West Texas Match (The West Texans Series #1)

by Ginger Chambers

  “First thing when I got in.” With a flip of his wrist, Morgan released Rafe from his tightened loop and nodding, handed the borrowed rope back to Gene, who was grinning.

  “Well, it’s true,” Rafe said. “Don’t know when exactly, but it’s going to happen.”

  The two friends moved away from the other cowboys.

  Morgan shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day when you’d give in to one of Mae’s plans.”

  Rafe laughed sheepishly. “Neither did I. But this time...everything’s different. Shannon’s...” He glanced at his friend. “I was just on my way up to the house. Want to come along and meet her?”

  “Better not. Mom’s puttin’ on a big spread for lunch, and you know how she is about people showin’ up late. But I’ll meet your lady later. Dad says she fits you to a tee.”

  “I wasn’t sure he approved.”

  “Would it have made a difference if he didn’t?”

  “Nope.”

  “Didn’t think so.”

  Rafe grinned. “Now we’re going to have to find someone for you.”

  “Forget it! I like my life just the way it is.”

  Rafe laughed. “Seems like I remember saying something similar myself.”

  “Well, I mean it.”

  “So did I,” Rafe said. “So did I.”

  ~*~

  Shannon sat in the courtyard enjoying the shade. She’d made a transition in that regard, too. She no longer needed a daily quota of sun.

  Shep sat at her side, a loyal friend. He looked up at her and wagged his tail, gratefully accepting the long strokes she gave his head and back.

  “You won’t mind sharing him with me, will you, boy?” she asked softly, leaning forward. “You’ve had him all to yourself for sixteen years.”

  The dog licked the tip of her nose, and Shannon laughed.

  Everything seemed so right. She’d moved with seeming ease from being a stranger to the Parkers to being one of them. Just as Darlene had said while paying a congratulatory visit shortly after Harriet left, she might have been a long-missing puzzle piece, she fitted so perfectly into place!

  Her only wish was that Rafe could have met her parents, and that her parents could have met him. That they could somehow know how happy she’d become again. But maybe they did know, and maybe James did, too.

  During those long hours in the downed aircraft when she’d had those visions of her father and James, they’d urged her not to follow them, not to give up her life. Life. It meant more than mere existence. It meant happiness, something to look forward to, someone to love and to be loved by. When they had urged her back to life, they had urged her into the future, not a continued longing for the past.

  Shep nudged her with his nose—she’d stopped petting him. Laughing, she resumed the long strokes.

  Some minutes later she looked at her watch. It was almost one o’clock. Was Rafe not going to come to the compound for lunch? And if he wasn’t, would he mind if she went to see him?

  She felt a shiver of delicious anticipation.

  ~*~

  Shannon and Shep didn’t get very far along the path before Rafe swooped down on them.

  He picked her up and swung her around, then smothered her lips with a long provocative kiss, not seeming to care who might witness it.

  “My goodness!” Shannon said breathlessly on a bubbling mixture of stimulation and joy.

  Rafe’s black eyes danced as he set her down. “Never say I don’t know how to make a woman feel welcome,” he teased.

  “I won’t!”

  Shep jumped up to hang his front paws on Rafe’s arm, an attempt to get his share of attention.

  Rafe laughed. “Or a dog. Hey, Shep,” he greeted as he rubbed the dog’s neck and ears. “Where were you two going?” he asked, glancing back at Shannon.

  “To see you, where else? What about you?”

  “To see you.”

  Rafe directed Shep to the ground, and they all started back up the path—two humans with their arms wrapped tightly around each other’s waists and an old yellow dog at their heels.

  “Everyone knows,” Shannon said after a moment.

  “Yep.”

  “Does it bother you?”

  “Nope.”

  They came to the walkway to Mae’s house, and when Shannon started to turn up it, Rafe pulled her back and continued on. “Where are we going?” Shannon asked. “I thought—”

  “Close your eyes and I’ll tell you when we get there.”

  Shannon knew exactly where they were heading. “Rafe—”

  “I’ve waited all morning,” he cut in. “I don’t intend to wait any longer.”

  “But, Rafe... your relatives! They’ll see us.”

  “Let ’em see. Especially Aunt Mae. She’s the one most responsible.”

  “But—”

  He stopped just off the front of his porch. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

  Shannon sensed the sudden uncertainty behind his question. Last night she had given herself to him freely. This morning she had toasted their future with champagne. She’d even told him that she loved him. But because of what she’d said about James, it wasn’t enough.

  She’d thought it important to tell him the truth. She still did. But today as her own confusion lessened, his must have increased. Was he even aware of it?

  She reached up and held his face between her hands. “No, Rafe,” she said softly, “I haven’t changed my mind. I won’t ever change it. I love you. I love you.”

  A muscle jerked in his jaw. In the next second he’d drawn one of Shannon’s hands away from his face and used it to pull her into the house.

  She didn’t have time to look around. She managed to gather only a vague feeling of masculine comfort before Rafe started to touch her and kiss her and make her forget everything but a questing need for him.

  He carried her into the bedroom and placed her on his bed. For a moment, he only looked at her, as if wanting to imprint her image in his mind. Then he stretched out beside her, no longer able to stay away.

  ~*~

  “Mae...Aunt Mae,” Shannon corrected herself, “wants us to set a date for the wedding. Early June. While everyone’s here for the family meeting.”

  Rafe’s fingers slid down her arm, and while they were in the vicinity, they detoured to a partially covered breast, tracing the soft curve and rounded peak. “Too far off,” he said. “Dub tells me I should get my brand on you right away.”

  Shannon arched back. “Your brand?”

  Rafe smiled. “Hey, don’t get angry with me. That’s what he said.”

  “The men out here...” Shannon grumbled, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

  “Little better than coyotes,” Rafe agreed, teasing her.

  Shannon couldn’t help it, she giggled. She had friends who’d be horrified at her reaction. But then, they weren’t in Rafe’s arms, still warm from his lovemaking. Or a victim of his smile. Ways of doing things were different out here than in the city. People were different. As Gib had told her when she’d first arrived, they were much more elemental. Now she understood what he meant. Toughness and gentleness went hand in hand. One on the surface, the other underneath.

  Her giggles stopped, and she settled back against Rafe, cuddling close. “I love you, Rafe. I didn’t want to, either, but I do. There’s no need to put your brand on me in a hurry. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here with you forever. Or for as long as you—”

  “I’ll always want you here,” Rafe said gruffly.

  Shannon lifted her head to meet his eyes. His dark, dark eyes that she could see were bright with love and no longer clouded with doubt.

  She teased, “If you ever think to change your mind, Aunt Mae’s going to look like an amateur compared to me.”

  Rafe grinned. “Spoken like a true Parker.”

  Shannon tilted her head and pretended to contemplate. “Shannon Parker. Shannon and Rafe Parker. That does have somethi
ng of a ring to it, doesn’t it?”

  Rafe’s arms tightened. “I like it,” he said simply.

  ~*~

  Shep, who’d been napping on a favorite rug in the living room, came to investigate what they were doing. Toenails clicking, he entered the room, paused, saw that all was well, then made himself comfortable on his second-favorite rug at the side of the bed. Soon the whispered words of the humans lulled him back to sleep, where once again in his dreams he was an active cowdog.

  Dear Reader,

  Wait! Wait! You’re not finished! There’s another important thing to do, especially if you enjoyed West Texas Match: leave a review and/or a star rating at your favorite ebook store or review site. I would be grateful, and so would the Parkers at the Ranch. Please help spread the word about their stories!

  Also, don’t forget to Sign Up For My Newsletter if you haven’t already! Be the first to know about New Releases and Special Offers.

  With warm regards,

  Ginger

  Other Books Published by Ginger Chambers

  Western Contemporary Romance

  LOVE, TEXAS

  The West Texans series:

  WEST TEXAS MATCH, Book 1

  WEST TEXAS WEDDINGS, Book 2 (coming late February 2017)

  WEST TEXAS LAWMAN, Book 3

  WEST TEXAS TWILIGHT, Book 4

  WEST TEXAS BORN, Book 5

  WEST TEXAS HIDDEN, Book 6

  WEST TEXAS FOREVER, Book 7

  Contemporary Romance

  JUST UNTIL SEPTEMBER (coming soon)

  Romantic Suspense

  The Love & Danger collection (each is a stand-alone book):

  FIREFLY IN THE NIGHT

  CALL MY NAME SOFTLY

  NIGHTSHADE

  THE LOVE & DANGER BOXED SET

  About the Author

  Ginger Chambers is the author of over 30 romance novels. She began her career at Dell Publishing in the Candlelight Romance, Ecstasy, and Ecstasy Supreme lines. At Harlequin, she wrote for American Romance, Superromance, Heartwarming, as well as Special Projects: the Welcome to Tyler, and the Tyler Hometown Reunion continuity series. A proud native of Texas, Ginger now makes her home with her husband in California.

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  Excerpt from WEST TEXAS WEDDINGS, Book 2 of The West Texans series:

  Chapter One

  The law office was intimidating, even for an adult—stuffy, somber, with uncomfortable chairs in the outer office. When Christine’s name was called, she paused to squeeze her daughter’s hand.

  “This shouldn’t take long,” she murmured. “Ten, fifteen minutes tops. Then we’ll stop for an ice cream on our way home, and you can have a double dip of any flavor you want. Does that sound good?”

  Erin looked at her with huge dark eyes and nodded.

  As it had for the past eight years, Christine’s heart melted. She’d loved her daughter from the first moment she’d seen her, making the trying circumstances surrounding her birth irrelevant. The only thing that had mattered was that this tiny being—so helpless, so filled with need—looked to her for protection and care.

  Christine followed the assistant into Eugene Hernandez’s office. A tall thin man in his late forties, he smiled and rose quickly to his feet. After shaking her hand, he offered her a place in one of the chairs opposite his desk, before glancing at his assistant. “Mrs. Warren, if you please, some coffee. Or would you prefer tea?” he asked Christine.

  “Actually,” Christine said, “I’d rather not have anything.”

  The woman withdrew and Eugene Hernandez reseated himself.

  “In that case, we’ll get right to it.” The lawyer brought forward a thick official-looking document, which he promptly flipped to a section near the back. He read it to himself, before he folded his hands and looked at her.

  Christine’s heart beat faster. What was it? His phone call last night had told her nothing. “A matter of some importance,” was all he’d said.

  The lawyer cleared his throat. “The reason I’ve called you here, Ms. Grant, is to inform you of a bequest in Mr. Ira Parker’s will. A bequest to you.”

  Christine stared at the him. “I don’t understand. I’m not a member of Mr. Parker’s family, only an employee.”

  “Even so...” the man murmured.

  Color stained Christine’s cheeks. She knew what he was thinking. It was what some other people thought, as well. But it hadn’t been like that! Ira Parker was one of the few truly decent human beings she’d ever met. Through all the long hard months of his illness, he’d remained kind to both her and Erin. Christine had looked upon him fondly, as she might an elderly uncle.

  “I assure you, Mr. Hernandez,” she said tightly, “Mr. Parker and I never—”

  He interrupted her. “Of course, of course.”

  Christine stopped. How did you successfully deny something another person was determined to believe?

  “What...what is this bequest?” she asked. Just because he’d jumped to a prurient conclusion, didn’t mean she could afford not to hear him out. Her job had abruptly ended, which also meant they had to find a new home.

  The lawyer again referred to the document, then proceeded to read the text aloud.

  When he finished, she asked, frowning, “What does that mean? A share in a ranch.”

  “Not just a ranch,” Eugene Hernandez corrected. “The Parker Ranch.”

  Christine’s frown deepened. “I don’t... I’ve never heard...”

  The man laughed. It contained a measure of skepticism. “Then you have a very pleasant surprise in store.”

  “Can I sell it?” Christine asked.

  “Sell it?” he echoed. “Absolutely not! That wasn’t what Mr. Parker had in mind.”

  “How do you know what Mr. Parker had in mind? How do you know he didn’t intend for me to sell it?”

  “Trust me, Ms. Grant, that wasn’t what he wanted.” Like a magician conjuring a rabbit, Eugene Hernandez withdrew an envelope from a side drawer of his desk and held it out to her. “He asked me to give this to you. You are to read it in my presence.”

  Confused, Christine asked, “Why?”

  “So I can answer any questions that might arise.”

  She drew a steadying breath. “If I can’t sell it, what good is it to me?”

  The lawyer rattled the envelope for her to accept.

  Christine broke the seal and withdrew two pages of quality note paper, which she recognized instantly as belonging to Ira Parker. She paused when she saw the spidery scrawl that covered both sheets. Growing weakness had reduced Mr. Parker’s once robust handwriting to near illegibility. In the last few weeks of his life he had limited himself to only an occasional signature, and it had been done with painstaking care. Familiar with each phase of his physical decline, Christine realized he had written this letter, at great cost to himself, during those last few weeks.

  Tears clouded her vision, but she willed them away. She was still in mourning for Mr. Parker, but she wasn’t going to break down in front of the lawyer. He’d already proved he’d take it the wrong way.

  “My dear Christine,” Ira had written. She blinked and had to start over again. “My dear Christine, forgive me for springing this on you at the last minute, but presenting you with a share in my family’s ranch is the only way I know to show you just how much you’ve come to mean to me. You and little Erin have given such joy to the last months of an old man’s life. I want you to have something special, something that will provide for you both in the years ahead. You’ve had a hard life up to now. Don’t deny it, I know it’s true! Nothing can be done about the past, but everything can be done about the future. It makes me happy to think a small gift from me can make that difference—especially for Erin. Take her to the ranch, Christine. Take her to the Parker Ranch and let her run wild like I was lucky enough to do as a child. My family will welcome you. Let them, Christine. No one will hurt you there. They’re the salt of the earth, rock solid, with hearts as maj
estic as the land that surrounds them. Eugene will give you the particulars.” It was signed, “Ira.”

  Christine lifted her stunned gaze. ‘‘He wants us to live there?”

  “As you know, Ms. Grant, Mr. Parker could be very closedmouthed about his personal affairs. He had an accountant who took care of his finances, while my firm represented him on the occasional personal matter. I knew he was a Parker, but that was all, until the addendum to the will and his subsequent instructions.” The lawyer cleared his throat. “I’ll be glad to answer any questions.”

  Christine’s mind had gone blank. She continued to stare at Eugene Hernandez. Finally, grasping at straws, she asked, “Where is this ranch?”

  “In far West Texas. Mr. Parker has provided two maps.” He reached into the side drawer again and withdrew an official state road map, as well as one drawn on plain paper. The shaky lines showed the latter to be Ira’s creation.

  Christine wanted to cry now more than ever, but years of controlling her emotions helped her hold herself together. “I—I can’t think,” she admitted.

  The lawyer stood up, and coming around the desk, assisted her to her feet. “You have my number,” he said smoothly. “Call me whenever you like. After the shock wears off, I’m sure you’ll have many questions.” Accompanying her to the door, he continued, “You’re a very lucky young woman, Ms. Grant. A share in the Parker Ranch will set you up for life. It’s not an ordinary ranch that’s hanging on by its bootstraps. This ranch is a highly successful business venture because it has good management, cattle and oil.”

  Christine moved as if in a trance. She was aware of Erin jumping up to meet her and of them leaving the law office. But it wasn’t until they were at the elevator, waiting for it to arrive, that the reality of what she’d just learned hit her. They owned a share in a ranch! A profitable ranch! And Ira wanted them to make it their home!