joanjohnston.com
.