Proposal at the Lazy S Ranch

by Patricia Thayer

  “Oh, Garrett, I love you, too.”

  “I love hearing you say those words again.” He dipped his head and covered her mouth in a soft kiss, making him only want more. He took several nibbles, then had to stop. There was so much that needed to be settled between them.

  He drew back. “Now we have to find a way to be together. And I don’t want a long-distance relationship.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Brody said something about you wanting to build a place for my weddings and parties.”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “So my son’s been playing my pitchman. I had to talk to him about the future, Josie. We are a package deal.”

  Josie realized that she wanted Brody in her life as much as his father. “You are so lucky to have that boy. I’m already crazy about him.”

  Garrett hesitated, then finally said, “I’m asking a lot of you, Josie, to take on an eight-year-old child, my father and me. And if it was just us two, I’d follow you back to L.A. But I can’t leave. So I’m offering to help you build a business here. I know Royerton might not be able to handle enough work for an event planner. Maybe Butte, or Bozeman, and I’ll build you another lodge, a wedding chapel, a retreat. You name whatever you want, and I’ll do what I can to get it for you.”

  She couldn’t believe he was doing all this for her. “You. I want you...and Brody and Nolan in my life.”

  “God, I love you.” He picked her up and swung her around, then finally put her down.

  She raised a hand. “I’ll still need to travel back and forth to L.A. until I finish out the contracts I’ve already signed. But I’m ready now to be with the man I love.”

  “That’s music to my ears,” he told her, then covered her mouth with his. He nudged her lips with his tongue, and she opened eagerly to welcome him. He finally broke off the kiss. “You are one big distraction.”

  She was too dazed to react to what happened next. He drew back and lowered to one knee.

  “I hadn’t planned to do this here, but I’m not about to let you get away again. Josie Slater, I love you with all my heart. Would you do me the honor of being my wife and the mother to my son and all the other children we may have together?”

  Tears flowed again. “Oh, Garrett. Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He kissed her tenderly, and she melted into his arms, nearly forgetting where they were. That’s when she heard the commotion downstairs.

  “Oh, gosh, the wedding. We’ve got to get back.”

  Josie opened the door and, almost giddy, they rushed along the open railing to the top of the staircase. Looking down, she found the wedding party and guests in front of the picture window. Ana was standing alone with a line of ladies about twenty feet away. “Oh, she’s going to toss the bouquet,” Josie said.

  Ana looked up and spotted them. “Josie you’re just in time. Come on down, I’m going to throw my bouquet.”

  Josie looked at Garrett.

  He grinned at her, then he addressed the crowd. “Josie Slater isn’t going to be single for very much longer. She’s just agreed to marry me.”

  The crowd cheered as Ana walked to the staircase. “Then this is rightfully yours.” Her sister tossed the bouquet toward the balcony. Josie leaned forward and snatched it out of the air.

  She blushed as everyone applauded and Garrett pulled her into his arms. “It’s too late to back out now.”

  “No way. I have everything I’ve always wanted.”

  She touched her lips to his. She knew she didn’t have to give up anything, because this man was what she’d always wanted and so much more.

  EPILOGUE

  THREE DAYS AFTER Ana and Vance’s wedding, Colt was alone for the first time since his stroke. The newlyweds were off on their honeymoon, and Josie and Garrett had flown to L.A. to deal with her business and the town house cleanup. Tori had gone off to visit an old school friend in town, and it was Kathleen’s day off.

  It was all set. Colt was free to go to his meeting without any questions. Only his friend and lawyer, Wade, knew what had been going on. He had to confide in someone.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Wade asked as he glanced away from the road leading to Dillon.

  “Hell, no, I’m not sure of anything, except I have to see her.” He looked at his friend. “I need to hear her reason for why she left.”

  “What about the girls?” Wade asked.

  He felt a little traitorous for not telling his daughters. “I’m not going to tell ’em, yet. Not until Lucia convinces me she doesn’t want to claim something that isn’t hers.”

  “I think maybe you should wait until the P.I. has finished checking things out.”

  Colt sighed. That would be the wise thing, but when it came to Lucia Delgado, he hadn’t always acted wisely. “All I’m doing is listening to what she has to say.”

  Wade stayed silent as they pulled into the chain hotel parking lot. Colt and Wade got out of the car and walked through the double doors. He looked into the restaurant/lounge to see it was nearly empty except for a woman seated at a corner booth.

  Colt squared his shoulders as his stomach took a tumble. She looked across the room, then stood up. His breath caught. She was dressed in a leather jacket and a black turtleneck sweater with a bright scarf around her slender neck. Even though she was wearing jeans, there was no way this woman wouldn’t turn heads.

  “Damn...” Wade breathed from behind him. “It’s like time has stood still. I’ll be at the bar if you need me.”

  Colt started across the room, careful his steps were sure and true. The last thing he wanted was to fall on his face. He had some pride. He made his way through the empty tables until he stood in front of his ex-wife.

  “Lucia.” Even at the age of fifty-two, he was slammed in his gut by her beauty.

  “Hello, Colt.”

  Even though he’d expected her, he couldn’t believe she was really here. “We should get this over with.” He motioned for her to sit, then he slid into the booth across from her.

  Although it was dim in the room, he stared into those incredible dark eyes. “It’s been a long time, Lucia.”

  Not counting the night she’d come into his room. Then she’d called him yesterday and asked to meet with him.

  “Yes, it has.” Her voice was soft and throaty.

  He felt as shaky as a teenager. “Okay, I agreed to talk to you, so we should get started.” The waitress appeared and he ordered some coffee. He wanted something stronger, but knew that wasn’t wise. He needed a clear head.

  The waitress came back with two coffee cups and a cream pitcher. Lucia looked surprised when he pushed the creamer toward her.

  “You remember how I like my coffee.” The words came out in a soft voice.

  “I remember a lot of things. The sound of your voice as you read stories to our babies. How you cuddled them in your arms, how you loved them.”

  He drew a breath and worked hard to release it. “I also remember the way it felt to make love to you, to hear your gasps of pleasure.” He watched her eyes widen, her face flush. “I also remember you saying you loved me, that you loved the girls. Then the next day you disappeared from our lives.”

  She stayed silent for a long time, and then said, “I had no choice, Colton.”

  “There’s always a choice, Lucia. You chose to leave your family...your bambinas, your marido.” Husband.

  She shook her head. “You have to believe me, mi amor.”

  “No! You can’t call me your love. The woman I married, the woman I loved would never leave me. I don’t know who you are.”

  Lucia stiffened and pulled back. So she still had a temper. “I never wanted to leave my family, mi corazon.” My heart. There was a fierce look in her ebony eyes, and his body betrayed him as he reacted to her.

  “And you were my heart, too, Lucia. I gave you everything, but you left anyway.”

  “You don’t understand,” she insisted. “I gave up my familia to keep you from harm.”

&
nbsp; He frowned. “You’re saying that someone wanted to harm us?”

  He saw her hands shake as she nodded.

  “Who was this person?”

  “Vicente Santoya... My husband.”

  Her declaration was like a knife to his heart. Of course, she’d been with other men. Was Santoya the reason she’d left him?

  “I don’t want to hear about your lovers.” He was unable to keep the anger out of his voice. “I’ve made a life without you. So you can just go back to him.” Hell, he didn’t need this. He’d learned to live without her before—he could do it again. He started to get out of the booth. Then she placed her hand on his and stopped him.

  “Por favor, Colt! I can’t go back there. It took me too long to get out. Vicente is dead. So I’ve broken most of my ties there. So I can safely come back...to you.”

  He didn’t want to hear about her marriage. “What about your father?” Cesar Delgado never wanted his only child to marry an American, especially a broken-down, ex-rodeo cowboy. How did he feel about her return to Montana?

  Lucia straightened and looked him in the eye. “My parents are gone. My ties and loyalty are only to this country. So please, I ask that you hear what I have to say before you send me away.”

  He wasn’t going to be fooled again. Lucia had made a life for herself without him. “I don’t see how anything that you have to say will change my mind.”

  She looked nervous, almost panicky. “What if it concerns your sons?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t have sons.”

  Lucia nodded. “Yes, you do. I was pregnant with twin boys when I left you.”

  * * *

  Five days later, a happy Garrett and Josie arrived back in Montana. The only reason she’d wanted to stay in L.A. a little longer was because Josie had liked having her man all to herself. Still, she knew they needed to get back. She had a wedding to plan.

  She was also able to start her life in Montana because she had a great assistant. That was why she’d offered Megan Buckner a partnership in the business. Megan had eagerly accepted the deal. So Josie would be able to wean herself from her L.A. projects and not cancel a single event.

  Garrett reached across the seat and took her hand as he drove down the road. “Would you mind if we made a quick stop in town first?”

  “Not a problem, but I want to be at the house so we can meet Brody’s bus.”

  “I thought we could pick him up at school after I show you something.”

  She smiled. “I like that idea better.” She was so anxious to see the child. She couldn’t believe how easily she’d fallen in love with the eight-year-old boy. Of course all the Temple men were very appealing.

  At the end of Main Street, Garrett turned into the driveway of a three-story Victorian house. The huge structure showed years of neglect with faded and peeling paint, and the wraparound porch needed a railing at the very least.

  “Isn’t this Mrs. Anderson’s house?”

  Garrett put the truck into Park and shut off the engine. “Yes, but she died last year and her daughter inherited it. She wants to sell the place.” He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “I thought with a little rehab and TLC it would make a great office for Slater Style and maybe even a place to hold some small events. The large backyard could be landscaped for weddings.”

  Josie was suddenly excited. “I want to go see it.” She jumped out of the car and rushed to the door. She tried the knob but it was locked.

  “Hold on.” Garrett came after her, put a key into the lock and got it open. “Now, don’t get too excited,” he warned. “It needs some work.”

  She kissed him. “I’m going to love it, but not as much as I love you for doing this,” she said as she walked inside.

  The entry was huge, with a crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. The staircase was a work of art, with a hand-carved banister that ran up to the second floor, and stained-glass windows above the landing.

  There were raised-panel pocket doors that could close off the three large rooms downstairs. The hardwood floors needed refinishing, but there would soon be a contractor in the family.

  She was a little giddy as she walked down the hall to a kitchen that was in really bad condition.

  Garrett came up behind her. “This needs a gut job, honey. But we can make it look like the era of the home. Anything you want.”

  “You’re spoiling me.”

  “Get used to it.” He turned her around and lowered his mouth to hers for a kiss that was slow and easy. The result had her breathless.

  “I plan to make sure you’re happy working here.”

  “I have you and Brody in my life, and that makes everything just about perfect.”

  She brushed another kiss on his tempting mouth, then went to check every nook and cranny of the area, which included a large pantry and sunroom off the kitchen. Then she opened the back door into a yard that seemed to go on forever. A high fence circled the property and there was a gazebo toward the back.

  “Oh, Garrett, it’s lovely.”

  Garrett came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her to ward off the winter cold. “I’m glad you like it. You’ve had to make all the sacrifices, Josie. So I wanted you to have this house.” He loved her so much. “Your career is important.”

  She smiled at him, and his heart raced. “Being with you and Brody doesn’t feel like a sacrifice to me. And I get to be around my family, too. Ana and Dad.” She shook her head. “Can you believe I’m calling Colt, Dad?”

  “You have to give him credit, Josie. He’s trying hard with you girls.”

  “I know.” She shook her head. “Now, if I can convince Tori to stay around for a while.” She frowned. “At least until we’re sure that Dane is out of her life.”

  “Richards is working on that. Until then, I promise I’ll do everything possible to keep her here and keep her safe.”

  She smiled. “I love you so much, Garrett Temple. I can’t wait to start our life together.”

  He pulled her into his arms. He wanted that to happen very soon. “About that. I was wondering when that special day is going to take place. I’m not happy about you still living in your dad’s house.”

  They’d both decided because Brody was at an impressionable age, that they wouldn’t live together until after the wedding.

  “How soon can you get the renovations done here?” she asked.

  “That depends on what you want done.”

  “The downstairs. The floors refinished and some new paint.”

  “A few weeks, maybe a month with a new kitchen. The crew can start renovations right after Christmas.”

  She sighed. “Christmas is only ten days away. I’ve always hated the holiday....” She glanced up at him. “Until now. Now, I get you, Brody and my family.”

  “I’m gonna make it special for you,” he told her. “We’ll start some good memories.”

  Josie held up her hand to inspect the diamond solitaire engagement ring he’d bought her in Los Angeles. “Oh, I do believe you’ve already made everything very special.” She glanced back at the yard. “So how do you feel about having the wedding right here?”

  Garrett arched an eyebrow. “Outside?”

  “Oh, I’d love that. A garden wedding, but even I don’t want to wait that long. How about Valentine’s Day in the front parlor?”

  “If that’s what you want, I’ll work day and night to get this place ready.” He grinned. “And it will be great advertising for future weddings at Slater Manor.”

  Josie had trouble holding on to her emotions. “Slater Manor...” She repeated the name over in her head. “I like that, but how about Temple Manor?”

  He shook his head. “No, Josie. You’ve worked hard to build a name with Slater Style. Slater Manor makes good business sense.” He smiled. “I still want you to take my name for everything else.”

  “I’ve waited a long time for you, Garrett Temple. So only in business will I use Slater.” She swallowed h
ard. She bravely went on, hoping he wanted the same thing. “And while you’re doing the renovations, could you make a nursery upstairs?”

  This time she watched him swallow hard. “A nursery? A baby nursery?”

  She nodded. “So I can work and keep our babies with me.”

  “I would love that. But not as much as making a child with you,” he whispered as he placed kisses along her jaw to her ear, finally reaching her mouth. The kiss was hungry, letting her know he desired her. When he released her, she could see he’d been as affected as she was.

  “God, we’re so lucky, Josie. We got a second chance.” He cupped her face. “There’s never been anyone I’ve loved as much as you. There’s no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

  She smiled. “Then it’s a good thing you don’t have to, because I’m not leaving you ever again.”

  “And this time, I’d just follow you, because you are my heart.” He kissed her again, holding her close.

  Josie held on, too. She’d stopped running away. She’d found everything right here. She would never feel alone again.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A LITTLE BIT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC by Melissa McClone.

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Romance.

  You adore a feel-good story! Harlequin Romance stories are all about real, relatable women and strong, deeply desirable men experiencing the intensity, anticipation and sheer rush of falling of love.

  Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.

  We like you—why not like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  Read our blog for all the latest news on our authors and books: HarlequinBlog.com

  Subscribe to our newsletter for special offers, new releases, and more!

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  CHAPTER ONE

  PLEASE, TRUCK. DON’T die on me.

  Grace Bad-luck-is-my-middle-name Wilcox gripped the pickup’s steering wheel tighter, as if willpower alone would keep the sputtering engine running in the middle of a blizzard on Mount Hood. A CD of cheery Christmas carols played, but frazzled nerves kept her from singing along.