Red Hot Rancher

by Maureen Child

  “Hell yes,” he assured her. “To keep that baby away from a predator? You bet. But as it turns out, I won’t have to. Instead, Max is faxing those statements to the LA police. I suspect they’re going to have questions for Mr. Hollywood when he gets home.”

  Gracie laughed out loud, swept the baby out of Madison’s arms and danced with her around the room. Mad kissed Caden’s cheek and said, “Our hero.”

  “All right now, everybody into the kitchen. We’ll feed our baby and have a beer to celebrate!” Frank led the way and Gracie, Molly and Madison were right behind him.

  “Thank you,” Emma said when they were alone. She could hardly believe it was over. Molly was safe. And Caden was here, with her. All she had to do now was find a way to convince him to stay with her.

  “I told you I’d be here for you and Molly, Em.”

  She looked up at him and thought Madison was right—he was a hero. But he hadn’t done it for her. He’d done it for Molly. To keep that baby safe and in a loving family.

  “And I told you, I wouldn’t run. Not from you.” Emma took a breath and said, “I’ll never leave you again, Caden. I wish I could make you believe—”

  “I do believe you,” he said.

  Shaken, Emma staggered a little. “You do? Why? Since when?”

  “Because I heard you, Emma. Yeah, going to see Max slowed me down, but when I got here, I was in the foyer when that oily bastard offered you everything you left me for five years ago. I waited to see what you would say to stardom. A big movie. The dream.” He lifted one hand to stroke his fingertips along her cheek. “And you said no. You chose me. You chose us.”

  “I’ll always choose you, Caden,” Emma said and blinked furiously to keep her tears at bay. She wanted to see him and didn’t want a blur distracting from the sight of him looking down at her with love in his eyes.

  “This is my home. My place. My dreams are here now.” She smiled at him and said, “I love that job at the school. I’m going to be helping Mad and Gracie. Molly’s going to grow up here knowing she’s loved. And I’m not going anywhere. Why would I when everything I’ve ever wanted is right here?”

  His mouth curved and that smile lit up his eyes. “I really do believe you, Emma. I trust you. And I love you more than I thought it was possible to love anyone.”

  Her heart swelled until she was sure it would simply burst out of her chest. “Then I’ve got something else to say to you, Caden Hale.”

  “Yeah?” Still smiling. Still loving her.

  Slowly, Emma went down on one knee in front of him and he tried to pull her to her feet.

  “Come on, Emma, get up.”

  “No.” She looked up at him and saw everything she’d ever wanted in her life, shining in his eyes. “I know this isn’t the usual way, and maybe I’m swallowing a little pride here, but I can do that. For you. For us. Caden, I’m asking you to marry me.”

  His eyes flashed and his jaw went tight.

  “It’s only fair that I be the one to propose because it was me who made such a mess out of things to begin with.” She blinked back tears and hurried on. “I’m not sorry I went to California. But not for the reasons you might think. It’s because being there, away from you, made me realize just how much you mean to me. You’re everything, Caden. There are no dreams without you.”

  “Damn it, Emma, stand up now...”

  “Not until I finish.” She took another breath and kept her gaze fixed on his. “I want you to marry me. And love me. And adopt Molly with me and then make more babies with me. I want to live with you in that beautiful house and hunt for more gold with you, if you can find that vein again—”

  He gave her wry smile. “Ha ha.”

  She grinned. “I want to help build that ranch of yours into the best in the state. Maybe in the country,” she said and then added, “I love you, Caden, more than anything and now I want to know when you’re going to say something!”

  “Where’s my ring?” he asked, smiling.

  “Your ring?”

  “Who proposes without a ring?”

  Emma glared at him. “Are you kidding?”

  “Yes.” Grinning, Caden reached down and pulled her to her feet. “I was just waiting for you to run out of words.” He took her face in his palms, looked into her eyes and said, “Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you, Emma, now and forever. And if you ever need to run again, all you have to do is speak up and we’ll run together.”

  Emma covered his hands with hers and felt as if she’d finally, completely, come home.

  “I won’t have to run, Caden. My world is right here. My dreams are here. With you.” She went up on her toes and kissed him, then said, “Who knows, maybe one of my students at the school will go off and take the world by storm. But as for me, the only storm I’m interested in is the one that happens between us whenever we touch.”

  “Then get ready, honey,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her. “There’s a hell of a storm headed our way.”

  * * *

  Meet more great ranching heroes from

  USA TODAY bestselling author Maureen Child!

  Rich Rancher’s Redemption

  Wild Ride Rancher

  The Cowboy’s Pride and Joy

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  Seduced by Second Chances

  by Reese Ryan

  One

  Jessie Humphrey scrolled through her cell phone contacts and located the number she was searching for.

  Her dream list of world-famous producers was a short one, but Chase Stratton reigned supreme. He’d worked with the top talent out there. Single-name artists at the pinnacle of their careers and critically acclaimed artists on the rise.

  Jessie paced her tiny one-bedroom apartment in SoHo and chewed on her fingernails. Her entire future was riding on making this happen.

  She sank onto the living room chair where she did much of her songwriting.

  Her record label had offered her a new contract. To her agent’s dismay, she’d rejected the offer. The studio wanted her to make cookie-cutter pop music rather than the soulful songs about love and loss that were her forte.

  She’d been writing for some of the studio’s biggest stars for years. As an artist, she had two albums under her belt and a growing base of die-hard fans. Including wealthy, powerful people like Matt Richmond, who’d paid her a generous fee to perform at his exclusive even
t in her hometown of Seattle, Washington.

  With her current recording contract fulfilled, Jessie was at a stalemate with the label’s top exec, Arnold Diesman.

  She’d taken Matt Richmond’s gig in Seattle because of the lucrative contract. Money she would invest in starting her own independent label where she would retain creative control.

  Chase had a long line of artists with household names and the deep pockets of the record labels backing them. But Jessie needed to convince him to take a chance on working on her indie project.

  She’d called in every favor she had to track down the phone number of Chase’s personal assistant. Jessie dialed the number.

  “This is Lita.”

  “Hi, Lita, this is Jessie Humphrey. I sent a couple of demos to Chase—”

  “We received them. Thank you. But Chase’s schedule is booked solid right now.”

  “I’m not surprised. He’s the top producer out there right now.” Jessie was undeterred by the woman’s attempt to blow her off. “I know I’m not one of the single-name artists he usually works with and that I won’t have the backing of a big studio for this project—”

  “You realize you’re making a case against me passing your demo on to Chase, right?” Lita laughed.

  “Just acknowledging the obvious.” Jessie paced the hardwood floors. “But he should consider my growing fan base. They don’t care whether a big studio is behind the album. They only care that—”

  “Look, honey, not everyone can drop an independent surprise album that’ll shoot up the charts. And it’s unheard of for an independently produced album to be Grammy-worthy. I know Beyoncé and Chance the Rapper made it look easy, but it isn’t. And Chase only deals in top caliber projects. Now, if you have your studio rep contact us...”

  “My contract is over and I’m not interested in signing another. I want complete creative control.” Jessie continued when the woman didn’t respond. “I’ve written huge radio hits for Top 40 acts. I know what sells.”

  “Look, Jessie... I’m a huge fan. But Chase has much bigger projects in his sights. And without studio backing...” The woman lowered her voice. “There’s a reason Chase commands such an exorbitant payday. He selects his projects carefully. He always wins because he only plays the game when he’s holding a royal flush. I listened to your demo. The songs are amazing and so is your voice. But Chase isn’t willing to take on the risk of working with you without the backing of the studio.”

  “I see.” Jessie stopped pacing. Tears stung her eyes.

  “I’ll hold on to your demo. When Chase needs a new songwriter, I’ll recommend you. Maybe once he works with you in that capacity, he’ll take a chance on your indie project.”

  “If I could just talk to him myself—”

  “Sorry, Jessie. This is the best I can do for you right now. Chase is preparing to work on the West Coast for the next several weeks. But I’ll keep you in mind when he needs a new songwriter. Promise.”

  “Lita, wait—”

  The woman had already ended the call. Jessie sat at the piano that took up most of the space in her living room.

  She’d have to find another way to get face time with Chase.

  Jessie was determined to make authentic music. She wouldn’t be strong-armed by the studio into cranking out forgettable songs.

  It wasn’t about the money or the fame. Playing the piano while singing songs she’d penned about the pain that had ripped her heart in two alleviated those feelings. It seemed just as cathartic for audience members who sang along with tears in their eyes. That connection with her listeners meant everything.

  That was what she wanted to share with the world.

  Chase Stratton had name recognition and a string of hits under his belt. He took an artist’s raw material and spun it into gold while respecting their unique sound.

  She had something different to offer the world, and she needed a team around her discerning enough to recognize that.

  She’d find another way to get to Chase. And when she did, she’d be ready.

  Jessie grabbed a pen from her little side table, and the pile of magazines on it shifted. She picked up the ones that had fallen to the floor.

  The financial magazine bore the image of the incredibly handsome Gideon Johns.

  After all these years, sadness still swept over her whenever she thought of Gideon. And she hadn’t been able to stop thinking of him since her recent return to Seattle for Matt Richmond’s event. She’d been equal parts hopeful and terrified that she’d encounter Gideon for the first time in well over a decade.

  Gideon had been the reason she’d written her very first song. A song of heartbreak and unrequited love. It had been one of the songs on the demo that earned Jessie her first songwriting gig with a small record company. So rather than resenting Gideon’s rejection, she should thank him for breaking her heart.

  Nothing had really happened between them back then. And nothing would happen between them in the future. So why couldn’t she let thoughts of Gideon go?

  Jessie tossed the magazines back onto the pile and returned to the piano, pen in hand.

  She hated that she was still so affected by a man to whom she clearly hadn’t meant anything. But berating herself over it wasn’t productive. Instead, she would allow those frustrations to fuel her creativity so she could write the next song.

  Jessie scribbled a few notes that had been playing in her head all day on the blank staff paper. Then she played the corresponding notes on her piano and started to sing.

  * * *

  Gideon Johns sat on the front edge of his large cherrywood desk. He folded his arms as he sized up his assistant, Landon Farmer. He had something to say, and whatever it was, he was fully aware that Gideon wasn’t going to like it.

  “Look, Landon, whatever it is you’re dancing around here...just say it. We’re both busy people.”

  “Our top two investors just pulled out of the United Arab Emirates deal.” The words rushed out of his mouth.

  “What?” Gideon’s voice boomed, filling the room. He hadn’t intended to shout, and since the man looked like he wanted to flee the room, he felt bad for doing so. Still, it was a natural reaction to discovering that he’d lost half of the capital he was counting on for a two-billion-dollar building project.

  “What the hell happened? The last time I spoke with them, they were champing at the bit to get in on this deal. In fact, I didn’t solicit either of them. They came to me.”

  “Both cited the recent volatility in their own industries, Mr. Johns.” The man reverted to addressing him formally whenever Gideon was displeased.

  “Do they have any idea how much I have riding on this deal? This is our first project in Dubai. If word gets out that the deal is collapsing—”

  “Then we don’t let it collapse.” Landon sat a bit straighter.

  “And where do you propose we get nearly a billion dollars in the next two months?” Gideon raised an eyebrow.

  “The company has considerable assets, sir. You already know that—”

  “No.” It was a single, nonnegotiable sentence.

  “But, sir—”

  “Investing in the project isn’t an option.” Gideon returned to his seat. His chest felt tight and his head was beginning to throb.

  “But you just said what a disaster it would be if the project fails—”

  “It won’t fail. I’ll find the money.” Gideon looked at him pointedly.

  “I have no doubt that you will, Mr. Johns.” Landon straightened his tie. “But what if you can’t secure the funds? Wouldn’t it be better for our company to invest in the project than to have to admit we couldn’t raise the capital?”

  “Making real estate deals using other people’s money has been my policy for the past ten years. If investors discover that I needed to liquidate assets and sink that kind
of cash into my own project, it’ll wreck the brand I’ve spent a decade building.”

  “We could do it discreetly,” Landon suggested.

  “I believe in being transparent with my investors.” Gideon frowned. “Besides, liquidating that kind of cash will inevitably attract attention.”

  “All valid points.” Landon stood and massaged the nape of his neck. “I’ll scour our database of potential investors and see who might be right for the Dubai project.”

  “Go for the big fish. And focus on those who have liquid assets readily available. We need to stick to our original timeline or the remaining investors will start to worry.” Gideon made a mental note of the effects this sudden change might have on the project.

  “There is one potential investor who comes to mind right away.”

  “I know.” Gideon tapped the table. “Matt Richmond.”

  Matt was a friend who’d mused about investing in one of Gideon’s projects, but had yet to pull the trigger.

  Gideon made it a point not to pressure investors to join his projects. He simply laid out the opportunity and return on investment to be had, and allowed his track record and reputation to do the rest. The timing wasn’t great, but he’d need to prod Matt and see if he was serious about investing.

  This project had the potential to make all of them a shitload of money. He’d never take the project on if he didn’t wholeheartedly believe that. Nor would he ever try to rope his friend, or any investor, into a shaky deal. But he needed to be a bit more direct with his friend.

  “I’ve got Matt. I’ll try to meet with him within the next week.” Gideon woke his computer screen to send an email to his friend. Another email captured his interest.

  It was the Google alert he’d set up on singer/songwriter Jessie Humphrey. She was beautiful, brilliant, talented—and the little sister of his ex, Geneva Humphrey. The woman he’d planned to marry a lifetime ago. Right up until the moment she’d broken his heart.

  He’d gotten over the break with Geneva. Had even come to realize she’d been right to end things between them. But his relationship with Jessie was more complicated.