Rocky Mountain Forever Read online

  Rocky Mountain Forever

  Six Pack Ranch: Book 12

  Vivian Arend

  Contents

  Rocky Mountain Forever

  Cast of Characters

  Part I

  SPR Journal

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  SPR Journal

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  SPR Journal

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  SPR Journal

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  SPR Journal

  Part II

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Coleman Memory Book

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Coleman Memory Book

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Coleman Memory Book

  Part III

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Coleman Memory Book

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Coleman Memory Book

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Coleman Memory Book

  About the Author

  Rocky Mountain Forever

  It’s never too late for love.

  * * *

  Years ago, Mark Coleman made the only possible choice and left Rocky Mountain House before he tore his family apart. When he hears the four clans—Six Pack, Whiskey Creek, Moonshine and Angel—are working together to create a memory book, Mark also discovers the one detail that finally triggers his return.

  * * *

  Because he’s not just coming back to the family. Now that Dana is free and ready to move on, Mark plans to give the only woman he’s ever loved all the devotion and happiness she deserves, no matter how much sweet-talking, or dirty talk, it takes.

  * * *

  Meanwhile, when a shocking truth is shared with the oldest of the Six Pack sons, Blake Coleman begins a journey of assessment. Can he really fill his father’s boots and be the leader his generation turns to for guidance?

  * * *

  With lots of visits with all your favourite Colemans, this is a celebration of love and the lessons learned along the way.

  * * *

  Warning: this book is full of happily-ever-afters. Lots of I love yous, lots of babies, lots of laughter and happy tears. Pretty much, readers familiar with the series have a ton of feel-good hours of reading ahead. If you want angst—this isn’t it.

  * * *

  Six Pack Ranch

  Rocky Mountain Heat

  Rocky Mountain Haven

  Rocky Mountain Desire

  Rocky Mountain Angel

  Rocky Mountain Rebel

  Rocky Mountain Freedom

  Rocky Mountain Romance

  Rocky Mountain Retreat

  Rocky Mountain Shelter

  Rocky Mountain Devil

  Rocky Mountain Home

  Rocky Mountain Forever

  If you’d like to know what new books I have coming, and stay up to date on new releases, please sign up for my newsletter.

  Cast of Characters

  Family units and children ages in December at the start of ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOREVER. [Book where the couple’s story occurs.]

  ~Six Pack Ranch Colemans~

  Parents: Mike & Marion. Married 40 years.

  * * *

  Blake & Jaxi [Rocky Mountain Heat]

  - Married 8 years. Home is the SP homestead. Blake works Coleman land. Jaxi is a homemaker and overall mischief-maker for the family.

  - Becca (Rebecca )(7½), Rae (Rachel) (7½), Lana (6), PJ (Peter) (4½), Justin (2)

  * * *

  Matt & Hope [Rocky Mountain Desire]

  - Married 5 years. Home is in Rocky Mtn House. Matt works the Coleman land. Hope is a homemaker and runs the Stitching Post quilt shop.

  - Colt (Colton) (3), Cam (Cameron) (1)

  * * *

  Daniel & Beth [Rocky Mountain Haven]

  - Married 7 years. Home is in Rocky Mtn House. Daniel makes rustic furniture. Beth teaches high-school math online to homeschoolers.

  - Lance (17), Nathan (15), Rob (14)

  * * *

  Travis, Cassidy, & Ashley [Rocky Mountain Freedom]

  - Married 2 years (Ashley & Travis; Cassidy took Coleman name in private ceremony.) Home is the Peter’s house, across the coulee from the SP homestead. Travis and Cassidy work the Coleman land. Ashley is a homemaker and sells art projects on commission.

  - Daisy (2½), River (1½), Forest (3 months)

  * * *

  Jesse & Dare (Darilyn) [Rocky Mountain Home]

  - Married 1½ years. Home next to Joel and Vicki on Sunset Ridge on Six Pack land. Jesse works the Coleman land. Dare is a homemaker and runs a popular homestead/farming blog.

  - Joey (Joseph) (2)

  * * *

  Joel & Vicki [Rocky Mountain Rebel]

  - Married 1½ years. Home next to Jesse and Dare on Sunset Ridge on Six Pack land. Joel works the Coleman land. Vicki is a homemaker and cooks during special events for a local catering company.

  - Jess (Jessica) (1½)

  ~Angel Colemans~

  Parents: Ben (died nearly 3 years ago) & Dana. Married 34 years.

  * * *

  Gabe & Allison [Rocky Mountain Angel]

  - Married 6 years. Home is an expanded cabin Gabe built on Angel land. Gabe works the Coleman land. Allison is a homemaker and helps with organic analysis and planning for the Colemans.

  - Micah (4), Ariel (1)

  * * *

  Michael (d)

  * * *

  Rafe & Laurel [Rocky Mountain Devil]

  - Married 2 years. Home is the homestead on Angel land, shared with Dana Coleman. Rafe works the Coleman land. Laurel works at the Rocky Mountain House Library.

  ~Whiskey Creek Colemans~

  Parents: George & Sally (died 25 years ago) Married 8 years.

  * * *

  Karen & Finn [The Cowgirl’s Secret Love]

  - Married 3 months. Home is at Red Boot dude ranch in Heart Falls. Finn is an investor and co-owner of the dude ranch. Karen is the Red Boot ranch foreman.

  * * *

  Tamara & Caleb [A Rancher’s Heart]

  - Married 2 years. Home is the main homestead of Silver Stone ranch in Heart Falls. Caleb is the head of the Stone family and ranch. Tamara is a retired nurse and homemaker.

  - Sasha (11), Emma (9), Tyler (9 months)

  * * *

  Lisa & Josiah [The Cowgirl’s Forever Love]

  - Together for six months. Home is a ranch outside Heart Falls. Josiah is the local veterinarian. Lisa helps her friends and family by doing odd jobs.

  * * *

  Julia* & Zach [The Cowgirl’s Chosen Love]

  - Married 3 months. Sort of. *Julia is discovered to be a missing Whiskey Creek sister in The Cowgirl’s Forever Love. Home is a cabin at Red Boot dude ranch in Heart Falls. Zach is co-owner of Red Boot Dude ranch. Julia is an EMT and medical officer for the Red Boot ranch.

  ~Moonshine Colemans~

  Parents: Randy & Kate. Married 39 years.

  * * *

  Steve & Melody [Rocky Mountain Romance]

  - Married 1 year. Home is a house Steve built on Moonshine land. Steve works for the Colemans. Melody is a homemaker and does part-time shifts at the Rocky Mountain Veterinarian clinic, usually for small animal work.

  - Jay (Jason) (2½), Expecting in June

  * * *

  Trevor & Becky [Rocky Mountain She
lter]

  - Married 4 years. Home is the “rental” that Uncle Mark Coleman gave to Becky to live in when he dropped her off five years ago. Trevor works for the Colemans. Becky works at the Stitching Post quilting shop with Hope.

  Expecting in March

  * * *

  Anna & Mitch [Rocky Ride]

  - Married 3 years. Home is in Rocky Mtn House near a large park. Mitch works at the Thompson & Sons garage with his brothers. Anna is a retired RCMP, now homemaker.

  - Kay (Kasey) (2½), Expecting in June

  * * *

  Lee & Rachel [Rocky Mountain Retreat]

  - Married 1½ years. Home is in Rocky Mtn House. Lee works the Coleman land. Rachel is a homemaker.

  - Liam (1), Ava (2 months) (They did not expect to get pregnant while Rachel was nursing baby #1)

  Part I

  Tell me, tell me, smiling child,

  What the past is like to thee?

  ‘An Autumn evening soft and mild

  With a wind that sighs mournfully.’

  * * *

  Past, Present, Future

  Emily Brontë

  SP Ranch Journal

  ~Michael Coleman, first journal entry, one week after the passing of his father, Royce Coleman, January 1983~

  * * *

  Life changed in a moment.

  This was not what I expected—it’s not the place I want to be. Yet, here we are. Suddenly I’m in charge of all of the Coleman holdings, and the privilege of it and the responsibility make my fingers tremble as I write this.

  You made it look so simple, Da. Never a thing you couldn’t do, and now you’re gone, and hell if I know how to fill your boots.

  Why didn’t you say something—

  No. I know exactly why you didn’t mention feeling sick. You were always strong. Always the first one up and caring for the family, making the tough decisions and working until you dropped. You didn’t want us to know because you didn’t want to admit to yourself that you weren’t strong enough to fight sorrow and death. Damn stubborn fool.

  It was clear you’d been a little lost the last couple of years, ever since Mom died. That wasn’t a fault, you know. Caring so much that it broke your heart once she was gone. You taught us a lot with how much you loved.

  I’m so glad I had you as a father, but I sure as hell wish I’d been watching closer to see exactly how you made it look so easy. I’m not ashamed to admit I’m going to miss you even as I move forward, one foot after another. No use trying to solve problems that haven’t even shown their faces yet.

  Thank God for Marion, though, or I’d be in one hell of a mess. She’s the one who got us through the funeral and the rest of it. Even hauling baby Matthew around with her, nothing slowed her down. Blake stuck by my side most of the time, the little tyke wide-eyed and with his lip quivering, because even at not yet three, he knows his Grampa is gone.

  And now I don’t even know who I’m writing this for. You, the family…my sons?

  Yet I know you journaled all the time. Somehow it feels right to pick up this part of your legacy. Can the act of copying something you did push me in the right direction?

  Maybe it’s wishful thinking to hope that, in putting pen to paper, I’ll be able to work through troubled times. Maybe it’ll let me savour the good times better.

  Or perhaps somewhere between the two extremes of grief and joy, I can build a world that makes the Colemans rich. Not as in money overflowing from our pockets, but as in a family that’s rock-solid far into the future. That’s my goal.

  Always did have more gusto than brains, but we’ll see.

  1

  December, present day, Six Pack ranch, Alberta

  Darkness filtered to the edges of the room, the cool of the early December morning leaving the air outside the quilt crisp.

  But the warmth in his arms told Blake Coleman everything he needed to know. Jaxi lay curled against him, face pressed to his chest, legs tangled with his. Skin on skin, the sweet scent of her filled his head and made his heart swell.

  How he had this miracle in his life day after day—no idea. No damn idea what he’d done to deserve the goodness in his world.

  She moved, head tilting back as her blue eyes opened the narrowest bit. Sleepy warmth and contentment all but dripped from her expression.

  “Morning,” she whispered.

  Blake pressed his mouth to hers, a smile curling his lips. “You’re not rocketing out of bed like your panties are on fire.”

  She hummed, a secretive hush. “You’re the one with the lighter. If there’s going to be any panty bonfires—”

  “Mama? Daddy?”

  They both went silent.

  It was a long shot. The chance to lay in bed late, with neither of them needing to rush away for chores, was rare in the first place. Add in five kids, and Blake could count on one hand the number of mornings in the last month they’d had the room to themselves past five a.m..

  When the quiet persisted, Blake began to relax.

  Curled up against him, Jaxi pressed her lips against the side of his neck, easing her legs on either side of his. A throaty moan escaped her, and Blake wanted to both laugh and curse as he realized his hand no longer rested innocently on her hip. Nope. He’d full-on cupped her ass and was even now in the process of dragging her on top of his body.

  “Looking for trouble—” Jaxi began.

  “Maaaaama.” The doorknob rattled as PJ’s voice rang against the door. “Daaaaaadeeeee.”

  Absolutely adorable even as their four-year-old’s timing made Blake groan. “Invasion?” he asked Jaxi.

  She pressed a quick kiss to his lips before carefully crawling off. “I’ll get him. You deal with—things.”

  With a slightly wicked pat of her hand against his belly, Jaxi swung away before he could grab her, hips wiggling saucily as she headed toward the door.

  Blake rolled, adjusting his hard-on to a more comfortable position that was slightly protected in case their oldest son decided to launch his way onto the mattress like he usually did.

  “Yes? We didn’t order any pizza,” Jaxi said as she knelt beside the door.

  Around her, PJ’s expression went utterly serious as he shook his head. “Not peeza. Cuddles.”

  “Well, that’s totally different.” Jaxi scooped him up then closed the door and returned to the bed. “Look, Daddy, we have an early morning delivery of cuddles.”

  “One of my favourite things,” Blake said sincerely, opening his arms.

  PJ snuggled in, and Blake felt that pulse deep inside his heart again. The one that ached even as it brought a smile to his face.

  Jaxi sat on the edge of the bed, her expression filled with wonder. “I love you.”

  She said the words so simply, but it was clear the message was meant for him, not their son. Although she totally loved their kids to pieces, this thing between them wasn’t getting any smaller. After eight years of marriage, it seemed to simply grow, expanding to fill every single bit of room, not just in Blake’s heart, but in their home.

  Even as he draped an arm around their son, he patted the mattress beside him. “Climb in. It’s cold out there.”

  She smiled wryly. “I will. But I figured I’d wait to let the rest of them in first.”

  “Who?”

  He shouldn’t have bothered asking. He knew the answer.

  “Daddy?” A chorus of little girls.

  Jaxi blew him a kiss before sneaking from the room. By the time she got back with two-year-old Justin in her arms, the seven-year-old blonde-haired twins, Rebecca and Rachel, had settled on either side of six-year-old Lana.

  Lana sighed contentedly. “I like sleepovers.”

  “Not a sleepover when it’s Mommy and Daddy’s bed…” Becca explained seriously.

  “…it’s family cuddles,” Rae finished.

  “Shove over there, kids,” Jaxi said with amusement. “Make room for your brother.”

  Shockingly, ten minutes later the bed was silent
. The girls had curled up in a heap like puppies and fallen back asleep almost immediately. Against Blake’s chest, PJ’s blondish hair spread in a tangled mess. He’d snuck his thumb in his mouth, his little chest moving easily.

  Justin was sprawled on top of Jaxi, contented baby snores rising from him.