Cowgirl Education: a Camden Ranch Novel

by Jillian Neal

  Holly had no idea what to say to Cheyenne or if she should say anything at all. She wanted no part of Cheyenne’s darkness. She didn’t have the energy to try to be her light. She never had.

  When Dec played the opening chords of Rebel Yell, Holly grinned as she recalled the first time she’d heard him play at Duffy’s so many months ago.

  “He’s good. Best band we’ve had at Cattle Baron’s in decades, but kinda makes my skin crawl when I know who he’s singing this song about,” Grant teased.

  “Ah geez, did you have to point that out?” Austin pretended to shudder. “I was just getting to like the guy.”

  “If you two don’ shut it, I’m gonna start describing my Rebel Yell.”

  “You gonna talk to her?” Grant gestured discreetly to Cheyenne.

  “Have no idea what to say to her. Little worried I might scalp her if she gets too close.”

  “Bet that’d get Dec off of the stage,” Austin laughed.

  A few songs later, the lights darkened. Only the light on center stage remained aglow. Holly’s brow furrowed. Dec settled on a stool completely alone.

  “What’s he doing?” she asked Wyatt who couldn’t seem to stop grinning.

  “Solo, it looks like.”

  I want to dance in your light

  Affect the chemistry of my longest night

  Vanquish the darkness in the heat of your sun

  Let your touch give me sight

  “Oh my gosh, he’s singing it.” Unable to stay away, Holly edged to the front of the stage. He winked at her as he continued to sing.

  They’d been through hell and had somehow made it back. He’d made several trips all on his own before their souls had found their mate. As he sang her song at the Cattle Baron ball, she knew it had all been worth it. Their future was worth their past, as horrible as his had been.

  A shocked gasp wrenched loose from her chest, when he exited the stage and stood before her. “You sure you’re ready for this?” he whispered.

  “Are you about to. . . .?” She couldn’t believe he already had a ring. She couldn’t believe he was doing this at her favorite festival. How had he even known?

  “Hush,” he gave her that sexy-as-sin smirk that she swore would always be her undoing. He fell to his knees and she dammed back tears. “Holly, baby, would you do me the extraordinary honor of being my wife?” He lifted an engagement ring with a diamond that outshined the stars.

  “Oh my gosh,” she couldn’t breathe.

  “Is that a yes?” he chuckled.

  “Yes, a million billion times yes.” He slipped the ring on her finger and stood to catch her as she threw herself into his arms. The crowd broke out in raucous applause. Her brothers filled the hall with wolf-whistles.

  The band returned to the stage without their frontman to play I Need You by Tim and Faith while Dec spun Holly around the dance floor.

  Even Andy seemed happy for them.

  Holly was inundated with congratulations and hugs from the town that had raised her. Everyone except the person who’d been her best friend wanted to share their love.

  As Holly and Dec made their way around the room, eventually they were upon Cheyenne.

  “Guess everything just always works out for the Camdens, right? Must be nice to live a charmed life,” she sneered.

  “Is that really what you think, Chey? You really think our life is charmed? You have no idea. Do you really believe that I deserved what you did?”

  “Perfect guy, perfect life, new best friend, looks pretty charmed to me.”

  “I never had a new best friend. I was unaware I wasn’t allowed to have anyone but you, and I was too stupid never to realize that you were never my friend at all.” Holly’s throat dammed tight, robbing her words of volume.

  “You deserve to know how it feels not to get your way.”

  Dec wrapped his arm around Holly’s shoulder, holding her steady in the storm. Breath returned to her lungs.

  “I do know what that’s like, and I know that life doesn’t always work out just the way we want it to. Sometimes you don’t get the thing you were so sure were for you, but if you’ll have a little faith, most of the time you get something so much better.”

  “I’m not in the mood for your sunshine and roses shit, Holly. You were supposed to help me and you never would. You were supposed to help me get Grant.”

  “I could never have done that. Grant saw you for what you were years ago. I never wanted to see it. I wouldn’t let myself see it. You made your bed, Cheyenne, and I’m not going to sleep in it. Not anymore.”

  “So you’re Dec, right?” Cheyenne turned her haughty glare on him.

  “I would tread very, very carefully if I were you,” he warned.

  “Or what, my life will somehow be shittier than it is right now?”

  “No one said life would always be great, or even fair, or that any of us deserved to have a charmed life. But life did provide you people that could’ve helped you build a life that wouldn’t have been shitty, as you put it, and you chose to throw them on the pyre instead of letting them help you. Nothing Holly or anyone else can do about that. I will say this, though, you are not welcome in our home, on her ranch, or near my fiancée. And if I hear of you doing anything else that upsets her, I won’t hesitate to put a stop to it.”

  “Our ranch. She’s not welcome on our ranch.”

  “I second that,” Grant joined them. “Don’t darken the gates of Camden Ranch ever again. Dec’s taught me something while he’s been around. As long as you’re blaming Holly or me or whoever for your problems, you’ll never change. The only people who make changes for the better accept their part of the deal. He’s done it. Holl’s done it, but I don’t believe you ever will. Blaming other people’s just too easy for you.”

  “The Camdens and everyone else in this godforsaken town can fuck the hell off,” were the last words Holly’s best friend ever spoke to her. She stormed out of the rec room.

  “Come here, sweetheart,” Dec gathered her up in his arms and swayed her to the music right where they were standing. “Toughest lesson you’ll ever learn as a psychologist is that you can’t save them all. Some people just don’t want to be saved, but Holly, baby, you will always have been my savior.”

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Christmas Eve

  Holly peeked out of the tiny room of the Methodist Church in her hometown to see the pine garlands along the pews and Christmas trees near the altar strung with white lights. The entire town was seated in the pews awaiting her.

  Silent snowflakes gathered on the windowpanes, anxious for a front row seat, and cinnamon and cloves permeated the air. Marrying Declan St. James was the most perfect Christmas present ever.

  She adjusted her long white gown. Her heart swelled to fill her chest when Beth Kinders came in on the arm of Trevor Singleton Jr. According to Beth, Trev was opening a hiking and whitewater rafting tour company in Colorado in the spring. He’d officially withdrawn from UN and had spent most of Christmas break chasing Beth.

  Christmas miracles were everywhere, it seemed.

  She’d asked Beth if she still wanted to be her maid-of-honor. They weren’t quite there yet, but at least she’d come.

  Natalie and her mama had been fussing over her all day. She was ready to get the show on the road.

  Most of the members of The Original Sinners were all in suits softly playing guitars in the choir loft. Kade was Dec’s best man so they were short two guitarists. Several pews were filled with members of Dec’s NA and AA meetings. Matt and his girlfriend Megan had gotten permission to come all the way to Pleasant Glen for the ceremony. Dec still saw Matt every other week in Lincoln, and he’d transitioned him to Dr. Evans, Dec’s friend, for treatment. Dr. Evans and his wife had agreed to bring Matt and Megan to Pleasant Glen. Things were going well.

  Since Luke and Indie were at home with two healthy twin girls, Grant walked Mrs. Camden to her seat. Natalie made her walk and Holly beamed as the music eased
into Savage Garden’s Truly, Madly, Deeply, when Dec and Kade made their entrance.

  “You’re sure about this?” Ev asked Holly as he offered her his arm.

  She brushed a kiss on his cheek. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my entire life, Daddy.”

  “You know you’ll always be my baby girl, right?”

  “And you know you’ll always be my hero, right?”

  Her father blinked back tears, and nodded. “Believe that’s our cue.”

  Dec and Holly vowed to love and care for one another for the rest of their lives. They kissed for several long minutes when prompted and then joined everyone in the church basement for a party where absolutely no alcohol was available. It didn’t matter. Everyone had a wonderful time. When Trace wheeled out an entire wedding cake crafted of his doughnuts the crowd cheered.

  When Pastor Higgins presented Dec and Holly the marriage certificate to be signed, Dec grinned. “Hang on, I bought something special for this.” He pulled a Cross pen from his pocket.

  “You bought a pen? I’m in shock.” Holly beamed.

  “Some things are never meant to be undone, and we, my sweet, sexy cowgirl are permanent.”

  “Promise?” Holly giggled.

  “Promise.”

  Epilogue

  Stepping out of the shower, Dec scrubbed a towel over his face and hair before he noticed it.

  Chuckling, shook his head as he read the lipstick message on the mirror. ‘Working on something in the office. Come find me.’ He had no idea what she was up to, but his beautiful wife never ceased to amaze him.

  A vase of milkweed she’d rescued before the spring burning last week sat on their counter. A hesitant, sleepy sun peeked through the last of the heavy winter coat of clouds, warming the first of Dec and Holly’s calves. Even the birds seemed to believe winter was finally gone. Dec’s own personal sun was apparently waiting for him in their home office. He doubted she’d ask for help with her Theories of Personalities Class via a lipstick message, but he never knew with her.

  The day before, the St. James Community Counseling Center had opened in what had been an old mercantile a hundred years ago. They’d worked their fingers to the bone, and he’d hoped Holly was in the mood to do a little celebrating. He’d planned to take her to Saddleback’s that evening, since that was the only semi-nice restaurant in town.

  Accomplishment felt so damn good, and it wasn’t even as good and the knowledge that he was giving back.

  Shrugging into a pair of Wranglers, he headed towards the office.

  “Baby?” he called.

  “Shh,” she scolded.

  Worried he’d misread the message and that she was angry about something, he double-stepped to find out what was wrong.

  “Holy fucking hell.” His eyes goggled as he took her in. Dressed in nothing but a black vest, grey pencil skirt, black stiletto heels, and glasses, she shot him a smirk that speared through his chest and took up residence in his steel-hard cock.

  “Have to be quiet in the library, Dr. St. James,” she cooed.

  Dec’s heart flew. My God, she was perfection. His every fantasy standing before him, wearing his rings and dressed as a naughty librarian.

  When she stepped up two rungs on a ladder she must’ve taken from the barn and had positioned against the bookshelves, a ragged groan wrenched from his gut. The skirt edged upwards, revealing black stockings attached to a lace garter complete with red satin strappings that peeked out.

  “I have no idea what I did to deserve this, but tell me so I can keep doing it,” he ordered.

  “It was never only supposed to be about my fantasies, sweetheart. We both get to explore, remember?”

  “I remember.” If only he could breathe.

  She eased an old black book from the shelf and gave him another coy grin as she displayed the title, Fear of Flying by Erica Jong. Dec swallowed down another round of possessive desire.

  “I’ve never been afraid to fly, but I do enjoy this novel. I think you might like it.” He swore the slow bat of her long eyelashes strung his body hard and fast.

  “Perhaps you could read it to me.”

  “Perhaps.” She feigned disinterest. “I wouldn’t want to get in trouble though.”

  “Seems if a doctor requests you read, not reading might be what got you in trouble.”

  “True.” She stepped down the ladder. Every cell in his body throbbed. “Where shall I sit for reading?”

  “Right here,” he took the seat behind his desk and guided her into his lap.

  “Mmm, so hard, Dr. St. James.”

  “All for you, Mrs. St. James. By the way, this is incredible, but I get to live my fantasies every single day because I get to be married to you.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  From the Author

  Be sure to check out the rest of the Camden family in Coincidental Cowgirl (Brock and Hope), Rodeo Summer (Austin and Summer’s story), and Forever Wild (for more Luke and Indie)

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  About Jillian

  National bestselling author, Jillian Neal, was not only born 30 but also came accessorized with loads of books and adorable handbags in which to carry them, at least that’s what she tells people. After earning a degree in education, she discovered that her passion could never be housed inside a classroom. A vehement lover of love and having maintained a lifelong affair with the awe-inspiring power of words, she set to turn the romance industry on its head. Her overly-caffeinated, troupe-spinning muse is never happy with the standard formula story. She believes every book should be brimming with passion, loaded with hot sexy scenes, packed with a gut-punch of emotion, and have characters that leap off the page and right into your heart.

  Her first series, The Gifted Realm, defines contemporary romance with a fantasy twist. Her Gypsy Beach series will leave you longing to visit the sultry shores of the tiny bohemian beach town, and her erotic romance series, Camden Ranch, will make you certain there is nothing better than a cowboy with a rope and a plan. The sheer amount of coffee required to keep all of those characters dancing in her head would border on lethal, so she unleashes their engaging stories on page after page of spellbinding reads.

  Jillian lives outside of Atlanta with her own sexy sweetheart, their teenage sons, and enough stiletto heels, cowgirl boots, and flip-flops to exist in any of the fictional worlds she brings to life.

  For more information on the author and her stories, check out her website, at http://pinterest.com/readjillianneal/