by Lori Wilde
Dan tilted her chin up and stared down into her eyes. Then he angled his head and kissed her rich, strawberry-colored lips slow, sweet, and generous. With rising need, he placed kisses on her eyelids, cheeks, and nose, only to return to her mouth again and again to drink her sweet nectar.
Raleigh kissed him back hard and passionate, marveling at the intense sparking their coming together generated.
“Ah, sweetheart,” he moaned, lifting her off the floor and pressing her to him. “I don’t know how I’ve lived so long without you.”
He curved one hand under her bottom, the other clutching her waist. She felt his body trembling with need, a need that matched her own.
What had she been missing all these long, lonely years, Raleigh wondered with a sigh. Now she would find out—with her sexy dude ranch owner to heat up the empty nights.
“I’ve got a confession to make,” he said, tugging his lips from hers.
“Oh?” She arched an eyebrow.
“I invited my parents to our wedding.”
“What?”
“That means you’re going to have to agree to marry me so I can save face.”
“And if I say no?” She smiled.
“Then I’ll just have to kiss you until you change your mind.” His mouth captured hers one more time before he set her on the floor. Her giggle of pleasure touched him as nothing else could have.
“Say yes,” he prodded, leaning over to nibble at her ear.
“Hmm,” she said. “What about Caleb?”
“I love you. I love Caleb. I want us to be a real family.” His lips seared the hollow of her neck. Raleigh arched her neck and moaned.
“Say yes.”
“You sure about this?”
“Of course, I’m sure.” His mouth traced her chin. “I love you, Raleigh.”
“I love you, too,” she admitted, unbridled happiness flooding her body.
“And you’ll marry me?”
Love. Marriage. Commitment. Suddenly everything she thought out of her reach was within her grasp if only she had the guts to take it.
“Marrying you would be my honor, Daniel McClintock.”
“Oh, honey, the future’s gonna be great. We’re an unbeatable team, you and I,” Dan whispered, his lips brushing her ear. “Together, we’re going to create the best dude ranch in West Texas.”
“I thought you liked to dream big,” Raleigh teased. “How about the best dude ranch in the whole U.S.A.?”
“Raleigh Travers,” he said. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
Epilogue
Dan looked out over his ranch and smiled. His beloved dream had finally come true. And here he was, sitting with his father on the patio, assessing the scene before them in an easy camaraderie they’d never before shared.
Two dozen cars crowded the freshly paved parking lot. A gaggle of squealing children splashed happily in the restored swimming pool. Vivid roses flourished in the flower garden Raleigh had planted.
Laughter sounded from several couples playing mixed doubles on the tennis court. A few old men tossed horseshoes on the lush green lawn. In the pasture, several city slickers struggled bravely to stay astride their spirited mounts. Next to the barn, Caleb and Pete were setting up picnic tables, preparing for the barn dance later that evening.
Dan took a deep breath and counted his many blessings.
“Well, son, I have to hand it to you. I never thought you’d accomplish this.” Bill McClintock grinned at his son and rattled the ice in his tea glass. “The ranch is splendid. Couldn’t have done a better job myself.”
His father’s words made him proud. “It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong, Dad. Thank you.”
“I did a lot of things wrong with you boys. Wouldn’t let you cut loose and do things your own way. When you tried, I belittled you. I hurt you, and I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Dad.” Dan placed a hand on his father’s shoulder. “Everyone makes mistakes.”
Bill McClintock winked. “Wait until you have children of your own. Then you’ll see how hard it is not to interfere in their lives.”
Raleigh and his mother emerged from the house, joining them on the patio.
“Hi,” Raleigh said, kissing Dan’s cheek. Her feet were bare, and she wore cutoff blue jeans.
“Hi, yourself.” Playfully he tugged her braid.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled at him. Dan marveled at the change in his bride. During the six months they’d been married, she’d blossomed before his very eyes. Gone was the old, insecure, quick-tempered Raleigh, and in her place stood a serene, easygoing young woman. She’d learned to funnel her explosive, passionate nature into lovemaking instead of arguing.
Dan smiled. No man could have asked for a better wife. She ran the ranch like an experienced business manager, while he handled the publicity and hosting aspects. They made an unstoppable team.
Gazing down at her, pride welled in his chest. With the dude ranch doing a booming trade and Raleigh at his side, what more could he ask for?
“Come on, dear, let’s take a walk.” Marcia McClintock linked arms with her husband.
“What for?” Bill McClintock grumbled. “I just got comfortable.”
Marcia elbowed him. “Now, Bill, remember what we discussed.”
“Okay, I get the picture.” Dan’s father set his empty glass on the table. “Let’s go for a walk, and you can tell me what I did wrong this time.”
Dan chuckled, watching his parents head off toward the stables. One good thing had come from breaking free of his family’s influence: he and his father had never been so close. The old animosity between them had dissipated completely.
“What was that all about?” Dan asked, moving over to sit on the porch swing and drawing Raleigh onto his lap.
Shyly, she ducked her head. “Your mom thinks it’s time you and I had a private talk.”
“Talk? I’d rather kiss.” Dan caught her bottom lip between his teeth.
“Dan, not here. The ranch is full of guests.” She waved a hand at the conglomeration of people enjoying themselves in the spring sun.
“They’ll never notice.”
She curled into the curve of his arm. “Well, I guess we better catch impromptu kisses where we can, ’cause later there’ll be lots of interruptions.”
As if on cue, Chester, followed by his new mate, Miss Kitty, and their three pups, loped up the steps looking for pats and scratches.
Raleigh leaned over and rubbed Chester’s head. “Yep, handing out affection takes up lots of time.”
“Stop being cryptic,” Dan told her, lightly tickling her ribs. “What are you talking about?”
“Two a.m. feedings, Daddy.”
“What?” Dan’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open.
Raleigh giggled.
“I...we...you’re p-pregnant?” he stammered.
“We’re having a baby.”
“Oh, my gosh.” His hands trembled. “When?”
“Not until December. I’m just two and a half months along. Perfect timing. The baby will be born during the winter lull.”
Dan patted her tummy. “No wonder you look a little rounded. I thought it was my good cooking putting the weight on you.”
“You’re happy about this, aren’t you?” A worried frown crossed her face. She traced a finger along his lips.
“Of course, I’m happy. Just surprised, that’s all.”
Raleigh blushed. “It’s not like I wasn’t exposed. Your mother guessed. She cornered me the minute they arrived.”
Dan recalled Raleigh’s old fears of intimacy—fears that had required a raging sandstorm to break down her carefully constructed defenses. Would she be so terrified of losing the baby she might resort to her old coping mechanisms, shutting him out, turning him away, taking refuge in stubbornness and anger?
“Are you scared?” he whispered, squeezing her tightly.
“Not as long as you’re here with me. Together, we can
do anything.” She snuggled against him.
“Oh, Raleigh.” He sighed. “Our life is going to be so good.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“How do you feel?”
“Wonderful,” she said. “Just like I do every time you make love to me. Making love and babies is the best way I know to dispel old ghosts.”
“What an excellent idea,” Dan said, cradling her in his arms. He stood and headed for the back door.
“Hey.” She laughed. “What are you doing?”
“Becoming a certified ghostbuster.” And with that, Dan whisked her into the house, carried her upstairs, and did his best to ensure a very happy future.
Dear Reader,
Readers are an author’s life blood and the stories couldn’t happen without you. Thank you so much for reading. If you enjoyed Dan, I would so appreciate a review. You have no idea how much it means!
Rex, is the next book in the Texas Rascal series. You can preorder here.
I have also teamed with author Liz Alvin to write a brand new series, Handsome Devils. Please turned the page to read an excerpt from Handsome Rancher, the first book in the Handsome Devils series. You can order it here.
If you’d like to keep up with my latest releases, you can sign up for my newsletter @ https://loriwilde.com/subscribe/
To check out my other books, you can visit me on the web @ www.loriwilde.com.
Much love and light!
—Lori
Excerpt: Handsome Rancher.
As she studied him, standing near the entrance to the city council room, Megan Kendall couldn’t help thinking what a handsome devil Chase Barrett was. Everyone in the small town of Honey, Texas, thought so as well. With his drop-dead gorgeous looks and his handsome-devil smile, women fell for him like pine trees knocked down by a powerful tornado. Even Megan couldn’t claim to be immune. She and Chase had been good friends for over twenty years, and he still didn’t know she was madly in love with him.
Yep, he was a handsome devil all right.
“Picture him naked,” Leigh Barrett whispered to Megan.
Stunned, Megan turned to stare at Chase’s younger sister. “Excuse me?”
Thankfully, Leigh nodded toward the front of the room instead of in her brother’s direction. “The mayor. When you’re giving your presentation, if you get nervous, picture him naked.”
Megan slipped her glasses down her nose and studied Earl Guthrie, the seventy-three-year-old mayor of Honey. When Earl caught her gaze, he gave Megan a benign, vague smile.
“I don’t think so,” Megan said to Leigh. “I prefer to think of Earl as fully clothed.”
Leigh giggled. “Okay, maybe that wasn’t such a hot idea after all. Let me see if I can find you someone else for you to think of naked.”
“That’s not necessary. I’m not nervous.” Megan flipped through her index cards. Her argument was flawless, her plan foolproof. She had nothing to be nervous about. Besides as the head librarian of the Honey, Texas, Library, she knew every person in the room. This presentation would be a snap.
But with puppylike enthusiasm, Leigh had already stood and was looking around. She hadn’t spotted her oldest brother yet, but Megan knew it was only a matter of time before she did.
“Leigh, I’m fine,” Megan tried, but Leigh finally saw Chase and yelled at him to come over and join them.
Chase made his way through the crowded room. The city council meetings usually drew a big audience, but Megan was happy to see even more people than usual had turned out to listen to her presentation of fund-raiser ideas for new playground equipment
When Chase got even with Megan and Leigh, he leaned across Megan to ruffle his sister’s dark hair. Then he dropped into the folding chair next to Megan and winked at her. “Ladies, how are you tonight?”
Megan tried to keep her expression pleasant, but it wasn’t easy. Ever since she’d moved back to Honey last year, pretending her feelings for Chase were platonic was proving harder and harder. At six-two, with deep black hair and even deeper blue eyes, he made her heart race and her palms sweat.
“Don’t ruffle my hair, bozo.” Leigh huffed at Megan’s right, smoothing her hair. “I’m in college. I’m too old to have my hair ruffled.”
To Megan’s left, Chase chuckled. “Squirt, you’re never going to be too old for me to ruffle your hair. When you’re eighty, I’m going to totter up to you and do it.”
“You and what orderly?” Leigh teased. “And just for the record, I like Nathan and Trent much better than I like you.”
“Oh, please.” Megan rolled her eyes at that one. Leigh loved all of her brothers, but everyone knew Chase was her favorite. When she was home from college, she always stayed with Chase.
“I love you, too, squirt,” Chase said, not rising to his sister’s taunt Instead he nudged Megan. “You okay?”
“I told her to imagine the mayor naked if she got nervous, but she doesn’t want to do that,” Leigh supplied.
“I can see why not” Chase said. “Earl’s not exactly stud-muffin material.”
“Oooh, I know what she should do.” Leigh practically bounced in her chair. “Megan, if you get nervous, picture Chase naked.”
Megan froze and willed herself to stay calm. The absolute last thing she wanted to think about was Chase naked. Okay, maybe she did want to think of him naked, but not right now. Not right before she had to speak in front of a large portion of the entire town.
“I don’t think so,” Megan muttered, shooting a glare at Leigh. The younger woman knew how Megan felt about her brother, and this was simply one more not-so-subtle attempt to get the two of them together. In the past few months, Leigh’s matchmaking maneuvers had grown more extreme.
“I don’t think I’ll need to picture anyone naked,” Megan stated.
On her other side, Chase offered, “Well, if you get flustered and it will make things easier for you, you go ahead and think of me naked Megan. Whatever I can do to help.”
Megan knew Chase was teasing her, but suddenly she realized how many years she’d wasted waiting for him to take her seriously. She’d fallen for him when she’d moved to town at eight. Dreamed about him since she’d turned sixteen. And tried like the dickens to forget him when she’d been away at college and then later working at a library in Dallas for five years.
But nothing had helped. Not even seriously dating a man in Dallas had helped. In her soul, Megan believed she and Chase were meant to be together.
If only she could get him to notice her.
“Hey there, Chase,” a smooth, feline voice fairly purred over their shoulders. “You’re looking yummy. Like an especially luscious dessert, and I positively love dessert.”
Oh, great Megan glanced behind her. Janet Defries. Just what she needed tonight.
Chase smiled at the woman half leaning on his chair. “Hey, Janet. Do you plan on helping Megan with her committee?”
From the look on Janet’s face the only thing she planned on helping herself to was Chase, served on a platter. She leaned toward Chase, the position no doubt deliberate since a generous amount of cleavage was exposed. “Are you going to help with this committee, Chase? Because if you are, I might be able to pry free a few hours.”
Yeah, right. Megan shared a glance with Leigh. They both knew Janet would no more help with the committee than dogs would sing.
“I’d like to help, but it’s a busy time on the ranch,” Chase said.
“Shame.” Janet slipped into the chair directly behind him. “I think you and I should figure out a way to spend some quality time together.”
Her message couldn’t have been clearer if she’d plastered it on a billboard. Megan hated herself for wanting to know, but she couldn’t not look. She turned to see what Chase’s reaction was to the woman’s blatant come-on.
Mild interest. Megan repressed a sigh. Of course. Janet was exactly the type of woman Chase favored. One with a high-octane body and zero interest in a lasting relationsh
ip.
“Maybe we’ll figure it out one of these days,” Chase said, and Megan felt her temperature climb.
Okay, so she didn’t have a drawer at home full of D-cups, but Megan knew she could make Chase happy. She could make him believe in love again.
If the dimwit would give her the chance.
Janet placed one hand on Chase’s arm and licked her lips. “Well, you hurry up, else I might decide to go after Nathan or Trent instead. You’re not the only handsome fella in your family.”
Chase chuckled as he faced forward in his chair once again. “I sure am being threatened with my brothers tonight. But I’d like to point out that neither of them stopped by to lend their support, and I’m sitting here like an angel.”
Leigh snorted. “Angel? You? Give me a break. You could make the devil himself blush, Chase Barrett”
Chase’s grin was pure male satisfaction. “I do my best.”
As Megan knew only too well. She’d watched him beguile a large percentage of the females in this part of Texas. Why couldn’t he throw a little of that wickedness her way? Just once, she’d like to show him how combustible they could be together.
But even though she’d been back in Honey for almost a year, the man still treated her like a teenager. She’d just celebrated her twenty-ninth birthday. She wasn’t a sheltered virgin with fairytale dreams of romance. She was a flesh and blood woman who knew what she wanted out of life.
She wanted Chase.
After a great deal of commotion getting the microphone to the right level, the mayor finally started the meeting. Within a few minutes, it was time for her presentation. Megan stood, adjusting her glasses.
“Remember, picture Chase naked if you get nervous,’’ Leigh whispered but not very softly.
Megan was in the process of scooting past Chase, who had stood to let her by. She froze, standing directly in front of the man who consumed her dreams and starred in her fantasies.
He grinned.
“You know, I think I just may do that,” Megan said. “And if he gets nervous, he can picture me naked, too.”
