Protecting The Colton Bride

by Elle James

  Megan touched her father’s arm. “But the horses were always your project.”

  “True. But the cancer has taken a lot out of me, and I can’t give the animals as much of my time as I used to.”

  “I thought the doctor said he got all of the cancer.”

  “So far, that’s what it looks like. But ten horses is a lot to keep up with. I promised I’d sell seven of the ten, only keeping a few to ride for pleasure.”

  “And where will you sell the seven?” Megan’s fingers dug into Daniel’s shirt and all the way to his skin.

  “I hand-selected all of my horses based on their pedigree. They are equal to the ones at Kennedy Farms. If you have need of more breeding stock in Oklahoma,” her father said, “I’ll give them to you for a wedding gift.”

  Daniel nodded. “From what I see of them, they would be an excellent addition to the ranch, either as breeders or as working stock.”

  Her father glanced at Megan. “Do you want the horses?”

  “Yes!” Megan flung her arms around her father’s neck. “Thank you, Dad.”

  Her father’s cheeks reddened. “Well, I’d better get back to the house before your mother calls an ambulance.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Daniel held out his hand to Mr. Talbot. “The horses mean a lot to your daughter.”

  “I wonder if they don’t mean more than her family,” Talbot groused. He took Daniel’s hand and shook it without crushing it this time.

  When he let go, Megan grabbed her father’s hand and squeezed. “I’ll always love you and Mother, but I’m all grown up and want to live my life my way.”

  Mr. Talbot drew in a deep breath and let it out. “It’s hard to let go, not only for your mother but also for me.”

  “I know.” She lifted his hand to her cheek. “You like to control everything around you.”

  Her father’s shoulders sagged. “That has been the hardest thing to learn these past few months. Some things are out of my control.”

  Megan hugged her father again. “I love you.”

  He patted her back. “I love you, too. Now, don’t be late for dinner. It makes your mother nuts.”

  Frank Talbot left the barn, and silence reigned for a couple of minutes following his departure. Megan turned to the mare and pressed her forehead to the horse’s nose. “You’re going to be okay.”

  Daniel touched her shoulder. “So are you.”

  She laughed. “I get to keep my horses.”

  “And you don’t have to spend all of your grandmother’s inheritance to get them.”

  “I can use that money to pay for their upkeep.”

  “You can stable them at the Lucky C.”

  “I’ll pay you for boarding. And if you approve of their bloodlines, we could consider them in your breeding program. I know you are being very selective. I’ve seen the lineage charts on the horses you have. Mine could be of value to you.”

  “We’ll look into it when we get back to Oklahoma. Hopefully your father won’t be in a hurry to get them off his farm.”

  “I’ll speak with him. Perhaps we can use his trailers to transport them.” Megan turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For suggesting the marriage of convenience. My father would not have been so easily swayed had I come on my own or brought a man he couldn’t see eye to eye with.”

  “Your parents only want you to be happy and cared for.”

  Megan nodded. “I knew I’d been born premature and spent a month in the hospital before my mother could take me home. But I didn’t know she had miscarried three times before me. She must have been heartbroken each time and terrified when I came along.” Megan glanced up at Daniel. “I can only imagine how devastating it would be to lose a child.”

  “You have to appreciate the people in your life while you have them. Tomorrow is never guaranteed.” Daniel pressed a kiss to her forehead.

  “You lost your mother when you were ten?”

  He nodded, his memories going back to the singlewide mobile home he’d shared with his mother. “She did her best to give me a good life. I didn’t realize until after she was gone that I had all I needed. I had her love.”

  “She must have been a wonderful mother.” Megan cupped his face, her hand warm against his cheek. “What about Big J? Didn’t he love you?”

  “He took me in, despite his wife’s objection. What man takes in his bastard son and gives him a home and his love? I never felt like his love for me was any less than his love for Abra’s children.”

  “You were fortunate to have him as a father.”

  “Yes, I was.” Abra had been the thorn in his side, never accepting him as one of the family. He fit in nicely with his siblings, but never with Abra. He couldn’t blame her. He was the product of her husband’s adultery.

  “The proof of his love is that you turned out okay. From an orphan to a Colton, you’ve made a place for yourself at the Lucky C Ranch.”

  He shook his head. “The horse-breeding program has to prove itself as another way to make the ranch produce. If it doesn’t work, I’ll have to move out and find a job that will support me and any family that comes along.”

  “And you don’t want to leave the Lucky C?”

  He shook his head. “It’s my home. The horses have been the one constant in my life. I love working with them.”

  The mare whinnied beside him as if to add her consensus. She nudged Daniel’s shoulder, pushing the two of them off balance.

  Megan laughed and held on to Daniel’s arms. “Misty agrees. She’s usually not so friendly to male strangers.”

  “Do I pass her test?”

  Megan hooked her arm through his. “Yes. You passed her test and my father’s. Now, we’d better get back to the house and dressed for dinner to pass my mother’s test.”

  “Dressed for dinner?”

  “She insists on formal attire for dinner.”

  “I should have packed my tux.”

  “Not that formal, but slacks and a blazer. Did you bring a blazer?” she asked. “If not, maybe one of my father’s will fit you.”

  “Relax. I brought a jacket.” He clasped her hand in his and led her out of the stable and back along the path to the house. “Your family has a beautiful ranch.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s a lot different from the Lucky C.” She pointed toward the vineyards and the pastures. “In California, most farms are a mix of cattle, vineyards and orchards, unlike the ranches of Oklahoma.”

  “I think it’s important to diversify.”

  “Right.” She grinned up at him. “Thus the horse-breeding program on a cattle ranch.”

  “Right.” Daniel stopped to stare out over the vineyard-covered hillside. The setting sun bathed the hills of grapevines in a golden haze.

  “You should talk with my father. He’s the one who made this place a success.”

  “I will. Perhaps he has more ideas we can transfer to the Lucky C.”

  As they neared the house, Christine, wearing a long halter dress in a deep royal blue, rose from a chair beside the pool. “There you are. I’d like to introduce you to my fiancé, Josh.”

  A man stood from the chair beside her and extended his hand. “Megan, I’ve heard a lot about you from Christine and your parents.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Megan shook the man’s hand and turned to Daniel. “This is my...husband, Daniel.”

  Josh turned to Daniel. “Congratulations. You’ve married into a very special family.” Josh curled an arm around Christine. “I look forward to the day Christine and I will be married.”

  “And when will that be?” Megan asked.

&nb
sp; “Soon, I hope.” He winked at Christine.

  “I’m holding out for a big wedding,” Christine said. “Not that eloping to Vegas hasn’t crossed my mind. That sounds so romantic.”

  Josh’s handshake was less than firm, and he let go quickly. Daniel had no desire for a repeat performance of Frank’s bone-crushing grip, but he had a tendency to gauge a man’s character by the way he shook hands.

  “I understand you raise horses for a living,” Josh said. “How’s that working for you?”

  Daniel tensed. “Yes, I raise horses.” He wanted to tell Josh it was none of his business how it went for him. Instead, he answered with his own question. “What is it you do?”

  “I’m into acquiring and selling real property.”

  “How’s that going for you?”

  Megan coughed into her hand.

  Josh didn’t take offense to Daniel’s question. Quite the opposite. “I have a knack for finding treasures, tweaking them and reselling for a huge profit. I have a talent for seeing the potential.”

  “I suppose you could say that’s what Daniel does, as well,” Megan said. “He can spot an excellent prospect in a horse from a hundred yards away.”

  “Very interesting.” Josh tilted his head. “I would think working with horses would not be very profitable.”

  Megan hooked Daniel’s arm. “Some things aren’t about the money but about the passion. Daniel and I love working with horses much more than with people.”

  “Horses can be very unpredictable and difficult to work with,” Josh pointed out.

  “With patience and understanding, you learn each animal.” Megan’s lips twisted. “People can be even more unpredictable than horses at times. And sometimes even less trustworthy.”

  “You have a point. But most people don’t weigh a ton. Seems horses can be a lot more dangerous.”

  Megan’s jaw tightened. “A person with a ton of metal around him can be a lot more dangerous than a horse, especially if that person has an addiction to speed and excitement.”

  Christine nodded. “Like your former fiancé?”

  Megan nodded, her face pale, her lips firming.

  Josh turned to Christine. “You mean Chase Buchannan? The Academy Award–winning actor who died in a car wreck a year ago?”

  Christine touched his arm. “Yes. Megan was almost killed in that same car accident.” Megan’s cousin grimaced. “I’m sorry about what happened to you and him.”

  Megan didn’t respond, her body stiff, her green eyes dark.

  Daniel hadn’t heard this story from her, and it brought home to him just how much he didn’t know about Megan Talbot. She’d been engaged to a movie star. His chest tightened.

  “Ah, here you all are.” Mrs. Talbot appeared in the back entrance to the house. She wore a long dress the color of champagne. Her hair swept up in a twist at the back of her head, the sides sleek. Her ears were adorned with long, shimmering diamond earrings. “Dinner is almost served.”

  The two couples followed Megan’s mother into the house.

  Once inside, Daniel turned to Megan’s mother. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ll go change for dinner.”

  Mrs. Talbot smiled. “Certainly.”

  Megan took his hand, and they ascended the staircase together. Daniel knew she held his hand for show, but it was warm in his, and he squeezed it reassuringly.

  Once in the bedroom, Megan opened a door leading into a huge walk-in closet. “I can dress in here and give you privacy.” She handed his suit to him. “You might need this.”

  “How did it get in there?”

  “The maid unpacked your case for you.”

  He wasn’t sure he liked someone unpacking for him. It wasn’t something a boy who grew up in a trailer park got used to. Even when he’d moved to the Coltons’ main house, he’d insisted on hanging his own clothing and cleaning up after himself.

  When Daniel reached for the suit, he caught a glimpse of the closet’s interior. It was as big as his bedroom in the Coltons’ house. An entire wall filled with dresses. “Holy smokes, you could open your own dress shop.”

  Megan grimaced, her cheeks reddening. “My mother insisted I have all the latest fashions. She was annoyed when I wore my jeans and boots every day. It’s part of the reason she insisted on formal dining. Just to get me into a dress.” She closed the door between them. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”

  While she was in the closet, Daniel stripped out of his clothes and slipped into his suit trousers. “I didn’t know you were engaged.”

  “It wasn’t relevant when I applied for the job at the Lucky C,” she answered through the wood-paneled door.

  “What happened to make him wreck his car?”

  “He liked going fast,” Megan said.

  Daniel stuck his arms into the button-up shirt and pulled it over his shoulders, vaguely noticing that the wrinkles had been ironed out of it and the suit. His thoughts were on the car wreck and the fact Megan had almost lost her life. “Why would he drive that fast with you in the vehicle with him?”

  Megan opened the door to the closet and stepped out, wearing a long black dress that hugged all her curves like a second skin. “I think he was impressed with his Porsche, and he wanted me to be impressed with the car and his driving skills.” She glanced to the side. “I just wanted him to stop and let me out.” Megan snorted softly. “He did both by slamming into a telephone pole, which fortunately ejected me, throwing me clear of the vehicle. Unfortunately, it killed him instantly.”

  Daniel took her hands in his and held them while he stared into her eyes, trying to read the emotion there. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s been almost a year.” She pulled her hands free of his. “Are you ready?”

  Daniel shook his head. “I can see why your mother wanted you to wear dresses.” He swept her from head to toe with his gaze. “You’re absolutely stunning.”

  “Thank you.” She dipped her head, color rising up her neck. “You don’t have to compliment me when we’re in the privacy of my room.”

  “Yes. I do.” Daniel touched a finger to her chin and raised her face so that she was forced to look him in the eye. “You’re a beautiful woman. And though I’m not a poet, beauty, whether it’s scenery, a painting, a horse or a woman should be recognized. I’m recognizing you.”

  She stared up at him, her green eyes filling with tears. “That is perhaps the loveliest compliment I’ve ever received.”

  For a long moment he stood, enchanted by her shining eyes, her body, the dress—hell, everything about Megan. Then nothing could stop him from lowering his lips and claiming her lush mouth.

  At first his kiss was gentle, a skimming of his lips over hers. Within a moment, desire overwhelmed him and his arm slipped around her, bringing her body flush against his. He crushed her mouth with his, his tongue caressing hers in a long, sensual glide.

  She tasted so sweet, warm and wet. He could hold her forever and kiss her even longer and it wouldn’t be enough. When at last he was forced to draw air into his lungs, he raised his head and pressed his forehead against hers. “We’d better go down before your mother comes up to find us.”

  “What mother?” She clutched his arms. “You’re right. We should go down. My mother has been known to climb the stairs looking for me.”

  Daniel shrugged into his suit jacket, glad for the extra clothing to hide the evidence of the effect she had on him. The next day or two would be torture. He didn’t know how he’d keep his hands off her, but he had to. If not for her protection, then for his. He suspected he was losing his heart to this amazing woman.

  * * *

  Megan hooked her arm through Daniel’s and walked with him down the curved staircase, wishing they had insisted on staying in a hotel. Then at least they could cl
aim they were still on their honeymoon and wanted their privacy. She’d lock the door and refuse to leave until he made mad, passionate love to her. Oh, hell, once would never be enough.

  She was so totally in love with Daniel Colton, there was no going back. At the end of their agreement... She didn’t want to think about the end when her emotions were tied up in him already. Megan vowed to take one day at a time. With Chase, she’d learned there might not be more days to follow.

  “Oh, good.” Her mother appeared in the foyer. “I was about to come up and find you. We’re waiting on you two.”

  “Sorry to keep you, Mrs. Talbot.” Daniel kissed Megan’s temple. “Your daughter is so gorgeous, I can’t seem to stop kissing her. And I can see where she gets her beauty.” He lifted the older woman’s hand and kissed her knuckles.

  Megan’s cheeks flamed and her heart warmed.

  Her mother smiled at her. “He is a charming man, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, he is.” Megan glanced up at Daniel.

  He winked.

  “Come into the dining room. I’m sure you’re hungry.” Her mother led the way into the formal dining room and indicated where they should be seated.

  “Thank you, Josh and Christine, for helping to set the table and gather the dishes. I sent Maria home. She wasn’t feeling well, and I didn’t want her to work when she was sick.”

  “Anything you need. We appreciate that you’re allowing us to stay here for the next few days.” Josh laid a hand on Mrs. Talbot’s arm. “Your hospitality always makes us feel comfortable and at home.”

  “It’s the least I can do when you’ve come all the way out here to visit us. And I’m so happy you were able to be here when Megan brought her new husband home.”

  Daniel nodded. “Thank you for letting us stay, Mrs. Talbot. Especially on such short notice.”

  Frank appeared in the doorway, dressed in a tailored suit. “What are we waiting for? Let’s eat.”

  Megan and Daniel sat across from Josh and Christine. Frank and Josephine sat at either end of the table.

  A servant filled wineglasses around the table, while another placed small bowls of soup in front of each person.