Protecting The Colton Bride

by Elle James

  “No, really, it’s not necessary,” Megan said.

  “It most certainly is.” Big J waved aside her protest. “You’re going to be resting for a couple days as it is. Knowing Daniel, he’ll be out feeding horses at least twice a day. What will you do while he’s out puttering in the barn?”

  “I can take care of myself.” She tried to sit up, but Daniel laid a hand on her shoulder.

  “They’re right,” Daniel said. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving you alone in the guesthouse. There’s safety in the number of people at the main house. Someone will be around at all times.”

  “It’s not up for discussion.” Big J spoke with finality. “You two are moving into the main house for the time being.” He bent to peck Megan on the cheek. “We’ll see you tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope you feel better.”

  “Thank you,” she said weakly, staring up at Daniel.

  Although he really had no desire to move into the main house with the chance of running into his stepmother, Daniel couldn’t argue with his father’s reasoning.

  A nurse entered the room, hitting Brett with the door. Her eyes rounded. “What the heck is going on in here?” Her forehead creased in a deep frown. “Out. All of you, get out. Mrs. Colton needs rest, not a convention.”

  “We were going,” Jack muttered, clutching Tracy’s hand as he led her out of the room. He turned at the doorway. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow. Congratulations.”

  The others filed out, leaving Daniel and Ryan as the last men in the room. The nurse checked Megan’s vitals and her IV and adjusted her bed down. Then she pointed at Ryan. “You, too. Only her husband can stay the night.”

  Ryan held up his hands. “I’m going.”

  The nurse frowned at him again, then left the room.

  With a quick peck on Megan’s cheek, Ryan said, “Welcome to the family.” He turned to Daniel. “Take care of our new sister-in-law. The men still outnumber the women. We could use more good ones like Megan.” As he headed toward the door, he tossed over his shoulder, “I’ll check on the investigation. As soon as you write down all the particulars of your trip, we’ll follow up.”

  “Thanks, Ryan.” Daniel’s gaze followed Ryan through the door. When he was gone, the room fell into silence.

  “Was that as awkward for you as it was for me?” Megan asked.

  Daniel glanced down at her, realizing he still held her hand in his. “I hate to disappoint my family.”

  “I know.” She sighed. “They don’t deserve the lies we’re feeding them. I’m sorry I got you into this.”

  “You didn’t. I was the one to suggest it in the first place.”

  “But you wouldn’t have if I hadn’t handed you my resignation.”

  “The main thing right now is not to worry about all this. Sleep and let your body recover.”

  “Yes, sir.” She smiled and closed her eyes. “What happened with the plane?”

  He’d been wondering that himself. “The landing gear didn’t deploy.” The manual emergency backup cord had been severed. He didn’t mention that.

  Her eyes opened, and her brow furrowed. “How did you land without landing gear?”

  His lips curled. “Very carefully. On the belly of the plane.”

  “Oh, Daniel. The plane is ruined?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. That’s why we have insurance. We survived the landing and got you to the hospital on time. That’s all that matters.”

  When she opened her mouth to speak again, he held up his hand. “You can ask all the questions you want in the morning. For now, you need to sleep and recover. I have a call to make to Marshall Kennedy to cancel our meeting.”

  “No.” Megan pushed to a sitting position. “I’m feeling better already. You can’t cancel the trip to Reno.”

  “We don’t have a plane. It’s not worth it to me to go now.”

  “We’re going,” she insisted, her voice sounding stronger. “I can arrange for flights to Reno. Or we can rent a plane for the trip. We can’t cancel now. We’ve come too far to give up over a little hiccup in our plans.”

  Daniel shook his head. “You almost died twice today and you call it a hiccup?” He took her hand in his and lifted it, staring at the ring. “You’re an amazing woman, and your father would kill me if he knew what you’d gone through today.”

  “And that’s why you’re not going to tell him.” She lay back against the pillow and closed her eyes. “Now you can leave and let me sleep. I plan on getting up in the morning and walking out of this hospital.”

  Daniel chuckled. “Unless you want me to leave, I’m staying. You might have been poisoned once. They might try again. If you want me to leave, I’ll sit outside your door. Your choice.”

  She opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile. “I really am sorry this is turning out to be more trouble than you bargained for.”

  “Don’t you worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

  “Good, because I’m too tired to get up.” She yawned and rolled onto her side. “See you in the morning.” Megan tucked her hand beneath her chin, her hair falling over her face.

  Daniel stood for a long time, staring down at her, his heart torn between anger and something else. This woman had left the easy life of the privileged behind, fighting for the freedom to make her own decisions, and ended up poisoned and the target of attacks in Vegas. And yet she was more concerned about being a bother to him. He could easily fall in love with her, and that would never do. Two people couldn’t be farther apart in their social realms.

  Daniel stepped out of the room and stood in the hallway to make a phone call. Ryan had said he’d check on the status of the airplane and the reason the landing gear had not deployed. Hopefully, the FAA inspector had already taken a cursory look.

  Before he could dial his brother’s number, his smartphone vibrated in his hand. It was Ryan.

  “How’s Megan?” he asked without a greeting.

  “Better,” Daniel replied. “What have you found out?”

  “I got word from the FAA inspector. When they moved the plane, they had a chance to look at the landing gear.” Ryan paused. “Daniel, it was all chewed up with something that looked like acid, and there was a broken vial strapped to the electrical wires. They think that when you raised the landing gear in Santa Rosa, the vial was crushed and the acid leaked on the wires, causing them to malfunction.”

  “And someone cut the emergency cord.”

  “Good thing you two will be staying at the big house. Sounds like someone has it in for Megan, and you could be collateral damage.”

  Chapter 15

  Megan woke the next morning feeling pretty much back to normal, until she got out of the hospital bed and tried to stand on her own two feet. She’d waited until Daniel slipped out for a cup of coffee before she tried to make a run for the bathroom to comb her hair and make herself more presentable to her new husband.

  She nearly fell flat on her face, her knees so weak she could barely stand. With concentrated effort, she was determined to make a round trip to the bathroom before Daniel returned.

  Dr. Baxter arrived in her room as she settled back on the edge of the bed.

  He grinned. “How’s my patient?”

  Megan straightened, forcing a chipper look. “I feel well enough to leave.”

  “I’m sure you do.” He shook his head. “As good as the food and service are here, no one ever wants to stay.” He winked.

  After checking her vital signs and flashing a light in her eyes, he declared, “You can go home as long as you have someone with you for the first couple of days.” He held up his hand. “Not that I think anything will happen, but just to make sure you don’t have a reaction to the medicine or the residual effects of the poison.”

  “We’ll make sure
she has someone with her,” Daniel said, stepping into the room, a paper cup of steaming hot coffee in his hand. “She’ll be surrounded by family.”

  “Good, good. I’ll have the nurse bring in your discharge papers with instructions. Your stomach might feel a little off for a couple of days, but you should be able to return to work.”

  Megan glanced at Daniel as she asked the doctor, “We’re supposed to go to Reno in two days.”

  Dr. Baxter folded his stethoscope into his pocket. “There’s no reason you shouldn’t.” He backed toward the door. “Congratulations on your marriage. Hopefully we won’t see you again until you come to deliver your first child.”

  Megan’s cheeks flamed and her heart ached. She could imagine a little boy with dark brown hair and bright brown-black eyes like Daniel’s.

  Once the door closed behind the doctor, she pushed her fantasy to the back of her mind and tilted her chin upward, ready for the battle. “You heard the doctor. We’re going to Reno.” She eased off the bed and swayed.

  Daniel was there to steady her with his empty hand.

  She was happy for his warmth and strength, but quickly let go to prove she was capable of standing on her own. “If you will leave me for a few minutes, I’ll dress and we can get out of here.”

  An hour later, they pulled up in front of the main house at the Lucky C Ranch. Megan had been in the house only on a couple of rare occasions, when she’d been invited for a barbecue on the Fourth of July and a birthday party for Big J.

  Daniel lifted her out of the truck and carried her up the steps.

  “I could have walked,” she muttered, trying not to love the way his arms felt so warm and secure around her. When he set her on her feet, he kept an arm around her middle while he opened the door.

  “There she is.” Hannah, Brett’s wife, hurried toward them in the grand foyer, a smile on her face, her cheeks rosy and her baby bump preceding her.

  “I’ll be right back with your suitcase.” Daniel left her with Hannah and returned to his truck.

  “We were so worried about you.” Hannah hooked Megan’s arm. “Do you need help getting settled in Daniel’s old room?”

  “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather relax in the living room. I don’t feel like I’m sick. Just a little wobbly.”

  “Well, then, come on in the main living room. There are plenty of seats available to choose from.” Hannah led the way to the living room, but she glanced back at Daniel as he entered the house with Megan’s case. “And, Daniel, don’t worry about the horses. Brett’s been out all morning taking care of them.”

  “If it’s all the same to you, Megan, I’d like to go check on Halo.”

  “Please do. In fact, I’ll come with you,” Megan said. “I’ve been concerned about her since we left.”

  Daniel shook his head. “I’d feel better knowing you were safe in the house, recovering.”

  “I’m feeling better already.” Anxious to get back to normal, doing the job she loved, she spun toward him and swayed.

  Daniel’s jaw firmed, and he gripped her arms. “If you want to come to Reno with me in two days, rest now.” Then he bent to seal her mouth with his in a brief, fierce kiss. “Please,” he said when he lifted his head.

  Shaken more by the kiss than she cared to admit, Megan nodded. “Okay. But promise you’ll tell me how she is when you get back.”

  “I will. I won’t be gone but a few minutes.” He brushed his lips across her forehead and glanced over her shoulder at Hannah. “You’ll be with her all the time?”

  She smiled. “You bet. The way my ankles have been swelling, I’ll be somewhere inside with my feet up.”

  Daniel left them in the living room.

  Megan listened for the sound of the back door closing before she could rest.

  “Come have a seat,” Hannah urged. “Big J is out with Brett. We have the house to ourselves.”

  “What I’d really like is a shower.” Flying from California, feeling so sick she wanted to die and spending a night in the disinfectant-rich hospital made her yearn for a bar of soap and a hot shower.

  “There’s one on this floor, if you’ll follow me.” Hannah led the way to a guest bedroom and bathroom, where Megan dug through her case for her last clean outfit. She’d have to get someone to take her to her apartment soon.

  After she took a hot shower, put on clean clothes and brushed the tangles out of her long, wet hair, she felt almost human again.

  Megan stepped out of the bathroom and ran into a solid wall of muscle. Her hands rested on Daniel’s chest. His curled around her waist and held her tight against him.

  “You got back awfully quickly.” She smiled up at him and then frowned. “Is Halo all right?”

  He nodded. “You smell like honeysuckle.”

  Megan’s heart warmed. The man paid enough attention to know the scent of honeysuckle on her.

  “My shampoo.”

  “You know they’re going to expect us to stay in my bedroom upstairs.”

  “I just made use of this shower for now. I’m sure we can figure out the sleeping arrangements. I can sleep on the floor. It doesn’t really matter to me.”

  Daniel’s brows furrowed, his hands tightening around her middle. “You’re not sleeping on the floor.”

  She bit her bottom lip. “I hadn’t thought past telling my parents. I kind of assumed that when we got back here, we’d go on living the same as before. You in the cabin. Me in my apartment.”

  Already shaking his head, Daniel said, “Not possible. Now that the Colton clan knows, we have to keep up the appearance of a newlywed couple.”

  She sighed and cupped his face. “I guess I really didn’t think this through. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not.” He bent, laid his cheek against her temple and sniffed. “After all that’s happened, I feel better having you close enough to keep an eye on. Besides, you smell good.”

  Megan leaned into him, loving the solidity of his body against hers. She’d have no trouble playing the part of the loving wife in their new role. The problem would be turning off the real feelings.

  “Daniel!” A shout jerked her out of the warm haze of loving a man who didn’t love her.

  Daniel inhaled, his chest moving against her before he set her away from him. “The problem with living in the main house is that you don’t have much privacy.”

  “Daniel!”

  “That would be Ryan. We’d better go see if he’s got any news for us.”

  Megan almost opened her mouth to beg him to hold her a little longer. Instead she nodded her head. “Let’s go.”

  With his hand resting at the small of her back, he led her through the guest bedroom and down the hallway to the living room.

  Brett, Hannah and Big J stood with Ryan in the living room, their faces drawn. Ryan still wore his uniform from the Tulsa PD.

  “No way,” Brett was saying. “He would never have done it.”

  Daniel stepped into the room with Megan. “What’s going on?”

  Ryan faced Daniel. “Actually, I shouldn’t be here, but as your brother, I felt I owed it to you.”

  Megan’s gut knotted, and she braced herself for what she was sure wouldn’t be good news.

  “Owed me what?” Daniel asked.

  “A heads-up.” Ryan drew in a long breath. “When they discovered just who Megan Talbot is, and that you’d married her in a quickie Vegas wedding, they put two and two together. Their number one person of interest in Megan’s poisoning is the one man who stands to gain the most if Megan dies.”

  Megan shook her head. “You don’t think Daniel poisoned me, do you?” She laughed out loud.

  Ryan didn’t crack a smile. “I don’t think he did, but he has plenty of motive to make him a prime suspect.”

&
nbsp; Daniel’s face hardened, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I didn’t poison her. I’d never do anything to hurt her.”

  “I trust Daniel with my life. He wasn’t the one who poisoned me. He’s the kindest, gentlest man I know.” Her eyes widened. “Besides, he wouldn’t inherit anything from my death. When my parents pass, and if I pass on as well with no heirs, everything I stand to inherit will go to the next blood relative. My cousin, Christine.”

  Ryan pulled his smartphone out of his back pocket. “What’s her full name?”

  Megan reluctantly gave the details about her cousin. “But she wouldn’t hurt anyone. She and I grew up together. She’s the closest thing I have to a sister.”

  “Still, if she stands to inherit the Talbot fortune, she’s another suspect on the list.” Ryan keyed in the data and hit Send to text the information to the Tulsa PD. Then he glanced up. “We have to chase all leads.”

  A shiver slipped down Megan’s spine. She’d spent her young life in the shadow of her father’s notoriety, had her own bodyguard at the age of six and thought she’d escaped that life when she’d run away to Oklahoma. No one here should have known about the connection between Megan Talbot and Frank Talbot, the highly successful international businessman from California.

  “Why target me?” Megan asked. “My father is still alive. I haven’t inherited anything. For all I know, he could have all his money going to one of his favorite charities—the children’s hospital, an equine research center, anything.”

  “According to news accounts, your father’s health is already precarious. Am I right?” Ryan asked.

  Megan’s chest tightened. “Yes, but he’s getting better.”

  “The loss of their only daughter could send your parents into a tailspin. I’ve seen families fall apart upon the death of their child.”

  “You think if I died, my father would pass away? That would leave my mother alone.” Megan’s hand found Daniel’s, and she held on through the pain radiating in her heart. Knowing now how her parents had tried to have children before her, she understood her death could be the fatal blow to her father. And her mother might prefer to join him. “Who would want me and my family dead?” She shook her head, sadness sapping her strength.