When You Blush (The Blackwells of Montana, #4)

by Kristen Proby

This is for every single one of you who puts yourself last. Who cheers on everyone else, and would drop everything in the middle of the night for those you love. Who never wants to be a burden, or be in the way. Please take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Be a good girl and let Blake remind you just how deserving you are.

Blake Blackwell might very well ruin me for all other men. And I’m totally okay with that.

“I’m going to fuck you,” I assure her, brushing her hair off her cheek. “But first, my face is going to be buried in your perfect pussy. You’ll come on my tongue before you come on my cock. Got it?”

“Good girl.”

“You’re fucking amazing, Harper.”

Xander is a hockey superstar who’s rarely home. He usually just spends a month or so in the summer in Silver Springs and most holidays. Otherwise, he’s living the celebrity life in Denver, where he’s basically a god.

“Oh, thank God. I don’t know why I told my husband it was okay to go have breakfast with his brother,” she says with a sniff. “I’m Dani.” Yep, the baby is breathing fast and laboring with it, but not horribly.

It feels wrong to walk away from her, and I hardly know her. Hell, aside from knowing how she sounds when she comes, what she likes to eat, and the fact that she enjoys the same music as I do, I don’t really know her. But I’m going to.

“There. You have my number. If you ever want to grab a meal, a coffee, go for a hike”—I lean into her so I can whisper in her ear—“or scream my name while my face is buried in that perfect pussy, you just call me.”

Every cell in my body screams at me not to leave. To go back and talk her into seeing me. Even if there’s no sex at all, I just want to be with her. But I could see it written all over her gorgeous face. She’s not ready.

“Only a couple of months.” She wipes the back of her hand over her brow as she leans against the counter. “I’m Juliet, the owner. It’s been a labor of love, but we’re finally open.”

She’s basically friends with all of the women in my family, and she doesn’t even know it yet. Billie’s my sister. Skyla and Dani are with my brothers. Yeah, you’re going to fit into my family just fine.

“I didn’t want anyone else. I had you, and no one else could compare, Harper.”

every goddamn gasp. I want them all. They’re mine. She doesn’t know it yet, but she is fucking mine.

“You’re every fucking fantasy I’ve ever had in my life,”

“That’s my good fucking girl,”

“I need to worship you for a while, sweetheart.”

“I can’t resist you. I can’t stay away from you, Harper. Please don’t ask me to stay away from you anymore.”

“Good. Me too because if another man puts his hands on you, I won’t be happy. Now, let’s get cleaned up so I can mess you up again.”

“I will take you over my knee right here and now if you don’t stop talking to me like I’m a fucking inconvenience,”

“I know you’re upset, but goddammit, Harper. I didn’t do this either.”

“And how’s Gabe working out?” Gabe’s our cousin and recently started working for Brooks last year. He lives in Silver Springs but makes the commute over.

“Good answer, sugar.”

“Fucking give it to me, Harper.”

“Be my good girl and come all over me, baby.”

Slowly, she blinks them open and smiles up at me. “You’re the best thing I’ve ever woken up to.”

And just like that, here at this moment with that sleepy declaration, I’ve slipped right into love with this remarkable woman. There’s no going back for me. She’s everything I never knew I needed in my life.

“Even if I’m not physically with you, you’re the fucking center of my attention. You’re never far from my mind, sugar.”

He frames my face and kisses me hard as if he’s claiming me and reminding me that I’m his. And it feels so damn good that I lean into him and hold on.

“I’m okay.” He takes a breath and kisses my forehead. “I didn’t realize you’d been engaged, and, well. Turns out I’m a jealous fucker. That’s new. Keep going.”

I’m grateful because now you’re mine, and I’ll never make the mistake of fucking it up with you like that,

“You’re incredible,” he says, meeting my gaze. “I don’t give a shit about your past, Harper. I don’t care. I want you, and everything that comes with you.”

Juliet looks up at us, every muscle in my body stiffens. You hurt my brother. She hurt all of us. “Hey,” she says and blinks furiously. I’m sure this isn’t easy for her either. I look a lot like my oldest brother. I haven’t seen Jules in person since she moved back to Bitterroot Valley. I know that Billie and Beckett have both seen her. Juliet goes into the bookstore often, and Beck sells her all of her dairy products. But I haven’t laid eyes on her in fifteen years. “Hey, girl,” Harper says, oblivious to the turmoil raging in my gut. “This is Blake.” Harper weaves her arm through mine and leans her head on my biceps. “He hasn’t been in yet, but I’ve been singing your praises.” Jules nods and smiles at me. It’s genuine. “We know each other,” I reply, nodding at Juliet. “How are you, Jules?” Her lips fold in for a second, and she forces another smile. “I’m doing well, thanks. Welcome in.” “It’s a great spot,” I tell her, meaning it. “I hope you kill it.”

“Jules and Brooks were a couple all through high school and college. They were young, but it was serious. We all just assumed they’d end up married one day.”

“A lot happened.” I take a bite of my food and think about how much I should tell her. It’s not my story to share, and it’s something that Brooks will absolutely not talk about. “There was some betrayal, and I suspect some misunderstandings, although Brooks never told us everything that went down. When all was said and done, they were finished, and Juliet left town.” “She just left?” Harper asks, her head tilted to the side. “It must have been a lot of shit that went down.” “I’m sure it was, but none of us knows the whole story. Only the two of them know everything. What I do know is that Brooks was never the same. It truly broke his heart. He withdrew from us for a while until the family basically forced him to let us back in. But he refuses to speak of her, and no matter how many times we ask him to tell us what happened, he clams up and leaves. It’s not open for discussion.” Harper shakes her head sadly. “That’s really sad. I’m sorry to hear that. Is that why you haven’t been in here before?” I look around and notice that Juliet is watching us. When my eyes catch hers, she turns away to wipe down a countertop. “Yeah, that’s why. I loved her as much as I love my own sister. She was always around. She and my brother were attached at the hip for the better part of a decade. So yeah, I’ve avoided this place.”

“Call it whatever you want.” He pushes in closer to me. “You’re mine, and I’m sure as fuck yours. I want you with me, and that includes when I’m with my family.”

“Blake, you’re in a backward baseball hat.”

“I love you, Harper. And I will say those words often until you finally trust them. I’ll say it enough for both of us.”

“Shut up,” Brooks says, shaking his head. “You’re ridiculous.” With a laugh, we turn the corner to the lobby, and both stop dead in our tracks. Because just ahead, at the coffee shop where there’s a cooler for grab-and-go meals, is a woman bent over that cooler, filling it with to-go boxes. Brooks would recognize that ass anywhere. Juliet straightens to grab more boxes from her cart, and when her eyes shift over to us, she also stops, and tears fill her pretty blue eyes. She clears her throat. “Hi, guys. Um, I’m just about done here. I can go⁠—” “You’re good at that,” Brooks finally says, and I close my eyes on a sigh. “What?” Her eyebrows pull together in a frown. “Running away,” he says. His voice is so hard and cold, and I hear the hurt in it. I fucking hate this. “You’re good at that.” “Brooks, if you’d give me just two minutes to explain⁠—” “I don’t want an explanation,” he says, his hands fisting at his sides. “I don’t want anything from you. Not anymore. Congratulations on the new restaurant. I’m happy for you, Jules. But you and I won’t be talking. I won’t be popping by for lunch. And if you need to have your car worked on, there’s a garage in Silver Springs.” “Brooks,” she begins, but he shakes his head. “Don’t ever say my name again.” Brooks turns and walks away, and Juliet deflates in front of me. “I was hoping that would go better,” she murmurs as she wipes a tear from her cheek. “God, he still looks amazing.” “He’ll be out on the patio,” I tell her. “Maybe try...

“Girls’ cocktails?” Alex asks as she joins us. “Hell to the yes.” Suddenly, two very attractive men join Alex. One takes her hand and kisses it, and the other slides his arm around her shoulders and kisses her temple. And the smug smile on Alex’s face is adorable. “Harper, this is Adam,” she gestures to the hottie holding her hand, “and this is Gabe.” The one with his arm around her shoulders grins at me. “They’re mine,” she adds with a grin. “And we’re stealing you away,” Gabe says. “It’s throuple massage time, butterfly.” “Oh my God, yes,” Alex says. “See you later, guys.”

“Good fucking girl,”

“She’s just different. I took one look at her, and it was like I recognized her on a molecular level. Like something inside me said Oh, there you are.

“Are you still mad, sugar?”

“Only a little.”

“I’m going to fuck the rest of the ma...

“You’re mine, Harper.”

“Mine,”

“So. Fucking. Mine.”

“I love you so much, it scares the shit out of me.”

He starts to move, but I hold him tight.