by Lisa Childs
Stephen and Rochelle had already left—eager to start the life together that had nearly been denied them. She forced back the guilt and regret. The past was over. Everyone was safe and happy.
“I hope you packed some of that sexy lingerie,” Cooper said.
“Oh, I have something special for you,” she promised.
“You’re the something special,” he said.
She clasped her arms around her husband’s neck as he carried her up the steps from the lower-level reception hall. He passed through the vestibule and headed down the outside church staircase to the street.
Logan and Nikki stood on the steps, leaning against the railing. Laughing, they flung handfuls of birdseed at them as Cooper and Tanya passed. Parker followed behind, tossing it down on them like rain. An SUV waited at the curb. Across its back window someone had scrawled Just Married in chalk. And strings of pop cans had been tied to the back bumper.
“Damn you all!” Cooper playfully yelled at his family.
Tanya laughed, happier than she had ever been.
Until the shots rang out…
Cooper ducked low over Tanya, protecting her with his body and the SUV that he shielded them both behind. But his family—their family—stood on the front steps yet, exposed.
Tires squealed as the car from which the shots must have been fired sped around the corner. She wriggled out of Cooper’s arms and turned back.
Logan covered Nikki on the stairs. But Parker was gone.
“Parker!” Cooper yelled his name as he hurried over to the stairs. A hand rose from the thick shrubs on the sides of the stairwell. He clasped it and pulled his brother from the foliage. “You okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, brushing off his tux and their concern. “Logan knocked me over after pushing down Nikki.” He turned toward his twin, as if waiting for the smart-alecky comments they continually threw at each other.
But Logan said nothing but sorry. He said it to his brother and sister and then he turned to Tanya and Cooper. “I’m sorry…”
Tanya shook her head. “I thought it was over. Mr. Gregory is dead.” But maybe he hadn’t been working alone.
“This isn’t about you,” Logan assured them all. “This is about me. And revenge…”
“You know who it is,” Cooper said.
He nodded. “And I’ll take care of it. You two leave for your honeymoon.” He hugged them both then pushed them toward the SUV. “Leave before the police get here. You’ve given enough reports during the past week to last a lifetime.”
Cooper obeyed his brother and helped Tanya into the passenger’s seat before sliding behind the wheel himself. She clutched his arm. “Are you sure?” she asked. “If you want to stay and help him, our honeymoon can wait.”
“Our honeymoon waited too long,” he said, “because of my stubbornness and pride.” He glanced back at his family. “They trusted me to take care of myself while I was in the Marines. I trust Logan to protect himself and the others.”
His brother waved them off as Cooper pulled away from the curb. Tanya stared back at them and she couldn’t help worrying that it might be the last time she saw them.
Cooper took her hand in his and entwined their fingers. “They’ll be okay,” he promised her. “They’re Paynes.”
She smiled.
“And so are you,” he said. “You are my wife.”
“It’s real,” she said with a sweet sigh of relief.
“We’re still going to consummate it,” he teased. “Over and over again…”
She laughed. He was right. His family could take care of themselves—they’d been doing it for years. And now she and Cooper would spend the rest of their lives taking care of each other. “I love you.”
“I’m not sure I heard you,” he teased, probably in reference to that first time she had uttered those words to him in a whisper.
So she shouted, “I love you!”
“Married a few hours and she’s already yelling at me,” Cooper remarked to himself.
Tanya laughed again as she envisioned their future together, as she had so many times when she’d been a teenager. But now it wasn’t just a fantasy; it was real. They probably would yell at each other from time to time. But they would have laughter, too. And given her job and his, they would probably have danger, as well. But as he’d promised, he would keep her safe. And she would make certain that he always knew how much she loved him—even if she had to shout it.
*
Keep reading for an excerpt from WEDDING AT CARDWELL RANCH by New York Times bestselling author B.J. Daniels.
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SPECIAL EXCERPT FROM
Read on for a sneak peek of
WEDDING AT CARDWELL RANCH
by New York Times bestselling author
B.J. Daniels
Part of the CARDWELL COUSINS series.
In Montana for his brother’s nuptials,
Jackson Cardwell isn’t looking to be anybody’s hero.
But the Texas single father knows a beautiful lady in distress when he meets her.
“I’m afraid to ask what you just said to your horse,” Jackson joked as he moved closer. Her horse had wandered over to some tall grass away from the others.
“Just thanking him for not bucking me off,” she admitted shyly.
“Probably a good idea, but your horse is a she. A mare.”
“Oh, hopefully she wasn’t insulted.” Allie actually smiled. The afternoon sun lit her face along with the smile.
He felt his heart do a loop-de-loop. He tried to rein it back in as he looked into her eyes. That tantalizing green was deep and dark, inviting, and yet he knew a man could drown in those eyes.
Suddenly, Allie’s horse shied. In the next second it took off as if it had been shot from a cannon. To her credit, she hadn’t let go of her reins, but she grabbed the saddle horn and let out a cry as the mare raced out of the meadow headed for the road.
Jackson spurred his horse and raced after her. He could hear the startled cries of the others behind him. He’d been riding since he was a boy, so he knew how to handle his horse. But Allie, he could see, was having trouble staying in the saddle with her horse at a full gallop.
He pushed his horse harder and managed to catch her, riding alongside until he could reach over and grab her reins. The horses lunged along for a moment. Next to him Allie started to fall. He grabbed for her, pulling her from her saddle and into his arms as he released her reins and brought his own horse up short.
Allie slid down his horse to the ground. He dismounted and dropped beside her. “Are you all right?”
“I think so. What happened?”
He didn’t know. One minute her horse was munching on grass, the next it had taken off like a shot.
Allie had no idea why the horse had reacted like that. She hated that she was the one who’d upset everyone.
“Are you sure you didn’t spur your horse?” Natalie asked, still upset.
“She isn’t wearing spurs,” Ford pointed out.
“Maybe a bee stung your horse,” Natalie suggested.
Dana felt bad. “I wanted your first horseback-riding experience to be a pleasant one,” she lamented.
“It was. It is,” Allie re
assured her, although in truth, she wasn’t looking forward to getting back on the horse. But she knew she had to for Natalie’s sake. The kids had been scared enough as it was.
Dana had spread out the lunch on a large blanket with the kids all helping when Jackson rode up, trailing her horse. The mare looked calm now, but Allie wasn’t sure she would ever trust it again.
Jackson met her gaze as he dismounted. Dana was already on her feet, heading for him. Allie left the kids to join them.
“What is it?” Dana asked, keeping her voice down.
Jackson looked to Allie as if he didn’t want to say in front of her.
“Did I do something to the horse to make her do that?” she asked, fearing that she had.
His expression softened as he shook his head. “You didn’t do anything.” He looked at Dana. “Someone shot the mare.”
Someone is hell-bent on making Allie Taylor think she’s losing her mind. Jackson’s determined to unmask the perp. Can he guard the widowed wedding planner and her little girl from a killer with a chilling agenda?
Find out what happens next in
WEDDING AT CARDWELL RANCH
by New York Times bestselling author B.J. Daniels,
available July 2014, only from Harlequin® Intrigue®.
Copyright © 2014 by Barbara Heinlein
ISBN-13: 9781460333617
GROOM UNDER FIRE
Copyright © 2014 by Lisa Childs
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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