by Caro Carson
This was too much. He was making it too hard on her. Kendry started shaking her head no, no, no.
She must have backed away because he caught her hand again, her left hand. “I couldn’t give it to you while we were waiting for DNA results. Tonight isn’t ideal, either, but I want you to know how serious I am about keeping us together. This is for us, you and me and Sam. Our family.”
Jamie slid the ring on her finger.
Just yesterday morning, the ring would have been enough, proof that her choice to marry a friend instead of a lover was the right one. “You wouldn’t risk this to sleep with me again?”
He didn’t answer her. After a long moment, he dropped his gaze to her finger and rubbed his thumb over the gold band.
She placed her other hand over his. “I know I’m crazy to give you up. Having most of Jamie MacDowell is probably better than having all of someone else, but I can’t do it.”
“I love you, Kendry.”
Her heart tripped, but the reality was that he loved her as his friend, as family. She tried to drop her hand, but he held firm.
“I love you,” he said again. “If you need to leave, then I won’t stop you, but I will follow you. What I said about never touching you again was a lie. I’m going to try to touch you as often as possible, Kendry. I’m going to do everything I can to make you want me, and when you do, I’m going to make love to you until you’re helpless with pleasure. Then I’m going to bring you back home and continue loving you, forever.”
Her body responded with an immediate, aching desire. Her heart cried yes, but she let the first thrilling shiver pass and kept her mind clear. “I’m nothing like Amina. I’ll never be like her.”
“Amina?” He was taken aback, so surprised that she was able to pull her hand away. “Of course you aren’t. I don’t expect you to be.”
She gestured again toward the ballroom. “I understand now, Jamie. I get it. She was a truly special person, one of those charismatic people that aren’t afraid of anything. You’ll never forget her. How could you, when you have Sam? But even if Sam didn’t exist, you’d never get over her. That makes your next lover second best.”
“That’s not true.”
“There’s nothing you can do about it. She was once in a lifetime. I get that, too. But I know me, and I know my heart, and it will tear me up to stay married to you and know that I’m second best.”
“Second best? Is that how you see yourself?”
She stepped closer to the pool. The light under the water reflected upward, catching the sequins of her dress in a muted way after sparkling through the water first. “I’m just me. Pretty simple. Not too interesting.”
“You’re amazing. Always. Every time I look at you, I see something new. Right now, your eyes look blue. You’re a brunette in this moonlight.”
“I’m always a brunette.”
“No, you’re not. You were a redhead in the stadium. Your hair was black silk on my pillow last night.”
She felt her cheeks flush.
“Do you know what color your eyes were when we met? They were hazel. When you hold my son, they’re green. Do you know what I thought when I sat down across from you during that first lunch?”
She shook her head.
“I thought to myself, ‘I could look at her across a kitchen table for the rest of my life.’ It’s not a matter of hair and eyes. They’re just a reflection of you, a woman of depths and layers, a woman who fascinates me.”
When she turned away in disbelief, he caught her shoulders and turned her back to face him. “It’s true, Kendry. I was falling in love with you from that first day, even when I told myself it wasn’t possible.”
“Because you loved Amina.”
“Yes. But you were Kendry, and I couldn’t not love you. The more I knew you, the more I wanted to know you. You are always interesting, always surprising, but you are always, always my Kendry.”
With a gentle touch, he brushed her hair behind her ear. “I’m not offering you the old love I had for someone else. What I feel for you is whole and new, a love for you. Only you.”
Jamie dropped to one knee.
The night must have moved on. The city must have continued its business, but for Kendry, her entire world was the man before her.
He took another ring out of his pocket, one with diamonds that caught every glimmer of available light and then threw it back into the night tenfold.
He reached for her hand and kissed the plain gold band reverently. “I realized a wedding ring wasn’t enough. It’s only part of our lives. That ring says we’re a family, Kendry, but this ring...” He slid the circle of faceted light onto her finger, letting it touch the gold. “This ring says I love you.”
He hadn’t really asked her a question, but Kendry answered him anyway, laughing through tears as joy filled her heart.
“Yes.”
“Let me ask you. Kendry Ann Harrison MacDowell, will you be the love of my life?”
“Yes,” she said again, so he’d stand and hold her and kiss her like a woman wanted to be kissed by the man she loved.
Jamie stood, but as she tilted her head back for his kiss, he asked her one more question. “Will you let me take you on a honeymoon? I’ve got a vision of you under a coconut tree that’s driving me out of my mind.”
“Yes,” she whispered, and then he kissed her exactly as a man wildly in love with his bride should.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Maverick & the Manhattanite by Leanne Banks.
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Chapter One
My suitcase is packed and I’m ready for my assignment as a lead coordinator for Bootstraps, a charitable organization based in New York City. I’m getting ready to travel from my world to a totally different one. I’m trading subways, theater, high fashion and rush hour crowds for a small town in Montana that’s been nearly destroyed by a flood. No more cushy apartment or paved sidewalks for me. I’ll be facing mud—a lot of it. I expect I won’t find a lot of Wall Street types in a town called Rust Creek. But there will be cowboys—and I’ve always been curious about cowboys….
— Lissa Roarke
Lissa’s roommate, Chelsea, swirled her glass of red wine as she picked up one of the boots from Lissa’s suitcase. Chelsea eyed it with disgust. “I can’t believe you’re actually going to wear something with the label John Deere.”
“Hey, these are great,” Lissa said. “They’re weather resistant and the lining is moisture wicking and breathable. They’ve got removable orthotics, a tempered-steel shank and a rubber outsole.”
“But they’re ugly,” Chelsea said and dropped the boot back into Lissa’s open suitcase. She took a deep sip of wine. “I know you’re into your job an
d you want to help people, but are you sure this is a good idea? There must be plenty you can still do here.”
“This is a huge opportunity for me. I’ll be the lead coordinator. Besides, my rent will be covered and you’ll get to rule our little roost,” Lissa said, giving her roommate a hug.
“But I’ll miss you,” Chelsea admitted. “And I’ve worked so hard to improve your style quotient.”
Chelsea worked for a women’s fashion magazine and believed one of her missions in life was to help everyone dress with more style and flair. She glanced in Lissa’s suitcase again and gave a disapproving sniff. “Couldn’t you at least include a Givenchy or Hermès scarf? A Burberry sweater? Remember what I’ve told you. Just a few stand-out pieces can really make a difference.”
Lissa smothered a chuckle. “Chelsea, I need to be ready to work. I need to give these people a strong impression that I’m there to help them if they’re going to take me seriously. They haven’t received enough national attention or help. No rock stars are holding concerts for them, and most of their town was practically wiped out, from what I’ve heard.”
Chelsea sighed. “True, I suppose,” she said and took another sip of wine. “You’re such a good soul. I really will miss you.”
“You won’t have to share the bathroom,” Lissa reminded her.
“Well, when you put it that way,” Chelsea said. “Ciao. I’m putting a little prezzie in your suitcase for a time you may need it. Probably tomorrow night,” she muttered under her breath. “No peeking.”
“You don’t need to give me any presents,” Lissa said.
“Oh, I do. I have very little conscience, but I can’t ignore true north on this one.”
While Chelsea moved through the small apartment wearing a morose expression, Lissa double-checked her list and made last-minute preparations for her trip. She was halfnervous and totally excited. Her first assignment as lead coordinator. She’d never be able to explain it to Chelsea, or her family of high achievers, for that matter, but Lissa had grown weary of life in the city and she was looking forward to being in a totally different environment. Her daily journal entries had grown stale and depressing. Her parents had always cautioned her not to put too much energy into her passion for writing. They thought she should focus on something more practical. Working for Bootstraps had offered her the unique opportunity to help people and also blog about her experiences on their website.
Although she knew her temporary stay in Montana would be challenging, she was looking forward to fresh air, big blue skies and wide-open spaces.
And cowboys. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but she’d had a fascination with cowboys for a long time. She wanted to know more about the real kind of cowboy, and apparently Montana was full of them. Lissa felt a twinge of guilt when she thought that Chelsea believed Lissa was being so self-sacrificing by going to Montana.
Lissa closed her eyes and brushed the unwelcome feeling aside. Her first duty was to help the community of Rust Creek Falls, and she was determined to make a difference. Cowboys were just the cherry on top of the assignment.
In his office, Sheriff Gage Christensen took another sip of coffee as he prowled the small area and listened to Charlene Shelton, a volunteer senior deputy, give her weekly report on how the elderly in his jurisdiction were faring. As soon as he’d begun serving as sheriff, Gage had learned it was a lot easier to appoint a volunteer to check on folks than wait for calls. “I’ve made all my calls. Everyone is mostly fine. Teresa Gilbert may need a ride to the doctor next week, so we’ll need a volunteer driver for that. The only one who didn’t answer or call me back was Harry Jones, but you know he’s a stubborn one. Always has been. Ever since his wife died last year, he’s just gotten worse.”
“I’ll get Will to check on Harry,” he said, speaking of his deputy. “He won’t mind.”
“I’m still worried about all the people still stuck in trailers since the flood,” she clucked. “Winter is coming and I can’t believe those cheap trailers will withstand our blizzards.”
Gage felt his neck tighten with tension. He didn’t disagree with Charlene, but it would take time to put the rural town back together after the flash flood they’d experienced. “We’re all working on it, Charlene. In fact, we’ve got a charity-relief woman coming in from the East. She should arrive this afternoon.”
“From the East?” Charlene echoed, clearly enjoying receiving this bit of news. Gage figured she would be burning up the phone wires as soon as they finished the call. “How is someone from the East going to know what to do here? Where’s she from?”
Gage hesitated. “New York.”
Silence followed. “Well, I suppose they have experience with flooding, but we don’t have subways or high-rises.”
“I know, but we’re not in a position to turn down help. I’ve been tapping every connection I can find. Some people are responding. Others are already booked. We need to get as much done as possible since winter will hit early.”
“Yes, we’re in hard times. If only Hunter McGee was still with us,” she said.
The mention of the former mayor’s name stabbed him. There was never a day that passed that he didn’t think about the mayor’s death during the storm. Gage blamed himself. His parents had talked him into taking a quick trip to a rodeo out of town and Hunter had agreed to cover for Gage. The flood hit and Hunter had rushed out in response to a call. A tree had fallen on his car and he’d died of a heart attack.
“No one can replace Hunter,” Gage said.
“That’s true, but we’re lucky we have you as sheriff, Gage. You’ve been working nonstop to help us,” Charlene said.
“There’s always more to do,” he said.
“Well, I’ll bring you a pie the next time I come into town. A single man needs a pie every now and then,” she said.
Gage looked at the baked goods piled on a table next to the dispatcher’s desk. “You don’t have to do that, Charlene. We all appreciate the work you do with the calls you make each week.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she said. “I can bake a pie in my sleep.”
Gage swallowed a sigh. “Thanks for making those calls. Take care, now.”
At that moment, he heard the sound of a husky, feminine laugh and wondered who it was. It was a sexy sound that distracted him.
Gage glanced outside his office and saw his twenty-one-year-old deputy, Will Baker, walk into the office with a slim redhead by his side. The woman was a head-snapper with her fiery hair, long legs and confident air.
“Hey, uh, Gage, this is Lissa Roarke, the relief worker you told me to pick up from the airport. She needs someone to show her around town. I can do it.”
Gage tore his gaze from the woman’s eyes and bit back a smile. He wasn’t at all surprised that Will was volunteering to show the pretty New Yorker around. He was practically drooling all over the woman. “That’s okay. Vickie,” he said, referring to this dispatcher, “needs to leave early, so I’d like you to fill in at the dispatcher desk for a couple hours.”
Disappointment shadowed Will’s face. “Oh, well, if you need me for anything, Lissa, give me a call. I wrote down my cell number for you. Call me anytime.”
“Thank you, Will, and thank you for picking me up from the airport and taking me to the rooming house before bringing me here. You’re a much better driver than most of the ones I deal with in the city.”
Will stood a little taller. “We take our driving seriously out here.”
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Gage cleared his throat. “Will, thank you for picking up Miss Roarke. Vickie’s waiting, okay.” He moved toward the New Yorker and extended his hand. “I’m the sheriff, Gage Christensen. We appreciate your help.”
“Please, call me Lissa,” she said in a voice that held a hint of a sexy rasp. She returned his handshake. Her hand was small and soft. He had a hard time imagining her smooth, uncallused hand doing hard labor. Her long red hair fell in a mass of curls to her shoulders and he liked the fact that she didn’t seem to care about taming it. Maybe she wasn’t as high maintenance as he feared. He’d met a few city women and most of them had seemed obsessed with their hair and nails. Her blue eyes glinted with curiosity and intelligence.
“Call me Gage,” he said. “Do you need something to eat before I show you around?” He cocked his head toward the table near the dispatcher’s desk. “People are always dropping off food for us. It’s generous, but if I ate everything they bring in, I’d be as big as a barn. Sometimes I wonder if they’re secretly trying to kill me,” he joked in a low voice.
Lissa gave a light laugh. “I’m sure they’re just showing their appreciation. I’m not hungry, though, because I ate during my layover. I’m anxious to see Rust Creek Falls. I visited Thunder Canyon when one of my cousins got married and it was beautiful.”
“I better warn you that Rust Creek is a lot different from Thunder Canyon. Thunder Canyon has a first-class resort and a lot of shops. We have the minimum requirements here. For everything else, we have to head out of town. Things aren’t nearly as picturesque since the flood here, either.”
