CUFF ME Daddy: A Single Dad, Police Officer Romance

by Rye Hart

  “I do intend to marry,” Laverly said. “My bride is not exactly a horsewoman, but she must have the very best that the stables can afford. She must have the best of everything.”

  “Yes, sir,” Will agreed, wondering why, if the Duke planned to marry well, he was heading to the Dart cottage. The ways of the gentry were more than he could understand, but the offer of a bigger cottage on the estate would be an added inducement when he approached Mr. Cantwell for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

  They arrived at the Dart cottage and Laverly stepped down. ”A half hour, Will. It should take no longer than that.”

  “I’ll be back on time, sir.”

  Laverly knocked on the cottage door. He was greeted by the scent of lavender as the door opened.

  “My lord!” Bella exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to see your father. Is he about?”

  “Yes, he is within. Why do you need to see him?” she asked with curiosity.

  “Bella, have we guests?”

  “It’s Lord Laverly, Father, he’s come to see you.”

  “Has he indeed?”

  Laverly heard Larkin Dart chuckle. “My lord, welcome. Will you join me for a taste of Bella’s excellent butter cake?”

  “I would be pleased to do so, sir, but I have business with you that must be attended to first,” Laverly said.

  “I see. Bella, will you leave us?”

  “Why on earth should I leave you two? What business can you possibly have?” she asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

  “Bella, will you show your father such disrespect?” Laverly inquired.

  “I do not disrespect my father,” she challenged firmly.

  “Excellent. Then be a dutiful daughter and leave us to our business.”

  The silence revealed that Bella was not convinced of his reasoning.

  “Bella, my dear,” said her father. “Please do as Lord Laverly requests.”

  “I shall leave,” Bella said, plainly irked by the mystery. “But I shall return soon.”

  Laverly heard her putting on her winter cloak. “Please return in fifteen minutes,” he told her.

  She did not answer, but the slamming of the door gave her response.

  Once he was sure Bella was out of earshot, Dennison got down to business. “Mr. Dart, I have come to ask for your permission to marry your daughter.”

  “I thought that might be it,” Dart replied.

  “You knew?”

  “Please to be seated, my lord. Such matters are best discussed sitting down,” Larkin said.

  “How did you know?”

  “As you have learned, to be blind is not to be insensate. I knew from my daughter.”

  “Has she indicated an affection for me?” Lavelry asked eagerly.

  “No,” Dart replied, “but she has been disconsolate since she broke off the lessons with you. I knew that she previously had been in excellent spirits when she returned from the Hall, until the day when she came home and insisted that she was afflicted with an ague and was not crying. She has had that ‘cold’ for days, and Bella is always in superb health.”

  “I see,” Laverly said with renewed hope. “Do I have your permission then?”

  “You have my permission, but it is Bella who must be convinced. She is a proud young woman and she will not marry a Duke only to be held in contempt because she is not of your station.”

  “Sir, if we marry, she will be a Duchess and she will bear my children. Can I offer any greater indication of my regard for her and her worthiness?”

  “Do you love her?” her father asked.

  “I cannot live without her,” Dennison said in response.

  “She is obstinate, she is not biddable, and she is independent. She will challenge you. You must not expect a wife who intends to pay heed to the marital vow which holds her to obedience; she is not an obedient woman,” Larkin said, to push the point that Dennison must be sure of his intention.

  “She is what I need, sir, and I believe that I am what she needs.”

  “Yes,” Dart considered. “I believe you are correct.”

  When Bella returned, Dart had donned his winter coat and expressed the intention of stepping out for air. He had closed the door behind him before his daughter could remonstrate with him.

  “Bella,” Laverly said. “Will you sit down?”

  He had turned one of the chairs so that it faced outward from the table. He heard her sit down. When she did so, he lowered himself to one knee. “Bella, I have asked your father for his permission and now I ask for your consent. Will you be my wife?”

  “Your wife? Are you drunk or mad?” she asked, surprise in her voice.

  “That’s a fine response to a marriage proposal,” he said indignantly.

  “Get up. You look absurd on bended knee like some lovesick swain. You are stepping on my dress and will tear it,”

  “You neglected to teach me how to properly comport myself when proposing marriage; it is entirely your fault if I disappoint you. Do I disappoint you, Bella?”

  “No,” she said, her voice obscured by what sounded like tears.

  “Bella, are you crying?” he asked tenderly.

  “I have a cold.”

  “That cold is lasting too long. You should summon Dr. Keating for medicine.”

  “It will end in good time,” she responded.

  “You have not answered me.”

  “I cannot marry you.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because,” she said simply.

  “That is insufficient.”

  “I do not need to give a reason.”

  “Shall I give one then?” He gave her no chance to answer. ”You are afraid to accept my proposal because you fear that you will not receive the respect from the gentry who may consider their breeding to be higher than yours. You fear that you will be shunned because the schoolmaster’s daughter will be the Duchess of Laverly. You fear that you will have to learn new ways and you are accustomed to being the one who teaches. In short, my dear, beautiful, beloved Bella, you are a coward.”

  “I’m not afraid of anything!” she cried indignantly.

  “Are you afraid of loving me?” he asked softly.

  “And I’m not beautiful. You can’t see, you have no idea whether I am ill-favored or fair,” she ignored his question.

  Laverly took her hands in his. “Tell me then,” he said. ”Tell me what I would be looking at if I could see you with my eyes.”

  She sniffed, and a handkerchief brushed against his cheek as she pulled it from her sleeve.

  “I am too short for you. We should look ridiculous.”

  “As long as we can reach to kiss one another, our height is perfect.”

  “My hair is not fashionable; I do not have ringlets.”

  “Then I shall not muss it when I kiss you,” he countered.

  “My nose is not demure.”

  “Is it overlarge?” he asked with amusement.

  “No!” she replied, insulted by his query.

  He gave in to his laughter. “I would not care if it were. But our children might.”

  “Children!”

  “It’s commonly believed that the purpose of marriage is for the begetting of children,” he stated simply.

  “Yes,” she said faintly.

  “I shall look forward to the begetting of children with my diminutive, unfashionably coiffed, undemure-nosed Duchess.”

  He stood up. “It is at this time that a man who has proposed marriage may expect that his intended will receive his affections with pleasure.”

  Laverly bent his head. Her lips were very soft and warm and when he wrapped his arms around her, she followed his example with an embrace that told him that, although she could not give voice to her feelings, her passion was quickened. They were still locked in the same kiss when the door opened to admit Larkin Dart.

  “I take it, Bella, that I am to welcome His Lordship into the family as a son-in-law
?”

  “You are,” Bella said, her voice muffled.

  “Might I ask when the marriage is to take place?”

  “If the banns are read at Christmas,” Laverly said, “we can be wed in the early new year. I have no wish to wait.”

  “But are you sure? You were among your own kind,” Bella said, sounding troubled, the excitement of his kiss banished by the reality of what marriage meant. “Why should you leave?”

  “I learned something at the dance. The prattling girls, the invitation to gamble, the meaningless talk about the battle. I found that I am not the one who is blind. You taught me to see, darling Bella, and having viewed the world as it is, I cannot return to a society that lives in a masquerade. I love you. Do you love me?”

  Bella flung her arms around him. “I knew I loved you the day I left Laverly Hall for the last time. I have been so wretched without you.”

  “You shall return to Laverly Hall as its mistress. And as my beloved Bella.” He returned her embrace with eagerness.

  Bella’s father coughed gently. “Your manservant is outside, waiting for you.”

  “Will! Yes, of course; I told him to return in half an hour.”

  “Were you so sure of me?” Bella demanded.

  “Not at all. I intended to abduct you and ride to Gretna Green if you refused me. I merely needed to obtain your father’s willingness to accompany us.”

  He kissed her tenderly. She would be his Duchess, the woman who had returned his sight to him. Blindness, he realized, was admittedly a physical condition. But sight was a choice as well, and Bella had offered him the choice to see for the first time, love.

  The End

  Roped in By the Cowboy

  Chapter One: Sydney

  The sun is beating down on me as I drive through the flat lands of Middle America. My olive skin is drinking in the rays, thirsty for the warmth. A few strands of my auburn hair have escaped from my ponytail and are whipping about my face as I push the gas pedal to the floor.

  I haven’t seen another soul in almost twenty minutes on this God-forsaken road, so I figure what the hell? I revel in the feel of the wind on my face, grateful that my oversized sunglasses are keeping the swirling dust out of my eyes. As long as I remember to keep my mouth closed, I can avoid the extra protein boost of a renegade bug, which means no singing along to the radio.

  After what seems like forever, the outskirts of a small town come into view and I ease up on the accelerator. After a particularly rough year, my shrink had suggested I take a break from the rat race and “re-center my spirit,” whatever the fuck that means. All I know, is that I need a reprieve, and I need it bad. I sigh as the long journey is finally coming to an end. To be completely honest, I’m looking forward to some time away from my fast-paced city routine after the epic shit show my life has been over the past year.

  I enter the small town and immediately start catching glances. Apparently candy apple red convertibles aren’t the norm around here. I sit at what must be the town’s only stoplight and smile to myself as I feel the eyes of nearly everyone on the street on me. I sit up taller and arch my back slightly, pushing my big tits out to strain against the thin material of my white tank top. I giggle as an old woman swings her purse at her husband who is openly staring now.

  As the light turns green, I hit the gas and peel away from the intersection in search of the address Dr. Ferrell printed out for me. I leave the main street and all of its curious stares in my rearview mirror, waving as I go. Look out Sheepshead, Montana, Sydney Baines has arrived.

  Barely ten minutes later, I’ve driven through the entirety of the tiny town and find myself on an open road with cattle pastures on either side of me. I slow down and slip my sunglasses down my nose to better read the addresses carved on the fence posts. I find the one I’m looking for and turn up the drive, my green eyes growing large as the house comes into view. I was definitely not expecting what is sitting in front of me.

  The long, dusty driveway ends abruptly at a huge lodge of timber and glass. A large wraparound porch sports two rocking chairs that look out over the pasture land to either side of the home. The two-story structure boasts enormous windows along the front, centered by a massive oak door complete with large brass ring knockers. The only thing, besides the smell of cow shit, that points to the fact that I’m on a working ranch, is the beat up pickup truck parked in front.

  I take a deep breath and climb out of my car, stretching my long legs from the drive. Propping my sunglasses up on the top of my head, I stride toward the front porch and the door opens before I am even up the steps.

  “Holy shit,” I say out loud before I can catch myself.

  “I’m sorry?” comes the reply of the Adonis that stands in the doorway.

  I feel a blush creep up my neck and clear my throat. “Uh, hi,” I try again. “I’m Sydney Baines,” I say, sticking out my hand. Never in my twenty-seven years on this earth, have I seen a man this gorgeous.

  He takes a step out on the porch and I realize that he’s even taller than I had originally thought. I’m on the tall side for a woman, standing nearly five foot ten and this guy towers over me. He must be well over six-five. His shoulders are broad, his hips are narrow, and his tousled black hair falls over his forehead. My palms are immediately sweaty and I try to pull my hand back but he reaches out and grabs it in his before I can. I nearly sigh as his large, calloused hand completely envelops mine.

  His dark brown eyes take me in from head to toe and a smirk spreads across his tanned face. “Cole. Cole Parker,” he says, amusement clear in his eyes.

  I know this look, and the immediate attraction I’d felt is quickly replaced by annoyance. This asshole thinks he’s better than me. I nearly yank my hand from his and stuff it in the pocket of my short red shorts. I notice that his eyes travel immediately to my chest and I take a step back, the heel of my wedge shoe catching on the top of the step. I feel myself start to fall, but before I can, Cole’s massive arms are around my waist. He hauls me up against his rock-hard chest and steadies me on my feet before letting go. He is still standing close enough that I can feel the heat coming off of him.

  My heart is hammering in my ears and it’s not just from the near tumble down the porch steps. The feel of him pressed up against me has made me weak in the knees, and more than a little wet. Holy fuck Sydney, get ahold of yourself.

  “Uh, thank you,” I manage to mumble as I smooth my clothes.

  “Now I’ve had women fall for me pretty fast before, but that might be a record,” Cole teases.

  My face immediately goes hot and I start to stammer out a response but he holds up a hand and stops me.

  “Cool down Miss Baines, I’m only joking. Why don’t we get your bags and get you inside and out of the heat?”

  As I watch him walk down the steps toward my car to grab my luggage, I can’t help but think that as long as I’m anywhere near Cole Parker, I’ll never be out of the heat.

  Chapter Two: Cole

  I look up at the clock and groan to myself. It’s nearly dusk and my “guest” is set to arrive any minute now. I don’t normally do this sort of thing but I just can’t say no to my Aunt Nora. Shit, if it hadn’t been for her, my brothers and I would have been split up and put into foster care. I owe her.

  I get up from the chair and do another cursory sweep of the living room. It isn’t possible for any dust to have gathered since I checked five minutes ago, but I’m feeling on edge and need something to do. Some of the other ranches in the area rent out rooms to bored, rich city people for extra income, but that’s never been my deal. Besides, the ranch does pretty well and we don’t need the extra cash.

  My younger brother, Luke, comes down the hall and tosses a smirk in my direction.

  “Your new roomie here yet?” he asks.

  “Shut up,” I throw back at him. “I don’t know why I let Aunt Nora talk me into this shit.”

  “Uh, yes you do. Without her, we’d have nothing. So, she call
s and asks us to do something and we do it. Come on, it’s only for a few weeks. It won’t be that bad. I’ll bet she spends most of her time in town or up near Billings where there’s more to do,” Luke reasons.

  I shrug my shoulders and hope that he’s right. The last thing I need is some city chick hanging around while I’m trying to work. I’ve seen it before and the novelty wears off rather quickly for them every time. All they end up doing is getting in the way.

  I shake my head as Luke raids my fridge before heading out the back door. He’s got his own place on the property near the back, but he likes to come up and do his grocery shopping in my kitchen every once in a while. He’s lucky I like him.

  I see the headlights of the little red sports car come up the drive and pull to a stop next to my truck. Here we go, I tell myself, taking a deep breath. I walk over toward the front door and stop in my tracks, my heart skipping a beat. Aunt Nora never told me what this girl looked like. I could’ve used a warning.

  Long, tanned legs unfold from the car and her high, large breasts jiggle a bit when she slams the door shut. Her auburn hair is in a messy pony tail and she tucks some loose strands behind her ears. She is tall and lean with killer legs and a rack to match. I can feel my jeans start to get tight just looking at her. This is going to be a long few weeks. Damn you, Aunt Nora.

  I decide it’s better just to get this over with, so I step out onto the porch to introduce myself. I notice her take a step back and feel her eyes on me. I can’t help but smile a bit to myself; she thinks I’m hot. For the briefest moment, I imagine those long legs wrapped around my waist and feel my balls start to tighten. I need to get a grip or I’m going to be in some serious pain here soon.

  She steps back and nearly falls off of the porch. I react quickly and grab her around the waist, pulling her back up against me. The feel of those nice tits pressed to my chest is almost more than I can bear so I let her go almost immediately. I make a dumb comment and piss her off. Good, that should help. I can’t afford to have her looking at me like that for too much longer.