The Wanted Bride (A Contemporary Romance)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  “Oh yeah, the city was beautiful, and the mountains were great, though not as many pine trees as here.”

  Mountains? Pine trees? Sure you could see the mountains, but Tucson was only twenty miles from Phoenix. And the air was just as hot and dry there as in Phoenix. It was desert surrounded by dry hills and no sign of pine trees. Cactus, but not pine trees.

  He didn’t say anything. Maybe she considered those hills mountains. Maybe she considered cactus as pine trees, or maybe she’d lied. But the city wasn’t nestled among the mountains like here in Springtown. Or maybe Valerie Brown had never lived in Tucson.

  Another incongruity.

  “So you’re skiing on Monday.”

  “Yep. I can’t wait.”

  “I’ll let you get back to work.”

  Matt walked out of her office. She was lying about Tucson. He’d watched his father lie for years. He’d seen how the pain of his father’s lies had affected his mother. He didn’t like liars.

  #

  Valerie skied off the lift smoothly, her rented skis not nearly as nice as her own Volki Supersport series at home, but she had to make do with what she could get.

  McKenzie had lent her a jacket and ski pants, and she’d rented the boots and skis. She skied away from the lift chair, testing the skis and stretching her legs. She stopped at the large map at the top of the mountain and considered her choices of trails. It had been a year since she’d skied, so she chose a green route, for beginners, to warm up her legs. She pushed off and slid away. The swish of her skis in her ears, the clean smell of the pine trees, and nothing but blue sky above her. The land around her was beautiful, all pristine white, yet the sun felt warm on her face, and the day couldn’t have been more beautiful.

  For the first time since the wedding, she felt alive, more like the old Valerie.

  Easily she moved through the crowded green trail, turning the tips of her skis as she wound her way down the mountain.

  When she arrived at the bottom, she hopped on the lift back up the mountain. It was always more fun to ski with family and friends, and she missed her father skiing by her side. He’d taught her to ski at Vail, Colorado, and had taken her to Switzerland when she’d proven she could ski any trail with confidence.

  The thought of how her father had taken Carter’s side still left a hole in her heart. She missed him. Several times she’d been tempted to pick up the phone and call him but stopped, knowing it was too soon and they both needed more time. Over a month had passed since the near wedding, and she wasn’t ready to forgive and forget. Sooner or later she would have to deal with what she’d done to Carter’s Corvette, but right now she preferred later.

  Her actions had been impulsive, and she’d been wrong, but she wasn’t ready to face either her father or Carter. The jerk deserved that and more. He was lucky she hadn’t neutered him with the cake knife.

  Yet more than anything, her pain was from her father’s betrayal and not Carter’s, and that amazed her. If she’d loved Carter, wouldn’t his infidelity hurt the most? Yet she rarely thought of Carter.

  With a swish she skied off the lift, determined to take the blue intermediate trail. She turned toward the more challenging trail with her skis pointed downward. Out of nowhere a guy shot toward her, coming dangerously close. Before she could swerve out of the way, he clipped her right ski, sending her tumbling. Their skis tangled together, and the two of them went sliding down the mountain.

  When they stopped, she felt a rush of anger. “You Jerk! You could have killed us! Have you heard of yelling ‘on your right’?”

  The man’s face was buried in her jacket. He raised his head and before he pushed back his goggles, she knew who was behind those dark lenses.

  Matt removed his goggles and grinned at her, sending her blood pressure climbing. The oaf had followed her.

  “Actually, I was trying to catch up to you. I hit a bump in the snow and lost it.”

  “From the looks of it, you never had control.”

  “Hey, I’m a pretty good skier.”

  “Don’t try out for the Olympics.”

  They were lying in the snow half on one another. She could feel his chest, and though there were layers of clothes between them, their bodies were so close it felt intimate. Her breath quickened and a tingle wove its way down her spine.

  She didn’t need this. She moved, trying to untangle their skis and separate their bodies, anxious to put space between them. Her ski lost its grip and she felt her body start to slide. She planted her downhill ski and then raised herself up.

  “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked.

  “I’m fine. What about you?”

  “I left my pride back up the mountain, but other than that, I’ll live.

  She planted her pole in the snow to keep her steady. “That’s not all you left up the hill, but we won’t go there. What are you doing here?”

  “You mentioned skiing, and well, I sat in that office all by myself and I thought ‘hey, I’m going skiing too.’ So here I am.”

  He stood and brushed the snow off his suit.

  She shook her head. “Do you have health insurance?”

  “Of course,” he replied.

  “Good. You might need it.”

  “I’ll see you down at the bottom, and then we’ll find a black trail.” He took off like a flash, and she couldn’t resist the challenge.

  She soon sped past him and stood waiting for him down by the lift.

  He skied up to her, huffing and out of breath. Without a word they got in line for the lift and skied up to the chair. When they were whisked away, he turned to her.

  “So where did you learn to ski that way?”

  She gave him a teasing smile. “Oh, around. I’m not answering any questions today, counselor.”

  He shook his head. “You are so not who you appear to be.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Well, first you surprised me by knowing the law. And now you ski like a gold medalist. You continue to astonish me.”

  “My father trained me.” Of course, she didn’t want to mention that her father tried out for the Olympic ski team in college and would have made it except for an injury that sidelined him.

  “And who was your daddy?”

  “I told you already,” she remembered the lie.

  “Yeah, you did.”

  The lift approached the drop-off location, and they both skied smoothly away from the chair.

  The ski resort photographer stepped in front of them. “Get close together.”

  Valerie opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say no, Matt leaned in close for the photo.

  The woman snapped the picture. What could a photo hurt? After all she would only be here another month at the longest, and he knew what she looked like.

  “You can pick up a copy anytime after two,” the photographer said.

  Like that was going to happen, Valerie thought.

  After the photographer moved on, she glanced at Matt. “Are you up for a black run?”

  “As long as there are no moguls. I don’t do moguls.”

  “Me neither. I like to ski downhill fast.”

  “Let’s go down Screaming Eagle.”

  “Meet you at the bottom.” She pointed her skis down the mountain, skiing parallel, making smooth curves straight down the steep incline. Halfway to the bottom she stopped and waited for him to catch up.

  He skidded to a halt beside her. They were the only people on the trail, and the wind whispered through the pines, soothing her.

  “Wow, I’d forgotten how much fun this can be. I get so involved with my cases that sometimes I forget about the pleasures in life.”

  “My new motto is If it’s not fun, I’m not doing it,” she said as she stared into his eyes. His cheeks were flushed from the cold, his green eyes twinkled, and he appeared relaxed and so sexually stimulating that Valerie had to take a deep breath.

  “You need to do this more often.�
�� She reached out and brushed snow from his hair before she realized what she’d done. Quickly, she jerked her hand back. “You look like you’re having fun instead of all stressed and lawyerly.”

  “I’m having a great time,” he said, then glanced at her sheepishly. “I hope you don’t mind that I sort of intruded on your day.”

  “Hey, if I get tired of you, I know how to ski away.”

  “I hope you don’t.”

  She stared at him, an awareness of him as a man leaving her a little breathless. This was just for today. They would have a good time and tomorrow, return to normal. “I’m going down.”

  “Oh, yeah,” he said. “Eat my snow.”

  He took off and she gave him a head start. Then she sped after him, catching him toward the bottom of the trail. When she reached his side, she stopped and intentionally slid her ski over his, toppling him over, taking him down.

  Once again they were a tumble of skis, arms, and legs. Valerie giggled as she landed on top of him.

  “I owed you that one.” She laughed.

  Their eyes connected and the laughing stopped. Her mouth was a mere inch from his lips, and she watched his tongue moisten their fullness. Heat, a hot, molten fire of desire raced through her, chasing the chill away.

  She couldn’t live another thirty seconds without knowing his kiss. Without knowing if this was real or just a rebound kiss. She had to know now.

  Grasping his head, she pulled him to her, her lips covering his, needing an answer. His mouth was warm and moist, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the heat generated from the two of them would melt the snow and start a flash flood.

  At first his kiss was soft and tentative, but then he grew more certain, deepening the kiss, his lips demanding, seeking, pressuring her. She opened her mouth wider for him, and his tongue caressed hers, eliciting a moan from deep inside her. God, he tasted good. He smelled good. She grabbed his jacket and pulled him into her, but their suits got in the way. She needed him closer. She needed to touch him. She needed him, now.

  The swish of other skiers passing them entered her fogged brain, and she heard a man yell, “Hey, get a room.”

  They broke apart. Stunned, she touched her hand to her lips. What was she doing? Had she lost her mind?

  She was running from a relationship, not trying to find someone to connect with. And she’d kissed him.

  Panic seized her by the throat, and she rose from the ground, focused on getting away from the emotions he evoked.

  “Valerie?” he asked as she popped her ski back on.

  She ignored him. With her boot firmly in her ski, she steadied her poles and pushed off. She skied as fast as safely possible down the rest of the mountain.

  The kiss had been mind-blowing. It had been earth moving, shattering, and all those things that were not supposed to happen to her. Not with another lawyer. And Lord, it was much too soon to be thinking about yet another man in her life.

  At the bottom of the mountain, she skied up to the chalet and halted. She yanked off her skis, turned them into the rental place, and jumped on the next bus returning to town.

  He was a stinking lawyer who kissed like heaven, and she feared could distract her from her goal. She had to remain focused on earning enough money to leave this small Colorado town behind, along with sexy Matt Jordan.

  No more men! No more lawyers!

  Chapter Seven

  When Valerie arrived at the law office the next day, Matt wasn’t there. The door was unlocked, and a card lay on her desk. She tore open the envelope and pulled out the photo and a note.

  Thanks for the great time skiing with you yesterday. Here is your copy of the photo. Let’s go skiing again, soon. I had to go to Denver but hope to return day after tomorrow. Lock up when you leave.

  The before-kiss picture caught them smiling, laughing, with flushed cheeks and noses rosy from the cold. They made a nice-looking couple. But that was the problem. They weren’t a couple and would never be a couple. Barely a month had passed since her wedding fiasco. She refused to get involved with another lawyer.

  She took a deep breath, taking in the scent of Matt permeating the office. A pleasant woodsy smell that lingered in his absence.

  She had enjoyed the afternoon with Matt. Working with him, she had come to respect and admire his determination to defend his clients. Outside of work, he was fun, and from their time together, he gave the impression of a great guy. Too bad she hadn’t met him before Carter.

  And now by, leaving her alone in his office, he’d showed her she had gained his trust. He’d gone from a man determined to prove she was a criminal to entrusting her with his law practice. In the space of four weeks, he’d changed his mind about her, and while that should have made her feel good, she felt guilty.

  Guilty for not telling him the truth. Guilty because he’d told her he did not condone liars. And she was living a lie.

  With a sigh, she closed the card. What would he think when he learned that she’d not only lied about her identity and where she came from, but also that there could be a warrant out for her arrest?

  What did it matter? She was here for only a short period of time, just until she decided to catch the next bus to Denver. Once she had sufficient cash to continue on her way, she would leave Matt and his law practice far behind.

  With that resolution, she laid down the photo. Immediately she began to clear the latest files. Matt would return to the filing done, his calls answered, and the latest research requests completed.

  She would do her job, but she refused to get involved with the man. No matter how much she enjoyed being with him, no matter how much fun they had together, they were not meant to be together. So why did the thought seem somehow depressing?

  #

  Two days later at closing time, Valerie swabbed the floor of the café. Outside the wind howled, rattling the windowpanes, and plunging the temperature below freezing. Blizzard warnings had cleared the streets. It wasn’t a fit night for man or beast on the roads. And she worried about the whereabouts of Matt. He was due back today.

  “Are you about finished?” Fran asked, coming from the kitchen with her coat on.

  “Yeah. All I need to do is empty this bucket and grab my coat.”

  The front door burst open, and Matt blew in along with swirling snow. Valerie stopped and stared at him, relief surging through her. At the sight of him, an overwhelming urge to run and throw her arms around him almost overcame her, but she didn’t.

  It was the first time she’d seen him since their kiss. She’d tried to block his image from her mind and not think of the way his lips had felt against hers. But since the blizzard warning had been issued, she’d worried and hoped he’d stayed in Denver.

  “Hi,” he said. He sounded uncertain, standing in the door in his ski parka and boots.

  Relief consumed her, and she stared at his anxious expression. How could she stay mad at him? All he’d done was return her kiss. And she hadn’t exactly resisted the feel of his lips. In fact, she’d enjoyed those few moments of pleasure.

  “Hi,” she said, breathing like she’d run the mile. “You made it back.”

  “Just drove in. The roads are bad.”

  For several hours, snow had been falling, and when she looked out the window all she saw was a swirling mass of glittering snowflakes.

  He shut the door but stayed in the entryway. “I don’t want to get your clean floor dirty from my boots.”

  “What are you doing here on a night like tonight?” Fran asked, looking suspiciously between the two of them.

  “I need to check on McKenzie and the kids. Make sure that the horses are taken care of and that they have everything they need. I thought I could save you the trip of driving Valerie to McKenzie’s.”

  “Thank you, Jesus, you’re a godsend. Even though it’s not far, I was dreading having to drive in this mess.” Fran strode over to Valerie and took the bucket she still held from her hands. “I’ll finish up here. They say we’re g
oing to have three feet of snow by morning.” She looked directly at Valerie. “Get going, and if it’s bad, I won’t be opening the café in the morning.”

  “Thanks, Fran,” Valerie said. She gave Matt a quick glance. “Let me get my coat and gloves. I’m ready to go.”

  A tingle of excitement trickled through her as she slipped her coat on, pulled her gloves over her hands, and put a toboggan over her ears. Seeing him walk through that door had made her giddy with pleasure and relief. She tried to resist the feelings, but they refused to disappear.

  Matt opened the door, and the two of them strode out into the blustery weather. The cold wind sliced through her as she hurried to Matt’s Jeep. He opened the door, and she climbed into the vehicle, aware of the bone-chilling cold.

  Matt scurried around and scrambled into the vehicle. She shivered as he started the Jeep and backed out, the tires sliding through the snow. He put the vehicle in four-wheel drive, and the Jeep pushed through the packed snow.

  “It should be warm in a few minutes,” he said.

  Deserted streets glittered with the blanket of snow and gave the little town a winter postcard appearance. The windshield wipers barely kept the glass clear as the wind swirled the flakes in the headlights of the car.

  “This is beautiful,” she said, in awe of the power of nature.

  “It’s been years since we had a storm this big. They’re warning about power outages.” He motioned behind him, and she could see the back end loaded with firewood. “I wanted to make sure McKenzie had enough wood in case the power went out.”

  “When I left this morning she was headed to the store to make sure we had plenty of food. And she ordered more hay for the horses. She said she would put them in the barn at the first sign of snow.”

  “Good.” He let out a long breath before he asked, “Did you find the card?”

  “Yes, Matt, thank you.” An awkward silence filled the Jeep. Her head overruled her heart. She’d made a vow to herself, and she intended to keep it. “You know, Matt, I think it would be best if we just remain friends.”

  “All good relationships start with friendship.”