In the end, she didn’t fly to Whispering Springs. Instead, as an early Christmas present, her parents bought her a new, and completely too expensive, sport utility vehicle to take back. She thought about saying no, but they sincerely seemed to enjoy giving it to her. Since she’d given her sedan to Mallory after hers had been destroyed in the fire, the gift was received with pleasure.
It took a couple of long days on the road before she pulled into the drive at her home.
Around her, houses blinked with multi-colored Christmas lights, large Christmas decorations and one Santa that opened and closed an empty trailer. It was almost Christmas. She didn’t have time to get all her boxes of decorations out to get her house into the Christmas spirit tonight. But tomorrow? Her house was getting a makeover.
Her house. Man, she liked those words.
Now to go get her man.
She liked those words even better.
Scratch that. She wanted more privacy than they could get at his place with Reno and Magda listening in, so she needed him to come here. She called his cell.
“Hello?” He sounded calm and totally unaffected by her call. And he had to know it was her by the caller ID.
“Hey. It’s me.”
There was a pause before he said, “Is this Porchia or Katherine?”
“Porchia.”
He said nothing.
“I wondered, if you’re not too busy or anything, if you could come over to my house this evening.”
“You’re home?”
“I am.” She started to say she was home to stay, but at the last second she decided she’d wait and see what kind of reaction she got from him. If he totally hated her and wanted nothing to do with her, she’d…well, she didn’t know exactly what she’d do. She crossed her fingers. “Can you come?”
“What time?”
She smiled. “I’ll cook dinner, so whenever you get done.” She glanced at her watch. That’d give her time to get to the store and grab some food, since she was sure there was nothing edible in her kitchen.
“I can be there about seven. That work?”
“Perfect. See you then.”
A trip to the grocery store that should have been twenty minutes tops turned into an hour as people greeted her or hugged her or just stopped her to tell her how much they’d missed her. Most asked if she was going to rebuild the bakery, moaning about how much they longed for her pastries. All the kind words and hugs caught her off-guard. She hadn’t expected this kind of response from the townspeople. She found herself tearing up more than once.
One more stop and she was back home.
She made a roast with potatoes, carrots, green beans and creamed corn. She even had enough time to make fresh yeast rolls.
By six-thirty, she’d showered, dressed in jeans, a soft sweater and a thick pair of socks. She was done, done, done with nylons and high-heel shoes. Her toes thanked her.
When she heard the rumble of his truck in her drive, Porchia’s heart charged up her throat. Whatever happened, she was laying it all on the line.
He knocked at the door, and for the briefest of seconds, she remembered opening the door to Slade and all that had transpired afterward. But that was the past. Darren had been right. She had done nothing wrong, not seventeen years ago and not a month ago.
She opened the door, her gut tugging nervously. He’d never looked better than he did tonight. Dressed in fresh jeans—thanks, Magda—a snap shirt, boots and a leather jacket, he stood with his hat held at waist height. Her eyes ate up the vision.
“Come on in.”
He walked, studying her as though she might turn into a butterfly at any minute. She smiled.
“It’s me. Porchia. Katherine was laid to rest in Atlanta.”
But he still held back affections except to say, “Good. I didn’t like Katherine anyway.”
“Me neither, to tell you the truth. Take off your coat. Dinner is ready. I know you come home ravenous.”
He smiled. “That I do.” He draped his coat over the sofa. “Smells good.”
She deliberately arched an eyebrow. “And it’ll be good too. Can I get you a beer?”
“I’d love one.”
“Great. Grab a chair. I’ll be right back.”
She brought a couple of beers to the table. Not because she wanted a beer with dinner, but more of an overt sign that she’d made her decision.
While they ate, she apologized again for the dinner at her parents’ house. And she told him about her conversation with them, about coming home to Whispering Springs, about wanting to rebuild her life.
He let her talk, nodding in appropriate places, but not asking many questions.
“So,” she finished up. “Once my parents understood my need to come home, they bought me a new SUV as a Christmas present and sent me on my way. I was surprised they took it so well.” She chuckled. “Sort of well. Mother cried and then insisted on buying me the most expensive SUV she could, which was fine with me. I felt so bad about Mallory losing her car because of me, that I gave her mine. And before you tell me the fire wasn’t my fault, I know. But giving her the car made me happy.”
He nodded and smiled. “That was a nice thing to do.”
“Which brings me to why I asked you here.”
Setting his fork and knife across his plate, he studied her. “Okay.”
“I’m here because being in Whispering Springs makes me happy. I want a happy future, and I only know of one way I’ll be happy.”
“And what’s that?”
“To be with you.”
“Are you sure, Porchia? Really sure?”
She stood and walked to where he sat. Then, dropping to one knee, she said, “Will you marry me?”
The stunned expression on his face scared her more than actually saying the words. But then a broad smile crawled onto his lips.
“Do you love me?” he asked.
“With all my heart.”
“And I love you.” He pushed back his chair and pulled her into his lap. “I have missed you so much,” he said and kissed her.
When his lips touched hers, a rain of sparks went off inside her. She loved how he smelled, how he tasted, hell, how he breathed. This was her man.
“Hey,” he said. “Where’s my engagement ring? When a guy asks a girl to marry him, he always presents a ring.”
She laughed. “I got you something better. Hold on.”
She hurried to her bedroom, grabbed the two boxes she’d picked up this afternoon and raced back. She found Darren in the living room sitting on the sofa. She skidded to a stop and sat on the couch beside him.
“Wait. Before you get these, you didn’t answer my question. These are engagement presents. I have to have an answer before you get them.”
“Well,” he said, “I’ll give you a provisional yes. Now let me see what you got me.” The twinkle in his eye made her smile. Man, she’d missed that twinkle.
She laughed and put the boxes behind her. “A provisional yes?” She forced her mouth into a pout. “Not good enough.”
“Fine. I’ll marry you. Now let me see what you bought.”
She handed over the presents. He ripped the paper off, his eyes growing wide at the Resistol box. “You bought me a Resistol?” He jerked the lid off and lifted a silver-toned, felt cowboy hat from the box. “It’s gorgeous.” He set it on his head. “And a perfect fit. Thank you,” he said. “I love it.”
“One more box.” She set the large, square box on the floor.
He looked at her, took off the hat and set it behind him. “Porchia. You don’t have to buy me anything. I love you. Don’t you know that? I want to marry you. I’d marry you tomorrow if you’d agree. I’ve wanted to marry you since day one of the camping trip. But I knew if I told you that back then, you’d have run for the hills.”
Nodding, she chuckled. “Yeah. I probably would have.”
“Do you believe that I love you?”
She held his face in the palms of her hands. �
�I know you love me. You faced my family for me. There’s no doubt in my mind I belong here with you.”
Their lips met in a hot kiss full of pent-up desire and years of love.
“Well,” he drawled when he broke the kiss. “Funny you should want to ask me to marry you.” He put his arm around her and pulled her snug against him.
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
He reached into his front pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. “Great minds and all that.” He popped it open and an embarrassingly large diamond winked at her. “I told myself that if you came back, I was never, ever letting you go again. I’ve been miserable without you.”
She looked into his eyes, although hers were a little watery.
“I love you, Porchia. I want to be your husband. I want to be the father of your children. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you.”
“Yes! Yes. Yes. Yes,” she said, adjusting her position on the couch until she could throw her arms around his neck. She kissed his mouth, his cheeks, his chin. “I love you, Darren Montgomery.”
He slipped the ring on her finger. “I love you, Porchia Summers, soon-to-be Porchia Montgomery.”
She kissed him again. “Wait. I got you another engagement present.”
Grinning, he said, “Since we are engaged, I think I should open it, don’t you?”
He hefted the box off the floor and into his lap. Once he got the lid off, a pair of black leather, ornately decorated cowboy boots rested inside.
“These are incredible, honey.”
“I thought they’d look good on our wedding day.”
He smiled. “But nothing will be more beautiful than my bride.”
Porchia would always love her parents, even if she didn’t understand or agree with them all of the time.
In Texas, she’d found unconditional love and acceptance.
With Darren, she’d found family.
They turned off the lights and their phones and went to the bedroom to plan their future. A future that held their shared dreams built on a foundation of love and trust.
A future that was family.
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Cynthia D’Alba started writing on a challenge from her husband in 2006 and discovered having imaginary sex with lots of hunky men was fun. She was born and raised in a small Arkansas town. After being gone for a number of years, she’s thrilled to be making her home back in Arkansas, living in a vine-covered cottage on the banks of an eight-thousand acre lake. When she’s not reading or writing or plotting, she’s doorman for her two dogs, cook, housekeeper and chief bottle washer for her husband and slave to a noisy, messy parrot. She loves to chat online with friends and fans.
You can find her most days at one of the following online homes:
Website: www.cynthiadalba.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/cynthiadalba
Twitter: @cynthiadalba
Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/CynthiaDAlba
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Or drop her a line at [email protected]
Or send snail mail to: Cynthia D’Alba PO Box 2116 Hot Springs, AR 71914
Look for these titles by Cynthia D’Alba
Now Available:
Texas Montgomery Mavericks
Texas Two Step
Texas Tango
Texas Fandango
Texas Twist
Texas Bossa Nova
Coming Soon:
Texas Montgomery Mavericks
Texas Lullaby
Don’t miss the other titles in Cynthia D’Alba’s Texas Montgomery Mavericks series!
He plans to take the wander right out of her wanderlust.
Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 5
Magda Hobbs’s job as ranch housekeeper—and its daily dose of cowboys—wreaked havoc on her libido. Especially one certain cowboy she couldn’t resist. Scared of going down the same path as her mother, Magda jumped on her motorcycle and hit the road.
Five months later, her father’s mild heart attack has forced her back to Whispering Springs. While she’s grateful for the cleaning job at one of the Montgomery ranch houses, she’s not so thrilled one of the cowboys she’s looking after is the one she fell for last spring.
Reno Montgomery’s parents hiring a housekeeper for him and his brother is a nice surprise, but he’s shocked to discover it’s Magda, the woman who up and left just when things were getting serious between them.
When a freak snowstorm cuts off the outside world, the isolation rekindles their desire. But when the weather and the roads clear, Reno has to work hard and fast to keep the woman of his dreams from accelerating right out of his life again.
Warning: Contains a woman born with a bad case of wanderlust, and a cowboy determined to show her that life’s a dance that doesn’t have to two-step her out of his life.
Real bad boys can grow up to be real good men.
Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 4
Hit hard by the death of her parents, Paige Ryan needs to figure out what to do with her life. She moves to Whispering Springs, Texas, to be near her step-brother. But just as she starts to get her life on track, the last man she ever wanted to see again sends it right back off the rails.
Cash Montgomery was on the cusp of having it all. Three bull riding titles, fame, fortune and respect from his family. Until a bad bull leaves him injured, angry and searching for comfort at the bottom of a bottle. With nowhere to go, he moves into his sister-in-law’s old ranch house in Whispering Springs—which he’s surprised to find already occupied.
As Cash rebuilds the dilapidated home and Paige starts out on her medical career, their old friendship begins to reemerge and sparks are ignited. Paige knows that Cash is nothing but a heartache waiting to happen. But maybe this bad boy has grown up to be a real good man?
Warning: Watch out for falling lumber, falling in holes, and falling for the wrong guy…again. You can leave your hard hat on.
Two weeks on a beach can deepen more than just their tans.
Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 3
KC Montgomery was eleven when she met the love of her life. Of course, seventeen-year-old Drake Gentry didn’t know she existed, but that didn’t stop her girlish fantasies from growing and changing over the years.
Now, after enjoying a front-row seat to his breakup with his latest girlfriend, she’s been handed an all-grown-up fantasy come true—two weeks at the Sand Castle Resort. With him.
Drake most definitely noticed KC a long time ago, but the timing’s never been right. Now that he’s facing a lonely vacation that was supposed to be for two, it seems only natural to accept KC’s offer to fill in. And as far as her terms go… No strings. No expectations. No holds barred. Drake is no fool—he’s all over it.
But once they’re back in Texas there are invisible strings still hanging between them. Strings labeled attraction, affection…even love. And the more they try to untangle the knots, the tighter they’re bound together.
Warning: Beware of sunburns, whirlpool sex and sand in delicate places.
eBooks are not transferable.
They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Texas Hustle
Copyright © 2015 by Cynthia D’Alba
ISBN: 978-1-61923-129-0
Edited by Heidi Moore
Cover by Valerie Tibbs
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any m
anner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: November 2015
www.samhainpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
About the Author
Look for these titles by Cynthia D’Alba
Texas Hustle Page 24
