She blinked and a tear spilled over.
He thumbed it away, smiling faintly. “Such a softy.”
She sniffed. “I thought—”
“I know.” His gaze still on hers, he lowered his mouth to hers. Kissed her softly.
Her knees went weak and her fingers somehow ended up looped in his belt loops.
He cradled her face. “Why’re you staking Stanton’s deal?”
She sagged. “He wasn’t supposed to tell you!”
“Too bad. Why?”
It was too hard to pretend anymore. Not with his eyes searching hers, seeming to reach down into the very heart of her. “Because I love you,” she said huskily. “And you need the Rad.”
“Oh, baby.” He exhaled slowly and pressed his mouth against hers until she was quaking. “I don’t need the Rad. I need you, April. You’re my forever.”
She sucked in a shaking breath. Her heart was falling wide.
He threaded back her hair. “It’s still going to take a while for the court to decide on the sale of the Rad and I don’t want to wait a while for you. I’m not that same kid who crawled his way up a princess’s tower, but that doesn’t erase who I was. Even though I know you deserve better—”
“Stop.”
He ignored her. “I’ll follow you if you go back to Denver. And I’ll keep following until you stop and let me catch you.”
She let out a choked laugh. “Oh, Jed.” She traced her finger down his jaw. Running it slowly over his scar. Then his lower lip. “You caught me weeks ago.”
His arms tightened and she could feel his heart beating just as hard as hers. “Then you’ll stay?”
“I’ll stay.”
“If you get the sale, the money goes back into the Rad. We’ll make it work together or not at all.”
She moistened her lips. “Partners.”
“Wouldn’t you agree that’s what a husband and wife should be?”
She went still and stared up at him. “Are you proposing?”
“At the risk of committing good ol’ Ken’s error—”
She cut him off with a fervent kiss. “You’re not Kenneth,” she assured thickly.
“Damn straight.” He smiled slightly. “Reed and Dalloway. Rad. What do you say?”
His chocolate eyes seemed lit from behind and everything she’d ever wanted was there for the taking. All she had to do was reach.
The Rambling Rad had stood for nearly a hundred years.
And so would they.
“I say yes, Jed Dalloway.” She slowly pulled his head down to hers, tumbling willingly into whatever their future would hold. “Because you’re my forever, too.
* * *
Don’t miss these other stories in New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Allison Leigh’s long-running Return to the Double-C series:
One Night in Weaver
The BFF Bride
A Child Under His Tree
Yuletide Baby Bargain
Show Me a Hero
The Rancher’s Christmas Promise
Available exclusively from Harlequin Special Edition!
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Mayor’s Secret Fortune by Judy Duarte.
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The Mayor’s Secret Fortune
by Judy Duarte
Chapter One
Rain splattered the windshield as Ellie Hernandez maneuvered her recently detailed red Honda through the wet city streets, trying to get to the ribbon-cutting ceremony on time. She was the mayor of Rambling Rose, for goodness’ sake. And she always made it a point to arrive at a meeting or an event early. Hopefully, today wasn’t the exception.
She glanced at the clock on the dash and rolled her eyes. In fifteen minutes she was supposed to be on hand for the grand opening of the Shoppes, a collection of high-end stores that would cater to the wealthy, a swarm of which had been moving to Rambling Rose in recent months. They’d begun to infiltrate the small town she loved, threatening to make the community in which she’d been raised unrecognizable. And she found the whole thing unsettling.
Not that she didn’t want the community to grow and prosper. She believed that growth should be organic, the result of Rambling Rose’s quaint, small-town appeal, and not fabricated commercialism.
As the wipers swished and swooshed across the windshield, a big black Dodge Ram passed her on the left, its right rear tire hitting a puddle and splashing a wave of muddy water at the side of her car so high that it struck the windshield with a vengeance.
“Hey, jerk! Watch where you’re going.” She didn’t recognize the fancy, late-model vehicle, so she assumed it was one of the rich newcomers, no doubt in a hurry to join in the excitement of yet another one of Fortune Brothers Construction’s grand openings.
Callum, Steven and Dillon Fortune had come to Texas eager to make their mark in real estate renovation. Sure, Ellie could appreciate them renovating the old foundling hospital, which was now the Rambling Rose Pediatric Center. And the new veterinary clinic they’d opened last month would benefit the community, too. But the locals, the people who’d made their homes here long before the big real estate boom, weren’t into wearing designer clothing. Nor were the small-town masses interested in dining in a five-star restaurant, another of the Fortune Brothers Construction projects.
The rain had stopped, so she shut off her windshield wipers. Moments later, she pulled into the parking lot, just behind the guy driving the black pickup. After finding a spot and shutting off the ignition, she reached for her purse and grabbed her compact red umbrella. Earlier, on the morning news, the weatherman had said the storm was moving south today, but Ellie wasn’t going to take any chances.
She climbed out of the car just as the pickup driver—a corporate cowboy, if that fancy black hat was a clue—got out of his vehicle, too. She paid him little mind. Being on time, to her, meant arriving at least fifteen minutes early, and the clock was ticking relentlessly.
Still, her late arrival couldn’t be helped. She’d had a doctor’s appointment at ten o’clock, but he was running behind. And now she was, too. Running, that is.
As she hurried toward the entrance, making her way around a couple of puddles, she wished she’d worn something more sensible than heels, like the pair of sneakers packed in the gym bag she always kept in her trunk. But she favored business attire while working on behalf of city hall, and even when she’d had to squeeze in a visit to the doctor, she hadn’t wanted to take the extra time to change shoes.
In her peripheral vision, she spotted the approaching cowboy, all tall and lean and...
Fortune.
Steven, to be exact.
She’d known that he and his brothers, Callum and Dillon, would be here today. The Florida developers had moved to Rambling Rose last fall with visions of grandeur that had already begun to change the once blue-collar town for good. And the Shoppes was another one of their fixer-upper projects.
She couldn’t help but glance to her right, and when she did, Steven tipped the brim of his black Stetson and tossed a dazzling smile her way.
She offered him a polite but forced smile of her own and picked up her pace, her heels clicking on the newly paved blacktop in a don’t-be-late cadence. But she couldn’t seem to shake him.
“Good afternoon, Mayor,” he said, his voice deep and almost booming. “What’s your hurry? We’re nearly ten minutes early.”
“I know, but that feels late to me.” She tried to ignore his tall, dark and handsome presence, but that was nearly impossible to do, especially when it seemed that those big
blue eyes of his had a permanent spark in them.
In the five or six months since Steven had moved to town, he seemed to always stand out in the crowd. He’d also acquired a sexy cowboy swagger. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he’d been born and bred in Texas rather than in Florida.
Now, as he moved beside her, close enough for her to catch a whiff of his musky aftershave, one of his long strides matching two of hers, people were going to think they’d arrived together. Maybe even in the same vehicle.
Great. Just great. Not that any of the Fortune brothers was her nemesis. It’s just that they didn’t see eye to eye with her on much of anything, and she had a responsibility to the people who’d voted her into office—the hardworking citizens who’d lived here for years and weren’t comfortable with the influx of wealthy newcomers. So, needless to say, arriving with Steven at her side made it look as if she and Fortune Brothers Construction were in cahoots. And that wasn’t the case.
Still as much as she hated to admit it, rich or poor, Steven was far more attractive than a man had a right to be. And a misplaced attraction like that was the last thing she needed today.
No, there were more important things to think about than the sexy man sauntering next to her—like the short speech she had to make in a few minutes. On top of that, she had a lot to ponder after today’s exam at the doctor’s office. As a result, she wasn’t paying attention to the rain-slicked ground, and her foot slipped on something wet and hard—a small rock or stone? She let out a little shriek as she lost her balance.
Steven reached out to catch her. Before the wannabe hero could save the day—or prevent her from making a clumsy fool of herself—she landed on her backside with a wet, muddy thud that sent her hair clip flying across the ground as cold, dirty water soaked through her slacks to her panties.
“Are you okay?” Steven asked.
“I’m fine.” She brushed a loose strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. For a moment, her tummy flip-flopped, and she feared she’d be sick. But she sucked in a breath of fresh air, and the feeling soon passed.
Steven reached down to take her hand, his brow furrowed, his eyes...
Dammit. The sympathetic gaze and the sky-blue color were almost enough to chase the clouds away. Almost.
In spite of her reluctance to accept his help, she took his hand, feeling the warmth as it embraced hers. Work roughened, yet soft and gentle at the same time.
From her position on the ground, he appeared much taller than six foot something. The moment he pulled her to a stand, her legs wobbled, and her heart rate, already escalated, skipped to a zippity-do-dah beat.
“There you go,” he said, his smile as nice as it could be—yet, under the circumstances, annoying all the same.
She drew her hand from his and cleared her throat. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
Ellie blew out a sigh. “I’m actually more humiliated than hurt.”
Could anything else go wrong today? It didn’t seem likely.
She brushed her wet derriere and realized she couldn’t get on a stage looking like a drowned rat—and no doubt, one of the last to leave a sinking ship. Her town was a-changin’, and there wasn’t one darn thing she could do about it.
As she turned to head back to her car, where she kept her handy-dandy Ellie Hernandez Emergency Preparedness Kit, a sharp twinge shot through her ankle. Her steps faltered, and she swore under her breath.
“Let me help.” Steven took her by the arm, his grip strong and steady, yet tender.
Another woman might appreciate the gallant gesture—or be flattered by it—but Ellie pulled away and waved him off. “Thanks, but I’ve got this.”
All she had to do was figure out where the nearest bathroom was so she could change into one of the two spare outfits she always had with her. As she limped back toward her car, past the vehicles that had arrived earlier, she reached into her purse, pulled out her key fob and, using the remote, popped open her trunk.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Getting something to change into.” She removed a neatly folded pair of slacks and a matching blouse she kept in the car for spur-of-the-moment business meetings or unscheduled events, then grabbed her gym bag.
Steven let out a slow whistle. “Would you look at that? You keep a traveling wardrobe on hand. I’m impressed.”
“I like being prepared.” The irony, though, struck her with a low blow. She could count a handful of times in recent months that she hadn’t been the least bit prepared for the unexpected.
“Where do you plan to change clothes?” he asked.
She shot him an incredulous look. “In a bathroom. Why?”
“I have a much better idea—and one that’s quicker. Our construction trailer is about fifty yards from here. Think you can make it?”
She paused only a moment before nodding and falling into step beside him.
As much as she hated to accept any help from one of the Fortune brothers, she’d much rather change in a trailer than one of the nearby porta-potties, which would be her only alternative if she didn’t want to do so in her car or, God forbid, trek through the gathering crowd with wet pants and dirty hands to search for a restroom inside the Shoppes.
She glanced at her bangle wristwatch. “I can’t believe this is happening. I’m never late.”
“Relax,” he said. “They’re not going to start the grand opening without either one of us.”
He was right, of course. But all Ellie needed was for someone to see them enter that blasted trailer together and think the worst. Talk about sleeping with the enemy. How was she going to spin her way out of this?
* * *
After Steven unlocked the door to the trailer to let Ellie inside, she turned to him and scrunched her pretty face.
“You’re going to wait out here, right?”
“Of course. If you feel more comfortable, use the lock.”
She stepped inside, and the door snapped shut. The sound of the dead bolt followed.
“Seriously?” Steven muttered.
“I heard that!”
Steven slowly shook his head as he stood on the wooden porch steps, holding the company keys and waiting for the pretty but disheveled mayor to change. He sucked in a deep breath of the rain-scented air and scanned the sky. Storm clouds, once dark and threatening, had lightened and begun to move on, giving way to small patches of blue. Thank goodness the people who’d shown up for today’s ceremony wouldn’t get drenched.
He’d been looking forward to the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Shoppes at Rambling Rose for months. It was the third grand opening Fortune Brothers Construction had held this year. And with each one, their reputation back in Florida, as well as in Texas, grew stronger and more impressive.
Too bad that wasn’t the case here, in Rambling Rose. You’d think the town council and Mayor Ellie Hernandez would be happy that Steven and his brothers had remodeled the old five-and-dime. Once an eyesore that had been abandoned and neglected for more than twenty years, it was now an elegant two-story building that housed a variety of upscale boutiques. But for some damned reason, she didn’t consider their contribution to the community.
Last month, at the fund-raiser for the new Paws and Claws Animal Clinic, Ellie had made it clear that she wasn’t impressed with the progressive changes he and his brothers had made, or were making, to the town.
Steven lifted his left wrist and glanced at his Rolex, a birthday gift from his father. It was nearly time to get the show on the road, although he’d meant what he’d told Ellie when they arrived—the ribbon cutting wouldn’t take place without them. Still, her little misstep was bound to be a setback.
She might keep spare clothing packed neatly in her trunk, but that didn’t mean she’d change faster than any other woman who made it a p
oint to have every hair in place. And as far as Steven was concerned, the tall, willowy brunette looked damn near perfect each time he saw her.
A slow grin stretched across his face. Seeing Ms. Perfection seated in a mud puddle, her hair hanging wild and loose instead of contained in a neat twist, her sable eyes wide and lips parted in disbelief, was a pretty sight to behold. And a far cry from the image the good folks of Rambling Rose had come to know and love.
From what he’d gathered, Ellie had been an only child, her mama and daddy’s pride and joy. She’d sold more cookies than any of the others in her Girl Scout troop, sung solos in the church choir and helped the women’s club serve meals at the homeless shelter. She’d gone on to become the valedictorian of her senior class before earning a master’s in public policy. So it wasn’t just her pretty face that was impressive.
Still, she seemed a little too good to be true, too damn perfect. He wondered what flaws might be lurking beneath the surface. There had to be something, if only he could find it. He also needed to get on her good side, but so far, he hadn’t had any luck with either of those tasks.
Steven leaned against the wooden porch railing, prepared to wait it out. When the door squeaked open, taking him a bit by surprise, Ellie breezed out of the trailer, smiling as if she’d never suffered a setback. The only sign of being flustered was her flushed cheeks, which merely added a rosy tint to her olive complexion and made her brown eyes pop.
“Thank you,” she said. “Changing in the Fortune Brothers Construction man cave was a lot nicer than using one of the porta-potties.”
“You’re welcome.” He tossed her a disarming smile, which seemed to escape her notice. On the other hand, her appearance didn’t escape his.
She’d come outside different—not just from when she went in, but from when she’d arrived. She’d combed her hair, leaving it down instead of in her customary updo, and she’d changed out of the dressy black pants she’d had on, trading them for khaki slacks. She’d shed her tailored jacket and the crisply pressed white blouse, too. Instead she wore a cream-colored sweater accessorized with a red plaid scarf.
A Promise to Keep Page 20
