Canyon

by Brenda Jackson

  Keisha knew there was no sense wasting her time telling Michael just how ridiculous he sounded. The man had issues, which only made her more concerned about him and why he was here. “There’s nothing I can say that will make you see how unjust your claims are. I suggest you leave now.”

  His smile sent chills up her body. “Oh, I’m leaving, and I’m taking you with me. I tried sending you warnings by paying that guy to scare you on the road and I, along with a friend who knew how to bypass your alarm system, even wrecked your house, hoping you would get scared and hightail it back to Texas. But this morning Spivey announced you were out and would return in a week. That’s not good enough.”

  Fury fired through Keisha’s veins. “You’re the one who did those things? How dare you! I never did anything to you, and you trashed my house, turned my and my son’s world upside down because of misplaced blame? How dare you?”

  “Yes, how dare me?” he mocked. “You can get mad but it doesn’t matter. I saw your boyfriend leave and since you didn’t take my other warnings I’m getting rid of you once and for all. I’m not going to kill you. I plan to turn you over to some people I know involved in human trafficking to Central America. They’ll toy with you a while, shoot you up with drugs and destroy that sharp mind of yours, the one that Spivey and Whitlock admire so much. No one will able be able to find you.”

  Keisha took a step back. Michael wasn’t thinking straight. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “You don’t have a choice. I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. “But I will.”

  And then she saw it. The steel blade of the knife he was holding glinted in the moonlight. Fear rose in her throat. “Michael, please. You’re not thinking straight. Nobody can place all the blame on others for their own actions.” Like nobody should place all the blame on themselves either. Or not forgive others, or themselves, when they have the chance to do so.

  “Let’s go. No telling when your boyfriend will return,” Michael said.

  Keisha had hoped she could keep him talking until Canyon came back. All she could think about was Beau upstairs sleeping. She had to keep him safe. “Michael, please. I am not to blame for all your problems. We were once friends and—”

  “No! A friend would not have ruined my marriage or taken away a job that should be mine! Now move!”

  Knowing she had no choice, Keisha began walking down the steps from the porch. She knew she had to think of something fast when she saw his car. Once he got her inside it she might never get away.

  An idea came into her head when she saw the weed edger that Canyon had used the other day, resting against a tree. It was a chance she had to take. Pretending to almost stumble, she quickly grabbed hold of the edger and twirled around fast, swinging it wide, feeling victorious when the knife was knocked out of his hand.

  Instead of retrieving it, Michael lunged for her. She swung again, going low with all her might, hitting his knee hard and sending him to the ground. He scrambled to get up and she swung again. He was almost successful in grabbing the edger from her hand, but she kicked him below the belt. He yelped, releasing the edger. But he was looking around for the knife. She thought of running for the house but wasn’t sure she could make it. So she continued to use the tool she had, swinging it back and forth. When he tried charging for her, she hit the power switch and set the blades in motion.

  “Put that down, bitch!” he screamed, backing up when she almost shoved the blades in his face.

  “I won’t! And I’m not to blame. Do you hear me? I am not to blame!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, moving closer to his face with the blades.

  She didn’t notice when Canyon arrived, but he was there, coming up behind Michael and knocking him to the ground with one hard blow. Michael tried to get away from Canyon but that meant staring into the edger’s blades.

  So he turned and tried fighting Canyon, who with another single hard blow, knocked Michael out cold. It was only then that Keisha cut the switch to the edger and ran straight into Canyon’s arms.

  “You okay, baby?” he asked, holding her close.

  “Yes, I’m okay. His name is Michael Jarrod and I work with him. He’s the one who trashed my house and paid that guy to scare me on the road.”

  “I know, baby. I know.”

  She leaned back. “You know?”

  “Yes. I had several missed calls from Render on my phone and called him. I figured things out and came back to ask you about Jarrod. I had no idea he was here. I should not have gotten mad and left tonight, leaving you and Beau alone. I don’t want to think what could have happened.”

  She cupped his face. “Don’t blame yourself. Michael was crazy, blaming me for things that were his fault. He blamed me for introducing him to Bonita, which resulted in an affair and his divorce, and he blamed me because Mr. Spivey is considering me for partner, a position he felt he deserved.”

  Canyon nodded, pulled out his phone and punched in Render’s number. When Render answered, he said, “I think you need to come to my place and bring the police with you. Michael Jerrod tried to kidnap Keisha.”

  Canyon then called Stern. “Bring your rope. I need your help in tying up the man who tried to kidnap Keisha.”

  Putting his phone back in his pocket, he saw Jerrod was still out cold. He then turned his attention back to Keisha. “You meant everything you were screaming at Jarrod?”

  She lifted an arched brow. “What?”

  “Basically, that you won’t blame yourself for anything again?”

  She drew in a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, I meant it. I was saved by your star.”

  He looked at her oddly. “What?”

  “I’ll tell you later. Right now I just need you to hold me some more.”

  Canyon gathered her close and wrapped her in his arms.

  Fourteen

  Keisha learned that night that nobody in their right mind messed with a Westmoreland. Michael learned that lesson as well when he’d regained consciousness. Stern and Canyon had approached to tie him up, and he thought he could use that same edger on them that she had used on him. Not only had they taken the edger from him, but they had whipped his behind doing so.

  Other Westmorelands had arrived as well as the police and Detective Render. She had felt sad watching a handcuffed Michael placed in the back of a police cruiser. He was a brilliant attorney who’d lost his bearings and she hoped he got the help he needed. Yes, she even felt she had the ability to forgive him for what he did. Like Bonita, he was mentally unstable.

  “You okay?”

  She glanced over at Canyon. After everyone had left, they had taken a shower together and gotten into bed. Beau, bless his heart, had slept through it all.

  “I’m fine,” she said, cuddling closer to him. They had made love in the shower but she knew they would be making love again before either of them drifted off to sleep.

  “Canyon?”

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  “I love you so much, and I know I won’t be able to change completely overnight. But I know I can accept things I wasn’t able to accept before. My faults as well as others’. Making a wish upon your star helped.”

  “You mentioned my star earlier, and I wondered what you meant.”

  She told him what she’d been doing outside on the porch before turning around to find Michael. “I know I’m not perfect and will make mistakes, but I won’t accept the blame for everything.” She paused a moment and then added. “And I will do better in the forgiving department. I’ve sort of forgiven Michael already.”

  “What about your father?”

  She didn’t say anything for a minute, thinking of the phone call she’d had with her mother earlier. “I want to move forward with him, as well. It won’t be easy but I’m willing to try. Mom has, and if she can forgive him then so ca
n I. She’s the one he hurt more than anyone else.”

  Canyon then turned her to face him. “I hate to say I’m saving the best for last, but now, what about me? Earlier tonight I asked you to marry me and you didn’t give me an answer. Are you ready to give me an answer now?”

  She smiled. “Yes. I’m more than ready.”

  He took her hand in his. “Keisha Ashford, would you marry me? Be my wife? Live here with me, share my life, give me more babies and love me as much as I love you?”

  She fought back her tears. “Yes, I will marry you, Canyon. I want all those things that you want and more. I love you and I need you more than I ever thought was possible.”

  A huge smile spread across Canyon’s lips. “Riley and Alpha are getting married next month, and Zane and Channing will tie the knot at Christmas. I want us to marry now. My son will have my name and I want his mother to have my name, as well. If you want a big wedding then we—”

  “No, I don’t need or want a big wedding. I prefer something small with your family and mine. Here at Canyon’s Bluff.” Her eyes lit up. “At night. Under the stars. Our star.”

  Canyon leaned down and covered Keisha’s mouth with his and she knew from this day forward. She was his, completely.

  Epilogue

  Two weeks later

  “When one mentions a wedding night, Canyon, this is not exactly what comes to mind,” Stern said, glancing over at his brother.

  Canyon chuckled as he glanced up at the sky. It was a beautiful August night and the moon was full, adding light to the lit torches that lined his driveway and decorated his huge porch.

  Someone, and he’d figured it had been his female cousins, sisters- and cousins-in-law, had decorated the porch with huge white ribbons and sky-blue latex balloons. The balloons represented the color the sky would have been had they gotten married during the day. But they had chosen to get married at night.

  “I see Flash,” he said and then gave Stern his attention. “Tell Pam to let Keisha know Flash is here so we can begin.”

  Stern arched a brow. “Who’s Flash?”

  “Our star.”

  Fifteen minutes later Alpha Blake had everything ready. Canyon thought it was pretty damn nice to have an event planner in the family. Although she was in the middle of planning her own wedding, Alpha had gone right to work when Keisha had told Alpha of her desire to have a nighttime wedding. He was amazed at what had been done in just two weeks.

  They had only invited family and close friends and a reception would follow. Tomorrow he and Keisha would leave to spend a few days in Vegas and return to Denver to get Beau for a trip to Disneyland.

  He had asked Dillon to be his best man, and Keisha’s mother was her matron of honor. Her father would he walking her out of the house and down the porch steps to where Canyon was standing. Canyon liked Kenneth Drew and knew the man was sincere in wanting to reconcile with his daughter. Kenneth was already overwhelmed with Beau.

  Canyon was speechless when Keisha had told him that the world-famous attorney Kenneth Drew was her father. Drew’s reputation rivaled that of Johnnie Cochran. He was best known for winning a number of notable cases.

  Canyon held his breath when his front door opened and Lynn walked out to the instrumental rendition of “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera flowing softly through the air. Ramsey’s daughter, Susan, followed, carrying a small basket of flowers and tossing them to and fro. Then came Beau and Denver who grabbed more than a few chuckles when once their little feet hit the last step, they raced across the yard to their fathers, clearly disobeying the orders Alpha had whispered to them earlier to walk and not run. Everyone had been concerned the wedding would take place way past the kids’ bedtimes and the parents had made sure the kids had taken an extralong nap today.

  Keisha appeared in the doorway on her father’s arm. She had decided to wear a beautiful light blue tea-length dress. At that moment, Canyon thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her father walked her to the last step and then she crossed the yard to Canyon alone. When she reached him, he took her hand, stared at her for a moment, lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Then together they both stared up into the sky, saw Flash and then smiled at each other before turning to the minister to be joined as man and wife beneath the beautiful Denver stars.

  * * *

  Canyon nibbled kisses along the side of his wife’s neck. Keisha turned her head and whispered, “Canyon, behave. There are people looking at us.”

  He chuckled. “Let them look. Maybe they will take the hint it’s time for them to leave. I’m beginning to think having the reception here in our home wasn’t a good idea.”

  Flutters raced through Keisha. Their home. She was now the mistress of this, Canyon’s Bluff. She had taken a two-month leave from work and Mr. Spivey and Mr. Whitlock understood. Everyone had been as shocked as she’d been over Michael’s behavior, and everyone was glad he was getting the mental-health treatment he needed.

  “I hate to interrupt this unprecedented show of passion, but Pam would like to talk to Keisha in the house for a minute,” Stern said.

  Canyon gave Keisha a kiss before she left and then he turned to Stern. “So, you’re on vacation next week. Got anything planned?”

  Stern shrugged. “I’m headed for the lodge to do some elk hunting in Woodland Park.”

  Canyon lifted a brow. “Alone?”

  “No. JoJo is going with me.”

  Canyon nodded. A few years ago Stern had purchased a run-down hunting lodge that he had since restored. It was now a beauty and Stern rented it out except for those times he used it himself. “Well, don’t let JoJo outhunt you, like she did the last time.”

  Stern smiled. “I’ll try not to, but you know JoJo, anything a man can do she can probably do better.”

  At that moment, Keisha returned. She had changed into a green pantsuit. She slid car keys into Canyon’s hand. “I’m ready to go.”

  Canyon lifted a brow. “We’re going somewhere? Tonight?”

  Keisha chuckled. “Yes. That was my surprise for you. I made reservations for us at a hotel in town. Our bags are packed already and in the car. Mom and Dad will take care of things until we return tomorrow.”

  Grinning, Canyon took Keisha’s hand. The idea of sneaking off from his own wedding reception was an awesome surprise. “Then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go, baby.”

  He turned to Stern. “Enjoy your vacation, and I’ll see you when you get back.”

  Canyon then tightened his hand on Keisha’s as they walked to his car. He was more than ready to get her alone. She was his heart and his soul. His everything. And when he got her into that hotel room, he intended to prove it.

  * * * * *

  Don’t miss the next Westmoreland novel by Brenda Jackson!

  STERN

  When Stern Westmoreland helps his best friend with a makeover, he never expects sizzling attraction to ignite between them. Now there’s only one way to make her his—have one long, steamy night together as much more than friends!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Deep in a Texan’s Heart by Sara Orwig

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  One

  When Sam Gordon idly glanced over the crowd at the annual Hacket barbecue, a head of straight auburn hair caught his attention. It could be only one person. Lila Hacket’s silky hair was a unique color, a deep auburn shot through with red strands as natural as the rest of Lila. She was back in town and his pulse jumped over the prospect. Had she come home for the barbecue? Memories of Lila heated Sam’s insides while the horse conversation faded, replaced by memories of holding Lila’s warm, naked body against his.

  The ranchers around him laughed over something Beau Hacket said, so Sam smiled, trying to pick up again on the conversation. Beau proudly pointed out his latest acquisition, a three-year-old sorrel, to the Texas Cattleman’s Club members gathered beside the corral.

  Standing with her back to him, Lila chatted with another group of guests. She was taller than several women around her. She wore a turquoise sundress that had narrow straps and a top that came down over her hips, hiding her tiny waist. Her feet were in high-heeled sandals and she looked luscious. Certain he would talk to her before the evening was over, Sam attempted once more to focus on those around him. Local cattle rancher Dave Firestone and gray-haired energy magnate Paul Windsor quizzed Josh, Sam’s twin, on horses. Josh loved horses, one more thing Sam didn’t share with his twin.

  “Beau, did you get that horse around here?” Chance McDaniel asked.

  “No. I drove to a sale in Cody, Wyoming. But that isn’t the kind of horse you need on your dude ranch.”

  “My place is a working ranch, too, and I’d like to have another cutting horse,” Chance replied, his green-eyed gaze roaming over the horses.