COWBOY FOR SALE--A Second-Chances Spicy Romance

by Janet Wellington

  Lacey held up the necklace, running her fingers over the crocheted yarn. It was remarkably soft and delicate, similar to mohair. Multi-colored ceramic beads were strung on either side of the wishbone. She looked up as Jared walked in the room and stood at the end of the bed.

  “Oh, Jamie. It's beautiful. Shall I put it on?” Lacey gazed at Jamie. The little girl looked as though she might burst with joy. How simple life was at five.

  Lacey put the necklace over her head. “It fits perfectly.”

  Jamie reached up to delicately touch the wishbone. “I saved it all the way from last Thanksgiving. You 'member, Daddy?”

  Lacey looked at Jared's face. The hard lines softened when he looked at his daughter. He nodded.

  “I remember, Sugar Plum. You got the long half, but you said you were saving your wish.”

  “Right. And now I made a wish.” Jamie fingered the wishbone gently. “You wanna know my wish?” she whispered dramatically, looking first at her father, then at Lacey.

  Lacey nodded, mesmerized by the compelling look in Jamie's eyes.

  “I wished for you to be my new mom.” Her hushed voice had a ring of finality, as though she believed with all her heart that her wish would be granted.

  Lacey gasped, her heart thudding in her ears. She was speechless in her surprise. She dropped her gaze to the wishbone that hung ceremoniously around her neck.

  Jared cleared his throat. “Jamie, Auntie Jo told me she could use your help with the ice cream. Why don't you go and see what she needs, okay?”

  “Okay, Daddy.” She looked at Lacey and asked, “You're staying for ice cream, aren't you?”

  “Of course, Jamie, it's your birthday.” Lacey managed to keep her voice light and cheerful, amazed that she could make her lips work at all.

  “See ya,” Jamie called as she skipped out of the room.

  Lacey felt the bed shift under Jared's weight as he sat beside her on Jamie's frilly bed. She looked up at him, her eyes filling with unexpected tears.

  “I didn't know anything about this,” he began.

  Lacey turned away from him, looking across the room, taking in the simple details of a five-year-old's life, hoping to divert the sob that was building in her throat. She stared at Jamie's collection of natural things, her stuffed animals and dolls that filled her toy box to overflowing, the frilly curtains at the window.

  Unconsciously, she fingered the wishbone, searching for a way out of the impossible situation where she suddenly found herself.

  “Lacey.” Jared's voice was velvety soft.

  Her heart squeezed in anguish as she reacted to the sound of it.

  “I shouldn't have come,” she whispered as she turned toward him, a hot tear rolling down her cheek.

  “Listen to me. And I want you to hear me out,” he began. “You don't have to say anything, but if I don't, I have a feeling I'll always regret it.” Jared's voice was tender, almost a murmur.

  Lacey nodded, waiting.

  “I know you and I have very different beliefs about men and women—career women—and how things should be, but I realize that my ideas aren't necessarily always right. At least, I don't think they're right about you. I was wrong, and I can see that clearly.”

  Lacey blinked, suddenly feeling lightheaded. What was he saying?

  “I know I'm not what you're looking for, and I know how important your career is to you…” His words faded as he closed his eyes.

  She watched the play of emotions on his face as he paused. Then he licked his lips, swallowing hard before he continued, his eyes still closed.

  “When we were together at the cabin, I can't tell you how different being with you was for me. And if it wasn't special for you, then I need to know.”

  Jared's eyes opened and she watched as they widened, blazing down into hers. “I fell in love with you that night…totally in love with you.”

  It took several seconds for the words to sink in. He was in love with her?

  “When Jamie gave you that wishbone, I knew it’s what I felt too. Believe me, I've been fighting it.” His smile was tentative. “This is where you can tell me I'm an idiot…or not.”

  Lacey stared at him, her thoughts whirling uncontrollably. His smile was as intimate as a kiss. She realized the truth in his words. He certainly wasn't what she thought she wanted…he was more.

  It was wrong…painfully wrong…to judge him by what had happened to her with Dirk. How could she? This man, this loving father…this kind, wonderful man was nothing like Dirk. In fact, he was not like any man she’d ever known…or imagined.

  Jared reached toward her and cupped her chin, his gaze searching her upturned face.

  “Children do expect their wishes to come true,” he whispered, stroking her lower lip with his thumb.

  She nodded. More than anything, she wanted to get lost in his eyes and never look away. There was an eagerness there, but also an understanding that beckoned to her heart and to her soul.

  “We're probably…obligated to not disappoint her, don’t you think?” He said the words softly, with quiet emphasis, his hand dropping to take both of hers in his.

  As Lacey held his gaze, she slowly began to absorb what he was saying. She licked her dry lips, searching for words. Her mouth wouldn't obey.

  Lacey swallowed hard, the lump in her throat threatening this time to break into a joyful sob. Her heart felt like it might explode and her mind swirled, but this time, she felt no panic at the feeling of being out of control. This time it felt right.

  “I…I don't understand what happened.” Lacey's words came out in a breathless stammer.

  “That makes two of us,” Jared's voice was low, almost a whisper. “All I know is that I've been miserable since that weekend with you. I can't sleep at night for thinking about what might have been. I can't explain it away. I don't want to explain it away. I just want to figure out how to make it work.”

  Lacey stared into his eyes…extraordinary, depthless gray eyes. Jamie's father's eyes. Eyes that seemed to be reaching into her thoughts.

  As he waited for her response, a sensuous light passed between them and his gaze became as soft as a caress. He remained quiet, patiently waiting for her reaction.

  There was a tingling in the pit of her stomach as her thoughts swirled and stormed in her mind. There was no doubt he had unlocked her heart and soul, that he had stoked a gently growing fire.

  Happiness filled her as she considered what Jared was suggesting. He had declared his feelings, the very feelings she'd been fighting too.

  “Lacey, I know our worlds might seem incompatible and you have…all sorts of plans and things,” he began, “but is there some way we can make this work?”

  The idea sent her spirits soaring. Could they? Could there be a way?

  Jared gathered her in a tender embrace and Lacey buried her face against his neck.

  He whispered, his breath hot against her ear, “Lacey Murdock, will you marry me…will you marry us?”

  Lacey gently pulled away from him to look into his eyes again. Marry him? A new and unexpected warmth surged through her as she comprehended what she had heard. Her heart sang with delight as she relaxed, sinking back into his embrace.

  Through the roaring chaos of emotions, she said one word. “Yes.”

  Epilogue

  One year later

  The staccato sound of hammering ended and the next sound Lacey heard was Jared's voice calling from the roof of the room addition he was almost finished building.

  “You ready to go?” he asked.

  “Anytime,” she called back.

  “Be right down.”

  For her birthday in June, Jared had given her blueprints for a customized salon-addition to their home, a perfect solution to her wants and needs, and he was working long and hard to get it done before the end of summer. She’d gotten to tweak the plans and it had been fun to design features and watch her dream come true, day by day. Having a home business would give her the best of all w
orlds. She would be there for Jared and Jamie, and still be able to build up a clientele willing to drive a little ways east to have their hair done.

  For Jared’s birthday in July she’d given him a certain sheepskin rug she’d talked Mrs. Miller into giving up…which he’d promptly put in their bedroom in front of the fireplace. Last January they’d spent their honeymoon in the same cabin up in the mountains, vowing to return at least once a year for the rest of their lives.

  Lacey let out a contented sigh, thinking about how everything had worked out perfectly from the moment of Jared’s proposal. It had been as though her life had taken yet another new turn. And from that moment on, it had felt so right—she was still amazed how she felt even more fulfilled than she ever imagined she could.

  At the instant of her decision to marry Jared she’d realized she had been running away from something, instead of to something. Giving up Denver had some easy.

  After telling her boss she wasn’t going to take the promotion after all, Lacey had insisted Kandy still accept the salon manager position at Shear Delight, and she’d stayed a while to mentor her while she eased out of working at the salon…on her own terms, which had been a real luxury and one she’d been grateful for.

  After much thought and discussion, she’d decided a transition period made the most sense, and Jared had agreed. She’d helped Kandy get up and running, working part-time while Jamie was in school, which had still given her quality time to concentrate on her new family while she and Jared planned a simple wedding ceremony which ended up happening on New Year’s Eve.

  Lacey had finally left the salon for good just before the wedding, and fairly quickly she had found she missed doing hair and especially the interaction with favorite customers. She also missed the independence, and, frankly, doing something she was good at and enjoyed.

  After more thinking and talking, she and Jared had agreed she would take a little more time to get to know the alpaca business, help Jamie continue to adjust to school, and get used to being a mom. Then she would decide how she wanted to handle still being involved in doing hair. The end result had been Jared adding the salon-addition to their home.

  “Oh—” Lacey looked down and rubbed her belly until the movement there subsided. She had been surprised at how quickly she'd gotten pregnant. On their honeymoon they’d decided to let nature take its course, and, boy, it sure had. She was pregnant by Valentine’s Day. Jared claimed it was the mountain air—she'd professed it was because Jamie was in kindergarten half the day and he wouldn't leave her alone.

  She smiled, breathing as deeply as her girth allowed.

  “Mommy!” Jamie bounded into the room and threw her arms around her. She pressed her face against Lacey's abdomen. “Hello, little sister, how ya doin' in there?”

  Lacey rubbed Jamie's back and replied in a squeaky voice, “Doin' fine, but I can't wait for Thanksgiving so I can meet you.”

  She looked up as Jared walked into the kitchen, jangling his keys. The grin he wore clearly showed his joy in seeing their arms wrapped around each other. Bliss. She felt it too.

  “Ladies, the train is leaving. Are you comin' or what? Lacey, seriously, you’ll be late for your appointment if we don’t leave pretty soon, okay?”

  ***

  As Lacey stared at herself in the salon mirror, a part of her grieved the loss of her long hair. Her mahogany hair now just barely skimmed her shoulders, but she knew it would be much easier to care for when the baby came.

  Our baby.

  Lacey rubbed her stomach, shifting in the chair to find a more comfortable position.

  “You okay?” Kandy asked as she depressed the foot pedal to gently lower the hydraulic chair.

  “The baby's really kicking. I think she's eager to meet her big sister.”

  “What, oh, no…what do I—”

  Lacey grinned at Kandy's panic stricken, blood-drained face. “It's not happening right now, silly goose. Relax. We still have a couple months.”

  Kandy laughed and then rolled her eyes. “Sorry… C’mon, let’s go see what they think.”

  Lacey followed Kandy to the reception area and checked Jared’s expression for approval. He flashed an infectious grin.

  “Jamie,” he said, “look how pretty that lady is. I wonder if she's a movie star.”

  “Oh, Daddy, that's Mommy.” Jamie punched his arm and he retaliated with a tickle attack until she squirmed out of his reach.

  Lacey rolled her eyes. “I don't know them,” she said to Kandy.

  Jared joined Lacey at the counter. “What do we owe the manager for this incredible haircut?”

  “This one's on the house. Consider it a gift for the new mom, and an early baby gift,” Kandy said.

  Lacey felt Jamie's tiny hand slip into hers and Jared's arm at her not-so-tiny waist. He gave her a squeeze and she sighed happily. She was really looking forward to a normal waistline. Their lovemaking had modified with her growing form, though Jared's patience and ingenuity had made the last seven months surprisingly fulfilling and satisfying.

  If anyone asked her, she would have to say she was the luckiest woman on the planet—a future awaited her that was an unknown, but in a good way. She’d fallen in love with the right guy for her, one who respected her and her dreams, and a life partner who encouraged her to reach for the stars and enjoy the journey. She was a mother to a irresistible little angel girl, and a new bundle of joy would soon join their family.

  As if he were aware of her thoughts, she felt Jared's lips touch her ear as he whispered softly, “I love you. Let's go home and get...creative.”

  # # #

  I hope you enjoyed reading COWBOY FOR SALE, and I hope you’ll leave a review at Amazon—reviews are so important for indie writers and really affect our Amazon ratings! I appreciate you!!

  If you’re able to on your e-reader, click on the link below to hop on over to the COWBOY FOR SALE Amazon book page to post an honest review:

  http://www.amzn.com/B00E9F6X5S

  I hope you’ll stay in touch with me at via mail@janetwellington.com

  or find me on Facebook at JanetWellingtonBooks

  Continue reading for:

  About the Author

  About Grantitude Press

  About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

  Dear Reader letter

  Other Books by Janet Wellington

  Excerpt of HOMECOMING

  Excerpt of UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

  About the author Janet Wellington

  I feel like I have been a writer all my life--as cliché as that sounds, even to me!--from childhood essays that ended up in the Sunday School bulletin, to long-ago burned journals (I hate that I did that!), to love-sick poems written on napkins while having a glass or three of wine, to newsletters and articles and press releases written on-the-job, and finally to happily-ever-after romances that I love love love writing!

  As an award-winning author of four print-published novels via traditional publishers, I have now happily embraced the ebook revolution and am delighted to be on the indie path. I'm tellin' ya, the freedom is exhilarating!

  So, what makes me different than the scads of other romance writers? I think my romances offer a little "something extra"--whether it's really interesting secondary characters with their own arching subplots, unique and detailed settings, or research that translates into unexpected facts sprinkled in. Whatever it is, my stories do seem to translate into something even first time romance readers enjoy! Nothing makes me happier than to hear from a reader or read a review who was surprised by how much the story touched her.

  And, do realize that your reviews on Amazon are GOLDEN to indie authors, so do leave a sentence or two after you've read an ebook!

  Stay in touch with me at:

  WEBSITE: www.janetwellington.com

  FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/JanetWellingtonBooks

  EMAIL: mail@janetwellington.com

  Grantitude Press

  It seems that al
l the stories I write have an element or two in them that is near and dear to my heart, so when I decided to publish ebooks, I saw an opportunity to support some organizations and causes.

  Grantitude Press allows me to do that!

  Each book that has the Grantitude Press logo includes a donation of a percentage of my royalties to a designated charity.

  Thanks for supporting my dream!!

  The designated charity for

  COWBOY FOR SALE is the

  Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

  Source: http://www.pedaids.org/

  From the website, here is Elizabeth’s story:

  Elizabeth Glaser contracted HIV in a blood transfusion in 1981 while giving birth to her daughter, Ariel. She and her husband, Paul, later learned that Elizabeth had unknowingly passed the virus on to Ariel through breast milk and that their son, Jake, had contracted the virus in utero. The Glasers discovered, in the course of trying to treat Ariel, that drug companies and health agencies had no idea that HIV was prevalent among children. The only drugs on the market were for adults; nothing had been tested or approved for children.

  Ariel lost her battle with AIDS in 1988. Fearing that Jake's life was also in danger, Elizabeth rose to action. She approached her close friends, Susie Zeegen and Susan DeLaurentis, for help in creating a foundation that would raise money for pediatric HIV/AIDS research.

  The Pediatric AIDS Foundation had one critical mission: to bring hope to children with HIV and AIDS. Elizabeth made her first trip to Washington in 1988, when she met with President and Mrs. Reagan, representatives at NIH, and members of Congress. In 1989, the Foundation held its first fundraiser and awarded its first grant for research on the immune dysfunctions in children living with HIV. Dozens more Washington trips and research grants followed.