Getting out of his patrol vehicle, he glanced around and didn't see any nude women.
Stepping up in front of her, he stopped.
"Evening, Sheriff," she said.
"What are you doing, Taylor?" he asked.
"I went to the spa this weekend and spent time with the girls. Kelsey told me what you did," she gazed up at him reached out, took his hand and pulled him down beside her. The wind coming off the fountain’s spray was cool and occasionally she felt a drop of moisture land on her.
He didn't say anything. He was too afraid to respond and somehow ruin what he hoped was happening.
"In the last month, I've fallen in love with you, grown to know you and how you care for the people in this community. How you chase Mrs. Raffsberger's cat. How you responded to Jack's death. How you saved Zeus and cared for me. You're a good man with a generous heart and I love you. That still doesn't mean I'm not scared. One lawman cheated on me, yet, I think you're different."
"I am different," he whispered, pushing back a lock of hair that fell onto her face. "I love you, Taylor Braxton. I love you with my heart and soul, and I'm scared as well. There are some things I'm no longer willing to do. I'm not going to hide our relationship from anyone. I'm not sneaking around. You can have access to my phone, my emails, my Facebook account, all my personal information is at your disposal to make you feel secure that I'm not cheating on you."
He took her face in his hands, his mouth covering hers, kissing her with all the pain drifting away as he showed her how much she'd been missed.
Abruptly he broke the kiss. "There's one other thing..."
"What?" she said, staring at him as he stood.
He dropped down to one knee in front of her. "My other condition is that you marry me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. I want us to have a family and grow old together. I want to wake up each morning next to you. Will you please honor me and become my wife?"
She reached out and pulled him to her side, her eyes filling with tears. "Yes, I'll marry you. I love you, Ryan Jones. I love you so very much."
He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Promise me you won't tell our children about the Stupid Cupid superstition. I don't want to arrest my children or have to take them home naked."
Laughing, she kissed his mouth. "No promises. I never believed in the superstition, but it brought us together. Love you."
"You too. Let's go home to that crazy dog of yours."
They stood and Taylor glanced at the statue.
"Thanks, Cupid," she said as she walked away, her arms wrapped tightly around her man.
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Meghan’s Story - Cupid Scores
Meghan's heart pounded within her chest, her breath coming out like frosted crystals in the night air as her bare feet slapped the pavement. Panic rose inside her and she promised herself a good cry when she reached safety.
She didn't know whether to circle back and try to find her purse and clothes or keep going. She was freezing as she ran butt naked down Main Street, glancing over her shoulder every few minutes.
"For someone with a Mensa IQ, you're not very smart," she scolded herself out loud.
Amazing how quickly you sobered up when faced with life and death consequences. If she didn't have frostbite from this little escapade, it would be a miracle. Her keys, her wallet, everything was in the park.
Her condo was a mile away. She had to keep moving toward her home and hope she could find the hidden spare key.
Headlights turned down the street and she dove behind shrubs, crouching, hiding, praying it wasn't the sheriff.
A red Corvette went screaming by and she rose from the bushes. Suddenly the car slammed on the brakes squealing the tires and she saw the back-up lights come on.
Crap, she'd been seen. She started running. Maybe if she just kept going, they would leave her alone.
The car pulled up alongside her and the window came down. She glanced over and her heart sank like the Titanic into the cold sea. Closing her eyes, she groaned. As if her luck couldn't get any worse tonight, Max Vandenberg smiled at her. "Darlin’, it's a little chilly to be out streaking. You okay?"
"I'm perfectly fine," she retorted, continuing to run with her arms crossed over her breasts, her pride refusing to admit she needed help. Part of her wished he would go away. The rational, sane part of her screamed get in his car.
"Out for a midnight Cupid stroll," she said shivering.
He started laughing. "You did the Cupid dance. And if I was a betting man, I'd say the law showed up."
What could she say. The worst night of her life had just taken a turn into complete disaster. If that damn statue thought this was funny, she'd personally knock down the God of Love. She slowed from running to walking. It wasn't like Max hadn't seen her without clothes before.
"Get in the car," he said. "I'll take you home."
"What? Give up my midnight stroll?" She didn't want to crawl into that fancy car with her ex-high school boyfriend.
"Meghan, I know you're not stupid. And if anyone else comes along and sees the school librarian walking down the street naked, I think you'll be looking for a new profession. Get in the damn car."
The sound of a vehicle motor sent her fear soaring and she knew she had no choice. Jerking open the door of the Corvette, she hopped in the sports car.
"As much as I hate to cover up all those luscious curves, I think you need my coat. Don't want the cops seeing a naked woman in my car."
He handed her his jacket and she gladly slipped it on. The smell of Max wafted around her and memories of the two of them surged through her and she halted the memory tape before it reached the good parts.
He turned up the heater and she sighed with relief. Though she still hated Max, at this moment, he was a welcome sight. He put the car in drive and they pulled away just as the sheriff passed them going the other direction with Taylor in the backseat.
“Oh no, he caught Taylor,” she said watching the car.
“Wow. Public indecency is not a charge you want on your record,” he said.
Her chest ached for her friend. How could a night so full of fun turn so bad?
"Where did you leave your clothes?" he asked, watching the cop in his rearview mirror to make certain he continued down the road.
"My purse, my phone, my keys, my clothes, everything is on a bench in the city square," she said, knowing he would tease her about tonight's escapade.
He grinned. "You were doing the Cupid dance. Hey, if you're desperate for a boyfriend, I'm available."
Shaking her head, she grimaced, hating being in this position with him. "Been there, done that, and got the T-shirt along with a broken heart."
With a shrug, he smiled. "Second time around could be better than the first."
"Just take me home," she demanded, wondering why he would consider dating her again. He'd been the one who left for college hating her.
"Do you want me to go back and try to find your stuff?" he asked.
She wanted her things in a bad way, but she feared the sheriff would catch them. As the school librarian, she couldn't be caught.
"I don't think this car can be obscure. And I doubt the sheriff would leave my things in the park. But drive by and see if they're still there. I'll slump down in the seat," she said, thinking she was risking everything after getting away, but willing to gamble it all for the return of her purse.
The car's engine roared in the night as he turned it around in the middle of the street toward the park and that damn superstition that created this mess.
Slowly, he drove through the square and Meghan resisted flipping off the God of Love. She'd let herself be convinced to dance nude around a piece of rock that supposedly would find your true love. Land yourself in jail was more likely.
Instead, it had cost her dignity. Her reputation was on the line and possibly her job.
"Stupid statue," she muttered, trying to see her clothes as she peered out th
e window from the floor board. "They're gone."
With a sigh, she shook her head wondering if she needed to cancel her credit cards and phone, and have new locks installed on her condominium.
"What now? Do you have your keys to your condo?"
"If I can find the extra key without my neighbors calling the sheriff," she said.
"Where do you keep it?" he asked. "I'll find it while you wait in the car. Then I'll bring your robe out and you can put that on before you go into the house."
She frowned as she gazed at the man she’d loved passionately in high school. The man she'd given her virginity to and her heart until a costly mistake. "Why are you being so nice? You hate me."
He shrugged. "I'm a nice guy. I'm rescuing a damsel in distress."
Oh God. Now she would be beholding to him.
Punching the gas, he sped through the streets of town headed in the direction of her condo.
"How do you know where I live?" she asked.
He flashed that million-dollar smile the cameras loved. "Looked you up when I first moved back to Cupid. Wanted to make certain I didn't buy real estate in the same area as you."
"Ha! Like I could afford even a tenth of what you can."
"Probably not."
"So tell me the real reason you looked me up."
"Because I wanted to learn where you lived. So when I asked you out to dinner, I'd know where to pick you up. Only you keep saying no. After tonight, I think you owe me a date."
Meghan cursed. Yes, he’d asked her out several times at school, but she’d told him she had plans, she was busy. Anything to keep him from coming back into her life.
Now, everything she feared was happening all because of that damn statue in the square. And she owed him at least one date, but no more. While they were dating, he’d run when she needed him the most and she wasn’t going to give him a second chance to show her he couldn’t be counted on in a crisis. She was done with Max Vandenberg football super star.
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Thank You For Reading!
Dear Reader,
Thanks for reading! I owe a big thank you to Krystal Shannan for inviting me into the Autism Box Set that is now no longer available. When I was trying to decide what book to write, I remembered that years ago, I wrote a story set in Cupid, Texas. I decided to go back to that little town and bring in new characters. I hope you enjoy the Cupid superstition.
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As always, if you’re inclined, please go to your favorite retailer and let others know what you think. Whether or not you loved the book or hated, it-I’d enjoy your feedback.
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Sign up for my newsletter if you’d like to learn about my new releases before everyone else. Thanks for venturing into my world and I hope to see you here again soon.
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Yours in Drama, Divas, Bad Boys and Romance!
Sincerely,
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Sylvia McDaniel
@SylviaJ McDaniel
SylviaMcDanielAuthor
www.SylviaMcDaniel.com
[email protected]
A Sneak Peek at The Wanted Bride!
“I need a one-way ticket to anywhere,” Valerie Burrows commanded the girl behind the bus counter in downtown Dallas. A charred piece of her wedding veil sagged onto her face. Impatiently, she flipped the singed lace away, her throat closing off the tears that threatened her vision.
On what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, she reeked of smoke, not flowers, saw red not white, tasted bile not cake.
Glancing up from the counter the clerk’s eyes widened, making Valerie acutely aware of her appearance. On what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, she felt traumatized, not joyous.
“Whe...re do you want to go?” the clerk stammered.
“Anywhere, as long as I leave in the next five minutes,” Valerie insisted, wishing people would stop staring. So she looked like a crazy woman. After this morning maybe she was a little loco.
“The bus to Amarillo is loading now,” the agent advised, her large brown eyes riveted to Valerie. “I have one seat left. The one-way fare is sixty-five dollars.”
Though she preferred to travel by plane, there was no time or way to get to the airport. She could take the bus or stay and face the consequences of her actions.
Valerie dug the cash out of her Bottega Veneta purse and handed the money to the ticket agent. “I’ll take it.”
Dirty lace from her wedding veil fell onto her face again, so she yanked the offending garment off her head and threw the veil on top of her matching Louis Vuitton luggage.
The beautiful lace of her Vera Wang wedding gown was streaked with gray and black. Burn streaks made a crazy pattern on the silk that didn't accessorize the seed pearls.
The heel of one of her Stuart Weitzman pumps had snapped several blocks ago, and her feet were blistered. And yet her heart beat on in spite of her ruined wedding.
The clerk handed her the ticket, sympathy in her dark eyes. “The bus is ready. You’re the last one to board.”
Not even time to change. Head held high, spine locked in place, she limped to the white steel carriage, her suitcases trailing behind.
There, she handed her two suitcases to a gawking young man. He opened his mouth. “Just load my luggage.”
She glanced up to see faces pressed against the glass windows of the bus, gaping at her like she was a freak show.
Hadn’t these people ever seen a runaway bride in real life before? Julia Roberts may have made the movie, but she didn’t own the copyright to wedding disasters.
With her carry-on bag hanging from her shoulder, Valerie marched up the steps of the waiting bus as if she walked around in a wedding gown every day. The babble of sixty voices ceased as she handed the driver her ticket.
Her silk dress pressed against her legs and swished as she made her way to the only empty seat on her getaway bus. Thank God she’d ditched the petticoats in the Corvette.
A gray-haired woman glanced at her as she put her luggage in the overhead bin.
“Hm hm hm, I can’t wait to hear this story,” the elderly Hispanic woman said. “Are you all right?”
Valerie plopped in the seat, her ruined silk gown making a mighty swish. She exhaled loudly, her heart aching, her eyes blurring with unshed tears. For the last hour she’d been holding her breath while making her escape.
But now, now all the pain she'd carefully controlled broke free and she chuckled. Hysterical laughter rumbled from deep inside her, echoed through the bus. A single tear rolled down her cheek. “I am now.”
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Also By Sylvia McDaniel
Contemporary Romance
My Sister's Boyfriend
The Wanted Bride
The Reluctant Santa
The Relationship Coach
Secrets, Lies, & Online Dating
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Return to Cupid, Texas
Cupid Stupid
Cupid Scores
Cupid Dances
Cupid Help Me!
Cupid’s Heart
Cupid’s Song
* * *
Short Sexy Reads
Racy Reunions Series
Paying For the Past
Her Christmas Lie
Cupid’s Revenge
* * *
Science/Fiction Paranormal
The Magic Mirror Series
Touch of Decadence
Touch of Deceit
* * *
Western Historicals
A Hero’s Heart
Ace’s Bride
Second Chance Cowboy
Ethan
* * *
American Brides
Katie: Bride of Virginia
* * *
The Burnett Brides Series
The Rancher Takes A Bride
The Outlaw Takes A Bride
The Marshal Takes A Bride
> The Christmas Bride
Boxed Set
* * *
Lipstick and Lead Series
Desperate
Deadly
Dangerous
Daring
Determined
Deceived — Coming Soon!
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Scandalous Suffragettes of the West
Abigail
Bella
Callie – Coming Soon
Faith
Mistletoe Scandal — November 2017
* * *
Southern Historical Romance
A Scarlet Bride
* * *
The Cuvier Women
Wronged
Betrayed
Beguiled
Boxed Set
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USA TODAY Best Selling Author, Sylvia McDaniel has published over thirty western historical romance and contemporary romance novels. Known for her sweet, funny, family-oriented romances, Sylvia is the author of The Burnett Brides a historical western series, The Cuvier Widows, a Louisiana historical series, Lipstick and Lead, a western historical series and several short contemporary romances.
Former President of the Dallas Area Romance Authors, a member of the Romance Writers of America®, and a member of Novelists Inc, her novel, A Hero’s Heart was a 1996 Golden Heart Finalist. Several other books have placed or won in the San Antonio Romance Authors Contest, LERA Contest, and she was a Golden Network Finalist.
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Married for over twenty years to her best friend, they have two dachshunds and a good-looking, grown son who thinks there’s no place like home. She loves gardening, hiking, shopping, knitting and football (Cowboys and Bronco’s fan).
Cupid Stupid: Return to Cupid, Texas Page 12