Brenda Jackson The Westmoreland Series Books 16-20

by Brenda Jackson

  “I’m glad you came.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yes, and I hope you liked the flowers.”

  “I did, but they mean nothing as far as rekindling our relationship. It’s over, Derringer.”

  He shook his head. “Things will never be over between us. If you read all those cards then you know you’re the only woman I want.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right, go tell that to someone else.”

  He smiled. “I don’t have a problem telling anyone else. In fact, I think I will tell everyone.”

  He turned and gave the orchestra a cue to stop playing and everything got quiet. Also, as if on cue, someone handed him a microphone. “May I have everyone’s attention, please?”

  Aghast, she tried tugging her hand from his. “What do you think you’re doing?” She wanted to run and hide when her words got captured on the mic for all to hear. She was certain before the night was over she would die of shame.

  “I’m about to speak from my heart,” he said, holding tight to her hand.

  “When it comes to the ladies, I didn’t know you had a heart, Derringer,” Pete called out.

  She tried not to glance around since she knew all eyes were on them. They were in the middle of the ballroom’s dance floor, and everyone, curious as to what was going on, had moved closer to watch. The Westmorelands, she noted, were standing in a cluster behind Derringer as if to show a united front.

  A smile touched Derringer’s lips, but when he turned around and met her gaze, his expression got serious. Then he said in a loud and clear voice, “I didn’t know I had a heart either until Lucia captured it.” He paused and then added, “And that is something no other woman has been able to do.”

  She glanced away, refusing to believe what she thought she heard him saying. She didn’t want to make a mistake about what he was saying. There was no way it could be true.

  As if he’d read her thoughts, he tugged on her hand to make her look back at him. “It’s true, Lucia. I am so hopelessly in love with you I can’t think straight. You are so filled with goodness, warmth and love, I can’t imagine not loving you. And it’s not anything I discovered upon waking this morning. I knew that I loved you for a while, but didn’t want to. I have this fear of loving someone and then losing that person. I think a number of us Denver Westmorelands can’t help but feel that way due to the catastrophic losses we’ve endured in the past. It can do something to you. It can make you not want to take a chance and get attached to anyone.

  “But I want to get attached to you. I have to get attached to you. You make me whole. Without you I am nothing.”

  Lucia couldn’t stop the tears that began falling from her eyes. She couldn’t believe what he was saying. Derringer was declaring his love and his need for her in front of everyone. His family. Her parents. Their neighbors and friends. Ashira. Ashira’s girlfriends. Ashira’s parents. Everyone who wanted to hear it.

  Evidently, Ashira and her girlfriends didn’t. Lucia watched them walk out. It didn’t matter to her. The man she had loved for a lifetime was letting her know in front of everyone that he loved her back.

  “And when a man has that much love for any woman,” Derringer was saying, bringing her attention back to him, “he will choose that woman as his mate for life. The woman he wants for his wife.”

  She then watched in shock as he eased down on bended knee, gripped her hand tighter and then held her gaze. “Lucia, will you marry me? Will you take my name? Have my babies? And continue to make me happy? In turn, I will be the best husband to you. I will love you. Honor you and cherish you for as long as I live. Will you marry me?”

  While she was still swooning from his public proposal, she felt a ring being slid onto her finger. She glanced down. The diamond sparkled so brightly it almost blinded her. She could only stare at it in amazement.

  “You have a proposal on the table, Lucia. Please answer the man,” someone called out from the crowd.

  She couldn’t help but smile as she swiped her tears. That had been her father’s voice. She met Derringer’s gaze. He was still on his knees waiting. “Oh, Derringer,” she said through her tears. “Yes! Yes! I will marry you!”

  Smiling, he got to his feet and pulled her into his arms in a deep, passionate kiss. She was not sure how long the kiss lasted. The only thing she did know was that the orchestra was playing music again and others were dancing all around them. They didn’t care. Tonight was their night and they were going to take full advantage of it.

  * * *

  Hours later, Derringer and Lucia lay together naked in the bed where their adventure all began at Derringer’s Dungeon. Upon hearing her wake up during the night, he was ready and leaned up on his elbow and looked down at her, his gaze hot as it roamed over every inch of her naked body.

  He leaned down and kissed her and moaned deep in his throat when she returned the kiss with the same hunger he was giving her. Moments later when he pulled back he could only draw in a deep breath in total amazement. Would he always want her to this extreme? He smiled, knowing that yes, he would.

  “I love you,” he whispered softy. “I regret all the years I didn’t make you my one and only girl.”

  Lucia smiled up at him. “You weren’t ready for that type of serious move back then, and in a way I’m glad.” She chuckled. “Besides, you needed to impress my dad.”

  “And you think I did?”

  Her smile brightened. “Yes. Going to him and asking for his permission to marry me scored you a lot of brownie points for sure. You’re going to be a son-in-law for life.”

  “Baby, I intend to be a husband for life as well. And you will be my wife for life.”

  He ran his fingers through her hair as he leaned down and captured her mouth with his. She was definitely a wife for a Westmoreland. She was his, and their love was just the beginning.

  Epilogue

  A month and a half later

  “Okay, Derringer, you may kiss your bride.”

  A huge smile lit Derringer’s features when he pulled Lucia into his arms. She was the woman he wanted, the wife he desired, and as he captured her mouth with his he knew they would share a long and wonderful life together.

  He finally released her and turned to their guests as the minister presented them to everyone as Mr. and Mrs. Derringer Westmoreland. He loved the sound of that and wondered why he’d let his fear keep him away from the altar for so long. But as Lucia had said, he hadn’t been ready until now.

  A short while later, with his wife’s hand tucked in his, they made their way around his property, which the women of the family had transformed from Derringer’s Dungeon to Derringer and Lucia’s Castle. Gemma had returned the week before the wedding and had worked alongside the wedding planner to give Lucia the wedding she deserved.

  He glanced down at her and tightened her hand in his. “Happy?”

  She smiled up at him. “Immensely so.”

  He thought she looked beautiful and doubted he would ever forget how he felt the moment he saw her walking down the aisle to him on her father’s arm. She was the most beautiful vision in white that he’d ever seen. They had decided to travel to Dubai for their honeymoon, and while they were across the waters they planned to visit Callum and Gemma in Australia before returning home.

  “Time for you to throw your bouquet to the single ladies, Lucia,” the wedding planner came up to say.

  Lucia turned to Derringer and placed a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be back in a moment,” she whispered.

  “And I’ll be right here waiting,” was his response. He watched her walk to an area where over thirty women—that included his sisters—stood waiting.

  “I’ve never seen you so happy, Derringer,” Jason said, smiling as he walked up. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks, and I’m going to give you the same advice I gave Zane, Riley, Canyon and Stern this morning at breakfast, although I could tell they didn’t want to hear it. Being single is nice, but being marrie
d is much sweeter. Trust me, two is better than one.”

  Derringer figured if he could get any of his single cousins to take his advice it would be Jason. He had been standing with Jason at the charity ball the moment old man Bostwick’s granddaughter had made her entrance. It had been obvious that Jason had been spellbound, entranced by the woman’s beauty.

  He looked over at Jason. “So, have you officially met Bostwick’s granddaughter yet?”

  Jason smiled. “Yes, I introduced myself at the ball. Her name is Elizabeth but she prefers being called Bella.”

  Derringer nodded. “Did you let her know you were interested in her land and in Hercules?”

  “Yes, we spoke briefly before Kenneth Bostwick interrupted us. I hear she’s trying to make up her mind about what she wants to do. I don’t think she’s interested in hanging around these parts. This is no place for a Southern belle and besides, she knows nothing about ranching.”

  “But you do. You can always show her the ropes.”

  Jason looked shocked at the suggestion. “Why would I want to do something like that? She has two things I want—her land and that stallion. The sooner she decides to sell and return to Savannah, the sooner I can get both. I’d do just about anything to get the land and that horse.”

  Derringer glanced up at Jason and saw his cousin was serious. “Just remember what I said, Jason. Worldly possessions aren’t everything. The love of a good woman is.”

  He then watched as Lucia began walking back over toward him. She was a good woman. She was his life and now she was his wife.

  THE PROPOSAL

  BRENDA JACKSON

  Prologue

  “Hello, ma’am, I’m Jason Westmoreland and I’d like to welcome you to Denver.”

  Even before she turned around, the deep, male voice had Bella Bostwick’s stomach clenching as the throaty sound vibrated across her skin. And then when she gazed up into his eyes she had to practically force oxygen into her lungs. He had to be the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen.

  For a moment she couldn’t speak nor was she able to control her gaze from roaming over him and appreciating everything she saw. He was tall, way over six feet, with dark brown eyes, sculpted cheekbones and a chiseled jaw. And then there was his skin, a deep, rich chocolate-brown that had her remembering her craving for that particular treat and how delicious it was. But nothing could be more appealing than his lips and the way they were shaped. Sensuous. Sumptuous. A perfect pair for the sexy smile curving them.

  He said he was a Westmoreland and because this charity ball was given on behalf of the Westmoreland Foundation, she could only assume he was one of those Westmorelands.

  She took the hand he’d extended and wished she hadn’t when a heated sizzle rode up her spine the moment she touched it. She tried forcing the sensation away. “And I’m Elizabeth Bostwick, but I prefer just Bella.”

  The smile curving his lips widened a fraction, enough to send warm blood rushing through her veins. “Hi, Bella.”

  The way he’d pronounce her name was ultrasexy. She thought his smile was intoxicating and definitely contagious, which was the reason she could so easily return it. “Hi, Jason.”

  “First, I’d like to offer my condolences on the loss of your grandfather.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And then I’m hoping the two of us could talk about the ranch you inherited. If you decide to sell it, I’d like to put in my bid for both the ranch and Hercules.”

  Bella drew in a deep breath. Her grandfather Herman Bostwick had died last month and left his land and prized stallion to her. She had seen the horse when she’d come to town for the reading of the will and would admit he was beautiful. She had returned to Denver from Savannah only yesterday to handle more legal matters regarding her grandfather’s estate. “I haven’t decided what I plan on doing regarding the ranch or the livestock, but if I do decide to sell I will keep your interest in mind. But I need to make you aware that according to my uncle Kenneth there are others who’ve expressed the same interest.”

  “Yes, I’m sure there are.”

  He had barely finished his sentence when her uncle suddenly appeared at her side and spoke up. “Westmoreland.”

  “Mr. Bostwick.”

  Bella immediately picked up strong negative under-currents radiating between the two men and the extent of it became rather obvious when her uncle said in a curt tone, “It’s time to leave, Bella.”

  She blinked. “Leave? But we just got here, Uncle Kenneth.”

  Her uncle smiled down at her as he tucked her arm underneath his. “Yes, dear, but you just arrived in town yesterday and have been quite busy since you’ve gotten here taking care of business matters.”

  She arched a brow as she stared at the grand-uncle she only discovered she had a few weeks ago. He hadn’t been concerned with how exhausted she was when he’d insisted she accompany him here tonight, saying it was her place to attend this gala in her grandfather’s stead.

  “Good night, Westmoreland. I’m taking my niece home.”

  She barely had time to bid Jason farewell when her uncle escorted her to the door. As they proceeded toward the exit she couldn’t help glancing over her shoulder to meet Jason’s gaze. It was intense and she could tell he hadn’t appreciated her uncle’s abruptness. And then she saw a smile touch his lips again and she couldn’t help reciprocate by smiling back. Was he flirting with her? Was she with him?

  “Jason Westmoreland is someone you don’t want to get to know, Bella,” Kenneth Bostwick said in a gruff tone, apparently noticing the flirtatious exchange between them.

  She turned to glance up at her uncle as they walked out into the night. People were still arriving. “Why?”

  “He wants Herman’s land. None of the Westmorelands are worth knowing. They think they can do whatever the hell they please around these parts.” He interrupted her thoughts by saying, “There’re a bunch of them and they own a lot of land on the outskirts of town.”

  She lifted an arched brow. “Near where my grandfather lived?”

  “Yes. In fact Jason Westmoreland’s land is adjacent to Herman’s.”

  “Really?” She smiled warmly at the thought that Jason Westmoreland lived on property that connected to the land she’d inherited. Technically that made her his neighbor. No wonder he wants to buy my land, she thought to herself.

  “It’s a good thing you’re selling Herman’s land, but I wouldn’t sell it to him under any circumstances.”

  She frowned when he opened the car for her to get in. “I haven’t decided what I plan to do with the ranch, Uncle Kenneth,” she reminded him.

  He chuckled. “What is there to decide? You know nothing about ranching and a woman of your delicacy, breeding and refinement belongs back in Savannah and not here in Denver trying to run a hundred-acre ranch and enduring harsh winters. Like I told you earlier, I already know someone who wants to buy the ranch along with all the livestock—especially that stallion Hercules. They’re offering a lot of money. Just think of all the shoes, dresses and hats you’ll be able to buy, not to mention a real nice place near the Atlantic Ocean.”

  Bella didn’t say anything. She figured this was probably not the time to tell him that as far as she was concerned there was a lot to decide because none of those things he’d mentioned meant anything to her. She refused to make a decision about her inheritance too hastily.

  As her uncle’s car pulled out of the parking lot, she settled back against the plush leather seats and remembered the exact moment her and Jason Westmoreland’s eyes had met.

  It was a connection she doubted she would ever forget.

  One

  One month later

  “Did you hear Herman Bostwick’s granddaughter is back in Denver and rumor has it she’s here to stay?”

  Jason Westmoreland’s ears perked up on the conversation between his sister-in-law Pam and his two cousins-in-laws Chloe and Lucia. He was at his brother Dillon’s house, stretched out on the liv
ing room floor playing around with his six-month-old nephew, Denver.

  Although the ladies had retired to the dining room to sit at the table and chat, it wasn’t hard to hear what they were saying and he thought there was no reason for him not to listen. Especially when the woman they were discussing was a woman who’d captured his attention the moment he’d met her last month at a charity ball. She was a woman he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since.

  “Her name is Elizabeth but she goes by Bella,” Lucia, who’d recently married his cousin Derringer, was saying. “She came into Dad’s paint store the other day and I swear she is simply beautiful. She looks so out of place here in Denver, a real Southern belle amidst a bunch of roughnecks.”

  “And I hear she intends to run the ranch alone. Her uncle Kenneth has made it known he won’t be lifting one finger to help her,” Pam said in disgust. “The nerve of the man to be so darn selfish. He was counting on her selling that land to Myers Smith who promised to pay him a bunch of money if the deal went through. It seems everyone would love to get their hands on that land and especially that stallion Hercules.”

  Including me, Jason thought, as he rolled the ball toward his nephew but kept his ears wide-open. He hadn’t known Bella Bostwick had returned to Denver and wondered if she remembered he was interested in purchasing her land and Hercules. He definitely hoped so. His thoughts then shifted to Kenneth Bostwick. The man’s attitude didn’t surprise him. He’d always acted as if he was entitled, which is probably the reason Kenneth and Herman never got along. And since Herman’s death, Kenneth had let it be known around town that he felt the land Bella had inherited should be his. Evidently Herman hadn’t seen it that way and had left everything in his will to the granddaughter he’d never met.

  “Well, I hope she’s cautious as to who she hires to help out on that ranch. I can see a woman that beautiful drawing men in droves, and some will be men who she needs to be leery of,” Chloe said.