His Cowboy Heart

by Jennifer Ryan

  He tugged his collar again.

  Rory stood behind him and knocked Ford in the ribs with his elbow. “She’s here.”

  Ford stared, transfixed by the vision in white standing too damn far away. He wanted her here, next to him, with him for the rest of his life.

  Hurry up, his heart called out. God, I love her.

  Beautiful in the sleeveless gown with the wide satin ribbon bow tied just beneath her breasts, the long streamers dangling down to her feet. She wore her hair in soft waves with a crystal headband sparkling in the dappled sunlight. Her face glowed with happiness.

  He took her all in, his beautiful bride, but nothing made her more appealing to him than her core of strength and perseverance. She truly was a remarkable woman. And she was his.

  Jamie stood at the end of the aisle with her arm tucked through Zac’s, staring at the man she loved. Ford stood next to his brothers. Colt and Rory’s wives, and her best friends, Sadie and Luna, stood opposite the men as her matrons of honor. She couldn’t believe this day had finally come. She’d waited so long, been through so much, and in the end, the fight to get here had been tough, but she’d made it.

  “Ready?” Zac asked, patting her hand on his arm.

  She looked up at him with a smile that came so easy now. “I can’t believe it’s finally here.”

  The indulgent smile he gave her went right to her heart. “If anyone deserves to be happy, sis, it’s you.”

  “Let’s do this.” Jamie took the first step toward her bright future with Ford with a clear mind and heart. She had a purpose in her life that filled her up and made her happy each and every day. She loved Ford, the ranch they were building together, and the work she did with Luna and the children at the equine therapy program. Working with Drake allowed her to give back to a fellow vet. Helping him heal helped her heal, too. But nothing helped her more than Ford’s love.

  Jamie stopped in front of Ford.

  Zac leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. He took her hand and placed it in Ford’s outstretched one. “Take care of her.”

  “Always,” Ford said with a promise in the word that touched Jamie’s heart.

  Zac went to sit next to her mother and stepdad. Although Sadie and Luna had helped her get ready for today, she’d still invited her mother because she didn’t want to look back on this day and feel like something was missing. She and her mother would never be close, not even friends, but Jamie still held hope that one day things would be different. Today, she hoped to get through the ceremony and reception without wanting to kill her mother. She had high hopes, because Ford had assigned Rory to keep her mother away from her for the day.

  “We are gathered here today to join these two in matrimony,” the minister began.

  Ford squeezed her hand. She glanced over at him and caught the intense look of love in his eyes. She turned from the minister as he spoke of love and second chances and stepped closer to Ford and held his gaze, lost in the emotion she saw in the hazel depths.

  She repeated the vows and held back tears when Ford gave them back to her, their gazes still locked, anticipation fluttering in her heart. Her hand shook when he slipped the gorgeous gold band with daisies stamped side by side around the ring, tiny diamonds at their center, on her finger.

  “Ford, it’s beautiful.”

  “You said they’re happy flowers. Every time you look at it, I want you to be happy.”

  “Every day I’m with you, I’m happy.”

  Ford brought her hand to his lips and kissed the ring in place.

  “Hey now, son, you just wait for the ‘I do’s’ to be done,” Grandpa Sammy teased, bouncing his great-grandson, John, on his lap.

  Jamie winked at the man who never ceased to show her what it felt like to have a real father. If possible, he’d become even happier and more boisterous after marrying Ruth last month. They suited each other perfectly. Sammy had been looking out for his grandsons alone a long time. The whole family was so glad he had someone special to look after him now.

  Jamie took the ring from Luna and turned back to Ford. She slipped the ring on his big hand, repeated the minister’s words, then brought his hand to her lips and kissed the ring in place like he’d done for her. Everyone laughed, including Ford.

  This was how life should be, filled with joy and laughter and friends and family and love.

  The moment finally came.

  “I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”

  Jamie didn’t wait for the minister to finish the words. She grabbed Ford’s tie and pulled him down and in for a searing kiss. A cheer went up from their gathered family and friends.

  Ford wrapped her in his arms and held her close, taking over the kiss and pouring all his love into the simple moment. His hand came up to cup her face. He broke the soft kiss and stared into her eyes. “I love you, Mrs. Kendrick.”

  “I’ve been waiting a long time to hear you call me that.”

  “I’ve been waiting a long time for you to be my wife.”

  The minister patted Ford and her on the back. “I present Mr. and Mrs. Kendrick.”

  Another round of cheers went up. Ford got swallowed in bear hugs from both Rory and Colt. Sadie and Luna hugged her in turn.

  Her mother came to her and smiled. “You make a beautiful bride, Jamie. I hope you’ll be happy.”

  Words she never thought she’d hear from her mother. Jamie gave in and hugged her mother close. “I am happy, Mom. And I’m happy with Ford.” It had taken a while, but she’d found her footing and hiked her way up to the point where she was truly happy with who she was and the life she’d made for herself and with Ford.

  She released her mother and walked into Zac’s open arm. The other held her nephew Corey. “Proud of you, sis. Be happy.”

  “I want you to be happy, too.” She leaned back, then gave Corey a tickle, smiling even as she held back her secret.

  “You’re glowing,” Grandpa Sammy said, taking her into his arms.

  She hugged him, then stepped back and right into Ford’s chest. He wrapped his arm around her middle. “Like Luna?” she asked Sammy, hinting to the secret ready to burst from her lips.

  The wide smile on his face dimmed. Ruth tapped his chest and stared up at him with a bright smile on her face. Sammy finally got it.

  So did Ford. “Are you saying . . .”

  She directed her answer to Sammy. “You’re three for three on all fronts. Your grandsons are all happily married. You’ll have your three great-grandbabies sometime in the next seven months.”

  Sammy let out a loud whoop.

  Ford spun her around and kissed her again. He pressed his forehead to hers and stared into her eyes, his glassed over with sheer happiness. “You mean it?”

  “You asked me to marry you and gave me a baby all at the same time. When you set your mind to something, you really get it done.”

  That made him laugh. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Ford kissed her softly one more time. “Now we really do have everything.”

  Acknowledgments

  I can’t believe this is the sixth book in the Montana Men series and the last of the Kendrick brothers. There is so much more to come, but I wanted to take a moment to thank some of the people who work so hard behind the scenes for me.

  Thank you to my amazingly talented and kind editor, Amanda Bergeron. Without your hard work, insights, fantastic suggestions, and the way you stick with me through every round of edits this book and all the others would never be the grand stories I imagine in my mind and try so hard to put on paper. I love that, like me, you’re never satisfied until it’s just right. None of this is possible without you, my friend.

  Thank you to the Avon team, including Caroline Perny, Shawn Nicholls, Elle Keck, the sales team, marketing, art, and all the amazing talent I’m lucky enough to have in my corner.

  My outstanding agent, Suzie Townsend, thank you for always having my back, listening t
o all my concerns and gripes, giving me perspective, a pat on the back, a nudge in the right direction, what I need when I need it. Most of all thanks for your constant support, eye on the future, and being excited about all the many projects and ideas I have and want to do right now. I’m working on patience. You are the best!

  An Excerpt from Escape to Hope Ranch

  Keep reading for a sneak peek at the first in an amazing new series, Montana Heat, from Jennifer Ryan

  ESCAPE TO HOPE RANCH

  on sale August 29, 2017 . . .

  And don’t miss the Montana Heat prequel novella

  HER DANGEROUS PROTECTOR

  on sale June 20, 2017.

  Chapter 1

  Welcome to Celebrity Centerfold. I’m your host Sharon Waters. Tonight, we delve into the life, career, and mysterious disappearance of Oscar-winning actress Ashley Swan.

  Trigger sat in his recliner, drinking a beer, staring at the striking photo of Ashley on the TV screen and didn’t care one bit about why some spoiled, rich, self-important movie star ditched her extravagant life. He rubbed his hand over his aching shoulder and the scar on his chest where he’d been shot. What did he care about some overpaid actress when two months ago he’d killed an innocent woman and last month he’d narrowly avoided killing his brother’s girlfriend by a mere inch, then killed the man who tried to kill his brother?

  Next week marks the one-year anniversary of the last confirmed sighting of the mega movie star when she appeared on the After Midnight Show with Brice Mooney. The two shared an evident affection for each other that drew fans and jacked up ratings whenever she appeared on Mooney’s show, but nothing compared to her appearance on his final show before he retired. Audience members, show producers, and Mooney himself said she was happy that night and enjoyed Mooney’s celebration before he took his final bow and retired to his secluded ranch in Montana.

  Clips of Ashley Swan and Brice Mooney laughing together as she sat in the chair next to his desk during her appearances on the shows played on the screen. Ashley Swan flirted with coy smiles and sultry looks as Brice Mooney’s adoration spilled out in his flirtatious comments and suggestive jokes. Ashley played along with the much older man, striking the perfect balance between shy modesty at his praise over one performance or another, and joking away Brice’s obvious infatuation and comments about her exceptional beauty with outrageous flirtations she overplayed for the live and TV audience.

  Ashley Swan has not been seen since she left the after-party that night. Rumors have circulated from inside sources who claim Ashley complained for months leading up to her disappearance about her nonstop work schedule, the pressure to get the next Oscar, the paparazzi dogging her heels everywhere she went, and tabloid stories about the many men she dated.

  With an open missing persons case with no evidence of foul play or her death, no ransom demands, and all reports claiming she was unhappy living her life in the public eye, many believe she simply walked away from it all. What would make her turn her back on fame and give up her lucrative career? The pressure? Drugs? A secret lover who swept her off her feet and took her away from the bright lights of sin city to live a quieter, peaceful life in seclusion?

  Where has she been hiding this past year?

  The bigger question remains: Why hasn’t anyone seen her?

  Did she really walk away from it all without a word to her publicist, agent, manager, the studio, or even her hairdresser? Or did something darker claim her and we’ll never know?

  Trigger shut off the TV and stared out the windows to the darkening evening sky, trying not to think of all the horrors that could have befallen her. Lost in his suffocating guilt, heavy grief, and living with his nightmares, old and new, every second of the day, he’d locked himself away on his secluded property, hoping to find some peace. God, he hoped he didn’t have to shoot anyone this month.

  Chapter 2

  Ashley’s arms ached, her fingers tingled as the silk straps tied around her wrists and the carved bedpost cut off her circulation. Arms over her head, her naked body stretched with her back pressed to the cold, hard wood. She didn’t feel the crisp winter chill in the room from the open window anymore. Another small but effective means to torment and degrade her. Numb from the inside out, she stood before her captor, indifferent to whatever he did next.

  What did it matter now after all this time?

  Every escape attempt futile and foiled.

  Every plea for mercy unheeded.

  Every day another day of torture to endure.

  She didn’t know how long she’d been here. The days and nights blurred into one big never-ending nightmare. She stopped wondering if anyone was looking for her, or even cared that she disappeared. She didn’t think about the life she’d lost back in L.A. She didn’t dream of her future, or regret all the might-have-beens that would probably never be.

  She endured each and every day with only one thought in mind: Survive.

  Some days, like today, she didn’t know why she bothered. Last night, she’d made a mistake. Miscalculated her captor’s tenuous hold on sanity. Or maybe more accurately, his need to inflict pain and have his fantasy play out just so. It had to be flawless, the illusion only he saw in his mind but expected her to play to perfection.

  Illusion was her stock in trade.

  She’d earned three back-to-back Oscar nominations, winning the third, for making people believe the characters she portrayed.

  Until now, she’d refused to become the character her captor demanded, wanted, craved.

  And she’d paid dearly for it the last many months she’d been here, but most especially last night. Her ribs and back still ached from the beating. Every breath felt like sucking in fire. Her cracked ribs would heal in time. She wasn’t so sure about her fractured mind.

  It had finally come to the point where she understood, believed she was his—to do with as he pleased.

  She would never escape this hell.

  “I hope tonight will be different.” Brice pulled the ice blue gown from the closet. The elegant dress swished as he draped it over his arm to show it off. She’d worn such beautiful things on dozens of red carpets. But the thought of putting that on for him filled her gut with dread and pushed bile up her throat, choking her with fear.

  Not that one. Not Aurora from Flame in the Night.

  Any other character. Any other movie she could play out for him again and again, but this one only ended badly.

  Last night’s beating would seem like a trip to an amusement park. He wanted to punish her for holding out, holding back day after day, night after night. She’d reached the end of his patience and endurance.

  He wanted what he wanted.

  And he meant to get it from her, even by force, despite the fact that he knew the only way it would ever be perfect was if she gave in, gave up, and committed to giving him the dream: Her wholly and completely immersed in character and in love with him.

  Before tonight, her mind screamed never. Now, that voice whispered its last breath in defeat.

  Until tonight, she could not pretend to be the woman he wanted, a made-up character on screen, a woman who adored him with undying love. She could not pretend that she’d find a way out of there. She could not pretend that this was all a terrible nightmare.

  She could not do this anymore.

  She won the Oscar with her portrayal of Aurora, a woman who falls for a rich and powerful businessman disillusioned with people and the world until he meets her. Aurora reignites his passion for life. The love they share is something neither of them expected.

  The movie instantly became a classic romance, one that would probably stand the test of time, and be adored by one generation after the next.

  Brice wanted that love story to be his. He wanted Aurora to be his real-life lover. He wanted to have a love like no other. He wanted her to bring that fantasy to life.

  But he didn’t know how to love. He’d never felt that in his life. Within himself. Or from another.<
br />
  She didn’t think he felt anything at all. Not really. Which is why he tried so hard to feel something.

  “You brought on what happened last night. If only you’d stop holding back, we could have the life we both want. We would be the envy of all of Hollywood. The world.”

  Yes, fans all over the world clamored for every scrap of information about her personal life. They devoured every picture and video of her on TV, the internet, and splashed across tabloid magazines. Didn’t matter if the stories were true or not. Didn’t matter if the man she was with was just a friend. People imagined an epic love story because that’s what she’d given them on screen.

  Just like everyone else fantasizing about being a movie star and living the perfect life, Brice wanted to live the dream that she knew was nothing more than illusion.

  The backhanded slap across the mouth brought her out of her head and made her present in the moment.

  “I’d hoped last night taught you to respond when I talk to you.”

  Unsure if he asked her a question, or said something that even required comment, she stared at him, hoping for some kind of hint.

  None forthcoming, her continued silence, Brice’s face contorted with anger at her perceived insolence. He tossed the beautiful gown across the bed and punched her in the ribs to get her attention. Her body bucked and contorted with the force of the smacking blow. Reflex made her try to pull her arms down for protection, but the silken straps held her arms above her head, her body unprotected. Flesh pounded into flesh as another fist socked her in the side, connecting with her already screaming ribs. She didn’t cry out at the sickening crack or the excruciating pain that followed. She focused on trying to get her breath, her back pressed to the post behind her, and the feel of the wood against her skin.