The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

by Sara Orwig

  When Gabe got up to leave, Meg followed him outside and closed the door behind her. The air was cool even though it was summer, and she wrapped her arms around her middle. “Thank you for flying us here, Gabe.”

  “I was glad to. Tomorrow the weather should be good and the flight will be better.”

  She didn’t want to say goodbye to him, but she knew he couldn’t stay. “Well, I better go back in.” She turned to open the door but he stopped her.

  He pulled her to him, flush against him, and his body seemed to burn right through her. “Damn, it’s good to be with you, even if it was just for that plane ride. I’ve missed you.”

  Her heart thudded and she held him tightly. “I’ve missed you, Gabe,” she answered solemnly. She didn’t want to miss him, didn’t want to be so glad to have his arms around her. But she couldn’t deny that was how she felt.

  He leaned away to look at her and then he kissed her, and she kissed him in return, unable to resist him.

  “I’ll see you in the morning.” She watched him get into the limo and it drove away before she went back in to join the family.

  * * *

  The next day the flight home was uneventful. The clouds were white puffs in a blue sky, the flight was smooth and her parents and grandparents were happily talking. She sat back in the plush, comfortable lounge and tried to relax.

  Was she throwing away a lifetime of happiness because she was too scared to live and take some risks? She thought about Gabe at the controls. He hadn’t been a wreck worrying about the weather yesterday. He was right about life being filled with risks. Would her fears cause her to miss out on a life with the man she loved?

  Maybe she was focusing too much on dangers and not looking at what she would miss.

  She loved Gabe with all her heart. Would his love be worth taking risks? Could she live with his wild ways if it meant also living with his love? He wasn’t into commitment—could she accept that?

  She couldn’t answer her own questions, but she began to do a lot of thinking.

  All her worries about this flight had been for nothing and it was far better than driving through blinding rain for days. Was she going through life with an unfounded anxiety about ordinary living? Not to mention some things that weren’t so ordinary—like Gabe’s rodeo bulls. She wondered if she was cutting herself out of what she really loved by being afraid to take some risks, and if she could find a way to live with Gabe’s fearless ways.

  After her parents and grandparents were home, she rode to Gabe’s house in the limo. Her car was still at his house and she had to get her bag, as well.

  As soon as they stepped inside his house and Gabe closed the door, he took her into his arms. “Ah, Meg, come here,” he said.

  Her heart thudded as she went into his arms eagerly and raised her face for his kiss, knowing exactly where this would lead.

  * * *

  Over two hours later, she shifted in bed as she lay in the crook of his arm.

  He caressed her shoulder lightly. “Darlin’, I’ve had time to think about us. I don’t like life without you.”

  His words thrilled her and scared her.

  “Gabe, I thought about us on the way back today and maybe you’re right. Maybe my anxieties are cutting me out of what I want most. But that would be a huge change for me and I can’t just flip a switch.” She pulled back so she could see his face. “I can’t suddenly say I don’t care if you ride bulls or your Harley or fly your planes, but I do feel differently about it. Give me some time and let’s both think about being together.”

  A smile broke out across his face. “Darlin’, that’s progress. Take all the time you need.” His expression grew more somber. “But I hope it’s not a lot of time. I really miss you.”

  “We need some space to think about what we mean to each other, Gabe.”

  “So does this mean moving in with me is out of the question?” he teased.

  “Moving in with you would be a giant step for me. Besides, you aren’t into a lasting commitment. If I lived with you, I’d fall in love more and more every day. And then someday it would be over for you, and then what happens to me? I’ve got to think about dealing with that.”

  It didn’t go unnoticed by her that he remained quiet. He merely held her closer, against the beating of his heart.

  “Right now, Gabe, I need to get home. I had appointments I missed at work.” She kissed him again and rolled away to step out of bed, go shower and dress.

  Later, when she stood at his door after they kissed goodbye, she smiled at him. “Gabe, once again, you were the knight to my rescue. Thank you.”

  “You think about us and you call me, darlin’. But just remember that I really want you and I’m going to miss you more than I can tell you.”

  “And you do the same, Gabe.”

  She knew she should learn to live with and accept more risks in her life because some of her worries existed more in her imagination. But not all of them. There was no getting away from some of the risks he took. But there was another issue keeping them apart. Could she live with him, love him more than ever and then have him walk away sometime in the future?

  If she moved in with him, she wanted it to be permanent and she knew he didn’t. And if it wasn’t permanent she worried that would eventually hurt her way more than telling him goodbye now. Did she want to risk a giant hurt for a month or two of living with him and then having him leave her? He always left the women in his life. Would she be fooling herself if she thought she would be different?

  Eleven

  Gabe spent the next week on his ranch doing the hardest physical work he could find. He had a call from his office in Dallas about a large business complex in Houston his company had for sale and complications because the buyers wanted possession within the next two months. He handed the call off to someone at the office. He had no desire to sit on the phone for hours.

  At night he hated going home. The house was empty and his bed was empty. He missed Meg more each day instead of less. He caught himself at times during the day looking at her pictures that were on his phone. “I love you and I miss you,” he said to the pictures.

  As he worked putting up a new gate, he stopped, wiped his forehead and stared into space. Meg had said she would rethink her worries about his lifestyle and he had told her to call him, but so far he hadn’t heard anything. His lifestyle was still between them and keeping Meg from moving in. Could he change anything, give up anything that might make her compromise? He picked up a board to saw it in two while he thought about the things he wanted to do the most, the things he enjoyed the most, the things she might consider the most dangerous.

  And what about his lack of commitment? She worried about moving in and falling in love with no promise of permanence. She knew his reputation for never being serious. He’d dated scores of women, but he had never really been in love—until now. Yes, he could finally admit it. He loved Meg.

  She had been part of his life forever but now it was different. He wanted more than a friend, and he wanted her more than ever. He was in love and there was no going back to the life he’d had before she showed up at his door. But something had to give. What could he concede? And would she meet him halfway?

  He wanted her in his arms, in his bed, and he hadn’t slept well since he’d told her goodbye. She’d said she’d missed him, but she had a way of bouncing back in life and going blithely on with what she was involved in and never letting anything really get her down. He thought he could do that, too, until he fell in love with her. For all he knew, she could be dating someone else. That thought sent a cold chill running down his spine.

  “Damn, Meg,” he said, tossing his tools in the back of his pickup and sliding behind the wheel. He intended to put an end to this right now.

  * * *

  Meg sat at her des
k at home a little after ten o’clock at night. She stared at landscape plans for a large yard in an exclusive, gated residential area. She couldn’t concentrate on her work. Her mind continually went back to Gabe. She stood up and walked to the kitchen to get another glass of water, lost in memories and thoughts of him.

  She missed him. She couldn’t concentrate. She didn’t want to go out and she avoided going to visit her parents because she didn’t want to answer questions and her mother worried because she thought Meg was losing weight.

  She picked up the old brown bear on the kitchen counter. “I miss him,” she whispered to the bear, its glass eyes staring back at her.

  She got a text message, saw it was from Gabe and read swiftly:

  I’m on your porch. I need to see you.

  Shocked, she dropped the bear and ran toward the front door to yank it open. She couldn’t believe it. Gabe stood in front of her and she threw herself into his arms, turning her face up to kiss him as he embraced her.

  His arms were tight around her and while he kissed her hard he walked her backward inside where he kicked the door closed. Her heart thudded and joy and sorrow warred within her.

  He held her away to look at her. “I’ve missed you too much. We have to do something. I’ve thought about what I can give up, to see what you can live with.”

  Startled, she stared at him as her heart started pounding and joy came rushing back. “You really did that? You’d do that for me?”

  “Yes, I will because I don’t want to live without you. I need you in my life. You’re necessary now, darlin’. I’m hoping for a sort of compromise here.”

  “Good. ’Cause I’ve been doing some thinking of my own. I’m up for a compromise, too. What can you give up?”

  “Motorcycles. I’ve sold mine.”

  “Oh, my goodness,” she said, shocked, and a thrill tickled her to her toes. “Seriously?”

  “I’m serious, darlin’. I’ve never been more serious. Life is hell without you. I love you.”

  She smiled a huge smile. “You love me? The great love-is-not-for-me Gabe Callahan loves me?” She loved him, and she loved teasing him.

  “Yes, darlin’, I do.” He swept her up in his arms again and gave her a kiss that proved it. Then he set her down and grinned down at her.

  “Gabe, I love you with all my heart and I’ve been miserable without you.”

  He took her hands in his. “Then let’s get through the official stuff so we can get to the good part.” She laughed. “So what can you live with?”

  “Well, I’ve been trying to think what I can live with. Believe it or not, your planes will head the list.”

  “That’s good. I get to keep my planes. We’re a step closer to getting together.” He took off his hat and flicked it onto her sofa. “And I’ll give up bull riding in rodeos.”

  “Oh, Gabe, really? That’s enough. Well, maybe one more thing. Don’t drive way, way over the speed limit.”

  “I can live with that. I promise.”

  Suddenly, she threw her arms around him. “You’d do all that for me? I love you so.”

  Laughing, he caught her and held her tightly as he leaned close to kiss her. Moments later she pushed away slightly to gaze up at him. “Gabe, I don’t want to live in fear. You’ve shown me that. But there’s still one more thing. I can’t get so tied to you that I’d never want you to leave, not while you don’t want a part of anything permanent.”

  “Don’t decide what I want and what I don’t want. Leave that to me.” In one smooth motion he picked her off her feet and carried her to the bedroom. He set her on her feet again and looked down at her.

  “There’s no violin playing, no roses and no fancy setting, but this time I mean it.” He went down on one knee in front of her and she thought her heart would burst from her chest when she saw the sincerity in his eyes. “Meg, will you marry me?”

  With a screech of joy, she flung her arms around him and kissed him. She didn’t need a violin to make this the most perfect proposal she could ever hear. All she needed was Gabe telling her this time it was for real.

  He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. “I take it that’s a yes?”

  She threw her head back and spun around. “Oh, yes!” She vaulted into his arms.

  “Wait a minute, Meg. I just realized I’m not doing this right. I should have called your dad and told him I want to marry you, but I was afraid it would cause real problems for us, and also that you might turn me down.”

  “It’s not going to cause problems and I’m not turning you down. Maybe this will end the silly feud,” she said, laughing and trying to stand on tiptoe to kiss him while she unbuttoned his shirt.

  “Wait a minute, my hot lover.” He reached into his pocket and brought out a box tied with a ribbon. “Darlin’, I want to spend a lifetime telling you and showing you how much I love you. This is a token of that love.”

  Her hands were trembling when she took the box from him. She could hardly think straight, she was so dazzled that she would be spending the rest of her life with the man she loved and had always loved. She steadied herself enough to untie the ribbon and open the box. She gasped as she looked at a dazzling diamond solitaire on a band covered in smaller diamonds. “Gabe, this is beautiful. And it’s a rock.”

  “Ten carats. I want the world to know you’re my lady and I love you with all my heart. And darlin’, I promise to be a better dad than the one I had.”

  He took the ring and held her hand, looking down at her. “Meg, I can’t ever really show you how much I love you, but I want to spend a lifetime trying. You’re my best friend, my world. I love you.”

  “I love you, Gabe. You’re my best friend and always have been, and now you’re my love,” she said, gazing into his blue eyes.

  He slipped the ring on her finger and then drew her to him to kiss her. She held him tightly, certain this cowboy had her heart completely and they had a future together that would be filled with joy, laughter and love.

  * * * * *

  Pick up these other Western romances from USA TODAY bestselling author Sara Orwig!

  THE TEXAN’S FORBIDDEN FIANCÉE

  A TEXAN IN HER BED

  AT THE RANCHER’S REQUEST

  KISSED BY A RANCHER

  THE RANCHER’S SECRET SON

  Available now from Harlequin Desire!

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  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE MAGNATE’S MARRIAGE MERGER by Joanne Rock.

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  The Magnate’s Marriage Merger

  by Joanne Rock

  One

  “You found her?” Ensconced in his office at the McNeill Resorts headquarters in New York’s Financial District, Ian McNeill glanced up from the file folder on his desk at the private investigator standing before him.

  Ian had been back stateside for less than twenty-four hours when he’d gotten the message that the PI he’d hired two months ago had news for him. Ian’s older brother, Quinn, had asked for his help to locate an anonymous Manhattan matchmaker who’d tried to pair their younger brother, Cameron, with a renowned ballerina. While that sounded harmless enough on the surface, the potential “bride” had had no knowledge she was supposed to meet Cameron, and it had caused a public scandal.

  Bad enough in itself.

  Except then the next day, the matchmaker responsible had closed up shop. Ian discovered within the week that the woman had been using a fake name and an assistant as a front to do most of her work. But despite a few leads, he hadn’t had any luck finding the woman.

  Until now.

  “That’s her.” The investigator, Bentley, pointed to the closed file folder on Ian’s desk. The guy was a former college roommate and someone he trusted. Bentley’s specialty was digital forensics, but he took the occasional job outside the office if the case was interesting enough or, as in Ian’s case, if the work was for a friend. With his clean-shaven face, wire-rimmed glasses and a faded pair of camo pants, Bentley looked more like a teenage gamer geek than a successful entrepreneur. “It’s no wonder she used an alias for her matchmaking business. She’s certainly well-known in Manhattan by her real name.”