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“Luke, please don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be,” she urged as she wiped an errant tear
from her cheek.
He didn’t want to hear the real reason she couldn’t continue being his wife, wouldn’t want to know that
she was hopelessly in love with him and had been from the moment they met.
“Okay, you’ve had your say. Now, I intend to have mine,” he declared, his voice as determined as she’d
ever heard it. “You want a divorce because you’re in love with me, admit it.”
She wasn’t surprised that he’d figured out how she felt about him. He’d had more than ample
opportunity to come to that realization over the course of the past month. But did he have to humiliate
her by pointing out that he didn’t want her feeling the way she did about him?
“Yes, I love you,” she admitted, finding it difficult to get her voice above a whisper. “I’ve loved you for
years.”
“Then before I give you my answer, there’s something I think you need to know, Haley.” Turning, he
walked back to the fireplace and seemed to take an inordinate amount of interest in something on the
mantel. “I could have found someone else with similar characteristics, whom I could have convinced to
have my heir,” he explained, his back still to her. “But do you have any idea why it was so important to
me that you be the mother of my baby?”
“No.”
There was something in his tone that caused her heart to beat double time and a small bubble of hope to
form within her soul. But she refused to allow it to grow. She wouldn’t be able to bear the devastation if
it turned out she was wrong.
He picked up whatever had claimed his attention on the mantel, then turning, walked over to kneel down
in front of her. “The reason I didn’t want any other woman having my baby, the reason I went along
with your marriage stipulation and the reason I won’t give you a divorce without a damned good fight is
because I love you, too, Haley Garnier. More than life itself. It took me a long enough time to realize it,
but I do and you might as well come to terms with the fact because I’m not letting you go that easily.”
The hope she’d tried so hard to keep tamped down, blossomed and grew to fill her with a joy she’d
never imagined possible. “Oh, Luke, I love you so much I ache with it,” she revealed, reaching for him.
When he wrapped her in his arms to pull her close, she felt his body shudder and she knew he was
experiencing the same emotion she was. “God, sweetheart, it like to have killed me when I thought there
was a possibility that I might lose you.”
“I’m so sorry I put you through that,” she stated, kissing his cheek. “I thought the reason I started feeling
ill was because I was so emotional. I had no idea about the baby.”
He shook his head. “No, you have nothing to be sorry about. You were upset with me and rightly so.
I’ve been a complete bastard not to consider your feelings in all of this.”
“But you had no way of knowing how I felt,” she said, loving him more with each passing second.
“Yes, I did.” He cupped her cheeks with both hands and the love shining in his vivid blue eyes stole her
breath and caused her heart to soar. “Maybe not consciously, but deep down I think I’ve always known.
You wouldn’t have even considered my proposition if you hadn’t loved me.”
Luke took her hand in his and the feel of his warmth and the strength of his love flowed through every
part of her. “There’s something I need to ask you, sweetheart.”
“And what would that be, dear husband?” She loved finally having the freedom to call him that and to
openly tell him how much she loved him.
His expression turned serious and so tender, it brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes. “Will you marry
me, Haley Rollins Garnier?”
“But, darling, we’re already married.”
“Marry me again,” he stressed, showing her the object he’d removed from the mantel. He flipped open
the top of the little black velvet box and removed a gorgeous diamond-encrusted, white gold wedding
band. Then, holding it close to the third finger on her left hand, he asked “Will you do me the honor of
becoming my wife again?”
“Yes, Luke. Nothing would make me happier.” Her heart filled to overflowing with love when he slid
the ring onto her finger. As she gazed down at the sparkling diamonds, she couldn’t believe that it was a
perfect fit. “How did you know the size?”
He gave her a smile that caused her pulse to race. “I have my ways.”
Kissing him until they both gasped for breath, she couldn’t stop smiling. “Yes, Luke Garnier, I’ll
continue to be your wife for the rest of my life.”
To her dismay, he shook his head. “Sweetheart, that’s not what I asked you. I want to know if you’ll
marry me again.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You mean you actually want us to go through another
ceremony?”
He nodded as he pulled two folded pieces of paper from his pants pocket. Handing her one of them, he
smiled. “This is the name and phone number of the wedding coordinator at the Opryland Hotel. As soon
as you’re feeling well enough, I want you to set up an appointment to meet with her. I’ve already
instructed her to make this the wedding of your dreams.”
Haley couldn’t believe he was willing to do that for her. “But why, Luke?”
“You deserve so much better than our first wedding, sweetheart. I want everyone we know to be at this
ceremony and see how special you are to me and how honored I am that you’re my wife.” He brushed a
strand of hair from her cheek and his tender touch sent tingling sensations down her body. “And this
time around, there aren’t going to be any business meetings or labor disputes to keep me from being
with you every second of our wedding day and night.”
“I love you,” she whispered, tears streaming down both cheeks.
“And I love you,” he proclaimed, placing the other piece of paper in her hand. “This is the address and
phone number of Millie Sanford.”
“My…mother?” she reiterated, staring at the small note. “But how did you find her? I don’t even
remember telling you her name.”
“Let’s just say I know a woman with a hell of an investigative team and leave it at that,” he said, giving
her a smile that melted her heart. “You may or may not want to use that information, but I wanted you to
have it in case you decide to get in touch with her.”
Unable to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and
hugged him close as she sobbed against his shoulder. “I love you so much, Luke Garnier,” she rasped
when she finally managed to bring her emotions back under control. “Thank you.”
He placed his hand on her stomach and when he met her gaze, the love she detected in his eyes sent
delightful shivers up her spine. “By the way, I think you might want to consider reducing your hours at
the office now that you’re pregnant.”
“Why?”
“Because if you’re working all day, I can’t pamper you the way you deserve,” he informed, kissing her
forehead.
Laying her head on his shoulder, she sighed. “I’ve never been pampered before in my entire life.”
“I know and as your husband, I intend to remedy that problem.” H
is tone left no doubt that that was
exactly what he would do.
Placing her hand over his still resting on her stomach, she grinned. “I was thinking that I might even
quit.”
“Or you could work from home. That is if you think you’ll get anything done with me and the baby
underfoot all day?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to start working from home in order to be with you through your pregnancy and help out
with the baby once he’s born,” he announced, smiling.
Happier than she’d ever been in her life, Haley laughed. “Ever since you asked me to have a baby,
you’ve referred to it as ‘he’ or your ‘son.’ What if we have a little girl?”
“You’ve mentioned that before and I’ve given it some thought,” he said, his smile filled with love. “A
little girl as sweet and wonderful as her mother would be just fine with me. We can have two or three
boys a few years down the line.”
She gave him a mock frown. “Two or three?”
Resting his forehead against her, he winked. “Sweetheart, I love you so much I’ll be more than willing
to give you all the babies you want. Girls, boys, twins, whatever your heart desires.”
“Really?” Nothing would thrill her more than having a whole houseful of Garnier children to mother.
“I love you, Haley Garnier. More than you’ll ever know.”
“And I love you, Luke. With all of my heart and soul.”
Epilogue
A fter receiving good-natured advice from Caleb, Nick and Hunter, Luke smiled at Jake. “Looks like
the next brother to take the plunge will be you.”
Jake snorted. “If I were you, I wouldn’t hold my breath. You’d end up turning blue and passing out
before I take a trip down the aisle.”
“Never say ‘never,’” Hunter said, laughing. “It’ll come back to bite you in the butt every time.”
“Gentlemen, it’s time to take your places,” the wedding coordinator reported, motioning for them to
follow the minister.
Walking to the front of the ballroom, Luke couldn’t wait to see Haley. Arielle and his half brothers’
wives had rented a suite at the hotel and insisted on Haley spending the night before the wedding with
them. And even though he and his brothers had a great time hanging out at his house, Luke had missed
being with her, holding her all through the night and waking up with her in his arms that morning.
When the double doors opened at the back of the room and the bridesmaids came down the aisle to take
their places on the opposite side of the minister, his breath stalled and Luke couldn’t believe how
stunning Haley looked as she stepped onto the satin runner. She’d been beautiful the day they’d
exchanged vows in the little chapel in the mountains, but today she was absolutely radiant.
Luke stepped forward to extend his arm and when she smiled up at him with more love than he
deserved, he silently vowed to spend the rest of his life making sure she never doubted how much he
loved her in return. “Are you ready to renew your vows to be my wife?”
“As ready as I am to hear your vows to be my husband,” she noted, her sweet voice sending a shaft of
heat straight through him.
“I love you, today, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives, sweetheart.”
“And I will always love you,” she promised, making him feel like the luckiest man alive.
“Isn’t this just wonderful, Luther?” Emerald asked, leaning over to her personal assistant when the bride
and groom turned to face the minister. “Four of my grandchildren married in a little over three years.”
Luther gave her his usual stiff nod. “I’d say you’ve outdone yourself, Mrs. Larson.”
Yes, everything had come together just as she’d planned. With information supplied by her good friend
and curator at the museum, Max Parmelli, her arrangement to hire Chet Parker for the entertainment at
her reception she’d thrown for herself last month had worked out brilliantly. The young singer’s interest
in the lovely Haley had been just the impetus Luke needed to help him realize his feelings for her and
ultimately led to Emerald watching them renew their vows.
She smiled as she gazed at the wedding party standing at the front of the Opryland Hotel’s main
ballroom. Luke made such a handsome groom and she’d never seen him look happier. Jake, the best
man, was the mirror image of the groom and she still marveled at how much they resembled their father,
Owen. She dabbed a tear that slipped from her eye with an Irish linen handkerchief. If only Owen could
have realized what a precious gift his children were.
Her gaze drifted to her three other grandsons, Caleb, Nick and Hunter, and her heart swelled with
emotion. It thrilled her to know that Luke and Jake had become close to their newfound brothers. And
she was doubly happy that Luke had asked them to be groomsmen in his and Haley’s wedding.
She sighed contentedly. Now that everything had worked out for Luke, she could turn her attention to
making sure the same happened for her remaining unmarried grandchildren.
She focused her attention on Jake. He was going to be the most challenging one yet. Of all of her
grandchildren, she worried that he might be the one who turned out to be just like his father. And
although she’d yet to determine the best course of action to test his mettle, she had already started
collecting information and she had no doubt that something would come to mind for him very soon.
Turning her attention to her only granddaughter Arielle, Emerald smiled fondly. With a baby on the way
and her mother Francesca gone, the child needed Emerald now more than ever. But she had already set
the wheels in motion to remedy the situation and she had every confidence that it would be brought to a
satisfying conclusion, the same as her other efforts for all of her grandchildren.
“Aren’t they a beautiful couple?” she queried Luther when Luke and Haley turned to walk back up the
aisle as the string quartet played Pachelbel’s Canon.
“A handsome couple indeed,” Luther agreed, nodding.
Emerald smiled beatifically. “That’s another one down.”
Luther came as close to smiling as he was capable of doing. “And two more to go, madam.”
BRENDA JACKSON
ONE NIGHT WITH THE WEALTHY RANCHER
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
One
“W hat are you doing here, Summer?”
Summer Martindale’s eyes froze on the document in front of her at the sound of the husky voice. It was
a voice she hadn’t heard in almost seven years, yet she distinctively remembered the sensuous timbre
and how every audible vibration could stir her senses in a way that even today she could not explain.
In a way she wished she could forget.
She inhaled deeply and after a moment, she lifted her eyes and stared into Darius Franklin’s dark and
intense gaze. It was a gaze that was emitting a chilling glare.
Summer could just as easily glare back but refused to let him know how disturbing it was to see him
again. What had once been between them was over and done with. He had made sure of that in the worst
&nb
sp; possible way, which she could never forgive him for. His actions had caused her pain—a degree of pain
she vowed never to experience again.
“I could ask you the same thing, Darius,” she finally responded. Her tone was just as sharp as his had
been.
He stood tall, all six foot one inches of him, as he leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed over his
chest and his gaze fixed directly on her. She thought at that moment the very same thing she’d thought
when she’d first laid eyes on him. Darius Franklin, with his pecan tan complexion, close-cut black hair,
charcoal gray eyes and neat pencil-thin mustache, was an extremely handsome man. But there were
other noticeable changes. His cheekbones appeared more pronounced and his lips seemed firmer.
His dark stare, as well as the way a muscle seemed to twitch in his jaw, were all the evidence she needed
that he wasn’t happy to see her and if truth be told, she wasn’t happy to see him, either. It would be a lie
to claim she hadn’t thought about him over the years, because she had. Yet at the same time, the
memory of what he’d put her through—the humiliation, heartbreak and pain—made her regret ever
lowering her guard and letting him into her life.
He stepped away from the door and she watched his every move, wishing she weren’t drawn to how fit
his body was, and wishing a tug of desire had not invaded her stomach. Although he wasn’t as lean as he
used to be, he wore his masculinity well. Well-toned muscles outlined his chest and shoulders—muscles
she could easily see through the material of his chambray shirt. And then there were jeans that hugged
his firm hips and strong thighs. They were thighs that could keep a tight hold on hers as he thrust deeper
and deeper inside of her.
She forced the turbulent memories away. Her gaze moved back up to his eyes and she tried not to flinch
at the cold look in them. Something inside her shivered and she wondered how a man she had once
fallen in love with so deeply could end up treating her so shabbily.
“I live here in Somerset.”
His voice cut through Summer’s thoughts. He lived here in Somerset? Maverick County? That
