A Cowboy's Kiss

by Trish Milburn

  He smiled as he caressed her cheek with a single finger. “I really like that idea. You can stay as long as you want.”

  The way he kissed her made her believe every word.

  Epilogue

  Anna couldn’t help smiling as she waited her turn to give Melody a hug. She’d never seen a more beautiful bride, and the look on Melody’s face when she’d stared up at Justin as they exchanged their vows had been something right out of a fairy tale. It was as if Anna was witnessing her own feelings for Roman portrayed by someone else.

  “Hey!” Melody said as she saw her and extended her arms for a hug. “You look beautiful.”

  Anna laughed. “You stole my line.”

  “Oops.”

  “Seriously, you look absolutely stunning.”

  Melody glanced over at her new husband. “It’s easy when you’re totally in love. Maybe that’s your secret.”

  She doubted it was much of a secret how she felt about Roman. Whenever he was around, she couldn’t seem to keep a happy grin off her face. But at least he seemed to suffer from the same affliction. Even when he’d been standing next to Justin and Wes as Melody had made her way down the aisle toward her soon-to-be husband, Roman only had eyes for Anna. She had been momentarily glad the wedding was being held outside at the ranch instead of in a church because the thoughts she’d had with his eyes on her had not been church-worthy.

  Anna gave way to the other wedding guests wanting to extend their good wishes to the bride and headed for the refreshment table for some punch. She nabbed a couple of petit fours and grabbed a spot at a table to get off her feet. She wasn’t used to the strappy heels she was wearing with her new dress.

  “Mind if I join you?” Tom McQueen asked.

  “Please, do,” she said, gesturing toward the white folding chair across from her.

  “Where’s your other half?”

  “Last I saw him, he and Wes were heading around the far end of the house with mischief in their eyes. I suspect Justin’s truck is getting a good decorating right about now.”

  Tom laughed then took a drink of his own punch as he scanned the crowd. “Quite the affair, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, everything is just beautiful. And Melody and Justin look so happy.”

  “They are. I wish his mother was here to see it.”

  Over the past few months, as she and Roman had grown closer, she’d heard a lot of stories about his mother, things she’d never known about her. It made her realize all the things she’d never experienced with her own mom, and yet it made her miss her more than she had in a long time.

  At least her relationship with her father was gradually growing. She’d beaten the odds and been a bone marrow match for him, and he was responding well to treatment. She and Roman had gone to Denver and during that trip met her father’s wife and other children. She’d been so nervous she had sworn she was going to throw up, but they had all been nice. And now she had a half-brother and half-sister she was also getting to know.

  Add to that the fact that she was giving novel writing another try, and it was amazing how much a person’s life could change in less than a year.

  When the dancing started a while later, Paige showed up at the table and dragged a blushing Tom onto the portable dance floor, him insisting he was going to smash her toes flat. Anna laughed at her best friend’s antics.

  “How about we join them?” Roman said next to her ear, sending a delicious shiver down her spine.

  Before she could answer, he took her hand and escorted her out to the middle of the dancing crowd.

  “Have I told you that you look beautiful today?” he asked.

  “Yes, you did. And you look mighty handsome yourself. It’s not fair, really. You already look good in cowboy gear and lab coats, and now I have to add suits to the list. You really should have some flaws.”

  Roman just laughed and spun her around.

  After a while, the band paused so that Melody could toss her bouquet. Paige grabbed Anna away from Roman and hurried her to the group of single ladies awaiting the flying flowers. Though it was just a tradition, Anna found that her pulse was rapid as Melody turned her back and flung the bouquet. In the next moment, Anna reached up and it landed in her hands as if she was the intended target. And then as she glanced around and saw that all the other women had stepped away from her, she realized she had been. Melody must have put the word out that she wanted Anna to catch the bouquet.

  But then a murmur went through the crowd. Anna noticed several people looking at something behind her, so she turned to see what had drawn their attention.

  She gasped at the sight of Roman down on one knee holding open a small black box. She couldn’t believe her eyes and met his to see if this was really happening.

  “Anna Kenner, ever since you woke up in the hospital I’ve wanted nothing more than to spend time with you. And that feeling has only grown since I fell in love with you.” He paused, taking an obvious breath as if he was nervous. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

  Tears pooled in her eyes. She couldn’t believe he was doing this here, now. But there was only one answer she could give.

  “Yes.”

  The entire crowd erupted into applause. Roman got to his feet, slipped the ring onto her shaking finger, and pulled her into his arms. And then he laid one heck of a kiss on her.

  “I can’t believe you did this at Justin and Melody’s wedding. You’re stealing their spotlight.”

  He grinned like a little boy with a secret. “It was Melody’s idea. I asked for advice on what would be the most romantic way to propose, and she said this would be when you’d least expect it.”

  “She was right about that.”

  “Do you mind that I did it so publicly? I know how shy you can be.”

  “I’m so happy right now you could have done it on national television and I wouldn’t mind.”

  “Well, let’s not go that far.”

  She laughed, and he kissed her again.

  And then they were surrounded by all the people they loved and who loved them back. But their gazes were never far from each other, and she knew before the night ended she’d be back in his arms enjoying yet another kiss from her cowboy—one of many to come as they shared their lives together. As she squeezed his hand, she realized that all the doubt she’d carried about them being together was completely gone and had been for a long time. In its place was the most amazing love she’d ever experienced, the kind that would last a lifetime.

  The End

  If you enjoyed A Cowboy’s Kiss, you’ll love the next book in …

  The Once Upon a Western Series

  Book 1: Her Cowboy Prince

  Buy now!

  Book 2: A Cowboy’s Kiss

  View the series here!

  Book 3: The Cowboy Next Door

  Coming soon

  Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from

  Her Cowboy Prince

  Trish Milburn

  Book 1 in the Once Upon a Western series

  Keep reading below or Buy now!

  Honestly, the things she found in garbage cans. Melody Shaw shook her head at what looked like a deflated blow-up doll wearing a red bikini, then emptied the trash can into the larger bag on her housekeeping cart. It would be one thing to find the doll in a guest room, though still odd, but the fact that someone had stuffed it into the trash can in the vending area left her with so many questions. After all, the Peak View Hot Springs Resort wasn’t exactly a pay-by-the-hour establishment. The guests ran more toward vacationing families of considerable means and couples celebrating special occasions by splurging.

  Once upon a time, this was the type of place she might have stayed while on vacation. But that was a lifetime ago.

  A lifetime a part of her still held out hope she might possibly be able to reclaim.

  But not today. Her immediate future held tasks decidedly less life-altering.

  With a sigh, she pushed her cart
toward the wing of the building that housed the offices for the resort as well as the Peak View Ranch, which surrounded the resort for miles in each direction. She covered her mouth as she yawned. Normally she just worked in the evenings, but she’d agreed to fill in for a daytime housekeeper who had called in sick that morning. Though she’d tried to take a nap in between her shifts, it was hard to sleep when her next-door neighbor was playing one of those first-person-shooter video games hard core. Thin walls in her apartment building meant she heard every rat-a-tat-tat of his virtual weapon as well as each sound of frustration when his character had gotten killed.

  “Don’t do that, girl. You’ll get me started.”

  Melody smiled at Ken, the night security guard. “Sorry. Long day.”

  “Tell me about it. I had to be up at the crack of dawn this morning to drop off my daughter at the school for a band trip to Billings.”

  “Then we are in the same tired boat.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  As Ken continued on down the hall in the opposite direction, his last two words rang in her ears. There was nothing unusual about them. Heck, any time she went to the grocery store or the bank, she was every bit as likely to hear the same. But something about the way he’d said the phrase reminded her of how she used to hear it from almost everyone around her on a daily basis.

  Why in the world was the past accompanying her like her shadow tonight? Granted, there wasn’t a day that went by during which she didn’t think about it, ponder the possibility of reclaiming what she’d lost, but a heavier feeling settled in her chest now. The same sense of loss she’d felt when she’d stepped away from the life she’d always known and began another six months ago.

  For the umpteenth time, she reminded herself that it did her no good to dwell on the past. Unless something drastic happened to change her current situation, she needed to keep her thoughts and focus directed firmly in front of her—which now meant the cleaning of the office wing. As she turned the corner to where the five offices stood in a row down one side of the hall, she drank in the quiet and solitude.

  After cleaning the bathrooms, she started on the offices. Thankfully, she never found anything startling or puzzling in the trash there. Though it was dark outside now, during the day these offices had a gorgeous, expansive view of the Absaroka Mountains to the east. It honestly was like looking at a panoramic postcard come to life. The first four offices went quickly, so she headed for the closed door to Justin McQueen’s office. If it was locked, she could go home and face-plant in her bed for the rest of the night. She was so tired that she didn’t think even Marty’s gaming would keep her awake.

  But when she tried the knob to the door, it turned. Okay, she could do this. Justin McQueen, eldest son and head honcho, hadn’t wrecked his office during the entire time she’d worked here, so she hoped he hadn’t chosen today to start. She’d still be home within the hour, hugging her pillow as if it was the love of her life.

  And maybe he’d been in the room recently enough that she could still enjoy a whiff of his spicy cologne. The scent didn’t overpower like those worn by men who didn’t understand that a little went a long way, but the first time she’d smelled it everything female in her had stood up and taken notice. It was rare for cologne to affect her that way, but whatever Justin McQueen wore was a definite winner in her book. It didn’t hurt that he was extremely easy on the eyes either. She might not be able to get involved with anyone, but she could still look.

  She flipped on the light as she entered the office. When someone moved in her peripheral vision, she yelped. Her free hand went to her chest, where her heart was doing its level best to beat its way to freedom, while her other hand gripped the doorknob so hard she might very well crush it.

  Justin McQueen looked nearly as startled as she was, plus a bit confused to boot. She watched as a piece of paper fell back onto the desk from where it’d been stuck to his face. His ridiculously handsome face.

  “I’m sorry,” she finally managed to say. “I didn’t know you were in here. I’ll come back later.”

  “No, no,” he said, then rubbed a hand over his face as if he could wipe away the foggy aftereffects of sleep. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I startled you. I obviously need to go home if I’m conking out at my desk, probably drooling on myself.”

  Melody didn’t move, unsure whether she should wait for him to leave.

  He decided for her, motioning her in. “I don’t want to hold you up. Actually, you can just skip in here if you want.”

  By the time he said that last bit, she was already in the room. So she dumped the trash as he stared at the array of papers on his desk. After she replaced his trash can, their eyes met.

  Oh my, his eyes are pretty.

  They were the kind of dark brown that brought to mind the word decadence. Combined with his dark, wavy hair and the five-o’clock shadow he had going on, she wondered if he might be the sexiest man in all of Montana. She certainly wouldn’t bet against it. Why couldn’t he have at least one obvious flaw?

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  It took way too long for his words to sink into her addled brain, and when they finally did, all she managed to say was, “Huh?”

  Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice her sudden attack of dim-wittedness.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to pick your brain for a moment.”

  “About what?” Despite the fact that she did her best to keep a low profile, to not be noticed, her curiosity got the better of her. And, quite possibly, the sudden desire to soak up the pure handsomeness of him a few moments longer.

  “If you were to offer something new to guests, what would it be?”

  Why in the world was he asking her, of all people, such a question?

  “I’m not sure I’m the best person to ask.” She hated playing the “I’m just a maid” card when, in truth, ideas started firing in her mind as soon as the words left his mouth. It was how she was wired and she missed using that part of herself. Not much call for marketing and business savvy while mopping and vacuuming.

  “You might be surprised,” he said. “I’m too close to the question, and you are more likely to hear what guests are saying. Plus, I need a fresh perspective.”

  “Maybe one of your brothers or your dad could help you.”

  “Not likely. Roman is too busy saving lives, and Wesley…well, let’s just say this isn’t his thing.”

  She noticed he didn’t mention his dad. Was that because the man was still in mourning? She’d heard from her co-worker Lynn that the elder Mr. McQueen’s wife had died the previous year and he’d taken it very hard, that he hadn’t been the same since. Was that why she saw the recognizable signs of stress and fatigue in Justin even though he likely tried to hide them? How many times had she looked in the mirror and seen the same thing during her father’s illness and the horror her life had become after his passing?

  Feeling empathy and a sudden hint of kinship with Justin, she let down her guard enough to give him an actual answer.

  “What about some sort of old-fashioned Christmas package targeted at single people who might not have family to visit?”

  People like her.

  His gaze locked with hers, and it was all she could do to not gasp. When was the last time someone had really looked at her? And to have it be someone as handsome as Justin McQueen threatened to knock her off her feet, as completely silly as that might sound, especially considering it wasn’t the first time she’d attracted the attention of a good-looking man. She’d been a different person then, however. And the man had never looked as if he had strolled out of a movie about ruggedly handsome cowboys.

  “I really like that idea,” Justin said. “You might have saved me.”

  That seemed like an odd overstatement, but she allowed herself to enjoy the warmth that filled her at hearing his compliment.

  “Glad to help.”

  She itched to offer to expand on her idea, but she’d already drawn too much
attention to herself. Her new life required she keep a lower profile than she was used to, so much so that she had to remind herself every single day that she was no longer Melody Redmond, heir to Redmond Pharmaceuticals. That Melody had ceased to exist when someone had taken a literal shot at her, nearly erasing her for good. When she’d discovered that her stepmother’s and stepsister’s ties to a Ukrainian crime family led officials to believe she’d continue to be a target, she’d been faced with the toughest decision of her life.

  The old Melody disappeared as soon as she agreed to enter the Witness Security Program and walked out the other side a completely different person. The only thing she’d brought from her old life was her first name because she’d been afraid she’d give herself away by not answering to a completely different one. Luckily, the practice was pretty common, even if someone like her—someone who hadn’t committed a crime—entering witness protection wasn’t.

  “Well, I better leave you to it,” she said.

  “Before you go, do you happen to like chocolate?”

  Was this the night of unexpected questions or what?

  “Um, yes.”

  Justin opened a desk drawer and pulled out a box of high-end chocolates. Her mouth watered at the mere thought of how they would taste on her tongue.

  “Vendors send thank-you gifts sometimes, but I’m allergic to chocolate.” He extended the box toward her.

  “Wouldn’t you rather give them to some of the other staff?” She gestured in the direction of the offices down the hall.

  When he smiled, he somehow got even more drop-dead gorgeous. “You’re a member of the staff, Melody.”

  Even though this wasn’t the first time she’d seen Justin or even spoken to him, it was still a bit startling that he actually knew her name. Granted, she was wearing a nametag, but he hadn’t looked at it.

  She smiled, hoping it didn’t look as awkward as it felt. “Well, in that case…” She extended her hand and accepted the box. “Thank you.”