“Sing it, cowboy!” Dan Gardener now looked ready to dance on the table.
“Mitch—”
“Enough, Bree.” Mitch pressed a finger against her lips and felt the tremble. “I love you. I always have. And I believe you love me, too. Am I wrong?”
“I take it this is the guy who’s had you all distracted,” the new mother called. “If you don’t kiss him right now, I want my money back.”
“You two okay here?” Sabrina asked the couple.
“Go,” they said together.
Bree took his hand and led him outside the room.
“Did you really buy Hard Tack? You’re really staying?”
“I’m really staying.” He tipped her chin up and kissed her, firmly. “I love you. I want to marry you. Oh, and I want babies. Your babies. Lots of them.”
A sound caught their attention and they both turned to look.
A small group had clustered around the door, students who hadn’t left yet, now joined by other curious onlookers. Bliss, standing at the front waving, had undoubtedly alerted everyone she could think of.
Bree’s face flamed. But Mitch didn’t care. His entire world was standing right in front of him.
“So what’s the deal, Bree? Do you love me too?”
“Of course I do.” She smiled through her tears, threw herself against him, and linked her arms around his neck. She kissed him full on the lips, to scattered applause. “I’ve always loved you. I never stopped and I never will.”
“Ow,” Mitch said. “Easy girl.”
Her eyes widened. “Your ribs! I’m so sorry, are you okay?”
“Maybe you’d better take a look.”
Sabrina lifted his shirt and felt around his bruises. Then she stopped and he could tell she’d seen it. The tiny tattoo, to match her own, except his was just above his heart.
Sabrina put her hand to her mouth, choking back sobs. But smiling at the same time.
“That little one was our first,” he whispered, his own voice not working so well. “We’ll never forget, either of us.”
The group at the door had grown larger. Mitch glanced up at the laughter and saw Rory and Carson among them. And Zach and Des. And Blythe.
God, the whole town was trying to poke its head through Bree’s doorway.
“Say it!” They’d set up a chant. “Say it! Say it!”
Carson was smiling. Rory had tears in her eyes. Bliss and Blythe were holding each other’s hands, as if unable to stand the suspense. They wanted him to stay, he could feel it. He knew it.
He belonged here.
He belonged with her.
“All right, all right,” he called, quieting the crowd. “I get it. You don’t have to beat me over the head.”
“But I reserve the right,” Carson yelled. “Get on with it, man. You’re worse than me.”
“Sabrina Becker,” Mitch said, getting down on one knee. “Will you marry me? For real?”
The applause could have raised the roof.
Acknowledgments
So many people contributed to this book, from my agent, Carolyn Swayze, who understands the neuroses and deficiencies of the creative mind, to my editor, Stacy Abrams, who almost never laughs at me though I give her ammo aplenty, to Alycia Tornetta, Erin Crum, and Charlotte Christian, who all have kept me from embarrassing myself, to Jessica Cantor for her gorgeous cover design, to the marketing and publicity team at Entangled Publishing, who make sure my books find their way to readers and finally, to Liz Pelletier, publisher, empire builder, and general cat-herder. You guys rock!
About the Author
Roxanne Snopek believes in happily-ever-afters. While this book was being completed, she and her husband celebrated twenty-five years of marriage, so she knows what she’s talking about. As the mother of three grown daughters, she also knows that love and family take work, a lot of it, and that it’s worth every little gray hair that comes with it. Friends, pets, books, and a nice glass of wine round out the picture.
For a grittier glimpse, check out her blog at www.roxannesnopek.ca. She hangs out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RoxanneSnopekAuthor and tweets now and then at www.twitter.com/RoxanneSnopek. She loves to connect with readers!
Don’t miss the first two books in the Three River Ranch series by Roxanne Snopek:
Three River Ranch
Needing a fresh start from her two-timing fiancé, Aurora McAllister answers a realtor’s ad for a guesthouse on the beautiful, serene Three River Ranch. She shows up at Three River tired, heartbroken, and with no one but her trusty Labradoodle as a companion.
Cowboy Carson Granger has enough trouble in his life without adding a woman and her dog to the mix. There’s the untamed mustang he’s prepping to release into the wild, not to mention his father’s crazy will, which stipulates that if Carson wants to fully inherit Three River, he’ll need to find a bride. Carson wants nothing to do with love and especially not a marriage of convenience. But he soon realizes Rory, and everything she represents, might just be exactly what he needs.
Sometimes love arrives on your doorstep when you least expect it…
His Reluctant Rancher
The last place city girl Desiree Burke expected to find herself was living at and working on a ranch, much less butting heads with the ranch’s sexy cowboy owner, Zach Gamble. But that’s exactly where she ends up after an incident at work leads her to her best friend Rory’s doorstep. Desiree is a gifted physical therapist, and Rory knows exactly where her brand of tough love is needed the most.
Zach’s been through hell and back. A devastating car crash left his brother gone, his father paralyzed, and him with mental scars a mile wide. His survivor guilt alone makes him sure he doesn’t deserve to find love. But as Des works her way into his ranch, his family, and his life, suddenly the last person who belonged there is the only one he believes belongs…with him.
Find your Bliss with Rachel Harris’s
Taste the Heat
Sweeping her hands aside, he glided his thumbs across her cheeks. Wiping away the lines of smeared makeup, he looked into her clearing gray eyes and said, “You’re gorgeous.”
A flash of uncertainty crossed Colby’s face, and he bent his head to prove it.
The first brush of his lips was light. He didn’t want to take advantage of her emotions. He just wanted to assure her that regardless of her tears, she was still one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. But when a sigh escaped her parted lips, and she fisted her fingers in his hair, Jason abandoned timid and gentle. He gave in to the desire that had been snapping and building between them since the day of the competition, and proceeded to kiss her senseless.
Reaching down, he palmed the smooth skin of her calf. It felt like silk in his hands. He skimmed his fingers down the soft length to her ankle, hooking it around his hip. Colby made a satisfied noise in her throat. She wiggled closer and, happy to oblige, he tugged her fully against him and deepened the kiss. He swallowed her moan.
Leaves rustled in the wind. Unseen wings fluttered and buzzed. And their heavy breaths filled the air, turning Jason on even more. Colby’s mouth tasted of citrus. Sweet, like the daiquiri she had drank, and like her. He teased the corners of her mouth. Licked the satiny skin of her upper lip. And gently bit down on her pouty lower one. He knew he needed to break the kiss soon—his daughter was sleeping in the tent only a few yards away—but this woman was like a drug. And he was quickly becoming an addict. Jason shifted to press his lips to the sensitive skin just under her ear.
Breathless and panting, Colby tilted her head as he trailed his mouth along the column of her neck. “I’ve always wondered,” she admitted with a shiver, “what it would be like to kiss you.”
He arched an eyebrow in surprise and grinned against her skin. “If memory serves me right, this is our second kiss.”
A shocked gasp of air escaped her throat. “You remember Kiss and Catch?”
He looked at her and nodded, remembering every stolen moment of
that childhood kiss.
She gazed back with dazed eyes, and chewing the corner of a slightly swollen lip, admitted, “That was my first kiss.” Her tone was almost bashful, the flush of her skin darkening to rose before a hint of the vixen came back and she said, “Okay, so I’ve been curious how the adult Jason would compare.”
He chuckled as he dipped his tongue into the hollow where her pulse fluttered. “And the verdict?”
“Meh.”
Find your Bliss with Cindi Madsen’s
Falling for Her Fiancé
Dani caught a whiff of cologne, musky and woodsy, with a mixture of outdoors and even sweat. It shouldn’t have smelled good to her, but it made a flutter go through her chest. Her gaze traveled up Wes’s muscled arms, well-built pecs, and settled on his face. She found herself thinking about all of his good qualities. How she’d never find a guy as good as him to date. How stupid Sophie was for dumping him.
I guess I’m stupid for not dating him myself.
Then she remembered how their one attempt to move the slightest bit past friends had not only crashed and burned but also nearly ruined their friendship.
He really is the whole package, though.
Wes’s eyebrows drew together. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
She glanced away, heat rising in her cheeks. “Just thinking.”
“About what?”
She met his eyes, telling herself it didn’t mean anything that her stomach lurched. “Just about today. Being here with you. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
He put his hand on her bare leg and squeezed. “Right back at you. And I’m glad your knee surgery hasn’t slowed you down. When I first saw the cut, I thought you’d never be able to walk normally again, much less play ball.”
All her blood seemed to rush to where his hand was warming her skin and she suddenly had to work at getting words to come out of her mouth. “Well, if I hadn’t had you there to help me recover, I probably would’ve pushed myself too hard and never fully healed.”
Wes brushed his fingers across the scar on her knee, and her leg involuntarily twitched at his touch. She hoped he didn’t notice.
She wished she didn’t. But her heart was beating faster, and the way he was running his fingertips along her knee was sending little zips of heat across her skin.
Pull it together, Dani. He’s your best friend. Don’t screw it up now because you’ve gone without so much as a hug from a guy in months.
She swung her feet to the ground and stood so fast sparks of light danced across her vision. “I’m beat. I’m gonna go to bed.”
She waved—cursing herself for the stupid, awkward gesture—and rushed back to the bedroom. Closing the door, she shook her head.
What the hell was that all about? Even though she knew she’d never be able to sleep, she crawled into bed. Wes’s bed.
Earlier today, she’d been right there with him when he’d said they were friends and would never be more. So why was she noticing the way he smelled, and why was her skin humming under his touch? Why was she suddenly so aware of the fact that Wes usually slept where she was now?
Find your Bliss with these new releases…
Bikers and Pearls by Vicki Wilkerson
When rebel biker Bullworth Clayton meets pastel-and-pearls-clad April Church, sparks fly immediately. Sure, April would clearly rather be paired with anyone else, but if working together means a successful charity event for a sick little boy they both care about, then so be it. Bull tempts her to don a pair of leather pants and go for a ride with him, while April desperately tries to keep her wild side hidden from her small town. Can they meet in the middle in order to find love?
Love Him or Leave Him by Sara Daniel
Connor O’Malley and Becca Sanders were once high school sweethearts, ripped apart by rumors in the small town of Kortville, Illinois. Now that Connor’s back as the town sheriff, Becca finds herself struggling to resist the too-handsome man who once broke her heart. When a scandal rocks the town, suddenly Connor and Becca must trust in each other if they want to weather this storm together.
Act Like You Love Me by Cindi Madsen
Brynn McAdams isn’t the drama geek she was in high school anymore. But when her old crush, the unattainable Sawyer Raines, shows up to direct her community play, she’s determined to pretend she isn’t the girl he rejected all those years ago. As Brynn’s lies start to snowball, she struggles to stop acting and come clean. But what if Sawyer is already falling for the fake Brynn, not the Brynn she truly is?
The Switched Baby Scandal by Theresa Meyers
Single mom Taylor Lawrence just discovered that the hospital sent her home with the wrong infant five years ago. Now Reece, the headstrong and handsome biological father, wants his child back. Taylor and Reece find there’s more to sort out than custody of Emily—they must work together to protect her while grappling with their growing attraction. Can they pick up the pieces of two broken families and meld them into something new?
Fake Fiance, Real Revenge: A Three River Ranch Novel (Entangled Bliss) Page 19