Kayla & the Rancher

by Paige Tyler

  “You have to tell him, Kayla,” Rachel said quietly.

  “And what exactly do I say, Rachel?” she demanded. “How do I tell him that my name is really Kayla Mathison, and that I’m from New York? Do you real y think he’ll care that I was running away from an arranged marriage to a man named William Delmont, the man my father wanted me to marry? How is he

  going to react when he learns that I lied about being his mail-order bride, that I’ve been lying to him all along?” She answered without giving the other girl a chance to say anything. “I’l tell you how he’s going to react. He’ll be furious and he won’t have anything more to do with me.”

  Rachel frowned. “You don’t know that, Kayla.”

  She shrugged. “But I can’t be sure, so I won’t take that chance.”

  Her friend sighed. “And what if Cord finds out from someone else that you

  lied, Kayla? How is he going to react then?”

  Kayla hesitated for a moment, and then shook her head. “There’s no way that he could find out, Rachel. Unless you tell him, of course, and you already assured me that you wouldn’t.” Impulsively, she sat beside the blonde and

  took hold of the girl’s hands. “Please promise me that you won’t say anything to him,” she pleaded.

  Rachel gave her a small smile. “You know that I won’t, but I’m telling you again that this is a bad idea,” she said, and then sighed at the look on Kayla’s face. “You really will make a beautiful bride.”

  Anything that Kayla would have said was interrupted by the sound of

  footsteps on the stairs.

  “Rachel, are you up here?” a male voice said from the top of the stairs, and both Kayla and Rachel looked in the direction of the open doorway to see

  Dalton Jeffries looking into the room.

  Kayla’s heart thudded in her chest. What was he doing here? she wondered.

  After the other night, she didn’t even like to be in the same room with him.

  Especially when he was eyeing her so boldly.

  “Well, Miss Murray, Holderness sure is a lucky man,” he said.

  Beside her, Rachel got to her feet. “What are you doing here?” she

  demanded icily.

  He chuckled. “Can’t a man visit his own sister?”

  Not wanting to be in the room with Dalton Jeffries for another minute, Kayla stood up and nervously smoothed her dress. “If you’ll excuse me, Rachel, I think I’ll go change.”

  Ignoring Dalton Jeffries, she made her way across the room and into the

  bedroom Rachel shared with her husband. Through the door, she could hear

  muffled voices coming from the other room, and though she changed into her other dress quickly, she waited until she was sure that Dalton Jeffries had left before going back out.

  Rachel’s face was flushed, indicating that she was clearly agitated by her brother’s visit. “Do you know that Dalton actual y had the audacity to ask me when your wedding is? As if you and Cord would want him there!”

  Kayla’s stomach churned at the thought. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

  The other girl shook her head. “But it doesn’t matter. Copper Creek’s so small that everyone, including Dalton, will know when the wedding is soon enough.”

  That was probably true, Kayla thought. “Your brother came by the other day to make an offer on the ranch,” she said. “Cord wasn’t too pleased. I thought they were going to get in a fight right there.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Rachel said.

  “What is it with those two? Is it just because your brother wants to buy Cord’s ranch?”

  “That’s part of it,” Rachel said, going into the small kitchen to heat water for tea. “But by no means all of it.”

  Kayla followed, her brow furrowing. “Then what?”

  Rachel sighed. “Cord came to Copper Creek a few weeks after Dalton got

  married. Hannah was the daughter of another rancher, so it was natural that her father gave his blessing when Dalton asked to marry her.” She two mugs down from the shelf beside the stove and set them on the table. “When

  Hannah saw Cord, though, she immediately fell in love with him.”

  Kayla knew where Rachel was going with this, and though she didn’t want to hear about how much Cord had loved this other woman, she had to know.

  “And he loved her.”

  Rachel shook her head. “No, he didn’t,” she said, much to Kayla’s surprise.

  “Cord’s too honorable for that. He was Hannah’s friend, and that’s all. But my brother refused to believe that. I suppose it didn’t help that Hannah spent as much time with Cord as she could. A lot of people say that she wanted to

  leave Dalton, which I imagine is probably true. I also think he became so

  furious with her that he beat her a few times, though no one real y knows for sure. What everyone does know for sure, though, is that she left Dalton’s

  ranch in the middle of a terrible rainstorm. Everyone thinks that she was trying to get to Cord’s ranch as fast as she could, but with the darkness and rain that night, she never got there. They found her body the next morning at the bottom of a rocky gorge just above Cord’s ranch house,” she explained.

  “Maybe she became confused in the dark, or maybe she was just scared and

  running from my brother. Either way, she shouldn’t have been in that gorge.

  As Dalton sees it, Hannah was cheating on him, and so he blames Cord for

  what happened to her, whereas Cord believes that Hannah never would have

  been in that gorge if she hadn’t been running from an abusive husband.

  They’ve hated each other ever since then.”

  Kayla chewed on her lower lip. She could certainly understand why Cord was so protective of her now. And she could almost guarantee that she knew

  exactly which gorge Rachel had been talking about.

  Rachel made their tea and set the mugs on the table, but didn’t sit down right away. Instead, she excused herself and went into the bedroom, only to come back a few minutes later. Taking the chair across from Kayla, she smiled.

  “Every bride needs something borrowed on her wedding day, so I thought that perhaps you’d like to wear this,” the other girl said, opening her hand to reveal a beautiful locket on a gold chain.

  Kayla reached out to take the necklace, carefully holding it in her hand.

  “Rachel, it’s beautiful. Thank you.”

  “I wore it on my wedding day, and I want it to bring you and Cord as much

  luck and happiness as it has Matthew and me,” her friend said.

  Kayla smiled, but said nothing. The necklace was beautiful and she would be honored to wear it, especially since it had brought Rachel such good fortune in her marriage. With all the lying she had been doing to Cord, she thought wryly, she would need as much good fortune as she could get.

  Chapter Five

  When she awoke on her wedding day, Kayla could think only of one thing. By evening, she would be Mrs. Cord Holderness, and she couldn’t be happier.

  Somewhere in between the moment she’d first stepped off the stagecoach,

  the picnic that day he had taken her riding, and all the spankings he’d given her, Kayla had fallen in love with Cord. And though it probably should have made a difference to her that he would be marrying Abigail Murray today

  instead of Kayla Mathison, strangely enough, it didn’t. She would be Cord’s wife in every way that mattered, she told herself. What was in a name,

  anyway?

  After taking a warm bath, Kayla padded barefoot over to the washstand

  where she brushed her long hair until it shone. She then piled it atop her head in loose curls before slipping into her wedding dress. Surveying her reflection in the full-length mirror, she then left the room to make her way downstairs.

  Cord was waiting for her in the foyer, and he turned at the sound of her

  footsteps.

  He had d
ressed for the occasion in dark-colored trousers and a crisp white shirt with a long string tie, over which he wore a matching vest, and Kayla didn’t think she’d ever seen him look more handsome. In his hand, he held a bouquet of freshly picked daisies.

  Looking at his bride, however, Cord forgot all about the flowers in his hand, and simply stared at her. She was so lovely that it took his breath away, and it was several moments before he could speak.

  “You look absolutely beautiful,” he said softly.

  She smiled, blushing at the compliment. “I’m glad you think so.”

  Suddenly remembering the flowers in his hand, he held them out for her.

  “These are for you,” he said simply.

  “They’re lovely,” she said, reaching out to take them. “Thank you.”

  Embarrassed to realize that her hands were trembling, Kayla looked away,

  only to feel Cord’s fingers beneath her chin. She lifted her head to find him regarding her intently.

  “When I put in an order for a mail-order bride, I didn’t expect to fall in love, Abigail,” he said softly. “But then you stepped off that stagecoach, and I fell head over heels for you from the first moment I saw you.”

  Kayla caught her breath, unable to believe what she had just heard.

  “You...you love me?” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

  His mouth quirked. “Are you really that surprised, sweetheart?” he asked.

  She flushed, Rachel’s words of advice to tell Cord the truth suddenly coming back to her. “I...there’s something I have to tell you...” she began, but her voice trailed off.

  “You don’t have to say it; I understand,” he said when she didn’t finish. “I wasn’t expecting you to feel the same way. In time, perhaps, but for now, it’s enough that you’ve agreed to marry me.”

  She blinked. “But...that’s just it,” she said quickly, going up on tiptoe to kiss him on the mouth. “I do love you, Cord. I love you so much. It’s just that...”

  His brow furrowed. “What is it, Abigail?”

  She couldn’t tell him, she realized. She simply couldn’t do it. Tears suddenly sprang to her eyes, and she blinked them back. “I...it’s nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m just so happy, that’s all.”

  Cord looked like he wanted to prompt her further, but after a moment, he

  smiled. “Then we’d better get going, before we’re late.”

  So, wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, and

  something blue, and using the name, Abigail Murray, Kayla Mathison married Cord Holderness that afternoon. Most of the town had come out to witness

  the ceremony, as well as to congratulate her and Cord at the reception held outside in the churchyard afterward. Kayla had been half-afraid that Dalton Jeffries would come to the wedding, and she was relieved when she didn’t

  see him among the guests.

  Several of the townsfolk had brought musical instruments with them, and so after the meal, which was a simple menu of roasted chicken, potatoes and

  vegetables, Cord took Kayla’s hand and led her onto the makeshift dance

  floor. Their guests eagerly joined in, though Kayla barely took notice of the other dancers around them, so captivated was she by her husband.

  In fact, she was so caught up in dancing with Cord that she didn’t notice

  Dalton Jeffries standing beside them until he had placed a hand on her

  husband’s shoulder.

  “Mind if I cut in?”

  Kayla blinked, not sure if she were more startled by the man’s question, or his presence at her and Cord’s wedding. She looked at her husband nervously.

  Cord’s jaw was clenched, his face an unreadable mask.

  Holding onto her hand, Cord protectively pulled her close. “You’re not

  welcome here, Jeffries,” he said curtly. “I’ll tell you this only one time; get the hell out of here.”

  In the tense silence that followed, Kayla gripped her husband’s hand tighter.

  She realized then that not only had the music stopped, but that every one of the guests was staring at them, and she prayed that Dalton Jeffries would

  simply do as Cord had asked and leave.

  But Dalton made no move to leave. Instead, he gave Cord a sardonic smirk.

  “Come on, Holderness; why not share some of your good fortune with the rest of us?”

  Dalton Jeffries words were casual enough, but as he spoke, he lazily looked Kayla up and down, leaving no room for doubt as to what he was referring to, and Cord snapped.

  With a sound deep in his throat, Cord lunged for Dalton. Crying out in dismay, Kayla desperately gripped her husband’s arm as she tried to hold him back.

  “Cord, don’t...” she begged.

  Intent on making Dalton pay for his snide comment, Cord ignored her, going for the other man anyway, and Kayla was grateful when Lucas, who had been

  nearby, stepped in to restrain his boss with a hand on Cord’s shoulder. Cord tried to shake him off, which was when another one of the hands took his

  other shoulder.

  “He’s not worth it, Cord,” Lucas advised, trying to maintain his grip on Cord’s shoulder.

  Dalton, for his part, seemed to find the whole thing amusing, and only

  encouraged Cord to take a punch at him until Rachel stepped between her

  brother and Cord.

  “Dalton, stop it,” she yelled, forcing herself to be heard over his shouted taunts. “Can’t you see that you’re making a fool of yourself?”

  Dalton Jeffries didn’t seem to care, however. He took a step forward and

  would have pushed his sister out of the way had Rachel’s husband, Matthew, and another man that Kayla didn’t recognize not grabbed hold of him from

  behind.

  Terrified that the men holding Cord and Dalton wouldn’t be able to keep the two men from going at each other for much longer, Kayla hurriedly stepped in front of her husband.

  “Cord, please,” she pleaded, lifting her hand to rest it against his cheek, hoping that he would look at her. “This is our wedding day. Please don’t let him spoil it for us. Please.”

  Her softly spoken words must have gotten through to him because she felt

  him relax against the men holding him back, saw his gaze shift from Dalton Jeffries to her. She smiled up at him.

  Lucas and the other man must have sensed the tension beginning to

  disappear from Cord as well because they released their hold on him and

  took a step back. Glancing warily at Dalton Jeffries, Kayla saw him nod jerkily to the men that had been restraining him. When Matthew and the other man

  didn’t release him quickly enough, he shrugged off their hold.

  Kayla tensed, expecting him to lunge for her husband, but he merely gave her and Cord a contemptuous look.

  “Enjoy your happiness while it lasts,” he sneered before turning on his heel.

  Dalton Jeffries’ words sent a chill racing up Kayla’s backbone, and she stared at him in stunned silence as he pushed his way through the guests that had been crowded around the dance floor. Wetting her lips nervously, she turned back to Cord to find him watching the other man’s retreating form.

  Almost as one, the guests around them began to whisper among themselves,

  but anything they said was lost to her ears as the small group of musicians began to play again.

  “What...what did he mean by that, do you think?” she asked Cord.

  Her husband was silent a moment before answering, and when he did, he

  reached up to gently caress her cheek. “He’s just all talk,” he admitted. “But like you said, this is our wedding day, and I don’t intend to let Jeffries or anyone else spoil it.” He grinned suddenly. “If I remember correctly, we were in the middle of a dance, weren’t we, sweetheart?”

  Kayla allowed him to pull her close, but it was difficult for her to forget Dalton Jeffries w
ords. Despite what Cord had said, he seemed to be finding it difficult to forget them as well because he was tense and preoccupied as they

  danced. However, by the time they were ready to cut the cake a short time

  later, both she and Cord had begun to relax.

  Kayla would have headed back out onto the dance floor after they had

  finished their cake, but Cord held onto her hand and pulled her behind a big oak tree.

  “I’ve been waiting to get you alone all day,” he said huskily, his mouth against hers. “Do you think anyone will notice if we leave?”

  She laughed lightly, as eager to be alone with him as he was with her. “I think it’s traditional for me to throw the bouquet before we do.”

  He kissed her again, his mouth warm and insistent on hers. “Then throw it so that we can get out of here.”

  There were only a handful of unmarried women in Copper Creek, and most of