by Zoe York
Their vows were exchanged in a blur, and Travis’s mouth was on hers in a searing, joyous kiss. “Now I have a dad and an uncle,” Dax shouted gleefully.
Applause and shouts echoed around them, but all that registered was the heat of their kiss and the rapture in her heart.
Chapter 33
Travis sat down, draping an arm around his wife. Elaine snuggled into him and covered a yawn. “Tired?”
She smiled, eyes aglow. “We can sleep in tomorrow.”
Kissing her head, he glanced around the table filled with the last of their friends. At the far end of the table, Colton sat playing tic-tac-toe with Dax. They locked eyes over the boy’s head. He was a man now. Filled out and broad. It shouldn’t shake him, but it did. The last time they’d seen each other, Colton had been four inches shorter and half a man slimmer. There was a hard edge to him now, too. To the uneducated eye, he looked relaxed next to Dax. But Travis could sense the tension in him, coiled and ready to spring. He’d own his share in that, as soon as they could manage a little one-on-one. They’d hardly shared two words in the chaos. But the fact Colton was here, meant everything. They’d sort out their differences. He’d make sure of it.
Elaine squeezed his hand as if reading his thoughts. “It’s enough that he’s here. Save your talk for tomorrow.”
His throat squeezed tight, stealing his words. She was right. Colton had come home, and that was what mattered.
Weston leaned in, swirling a glass of bourbon. “Have you given anymore thought to Resolution Ranch?”
Brodie perked up. “What’s this?”
“Nothing.” Travis waved him off. “Just a harebrained idea of Weston’s to get the ranch running again and turn it into a place to help veterans land on their feet.” Right now, he wanted to celebrate with Elaine. Everything else could wait.
“Using animal husbandry, like what Hope does, and working with a counselor I know,” answered Weston.
Hope leaned in. “You know, I’ve been thinking along those same lines. Using what I’ve been teaching you with others. Would you be interested in collaborating?”
“Heck yes,” Weston said enthusiastically.
“Not so fast, Tex.” Travis turned to Hope. “There are a lot of logistics to overcome. We don’t have space yet, so we’d have to spend time building a complex of bunkhouses, not to mention acquiring livestock, and figuring out an income stream or three to keep the ranch in the black.”
“Maybe you could start a non-profit?” suggested Hope’s husband, Ben. He was usually pretty quiet, but rumor had it he was the reason Sinclaire & Sons ranch did so well.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” considered Weston, eyes lighting.
Travis shook his head. This was spinning out of control, just like running for sheriff. “We still need more capital than my nest egg will afford.”
Emma Sinclaire’s head popped up. “I’d be happy to volunteer my time working on your PR and helping connect you with sponsors. I could even organize a big fundraiser.”
Brodie Sinclaire chimed in. “Take her up on that, Kincaid. Emma works for one of the biggest marketing and PR agencies in Kansas City.”
“I know I’ll get razzed to death for even thinking of helping a Navy boy,” added Cassie. “But you should talk to Sterling Walker. Sterling was good at everything in high school, and his parents mentioned the other day he might be coming home. I’m sure he’d be an asset to the ranch. And I’ll vouch for Dr. Munger. He’s been very helpful to me too.”
It was a nice idea, Resolution Ranch. But he couldn’t see it getting off the ground without a significant influx of capital. Together, he and Elaine could handle a small operation if they hired seasonal help from town. Anything bigger would have to wait.
“I’d be willing to invest a portion of my earnings,” Colton offered quietly.
Travis’s stomach dropped as he locked gazes with his brother. “No way. I can’t let you do that.” All eyes swung from Colton to him, then back to Colton. He coughed, trying to clear away the shock that stopped up his voice. “I appreciate the offer. But you only just got home. I don’t even know how long you’re staying.”
“Silent partner only. I’m not ready to settle down yet,” Colton countered firmly, mouth thinning into a determined line.
Travis recognized the set of his brother’s mouth. The ‘once Colton decides on something don’t even think about stopping him’ expression. Some things never changed. But if Colton was serious… maybe the ranch could become a reality.
Elaine squeezed his hand again, and placed a kiss on his jaw. “You know I can help with managing the books, among other things.”
Anticipation thrummed through his veins as he surveyed the excited faces around the table. The kind of energy he’d only ever felt before big missions. “Are you sure?” He turned to his wife, amazed at her enthusiasm. “It would be asking a lot. Seven days a week. Fourteen-hour days. No time off. Always something that needs fixing.”
“I already work like that now. I’d much rather do it with you.”
His heart swelled to bursting as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. His strong, beautiful wife. He’d never tire of calling her that.
Elaine gestured down the table. “And we wouldn’t be alone. We’d have a family with us.”
The nodding faces of the Sinclaires, Hansens, and Graces overwhelmed him. She was right. Together they could bring Resolution Ranch to life. Together they could overcome any obstacle.
Weston lifted his glass. “To Elaine and Travis, may your love infuse this ranch with new life, and bring second chances to those who need it most.”
Travis bent to take her upturned mouth. “I’ll seal that deal with a kiss.”
THE BEGINNING OF HAPPILY EVER AFTER
I hope you enjoyed reading about Travis and Elaine. Download A HERO’S HEART to read about Sterling Walker and Emma Sinclaire (Blake, Ben and Brodie's little sister)
The town superstar has just met his match...
When retired Army Captain and Prairie’s favorite son, Sterling Walker, returns home to join Resolution Ranch, he finds himself face to face with his biggest rival- Emma Sinclaire, the sole daughter of Prairie’s oldest family- all grown up, gorgeous, and glaring daggers at him.
* * *
Will it be winner take all in this battle of hearts?
A rising star at Kansas City’s internationally acclaimed Royal Fountain Media, Emma agrees to personally oversee the marketing and fundraising campaign for Resolution Ranch. But she never expected to come face to face with her high school nemesis, Sterling Walker, let alone have to work closely with him. As they face off across the boardroom, she can’t deny her attraction to the smart, sexy, soldier who engages her in battle at every turn.
* * *
When a moment of carelessness threatens to shut down the fundraiser before it starts, Sterling will put everything on the line to protect Emma’s reputation. Will it be enough to win Emma’s heart for good? Or will the fallout be the ruin of Resolution Ranch?
Download A HERO’S HEART now!!
“A page turning read with plenty of suspense, drama, laughter and a few tears as well.” - Carol
* * *
“Tessa's books speak to your heart, body, and soul.” - Lynda
Get your copy today.
Part XII
It Was Only A Kiss
by Stefanie London
About This Book
Successful plus-size model, Shelby Jenkins, only has one goal when she’s forced to return to her hometown: keep a low profile. But when her injured father asks her to take his spot at a community working bee, she must face the people who drove her out of town. To make matters worse, the only person she can ask for help is the guy who broke her heart…
* * *
Nate Ritter loves being an active part of the community in the small town where he grew up. When the woman of his teenage fantasies returns, he’ll do anything to prove he’s no longer the insecure boy who betrayed her.
But Nate has to ensure he doesn’t fall for Shelby, because life in Kite Harbour can’t compete with the excitement awaiting her in the big city.
* * *
Can his shot at redemption be enough to convince her to stay?
Author note
Hello, and thanks for checking out It Was Only A Kiss. I’m an Aussie author and this book is set in the beautiful coastal region of Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. Patterson’s Bluff might be a fictional town, but the Aussie language is real.
* * *
As such, you may notice some unfamiliar terms, phrases, and spelling that differs from what you’re used to. I hope you find this a fun part of this reading experience. Welcome to Patterson’s Bluff.
Chapter 1
Nate Ritter considered himself a man of random talents, including his undefeated status in Jenga and being able to carry all the groceries into the house in a single trip. No matter how many bags there were. God had given him two arms for a reason, and he’d load those suckers up to bursting point if it meant saving a trip.
Leaning into the back seat of his car, he gathered the spoils of his supermarket run and hefted four canvas bags in one hand. His friend’s house keys clinked against the door as he slammed it shut. Generally speaking, Nate wasn’t in the habit of doing other people’s shopping, since it was his most loathed chore and his refrigerator had been down to a lone cucumber on more than one occasion. But, he placed helping a friend at the top of his priority list.
Always.
Nate walked up the stone path to Pete Jenkins’s front door, frowning at the patch of battered daisies that had taken the brunt of the older man’s fall a week ago. The ladder still leaned against the house. From the height of it, he wasn’t surprised Pete had fractured his collarbone and broken an ankle. It was a bloody miracle he hadn’t clipped his head on the way down.
Juggling the bags, Nate opened the front door. Inside, the house was peaceful. Silent.
“Hello?” He placed the bags onto the kitchen table and poked his head into the lounge room.
The worn leather sofa had cushions neatly placed in both corners. A stack of newspapers on the coffee table was capped with a worn book and a pair of reading classes. Nothing moved except for the slow dance of dust motes in a beam of sunlight. Pete must still be sleeping. The poor guy had been so doped up on pain meds the last time Nate had visited that he hadn’t even been able to keep his eyes open.
A clock ticked loudly in the kitchen. It wasn’t even 9:30. Perhaps he should have waited a bit longer before dropping by.
But Nate had been off work for three weeks already and boredom had sunk its claws in. For some reason, he’d never outgrown the itching restlessness that accompanied the long summer holidays, not even now that he sat on the other side of the teacher’s desk.
Quietly, so he didn’t wake his friend, Nate pulled the perishables out of the shopping bags. Milk, butter, eggs and that sharp cheddar cheese Pete enjoyed. Once everything had been put away, restlessness tingled in Nate’s fingertips again. There was no point heading home. He’d completed his list of odd jobs in his first week off. Every tap was drip-free, his house practically sparkled and the car purred like a kitten. Now all he could do was count the weeks down until the new school year started when he’d finally have something to occupy his mind.
He drummed his fingers against the kitchen bench and surveyed his friend’s home. Was there anything he could do here to help Pete out? The rest of the summer would be written off without the use of his right arm or leg. He’d mentioned cleaning out the spare room and needing to take a few boxes to the local charity shop. Dropping them off would fill a half hour at least.
Nate knew the layout of Pete’s house like the back of his hand. He’d spent a lot of time here after his divorce and, though there was a good twenty years’ age difference between them, Pete got him. Understood him. He knew loss, knew the way guilt and regret could eat away at the very marrow of a person until your bones felt like they could turn to dust.
The older man had given him strength when Nate had wanted to run. And he hadn’t minced words when Nate had done some stupid, mindless stuff like getting blind drunk and talking shit at the local watering hole after his wife left town. The least he could do for Pete was stock his fridge and dispose of a couple of boxes of junk.
It was a mere scratch in the surface of everything Nate owed him.
He pushed the door open to the spare room and scanned the small space for the boxes. Only his eyes landed on something far more precious. Bare, golden skin stretched out, uncovered except for a whisper of cream silk.
The woman in the spare bed might as well have been an angel for how perfect she looked. Hair the colour of espresso fanned out across her pillow, full lips melted into a gentle smile. One arm had been flung across her forehead. Rounded hips, heavy breasts, full thighs, and a curved belly were almost upstaged by fancy lace-trimmed underwear. The camisole top was slightly askew, showing more than it covered, and the sheet had been twisted into a tight bundle at her feet, hinting at a restless night.
Shelby Jenkins.
God, she was gorgeous. Better than he remembered.
Awareness prickled along Nate’s skin, forcing his mind to spin like a tire losing traction against mud. He was watching this almost-naked woman while she slept. Not cool at all. Total violation of privacy.
He sucked in a breath and spun around, hoping to sneak out unnoticed. Except his sneaker clipped the edge of a suitcase, and it rocked, crashing into a lamp and sending it straight into a dressing table. A porcelain figurine clattered over the edge, landing on the floorboards with a loud thunk.
“What the hell?” A startled voice pierced the air, a flash of movement in the dresser’s mirror showed the woman reaching for her sheet. “What are you doing in here?”
His breath caught in his throat and he averted his eyes. She hadn’t seen his face, so perhaps he could make a quick exit and be done with it. Maybe she wouldn’t recognise him.
“I’m helping Pete. He wanted some boxes taken to the charity shop,” Nate replied, forcing his voice to be smooth and even. Unruffled, even though the image of her was already ping-ponging around his brain. “I didn’t know anyone was staying here.”
The bedsprings squeaked and sheets rustled behind him. “Give me a minute to get changed.”
Nate couldn’t exit the room fast enough and he slammed the door behind him in his haste. The image of Shelby’s luscious curves would haunt him. The sight of all that smooth, tanned skin had awoken a part of him that had been dormant for some time. Years, in fact. So long, he’d wondered if he was actually broken.
Turns out he wasn’t—his body just needed the right woman to get things moving again.
Don’t you remember what you did to her? Shelby Jenkins is off limits. Don’t think about her and definitely don’t fantasise about her.
He shoved the past out of his mind and made his way to the kitchen in time to see Pete hobbling out of his bedroom, his injured leg encased in a heavy medical contraption that looked like some sort of space-age boot. His light brown hair stuck out in all directions giving him a bit of a mad scientist kind of vibe…minus the lab coat, of course.
“What was that crash?” Pete asked, dropping into a chair that Nate held out for him.
“I, uh…” How exactly should he phrase it?
“Nate walked in on me while I was sleeping.” Shelby appeared in the doorway. She stood tall. A hair under six feet he’d wager, though Nate still had a few inches on her. Not like in early high school where she’d seemed to tower over everyone. She carried the height well now, her shoulders no longer stooping. “I got a bit of a shock.”
“So did I,” Nate muttered.
“Ah, yes, Shelby got in a few days earlier than expected.” Pete smiled, oblivious to the tension simmering between his friend and daughter. “What a nice reunion.”
Shelby twisted the lengths of her hair into a bun and secured it with a band fro
m her wrist. “Uh huh.”
And that was that. No elaboration, no dredging up the past. Just a simple sound that—judging by Pete’s amused expression—was enough to stop her father from probing.
“Well,” Pete said, motioning for Shelby to join them, “did you know Nate works with me at the school now? He’s our resident physical education teacher.”
“A sports guy, huh?” Shelby padded barefoot into the kitchen, a loose white dress swirling around her knees. “I thought you were more the numbers type.”
He hadn’t been able to see her eyes earlier, but now they blazed like chips of polished jade. She reached into the cupboard and pulled out three mugs, before fiddling with the settings on a shiny new espresso machine.
The silver beast looked as though it came from the future, with more buttons and settings than he had on his laptop. Shelby seemed to know her way around it, though. Both she and the machine were a contrast to the dated floral tiles and tired-looking faux-granite countertops of her father’s house. Two shiny beautiful things out of place in this sleepy Aussie coastal town.
“I teach foundation maths, as well.” Nate swallowed, pretending to be interested in the new kitchen equipment but all the while watching Shelby make coffee. There was something almost lyrical about the way she moved, with a sureness and grace to each step. She was a far cry from the self-conscious teenager he remembered.
