Tying You Down (23 page)

Daphne gave a toss of her blonde hair. “I’m going to win him back. He was mine before and he’ll be mine again.”

Jo just stared at Daphne for a moment. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m dead serious.” Daphne was a good six or seven inches shorter than Jo’s five-eleven, but she still got into Jo’s space. “Your time is up.”

“Let me tell you something.” Jo clenched her hand into a fist. “Tate is
my
man and you’d better stay away. Don’t even think about coming back.”

Jo caught movement from the corner of her eye and saw Tate standing there with his thumbs hooked in his pockets, looking from Daphne to her. Jo felt a little flush of heat. No doubt he’d heard her declare that he was her man.

Daphne apparently hadn’t noticed him. “He doesn’t love you. You can’t keep him.”

Tate came forward, into the woman’s view. “Hi, Daphne.”

Daphne’s cheeks turned red. She looked at him as he moved beside Jo. He slipped his arm around Jo’s shoulders.

He smiled at Jo before looking at Daphne. “I love Jo,” he said. “My heart belongs to her.”

Daphne’s jaw dropped. “But you loved me.”

“
Loved
is the key word,” he said.

With a look of both anger and pain, Daphne turned away and marched over to a little silver car she’d parked on the other side of Tate’s truck. For a moment, Jo and Tate watched as Daphne climbed into her car and started it, then backed up and tore out of the driveway, her tires spitting up rocks and dust in her wake.

When she was gone, Tate turned to Jo. “Your man, huh?”

She straightened. “Of course.”

He grinned and settled his hands at her waist, being careful of her casts. “I like the sound of that.”

She looped her good arm around his neck and held onto him. “I love you, Tate.” It was the first time she’d been able to say the words and it felt amazing. “I don’t know why I didn’t tell you sooner, but I love you.”

He brought her hard against him. “About time you admitted it.”

She nodded. “About time.”

He carefully scooped her up in his arms and she laughed as her crutch clattered to the ground.

Chapter 34

In the clear May morning, close to six months after she’d told Tate she loved him, Jo held her hand to her belly to ease the flutters. They were on a ranch belonging to one of the McBride cousins. The ranch was northwest of Prescott and was at an elevation that overlooked the valley. One could see for miles, and it was absolutely gorgeous.

The day was perfect, as if made for this very moment.

“You have the prettiest dress ever,” Jenny said as she touched one of the pearls on Jo’s long white beaded gown. “You look pretty like my mommy did when she married my new daddy, Gage.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Jo stroked one of Jenny’s blonde curls with her free hand. A bouquet of white and red roses was in her other. “Are you ready to go when the music starts?”

Jenny bobbed her head, her blond curls dancing with the movement.

Jo touched her own hair that was swept up with strings of pearls wound in the long red locks. The pearls had belonged to her and Charlee’s grandmother. Charlee had insisted on the traditions—something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Along with the “old” pearls and her “new” dress, at Jo’s ears were simple diamonds she’d borrowed from Charlee and the garter on her thigh was blue.

After the wedding, they were going on their honeymoon to Paris, a place Jo had loved during her modeling years. She hadn’t been there since and was looking forward to being there with Tate.

The wedding march started and Jo’s hands were remarkably steady. She’d thought she’d tremble from nerves, but she felt nothing but happiness, contentment, confidence, and excitement. She took a deep breath and smiled. This was the day that she and Tate had talked about for ages and now it was really here.

“Let’s go,” she said to herself and to Jenny who bounced on her toes as she moved in front.

Jo stepped from the back porch, behind Jenny. The little girl began tossing red rose petals along the path leading to the gazebo. Jo reached the aisle between two rows of folding chairs that had been set up on the expanse of lawn behind the ranch house. The chairs were filled with family and friends on both sides of the aisle.

At the head of the aisle stood Charlee, who was Jo’s maid of honor, and Tess, Jo’s bridesmaid. Both women looked incredibly beautiful. Charlee’s broken and abused heart had mostly healed, yet there were shadows that hadn’t left her eyes. But today she smiled with happiness for Jo.

Tate’s brother and Tess’s husband, Gage, served as the best man and the McBride brothers’ youngest, Creed, was the usher.

The guests and the wedding party blurred as Jo’s gaze focused on the big handsome man standing at the altar. Tate looked amazing in his western tux and her heart swelled with love for him. She didn’t remember ever being so happy in all her life. The way he was looking at her made her feel as if his love could take her anywhere and everywhere.

Jo made her way down the aisle, one slow step after another as she managed to keep herself from running to Tate and flinging her arms around him. When she reached the altar, she handed her bouquet to Charlee before slowly turning to face Tate.

His green eyes held hers and he wore a serious but loving expression that very nearly took her breath away.

When the pastor began speaking, Jo could barely register his words. She was so wrapped up in Tate that nothing else seemed to matter.

Then Tate took her hands in his, grounding her in reality as he began to speak his vows. “From the moment I met you, when we were still kids, I knew you were the one for me. You disappeared from my life but now I have you back. You are the one I want to share my life with. With you I will be the best man I can be. You are my inspiration, my hope, my faith, my love. I promise to love you for eternity, sharing my life with you forever. I love you, Jo, with everything I have.”

Tate’s words flowed over her, filling her with warmth. She smiled before she started her own vows. “Today I become your wife and you become my husband. I will give you the best of myself and accept you for the amazing person you are. I promise to share my innermost feelings, secrets, and dreams and to grow along with you. I give you my heart, mind, and soul, completely and forever. I love you.”

He smiled down at her, never taking his gaze from hers. When the preacher pronounced them husband and wife, he brought her tightly to him and kissed her with a passion she’d known only with him. She forgot about everyone around them as he kissed her. It wasn’t until he drew away that she noticed the cheering and the laughter.

Tate took Jo’s hand, and together they stepped away from the altar and toward their new life together.

# # #

Also by Cheyenne McCray

“Riding Tall” Series

Branded For You

Roping Your Heart

Fencing You In

Tying You Down

“Rough and Ready” Series

Silk and Spurs

Lace and Lassos

Champagne and Chaps

Satin and Saddles

Roses and Rodeo

Lingerie and Lariats

Lipstick and Leather

 “Altered States” Series

Dark Seduction

“Dark Enforcers” Series

Night’s Captive

Lexi Steele Novels

The First Sin

The Second Betrayal

The Temptation

From St. Martin’s Press:

“Night Tracker” Series

Demons Not Included

No Werewolves Allowed

Vampires Not Invited

Zombies Sold Separately

Vampires Dead Ahead

“Magic” Series

Forbidden Magic

Seduced by Magic

Wicked Magic

Shadow Magic

Dark Magic

Single Title

Moving Target

Chosen Prey

Anthologies

No Rest for the Witches

Real Men Last All Night

Legally Hot

Chicks Kick Butt

Hotter than Hell

Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romances

Mammoth Book of Special Ops Romances

Cheyenne writing as Jaymie Holland

“The Auction” Series

Sold

Bought

Claimed

Taken

“Taboo” Series

Taking it Home

Losing Control

Alluring Stranger

Taboo Desires: three Tales of Lust and Passion

Playing Rough: three Stories of Sensual Submission

Paranormal Single Title

The Touch

Come to Me

Excerpt… Fencing You In

Cheyenne McCray

“I don’t date playboys.” Tess Grady wiped down the bar, shaking her head and trying not to smile as she looked at Gage McBride sitting on the stool in front of her. “Once again, the answer is no.”

“Playboy?” The cowboy raised a brow as he set down his cold mug of beer. “Now I’m a playboy?”

“A cowboy with a girl in every town.” Tess began polishing a glass. “I’ve heard the rumors.”

“You believe everything you hear?” An amused smile curved the corner of his mouth. “Don’t tell me you judge a man based on rumors.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “If the Stetson fits…”

He leaned forward, folding his muscular arms on the bar. Hell, every part of the man appeared muscular. She was loath to admit it, but the thought of undressing such a hot package made her mouth water. “Why don’t you get to know me?” he asked. “Judge for yourself.”

As she polished another glass, she tried to ignore the pull the cowboy had on her. Ever since Nectars had opened, Gage had been coming into the bar and would flirt with her when she wasn’t working in the Hummingbird, the restaurant side of her family’s establishment. Most of the time, she was in the restaurant so she didn’t see Gage often enough for him to corner her like he had now.

When he was near, he set her senses on fire, and she always tried to find a way to get away from the man as fast as possible. Unfortunately, today wasn’t a day she could escape because they were short-staffed in the bar.

She blew a blonde curl out of her eyes. “No thanks,” she said despite the fact that she was so very tempted.

Clear green eyes without a hint of hazel in them studied her. His eyes held the kind of sensuality that caused a woman’s belly to squirm. He had dark hair and just enough stubble on his jaws to add to his rough, sexy appearance.

The tempting thing with Gage was that rough and sexy was natural. He was not some guy trying to look like a hardworking cowboy. She’d been told how successful his water well drilling business was and that he might play hard but he worked even harder. Of course, she’d never let him know she’d been intrigued enough to learn more about him. She found it curious and rather attractive that he never mentioned his business success to lure her in.

“Come on, Tess.” Gage’s sexy drawl was enough to make her toes curl. “One date.”

She opened her mouth to respond when she saw a tall, gorgeous redhead making a beeline through the establishment, headed straight for Gage. A flare of heat was in the woman’s gaze and she looked like she could spit flames.

She came up behind Gage, so angry looking that Tess could imagine the woman’s eyes glowing red. “Well hello, Gage.” The redhead spat the words with venom.

A pained expression crossed his face and Tess thought she might have seen him wince.

Slowly he turned toward the redhead and smiled. “Hi, Nandra.”

“You—” Nandra raised her hand and slapped Gage hard across his left cheek “—
bastard
.” The sound of her hand contacting flesh was loud.

The few patrons in the bar went quiet.

The woman cut her gaze to Tess. “So you’re his little squeeze now? Just don’t get too comfortable.” Nandra spun around and marched out of the bar, her heels clicking on the wood floor.

Gage watched Nandra walk out as he rubbed his jaw while talking resumed. Fortunately, those in the bar all had full drinks and Tess could enjoy Gage’s discomfort.

He looked back at Tess as she was trying to hold back laughter. He picked up his cold beer mug and put it against the side of his face. “She packs some power.”

“You have a way with the ladies.” Tess looked at him with amusement.

“Second time this month.” He gave a rueful smile as he lowered his mug to the bar. “I guess you might as well just slap me now and get it over with.”

Tess did laugh then. “Assuming I’d be foolish enough go out with you to begin with.” She gestured toward the entrance. “And that was not the best endorsement.” She braced her hands on the bar. “I suppose you didn’t deserve that.”

“No, I deserved it.” His admission surprised Tess. “Long story.”

She leaned down and rested her elbow on the bar, her chin in her hand. “The bar is nearly empty. I have time.”

He grinned. “Go out with me and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

She rolled her eyes. “Good try.”

“How about tomorrow night?” His green eyes held hers and she knew exactly what a romance heroine meant when she felt like she was melting. She felt like her bones had gone soft and she was breathing a little faster.