I Knew You Were Trouble: A Texas Kings Novel
Page 25
Faith watched the exchange between the two brothers, wondering what it was all about.
“What do you think?” Nate asked her.
“I think it’s probably something from your grandfather, don’t you think?” It was the only logical explanation.
Nate shrugged, but she could tell it was troubling him.
“Just open it, darling. Take a quick look.”
Nate did as she suggested, running his thumb under the seal and pulling out a handwritten letter. She could tell from the look on his face that it was indeed from Clay.
“It’s a letter from him,” Nate said, eyes slowly meeting hers, the letter in his hand still. “He wanted me to read it on my wedding day.” He paused, a smile kicking up the corners of his mouth as he read further. “If I married you.”
“Me?” She laughed. “He must have known what we didn’t.”
Nate took her hand in his and turned it to kiss her palm before moving to stand beside her at the table and tapping his spoon to his glass.
“I’d like to say a few words!” he said loudly, his booming voice quieting the previously noisy room.
Faith looked at her husband, unable to take her eyes off him. He looked incredible in his Dolce & Gabbana suit, his tie long since discarded, white shirt open necked and showing off a whole heap of tanned skin.
“I’d like to begin by saying how grateful we are to be surrounded by our closest family and friends. We all owe thanks to Faith for the intimacy of this ceremony.” Nate winked at her and she smiled back, taking a sip of champagne as he continued with his speech. “I never believed I’d ever fall in love, yet here I am today having declared my love for this one incredible woman who managed to come along and knock the stuffing from me when I thought I’d lost her.”
There were murmurs amongst their friends and Faith reached for his hand, needing to touch him.
“I’ve known plenty of beautiful women in my lifetime,” Nate continued, scowling when a few of the guys sniggered, “but none who also possessed the brains and sass to keep me in line.” He cleared his throat. “And it seems that even my granddad knew I’d met my match, if this letter I just received is anything to go by. He’s the one person missing today who I wish could have held on long enough to see me married, but I’ll just take a moment to read this aloud for the first time, as he wished.”
Faith could see the tears glistening in Nate’s eyes, heard the catch of emotion in his throat as he spoke of his granddad, and so she rose, slipping an arm around him and dropping her head to rest on his shoulder, to stand by him and support him.
“‘To Nate and Faith, because I know that unless you’ve done something to muck it all up, son, that she’s the only one you’re ever likely to marry in this lifetime.’”
Faith laughed softly and held Nate even tighter.
“‘You swore black and blue that you would never marry, but I always knew that one day a woman would come along that would challenge you enough to make you want to chase her. And when I saw you all bent out of sorts over Faith, I knew you’d finally met your match, because that’s exactly how I was over your grandma. She pushed all my buttons, made me fuming mad half the time trying to figure out what the hell she wanted, but she was the only one for me.’”
Nate cleared his throat, glancing at Faith before continuing.
“‘All I’ve ever wanted is for you boys to be happy, and imagine me finally letting go and knowing that your younger brothers had met wonderful women to love them. My only hope is that you and Faith can find the same kind of happiness that your grandmother and I had, to bring up your children on the ranch that has been in our family for generations, and to continue our legacy. And please tell that gorgeous new bride of yours that I wholeheartedly approve of your decision. In fact, if I was ten years younger I might have tried to give you a run for your money.’”
Everyone laughed then, even Faith as she dabbed at her eyes with her fingertips.
“‘And so I need to say my final good-bye, son. Please raise your glasses and toast to my new granddaughter-in-law, and wish her all the luck in the world at keeping a King under control.’”
The room was silent except for the shuffle of everyone reaching for their glasses to join Nate in his toast. Faith reached for her own and smiled at Nate, watching as he dropped the letter to the table.
“To my wife and to my granddad. Life wouldn’t have been the same without him, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the same without you by my side right now.”
Glasses clinked, everyone drank, and slowly the noise level rose again.
“He knew, Nate. He knew all along,” Faith whispered into his ear as he wrapped his arms around her.
“That man knew everything,” he muttered back, hands slipping lower until they were resting on her butt. “I just didn’t expect him to realize what I hadn’t at the time.”
“We are going to have a family, right?” she asked, arms looped around his neck as she gazed up at him. “Because I think I want a whole lot of little Nates running around.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” he growled.
“Hey,” she said with a laugh, standing on tiptoe to press a kiss to his jaw. “I wished for you, didn’t I?”
Also by Soraya Lane
The Devil Wears Spurs
Cowboy Take Me Away
PRAISE FOR THE TEXAS KINGS SERIES
Cowboy Take Me Away
“The playful banter between tough cowboy Chase and sassy veterinarian Hope is the highlight of Lane’s latest in her Texas Kings series. Lane’s strong, contemporary writing, genuine, relatable characters, and steady pacing will draw readers into the story. With Chase and Hope’s passionate connection at the center of an engaging plot, this story is a sexy, charming Southern read.”
—Romantic Times Book Reviews
“Cowboy Take Me Away is recommended for any folks who love second chance stories with secret complications thrown in, stories about hardworking men and ladies who are good at their jobs, and love stories that conquer tons of miscommunications.”
—Fresh Fiction
The Devil Wears Spurs
“It’s no gamble to bet on cowboy Ryder King. Soraya Lane’s The Devil Wears Spurs is hot as a Texas summer. It’s a wild ride you don’t want to miss.”
—New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ryan
“Watch out, the Devil has met his match! Sit back with Soraya Lane’s The Devil Wears Spurs and enjoy the sparks that fly between champion bull rider Ryder and Chloe, a barmaid with a few aces up her sleeve. You won’t want their story to end!”
—Laura Moore, bestselling author of Once Tasted
“Sassy, sexy, and so much fun, The Devil Wears Spurs is a cowboy fantasy come to life. With this rowdy, romantic ride from the ranches of Texas to the casinos of Las Vegas, Soraya Lane proves herself a bright new voice in Western romance.”
—Melissa Cutler, author of The Trouble with Cowboys
“Captivating.”
—Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick!
“Hot, handsome cowboys and sharp, amusing banter make Lane’s latest a fun, sexy read. Add in Chloe’s sassiness and they make an appealing couple with their intense chemistry lighting up the pages. With down-to-earth characters in a Western setting, Lane tells a story that will keep readers engaged until the very last page.”
—RT Book Reviews
Author Bio
As a child, Soraya dreamed of becoming an author. Fast-forward more than a few years, and Soraya is now living her dream! She describes being an author as “the best job in the world,” and she hopes to be writing romance and women’s fiction for many years to come.
Soraya loves spending her days thinking up characters for books, and her home is a constant source of inspiration. She lives with her own real-life hero and two young sons on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze. For more information about Soraya, her books, and her writing life
, visit sorayalane.com or www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on twitter @Soraya_Lane. She would love to hear from you. Or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Also by Soraya Lane
Praise for the Texas Kings Series
Author Bio
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE
Copyright © 2016 by Soraya Lane.
All rights reserved.
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eISBN: 9781466865327
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St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / July 2016
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.