“I’m working on it.” His jaw tightened, then relaxed a fraction of a second later as if he was trying to do just that. “I’ve been looking for land, and I bought a small spread.”
“I heard you were looking,” Jordan said softly. “That you were leaving...”
“I am, but the ranch is close by. I want to be a part of the BBL and I want Timmy to be part of it, too.” Hunger deepened his expression. “But I want you to come with us.” He nuzzled her neck. “I want you to marry me, Jordan.”
Jordan’s heart soared with happiness.
Then he lifted her chin and forced her to look at him. “Jordan?”
“I love you, too, Miles.” She licked her suddenly dry lips.
“I can’t promise I’ll leave the job, but we can talk about it,” he murmured.
“No, you’re good at what you do. It’s who you are. I would never ask you to give up your work.” She pressed a kiss to his jaw. “The world needs men like you. Men who fight for justice and teach kids how to overcome obstacles and do what’s right.”
A tenderness flickered onto his face as if her words had touched a chord deep inside him. But uncertainty lingered there as well. “Then you will be my wife?”
Jordan threaded her fingers in his hair. “Yes, Miles. I love you and I’ll marry you.”
She kissed him with all her heart, then he took her to bed, and they made love long into the night, sealing their whispered promises of loving with erotic touches that would forever stay in her mind.
And when Jordan stirred and looked through the window at the stars twinkling in the sky, she saw two of the brightest stars she’d ever seen.
Just like Timmy’s drawing, their points were touching as if Marie and her brother were holding hands, shining their approval down on the BBL.
And on her and Miles and Timmy and the love that they shared, and the family that they would be together.
* * * * *
Award-winning author Rita Herron’s BUCKING BRONC LODGE miniseries continues next month with NATIVE COWBOY. Look for it wherever Harlequin Intrigue books are sold!
Keep reading for an excerpt of Mason by Delores Fossen!
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Chapter One
The scream woke Deputy Mason Ryland.
His eyes flew open, and Mason stumbled from the sofa in his office where he’d fallen asleep. He reached for his shirt but couldn’t find it. He had better luck with the Smith & Wesson handgun that he’d left on his desk.
He threw open his office door and caught the scent of something he darn sure didn’t want to smell on the grounds of his family’s ranch.
Smoke.
The wispy gray streaks coiled around him, quickly followed by a second scream and a loud cry for help.
Mason went in the direction of both the smoke and the voice, racing out into the chilly October night air. He wasn’t the only one who’d been alerted. A handful of his ranch hands were running toward the cabin-style guesthouse about a hundred yards away. It was on fire, the orangey flames licking their way up the sides and roof. And the place wasn’t empty.
His newly hired horse trainer, Abbie Baker, was staying there.
That got Mason running even harder. So did another shout for help. Oh, yeah, that shout was coming from the guesthouse all right.
“Call the fire department,” he yelled to one of the ranch hands.
Mason also shouted out for someone to call his brothers as well even though they would soon know anyway. All five of them, their wives and their children lived in the family home or on the grounds of the ranch.
Mason made it to the guesthouse ahead of the others, and he tried to pick through the smoke and the embers flicking through the night air. He hurried to the sound of his trainer’s pleas for help.
And he cursed when he saw her.
Abbie was in the doorway, her body half in and half out of the house, and what was left of the door was on her back, anchoring her in place.
The smoke was thick and black, and the area was already hot from the flames, but Mason fought his way through just as one of the ranch hands caught up with him. Rusty Burke. Together, they latched on to the door and started to drag it off Abbie. Not easily. It was heavy and bulky, and it didn’t help that the flames were snapping at them.