A Daring Proposal Read online

  A Daring Proposal

  Sandra S. Kerns

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places,

  and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination

  or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual

  persons, living or dead, business establishments,

  events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  License Notes

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from Sandra S. Kerns, LLC. The only exception is a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. For more information please contact: [email protected]

  Copyright © 2013 Sandra S. Kerns

  Published by Sandra S. Kerns, LLC

  Editor: J. Clintsman

  Cover design by Viola Estrella

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1492165123

  ISBN-13:978-1492165125

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to J. Clintsman for endless editing and

  to Stephanie for her insights into the

  world of ranching.

  Chapter One

  Three steps down the center aisle, in her painfully pink maid-of-honor gown, Chaney’s smile faltered. If not for the bride waiting behind her, she would have turned around and marched out the front doors. No, she wouldn’t give the surprise best man the satisfaction. She kept walking. She moved her focus to the groom. The fire burning in her eyes should make her soon-to-be brother-in-law burst into flames any minute.

  He knew how she felt about Jed. Her sister did too. How badly Jed had hurt her. Okay, maybe they didn’t know how badly he hurt her. No one knew that. However, everyone knew she wanted nothing to do with him.

  Besides, didn’t she have enough problems with the ranch, their father’s death, and Belle’s wedding? Chaney reached the front of the church. She turned to watch her sister walk down the aisle, and all her anger melted away.

  Belle looked every bit the fairytale bride. The white as high-peak snow antebellum gown and jeweled tiara veil were perfect. The smile on her face brightened as she walked toward the man she loved. An odd mix of joy and jealousy knotted in Chaney’s stomach.

  She wasn’t jealous of Belle. Her sister’s happiness meant the world to her. The jealousy came from knowing love wasn’t in the cards for her. Shaking off the stupid self-pity, she turned as her sister reached the groom’s side. Doing so put Jed in her line of vision again.

  How dare he meet her gaze and smile? The knot in her stomach intensified, but Chaney didn’t let the pain show. This day belonged to Belle. Turning her gaze back to her sister, she clenched her jaw and prayed for strength while the bridesmaids whispered and giggled behind her. There was no mistaking what man they were whispering about. Women always fawned over Jed.

  Even you.

  Her hand strangled the bouquet she held with the unwelcome reminder of her and Jed’s past. A quick glare over her shoulder silenced the girls. As she turned back, the preacher asked who gave Belle’s hand in marriage.

  “I do.” Chaney’s face flushed when the words croaked out of her dry throat. It should be their father giving his favorite daughter away. He hadn’t liked Belle’s choice of husband. Marrying the son of the man their father had quarreled with as long as she could remember should have been an insult. The only explanation was their father had been too sick to fight about it by the time Steve asked for Belle’s hand. They had no doubt waited until after he died to decide on the best man. If Dad had known they were planning to have Jed stand up, there would have been hell to pay. Dad made no bones about his feelings toward the man. He would have forbidden it.

  The ridiculous thought had her hiding a grin behind a fake cough. Dad had never said no to Belle. To be honest, Chaney couldn’t remember ever saying it to her sister either. Even if she had known about Jed’s part in the wedding, she wouldn’t have this time. When their mother died soon after Belle’s birth, Chaney made Belle’s happiness her main goal.

  At least you’ve succeeded at one thing.

  The reminder of what a shambles the rest of her life was, made her pull her shoulders back, and stand taller. She didn’t know the meaning of the word quit. It didn’t matter what absurd challenges her father, Belle, or anyone else threw at her. She’d never backed down from a dare in her life, and she wasn’t about to start now. With renewed determination, she met Jed’s gaze straight on, daring him to look away first.

  ***

  Jed held Chaney’s stare across the space between them. Her features remained calm, but her gaze held no warmth. Angry heat, yes. Warmth, no. Not when aimed at him, but every time she looked at Belle, her demeanor softened. When she glanced his way, hard didn’t quite define it.

  It was obvious she hadn’t known he was the best man. The hate heating those caramel eyes was proof. Of course, she’d probably been too busy with her precious ranch to ask about details. He knew exactly how important the ranch was to her. God he hated that place.

  Still, the heart he thought dead except regarding his daughter had been jump-started seeing Chaney again. The way the light through the stained glass windows danced on her sun-streaked brown hair. Her trim but well-proportioned body was temptation personified. The warmth of her melted caramel eyes . . . .

  Warmth? Hah! Her eyes were hot. The kind of hot that would burn the flesh off a man from twenty paces. If luck were on his side, most of the wedding traditions would be overlooked. Like the bridal dance, and riding to the reception together. Being that close to Chaney might break the tight rein he kept on his control these days.

  “May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Sampson.”

  The preacher’s pronouncement jerked Jed back to the ceremony. He joined the rest of the congregation in applauding the happy couple, while berating himself for letting his mind wander. At least he’d focused on the ceremony long enough to hand Steve the rings. When his cousin and Belle started down the aisle, Jed’s gaze once again found Chaney.

  He took the few steps to meet her in the center of the aisle. Offering his arm, he swore sparks shot through the sleeve of his tuxedo at her touch. Obviously, the disastrous ending to their relationship hadn’t dulled his awareness of her.

  Was there ever any doubt?

  “Steve told me you knew,” he whispered.

  “Of course I knew. Who else would Steve ask to stand up for him?”

  Jed couldn’t hold back his grin. “You never were a very good liar.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You would do anything for Steve. I would do anything for Belle. So, here we are.” She lifted her chin toward the new couple. “This is their day. It’s not about us.”

  True enough. There were only two people Jed would do anything for: his daughter and Steve. Coming to Colorado to stand up for his cousin, despite all the unpleasant memories brought on by the place, was easy compared to what he needed to do for his daughter. However, he had to do something or his ex would take Ashley out of his life for good. It wasn’t because his ex cared about their daughter. No, to Johanna their daughter was a tool. A tool she could use to hurt Jed. If there was anything his ex loved, it was causing him pain.

  He and Chaney reached the foyer of the church. Her hand disappeared from his arm as she ran to her sister, wrapping her in a hug. Jed remembered many such moments when they were younger. The two women were very close despite their differences. Watching them had often made him long for a sibling. Of course, to have siblings you had to have parents. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to push the old depressing thoughts down. He h
ad enough going on without reliving a hopeless childhood.

  “Hey, big guy. Can a bride get a kiss?”

  Jed’s eyes popped open and he smiled easily at the cheerful blonde before him. He stepped up to his new cousin and gave her a kiss then hugged and slapped Steve on the back. After a minute, he stepped back and allowed others to congratulate the couple. Eventually, the church emptied and the wedding party returned to the sanctuary for a half hour of picture taking.

  While he smiled and laughed, his mind churned with ways to win the upcoming custody battle. He watched the photographer take one last picture of the happy couple in front of a stained glass window. Love, as much as the sun through the glass, made the air around them radiant. He turned and saw the colored light cast a soft glow on Chaney’s face. His heart clenched for a moment as an outrageous idea came to him.

  ***

  “I know what the will says, Mr. Burton. It’s branded on my brain,” Chaney hissed into the phone. Although it was late afternoon, the bright Colorado sunshine sent a glare to the polished marble floor of the country club’s entryway. The glare felt like a spike in her head. She rubbed her temple trying to relieve some of the headache as she listened for another minute.

  “No, I’m sure I made it clear to you and Mr. Pike when he read the will, I am not interested in selling and I’m definitely not interested in discussing it during my sister’s wedding reception.” She pushed the end call button.

  Chaney slapped her cell phone closed. Why couldn’t she take one day off from ranch problems? Allow herself to relax and enjoy Belle’s happiness? Before she could shove the offending instrument in the stupid frilly purse that matched her dress, or come up with any answers, she heard Jed’s deep whiskey voice behind her.

  “Problems?”

  A shiver of awareness raced over her body. Awareness she’d been fighting since riding in the limo with him from the church to the reception. If she were honest with herself, she’d been fighting it since the moment she saw him at the front of the church.

  Turning, she aimed a saccharine sweet smile in his direction. Dear God, did you have to give him the good looks to go with that damned voice?

  “Is there some reason you’re eavesdropping on my calls?” The word eavesdropping brought with it another consideration. Maybe it wasn’t Belle who’d set her up. Maybe Jed saw this as a way to make her pay for always putting the ranch first when they were involved. He had always hated the ranch. Could he know about her father’s ridiculous demands? Could he be responsible for all the problems she was having there?

  Get a grip girl. The guy isn’t interested in you or your struggling ranch. He’s only interested in Jed.

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping.” His tone had changed from whiskey smooth to gravel-filled aggravation in a heartbeat.

  Like most women, Chaney preferred the smooth whiskey tone. That voice sent shivers up her spine and heat pooling low in her belly. For her peace of mind today, aggravation was a safer bet. Besides, causing him some discomfort made seeing him a little easier. She smiled again.

  “No problem. Ranch business,” she told him. His rugged features and piercing blue eyes turned hard when she mentioned the ranch. She took another moment to enjoy the small victory. He pulled a hand from his pocket and plowed furrows in his wheat colored hair. She recognized the old habit to be a tell for his frustration. Chaney noticed, though an untrained eye would probably miss it, when he lowered his hand, his shoulders dropped a bit, as if in acceptance or defeat.

  Defeat? Jed has never been defeated in his life. That was true enough, but retaining the ability to irritate him gave her strength. After ruining her life, he deserved a little irritation.

  “They want to start the wedding dance and Belle asked me to find you.”

  “Well, why didn’t you say so? We don’t want to upset the bride.” A real smile pulled at her lips. She would do anything to keep Belle’s belief in love alive. Even dance with the man who taught her happily-ever-afters didn’t exist. Someone had to believe, so it might as well be Belle.

  Sooner than Chaney liked, she and Jed were gliding across the dance floor of the country club’s ballroom as if the past twelve years had never happened. A masterful dancer, his movements were fluid and smooth. The same as his lovema . . . Chaney stopped the thought abruptly. Her body and Jed’s didn’t belong in the same state, forget pressed against each other in passion. He had made that painfully clear when he left. As she shook her head to free herself of all the excruciating memories, she saw the bridesmaids on the edge of the dance floor. They were making kissy faces and pointing at Jed. When he twirled her again, one of them mouthed, I dare you. Thankful for the damned three-inch heels her sister insisted on that gave her enough height to see over his shoulder, she glared at the girls. Another bridesmaid flapped her arms like a chicken. Before Chaney could think what to do about it, she realized Jed was talking to her.

  “What?” Chaney stared up at his face. Her concerns of a few minutes ago returned followed quickly by embarrassment. He couldn’t know, could he? Belle swore she wouldn’t tell anyone.

  “I asked you to marry me.” He leaned close, his lips brushing her ear. “I dared you.”

  His last words had a wave of relief washing over her. He didn’t know anything about her predicament. “I’m not a child anymore, Jed. I don’t take dares.”

  He shrugged under the well-fitting tux. Her hands rode the rise and fall of muscles bringing more unwelcome memories to her mind. Hot summer afternoons with Jed at Miller’s Pond after everyone else had gone home. She pushed the damned memory down as if she were stomping on a scorpion.

  “You can’t blame a man for trying.”

  “Right, like you’re interested in marrying me.” Lord, was that her sounding like a petulant child? She didn’t want Jed interested in her.

  She knew he had divorced thanks to Steve’s constant updates, despite her insisting she wasn’t interested. He had also said it had been nasty. Jed’s problem. She had enough of her own troubles courtesy of her father’s will, a surly foreman, misfiled orders at the feed store, not to mention livestock counts that were way off base. She didn’t need to add Jed Sampson to the mix. If it hadn’t been her little sister’s wedding day, Chaney would ring Belle’s neck for keeping Jed’s part in the day a secret.

  The dance thing didn’t thrill her either. She hadn’t danced since she was eighteen. The night before she learned she was pregnant. The last time she and Jed had stolen away to her great-grandfather’s old cabin. The night before Jed left without a word.

  Now here she was in his arms again.

  After losing the baby, Chaney had sewn her heart back together with a steel mesh encasement. She wouldn’t allow anyone close enough to break it ever again. Needing space to reinforce the barrier, she pulled back from Jed’s familiar hold.

  “Seeing those two together makes you believe anything is possible.”

  Jed’s words brought her back from her painful memories. Glancing at her little sister, a smile easily spread on her face.

  “That’s Belle. She spreads love and happiness wherever she goes.”

  “Some of the credit for that goes to you, I’m sure.”

  Chaney laughed and missed a step causing them to stumble. A few heads turned their way silencing her as no gag could. Then she looked up and saw Jed’s confused gaze.

  “I guess you’ve been gone so long you forgot what a hellion I am. Sweetness and light were never my strong points. I guarantee you, I haven’t changed.” His fathomless blue eyes considered her in silence for a long minute before he pulled her closer. Against her better judgment, Chaney didn’t resist.

  “I don’t know, I remember your lips as being pretty sweet, and . . .” His arm tightened around her waist a second before her toes lifted off the dance floor, “… you never did weigh anything.”

  “Put me down,” she hissed.

  With her feet firmly on the floor again, she decided it was time to put him in his place. Fair is
fair. He wants to walk down memory lane; I’ll give him something to remember.

  Trying to find someone to fulfill the stipulations of her father’s will without giving up control of the ranch had used up all the patience she could muster. She needed to control some part of her messed up life, even if only a few moments worth. She wound her arms tightly around his neck pulling his head closer to hers. Drawing on the steel in her spine, she gave him a small smile before closing the distance between them.

  His kiss was as good as she remembered, yet it was like nothing she’d ever experienced. Jed’s lips fit hers like a well-worn roping glove. The way his arms immediately tightened around her and his heart pounded, or was that her heart? She didn’t care. Warmth flooded her body and she pressed as close as possible. Wanting more. Needing more. She hadn’t felt this alive since....

  Reality crashed over her. She broke the kiss. The eyes staring down at her were dark, like storm clouds rolling over the Rockies. With passion? Desire? Love?

  Wake up and smell the manure, Chaney. If Jed ever desired you, it was for a quick roll in the loft. Love never entered his mind.

  “I lied.”

  “Lied?” he asked, his voice definitely whiskey toned, but a bit rough around the edges.

  “I do still take dares.”

  At his continued confusion, she nodded toward the bridesmaids giving her the thumbs up from the side of the dance floor.

  “I know I shouldn’t let the society girls of Crescent get to me, but sometimes I forget how old I am. Besides, they called me chicken.”

  Jed’s features eased. A grin pulled at the corners of those scrumptious lips and he pulled her close again. She felt her resolve to keep her distance waiver.

  “You never could stand being called chicken.”

  “Still can’t,” she said as the music ended. Trying to step out of his embrace she found herself held fast by the iron band he called an arm. “Is there a problem?” she asked, knowing she needed to get away from him soon to rebuild her defenses.