"Get the hell off of my property Sandra."

"Jackson, please hear me out-" Her whiney voice rubbed his nerves the wrong way.

"I don't have to listen to any of the garbage coming out of your mouth. Now leave." Jackson crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame.

"Jack? Who is it?" Misty popped around the corner.

"I heard you were sleeping with some tramp."

Jackson shook his head and chuckled humorlessly. "Says the woman who cheated on me with my ranch hand. I don't think you're in the position to judge." Sandra made the move to come closer, Jack held up his hand. "Don't take another step, unless it's to leave."

"Oh now Jack Honey, you used to love me."

"I was a fool." Jack growled. "I'm not that fool anymore."

Sandra peered over at Misty. "Your standards are slipping Jack. Your little whore is fatter than I remember you liking."

Jack sighed, trying to gather what patience he had. "Sandra, I've never hit a woman before, but you're making it mighty tempting."

"You've gotten bitter in the last five years."

"You cheated on me. You had sex in my bed with some roaming ranch hand! Of course I'm bitter."

"That's the past Honey." Sandra said in a sickly sweet voice.

Misty pushed passed Jackson and shoved a finger into Sandra's chest. "You need to leave before I do what Jackson won't."

Sandra looked down her nose at the shorter woman and smiled snootily. "You're cute." Sandra shoved Misty aside, who in turn grabbed the snotty woman by the back of her designer blouse and quite literally flung the skin-and-bones woman towards the car she drove up in.

"Leave."

Sandra looked back at Jackson, "You know Jackson, no amount of money you have could ever make me come back to you."

"Good because I don't want you." Jackson waved Misty back to his side. He shut the door between the people he now considered family, and the woman who ruined his life. Misty pulled away from him, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Jackson, am I fa-"

He shook his head vehemently. "You are absolutely perfect. That's what you are." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair.

"Who was that broad?" Steven frowned.

"My ex-wife." Jack closed his eyes as his arms tightened around Misty. "She lured me in with a bright outlook on the future and promises of love and family. Only she decided she never wanted children, so she got rid of the one child we would've had."

Autumn squealed happily from Steven's arms, finding humor in something on the wall. Jackson smiled and scooped up his little angel from the older man's arms. Autumn sweetly rested her head on his shoulder, her little arms wrapped around him. Misty's heart melted at the sight. She could practically feel her ovaries jump into overdrive.

Jackson kissed his baby girl's head. "I don't know about you guys, but I could really go for some breakfast right about now." He looped an arm around Misty's shoulders and guided her to the kitchen.

#

Jackson lay on the couch reading Louis L'Amour's West of Dodge, a book about a gunslinger in the wild west out for revenge; a quiet farmer defending his honor, and an old marshal who was known as a crack shot. He was so engrossed in his book that he didn't hear Misty, who was back from town, come in. She pulled his book away from his face with a dainty finger and smiled at him over the pages. Jackson smiled back at her. "Can I sit down? Or do I need to find another seat?"

"No ma'am." Jack sat up on the couch and smiled when she sat where his head had been resting. Misty pulled him back so he laid with his head was resting in her lap. She played with his hair as she opened up her own book. "Whatchya readin'?" He turned his head and kissed her ribs just below her breast.

She blushed as she showed him the cover of the Debbie Macomber book she had picked up while she was in town.

"Ooo, a romance novel. If you get any ideas, I don't mind being your guinea pig." He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. She smacked his chest. "Oof." He rubbed the sore spot on his chest. "What was that for?"

"You shouldn't talk that way with my family around."

"Why not? Everybody has sex. They know for a fact that we do." He chuckled at her discomfort. "Apparently we kept the house awake last night."

"Jackson!"

"I can't help it if these walls are thin, it's the downside to century old homes. And for the last three nights all I've been able to hear is your brothers plotting against me and you tossing and turning." He grinned at her splotchy blush. "I should buy our guests complementary ear plugs."

"Oh you're awful!" Jackson, quick as a flash, somehow rolled and pulled her underneath of him. He kissed her lips and stole her breath away. "Absolutely awful." Misty breathed out on a moan. Jackson chuckled against her lips

"Whoa guys! Not where I'm sleeping!" Sam sounded horrified.

Jack popped his head over the edge of the couch to look at him. "Sleep on the floor. We haven't got to that yet." Misty slapped Jack's chest causing the big man to laugh. He looked back down at Misty. "You know ever since I started grating on your nerves, you sure have gotten abusive." He flicked the tip of her nose with his forefinger. "It's kind of cute, but damn- sometimes I think you're gonna leave bruises." Misty leveled a look at him, although a smile threatened the corners of her lips. Jack kissed her one last time before crawling off of the couch.

Jackson looked at the clock on the wall and noted that he needed to be getting to bed if he was going to go into the office tomorrow morning to relieve Colten of his shift of watching the phone. "I think it's time that I head to bed. I'll see you all tomorrow afternoon."

"Afternoon?" Misty cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Marci's been out of the office today and won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. Colten's been watching over the phone today and tomorrow is my turn."

"When is she supposed to be back?"

"Three-ish. But knowing Marci, she could be in about four."

"Is it just you and Colten working in the office?" Sam frowned, wondering just how many deputies the county had.

"We had just lost a deputy before Misty got here last year. We haven't been able to replace him yet." Jackson looked back to Misty. "Join me when you're ready." With that, Jackson made to walk up the stairs.

"Before you go up Misty, let me grab my ear plugs." Sam laughed at Misty's horrified expression. Jackson doubled back and tossed a surprised Misty over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Jackson!" Misty squealed. Jack patted her bottom as he looked over at Sam with a glint in his eyes.

"Well if you have them- Better tell everyone else to grab theirs." Misty gripped Jack's shirt around his waist.

"Jackson! Put me down!" Jack smirked as he started up the stairs.

#

Jackson strolled into the office that next morning sipping on his fourth cup of coffee. He ran a hand over his tired face, but smiled at the memory of last night. Misty and him couldn't keep their hands off of each other. When he finally dragged himself out of bed this morning, Misty was there to draw him back in for a few more minutes. By his best guess, he might have gotten an hour of sleep. Right now- there wasn't enough coffee in the world for him.

He plopped his butt down in the wood chair next to the phone. Colten trudged out of his office looking slightly less tired than his deputy. "Why do you look so tired?" Colten yawned viciously.

"Misty kept me up- But then again I kept her up too." Jackson grinned smugly as he drained his coffee cup.

"Lucky. All I had for company was that mouse we haven't been able to catch and a phone that never rang."

"Go home and get some sleep, Colt. Maybe one of these days we can get you a girl friend." Colt just grumbled as he shuffled out of the building.

When Marci strolled in at three o'clock, Jack was slumped in the chair next to a quiet phone, a half full coffee mug in his hand. She shook her head as she carefully took the cup away from him and checked to see if there were any messages on the machine. When she found that there wasn't any, she shook Jack's shoulder. "Honey, you need to wake up." She got no response. She slapped his cheek lightly. "Jackson James wake up!" Jack snorted as he quickly sat up straight. He scrubbed his hands over his face and looked up at her guiltily.

"Sorry Marci." She could only laugh at his wrinkled appearance.

"Go home Jack. I can handle this."

"Thanks Darlin'." Jack stood and stretched. "How was your trip?"

"It was fun. The bride was beautiful and my nephew was handsome as always. I'm glad they chose Yellowstone for the ceremony. It was gorgeous."

Jackson nodded as he tried to hide a yawn. "It's beautiful country that's for sure. I hope I can get Misty to marry me, that's where I want to take her for our honeymoon."

"Boy! You need to ask that woman before you go making any plans. The poor girl almost lost you and now you're just making her wait."

"What do you suggest?"

"Since you're a man of few words. Go to the courthouse and get a marriage license. You can probably persuade Paula to let you take it home to fill out. Just show Misty the papers and ask her to fill them out. And hand her the ring you bought her."

"Won't she want something more- I don't know- romantic?"

"Honey, you aren't exactly the romantic type. What are you going to do? Pull some Shakespeare out of your ass while you propose. That ain't you! Do it the way that says you love her. Just don't do it after you have sex, it won't seem genuine that way."

Jackson's tired eyes widened. "Okay- I guess I'll go talk to Paula before going home then."

#

Jackson pulled into the yard and climbed out of his truck after tucking his service pistol under the driver's seat. Misty ran out of the front door and flung herself into his arms. Startled he wrapped his arms around her. "Is anything wrong?"

"Can't a woman hold her man?"

"Of course, I just didn't expect you to run out here and launch yourself into me." He kissed her neck and twirled her around. "By the way. I have some papers I need you to sign." He set her down and pulled neatly folded papers from his back pocket.

"What are these?" Misty frowned as she started to open the papers to look at them. "A marriage license?"

Jackson smiled and pulled the small solitaire diamond ring from his breast pocket and held it out to her. "If you'd just slip this on and sign those papers, we can be hitched by the end of the week."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really. I want to marry you." He still held the ring between his thumb and forefinger. "I know the ring isn't much, but I couldn't picture you wearing a big diamond ring. I feel like with you, simple and sophisticated is more your speed."

Again, Misty launched herself into his arms. "Yes!" She held Jackson's face between her hands and kissed him deeply. "I love you Jackson James."

"You better woman because I don't give this heart to just anybody." He smiled up at her.

Steven and Connie came out of the house. "What's going on out here?"

"We're getting married!" Misty was near tears with pure happiness when Jackson slipped the ring on her finger. He twirled her around one more time before letting her run to her parents.

"When do you plan on having the ceremony?"

"I figured we could probably get everything put together by Saturday. That way you guys are still here, everyone I know could get day off." He looked down at Misty and hugged her in close to his side. "I bought that ring nearly a year ago because I wanted you to be my wife. Five months ago I finally gathered the courage to say that I loved you, granted I thought I was dying and would never get the chance. And then this week really got me to thinking, and I knew that I just couldn't wait any longer."

Connie danced around happily. "Looks like we've got a wedding to plan!"

*

Thanks for reading! And sorry for the long wait!