Untouched (29 page)

“What would make it perfect?” she asked.

“If Cade Mitchell wasn’t going to be my brother-in-law.”

She laughed. “I didn’t say yes, you know.”

“Then say yes.”

“Me saying yes to you is how we got into this mess in the first place. The work contract?”

“That’s true. I was thinking of the other times you said yes.”

Her cheeks turned pink and she cleared her throat. “Yeah, well, there was that too.”

“Face it, Lark, good things happen when you say yes to me.”

“Fine, then . . . yes.”

“Yes to what?”

She smiled, and his whole world got brighter. “Yes to forever.”

Epilogue

“Today is insane,” Lark said, looking around at the barbecue that was set up in the covered arena in honor of the first class to “graduate” from the program at Longhorn.

There were parents, foster parents, parole officers, family and friends. An eclectic group, but considering the group, it seemed right.

“Yeah,” Quinn said, surveying the pandemonium, “it is. But it’s pretty awesome too.”

“I’ve never seen them happier.”

“It’s amazing what a little direction can do. More than that, it’s amazing what love can do.” He looked at Lark, at the diamond ring glittering on her left hand. He’d asked her properly after the clumsy, ringless proposal in her house five months ago.

He’d even gotten her brothers’ blessing. Or he’d at least gotten their promise not to punch him in the face again.

“Love is pretty kick-ass,” she said, beaming at him.

“Yeah.” He managed to look away from her, at everyone scattered around the ranch. At Jill and Sam, who had never looked happier, standing there with Jake, who finally had a home. “Love is pretty kick-ass all right.” He took a deep breath, and made a decision, then and there. “What do you think about moving the wedding up?”

“To when?”

“Summer.”

“But that’s the middle of the next competition season.”

He took a deep breath and looked down at Lark, at the woman who’d become his world over the past few months. The woman who had managed to glue all the broken pieces in him back together. She’d rebuilt him. Made him better. She’d made something that had been the biggest thing in his life seem so very small now. “I don’t think I’m going to compete again,” he said slowly. “At least not this year.”

“But . . . but . . .”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about it. And the timing doesn’t feel right. Everything is going so well here. And I just . . . I don’t feel like I need it, Lark. I used to think that if I couldn’t compete . . . there wouldn’t be anything for me. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Everything in my life right now is more important than the circuit. You’re more important.”

“Quinn, I don’t want you to give this up for me.”

“You’ll still love me if I’m not a big rodeo star, right? You aren’t a secret buckle bunny are you?”

“Maybe. Maybe I am.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“I have secrets. Secrets only my browser history knows.”

“Mysterious,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I like that. It’s sexy.”

“Yes, well. I try.”

“I just feel like my priorities have changed. I was this guy willing to do anything to get back into the rodeo. Now . . . my life is full, Lark.”

She blinked rapidly, her eyes glittering. “That’s so good to hear. And you know I’m all about marrying you sooner. Even if you’re not a big rodeo star. But I just need to be sure it’s what you want, and not what you think will make me happy, because as long as I have you, there is no unhappy, Quinn.”

“That’s just how I feel. What I do . . . it just doesn’t matter as much, not when I’ve got you. I might go back someday. But for now I think I want to stay here. And do this. Run the ranch. Be with you. Keep you near your family. This feels like my home to me. The first one I’ve ever had. I always felt out of place in my parents’ house. And I just sort of drifted everywhere else. But this place, with you? This is home. I’m not in a big hurry to leave it.”

“Welcome home, Quinn Parker.” Lark hugged him, that way that only she could, the way that made him feel like his heart was going to shatter into a million pieces, then reform, stronger and bigger than ever. “You are an amazing man, do you know that?”

When he’d first met Lark, he was nothing. A man with no home, no family and bad blood. Now he had her. A place to call home. And he knew he wasn’t worthless. Because Lark loved him.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Thanks to you, I actually do.”

Keep reading for a special preview of the next Silver Creek romance from Maisey Yates

UNBROKEN

Available August 2014 from Sensation

“It’s bad form to get drunk at your sister’s wedding, right?”

“Since when has that ever stopped you, Cade?”

Amber Jameson leaned back in the folding chair and then checked to make sure the little purple bow tied to the back hadn’t fallen off and onto the grass. She’d spent too many damn hours tying those things on yesterday.

They were finicky. Finicky flipping ribbons. Almost as finicky as the bride who, while cute as a button under normal circumstances had had a bridezilla flare-up during the decorating yesterday and had gone around micromanaging said ribbon tying.

And placement.

She’d demanded ribbon curls in lengths that were impossible for mere mortals to achieve. If Lark weren’t the little sister Amber had always wanted, she would never have gone along with all of it. Not without attacking her with the scissors she was using to curl ribbons, at least.

But then, Lark’s life had been short on frills. Being raised by two brothers and a dad. So Amber supposed she was entitled.

But then, Amber’s life had been short on this kind of thing too, and she didn’t feel at all yearny for it. Nope. Marriage and men and bleah. Not her thing. Not these days.

“It doesn’t usually,” Cade said, leaning back in his chair so that they were sitting at the same angle. “But I thought, since this is for Lark, maybe I should behave.”

She looked at her friend’s profile. Strong, handsome. Square jaw, roughened with dark stubble. Brown eyes that always had a glint of naughty in them. And today was wearing a suit jacket and a tie, along with a black cowboy hat.

Damn, damn,
damn
he was fine. Sometimes it hit her. Like shitton of bricks, that her best friend was the best looking guy in a five hundred mile radius. Or possibly the world. And it made her feel . . . things she didn’t want to feel.

Then he turned to face her head on and offered her his very best smart-ass Cade smile, and the moment faded out as soon as it hit. Like driving on one of Silver Creek’s fir-lined highways and seeing a sunbeam peek through the trees. A brilliant shaft of light that colored the world gold for just a moment before racing back behind the dark green branches. Just a glimpse, an impression of something she didn’t want to explore.

Like, ever.

“When did she grow up?” Amber asked, looking over at the dance floor where Lark was currently holding onto her new husband, both of them swaying to the music without displaying any particular dancing skills. Quinn was a rough and tumble cowboy type, though he seemed to have a little more rhythm than his new bride. “It makes me feel old,” she continued. “Like an old cliche. Sitting here at her reception looking at this grown-up woman in a wedding gown and thinking . . . how is she not eight years old still?”

“Imagine how I feel,” Cade said, his voice rough.

“Yeah, I know.”

The Mitchells were a part of Amber’s cobbled together family. She didn’t have a lot in the way of people who loved her, so when she found people who were willing to accept her, she clung to them as best as she could.

In her younger years that clinging amounted to some very poor decisions, but she’d matured past that. Especially after she’d realized that her grandma and grandpa weren’t going to just ship her straight back into the system. That they were going to let her stay in Silver Creek.

That she could stay, with them, in their home.

Since then, she’d built herself a solid foundation for her life. And Cade was the cornerstone. Had been since she was fourteen years old. She would never, ever do anything to jeopardize that.

Though, there was nothing wrong with infrequent, secret ogling.

“Are you having empty nest syndrome, Mitchell?” she asked, nudging him with her elbow.

“Me? Oh, hell no. This nest isn’t getting emptier. Maddy runs around like hell on pudgy feet. That little beast cut holes in one of my work shirts the other day with those little plastic handled scissors. And now Cole and Kelsey have the other baby coming in January. Nope, it’s just filling up over here.”

“But Lark’s gone.”

“She’s been gone. She’s been shacking up with that asshole I now call a brother-in-law for a year.”

She patted his thigh and didn’t notice how hard, and hot and muscular it was beneath those thin dress pants. “I know. But now it’s official.”

“Yep.”

“Emotions don’t bite, Cade. Don’t run from your feels,” she said dryly.

“That’s pretty rich coming from you, missy.”

She made a face at him and earned a smile. “I don’t have to take advice to give it. I’m emotionally stunted and I know it.”

“That’s why we get along so well.”

“I thought it was because I’m such a good pool player,” she said, lifting her beer up from the table and taking a long drink.

“That’s not it. I’m a lot better than you are.”

“Uh huh.”

“What do you think?” he asked. “Wanna dance?”

She eyed Cade. More specifically his leg. The one she hadn’t just patted. “Um . . . really?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Okay, maybe not.” The grooves around his mouth deepened and Amber felt an answering chasm deepen around her heart.

She hated that he couldn’t dance anymore. Hated that the man she knew as being so totally vital and energetic, was hobbled because of a rodeo accident four years ago.

For a long time they’d all blamed Quinn, Lark’s husband, but they found out they’d been mistaken. Hard for Cade to process, as evidenced by the fact that he frequently referred to his new brother-in-law as an asshole.

They were getting there, but they weren’t exactly best friends yet.

The dude bonding process was not yet complete.

Now they didn’t know quite who to blame, except for a poor kid who’d been paid sabotage the ride. The spike he’d put beneath Cade’s horse’s saddle had only been intended to end the ride faster, not send Cade to the hospital and cause life changing, career ending injuries. Getting hung up on your horse was never a good thing, but when the horse was that spooked? You didn’t walk away. You got carted away on a stretcher.

Quinn got to move on from it all. His name was cleared. He was reinstated into competitions. And the question of who’d sabotaged Cade was left unanswered.

And Cade would never be fixed. Even if they did find out who was behind it, Cade wouldn’t magically be healed, damage undone by justice. That hurt her. Always. Every day.

Because whenever she had a problem Cade was there. He was always trying to fix things for her. Had been since they were in high school. But there was no fixing this for him. And she’d give her own leg to do it. So he could go back to doing what he loved.

She only used her legs to wait tables and help around her grandparents ranch.

She didn’t do anything like Cade. Watching him ride? It had always sent a flash of light down her spine. A spark that lit her up everywhere and sent tingles to places.

It was art with him. Athletic grace, and sheer masculine willpower. Straining muscles, gritted teeth, dirt, sweat and mud flying in the air.

Yeah, that flipped her switches like whoa.

Cade Mitchell on the back of a bucking horse was a truly orgasmic experience.

When he was through with a ride, he always shook. From his hands down to his boots. Adrenaline, he said. She shook too though, and it wasn’t always that.

He scared the hell out of her. Watching his accident during the Vegas championships, on TV in her living room, had been the single most painful moment of her life.

Her best friend, her family, dragged around the arena like a rag doll, white as death and knocking on that door.

In those moments, she’d gotten a look at life without Cade. And it had been a yawning vacuum of empty cold. She’d always known he was important. Right then, she’d realized just how much.

Ironically, she would still give it all to get him back in the saddle, so to speak. Because he loved it. Even though she knew that after that accident she’d sweat off three pounds during those precious seconds he was on the back of one of those beasts.

Small price to pay for allowing him to have his passion. For giving back the ability to dance, however badly, so he they could go out on that wooden floor together on his sister’s wedding day.

But there was no going out on the dance floor for Cade. So they sat at the table and drank beer until the sky turned purple and the candles, strung over the tables in mason jars, lit everything with a pale yellow glow.

“Last dance,” Amber said, knowing that Quinn and Lark would be leaving soon. Off on their honeymoon. “Wanna get out of here?” she asked.

“Are you hitting on me?”

“Hay-ell yeah. What do people come to weddings for but to hook up? Certainly not to see their BFFs little sister tie the knot with a ridiculously handsome cowboy.”

“You think he’s handsome?” Cade asked, eyes narrowed.

She looked back at Quinn and Lark, who were still twined around each other like vines. “Uh, yeah. Have you checked that tat he has on his shoulder? Meow.”

“Hey, he’s my sister’s husband,” he said, grimacing slightly when he said the words.

“Don’t worry, I’m out of the game.”

“I thought we were gonna hook up.”

“Did I say hook up? I meant ‘let’s get out of here so I can whup your ass at pool.’ How about that?”

“Sounds like more fun anyway.”

More fun than watching his little sister ride off into the sunset with a guy that Cade still had a tough time with in some ways. He didn’t say that, but Amber could read Cade’s subtext pretty well. Most often, said subtext was:
cheeseburger
or
breasts
. But every so often it was a real, deep emotion that he was never, ever going to show to the public.

Or even to himself.

Which was when she made sure she was on hand to help him out.

“Yep. I’ll even buy you a beer because you look so damn pertty,” she said, tweaking his hat.

“Well, shucks,” he said, that lopsided grin tilting to the left, tilting her stomach along with it. “Let’s get on with it. . . .Can you play pool in that dress?” he asked, indicating her very abnormal and feminine attire.

“If you can play in a tie.”

He reached up and grabbed the knot at the base of his throat and loosened it. “I think I can handle it.”

“But can you handle me?” she asked, quirking her brow.

“I guess we’ll see.”

***

The Saloon, so named because it had been around since that was the usual name for a place where drinking and carousing occurred, was packed. Not so much because it was a Sunday night, but because there was no other nightlife in Silver Creek. Nothing beyond a music festival that ran through the summer and attracted mainly the grey-hairs who only lived in town seasonally.

Not that Cade needed much of a nightlife. Not considering he hadn’t done any real ‘going out’ since his accident. Not considering that, even if he did, he couldn’t dance.

He didn’t know why he’d asked Amber to dance at Lark’s wedding.

Ah, shit. Lark was married. That made him feel . . . well, it made him feel. And that was just something he hadn’t been prepared for.

But she was his baby sister, and dammit, no matter how un-sentimental he wanted to be about it, he and Cole had practically raised her. Which really made Amber closer to the truth than he wanted to admit.

He had empty nest syndrome. A thirty-two year old single man with commitment issues . . . and empty nest syndrome. As if he wasn’t enough of a dysfunctional gimp-bag already.

He wandered up to the bar behind Amber and settled in next to her, his forearms resting on the wooden surface. Scarred from years of use and misuse. Bottles broken in brawls and Lord knew what else.

There was a story on the menus about a shootout between a sheriff and an outlaw that had resulted in the outlaw giving up the ghost on that very bar top.

The Saloon was filled with history. And Cade had spent too many nights in it over the past four years. Just soaking in the alcohol haze and absorbing the hormones of those more up to the challenge of getting laid than he was.

He’d become pathetic. And he didn’t have it in him to change it.

“Two Buds, please,” Amber said, leaning over the counter and catching the bartender’s attention a lot quicker than Cade would have.

“I wanted a hard cider,” he said. In truth, he would really like to have something that would knock him on his ass, but he tried to save the pitiful drunk trick for the privacy of his own home. In case he got maudlin.

“Too bad,” she said.

He was glad she was here. Because there was nothing she hadn’t been there for. Every hard thing he’d ever had to cope with. Finding out about his father’s affair, his mother’s death, his father’s death . . . his accident. Lark’s wedding.

Amber Jameson had been there for every-damn-thing.

“Beer me,” he said, once she had the bottles in hand.

“Try again. I don’t speak frat bro.”

“Amber,” he said, giving her his very best plaintive look.

“Fine. I pity you. Drown your sorrows in the way society has dictated men ought. Much healthier than expression genuine emotion.”

“Can I interest you in a friendly game of pool wherein I use your sad, pathetic skills at stick handling to make me feel more like a man?”

She arched a brow. “Sure, honey, if you think hitting balls into a pocket will make you feel more like a man.”

“I do,” he said, getting up from the bar and heading to the table.

Amber picked up a cue and started chalking the end. “Your balls are mine, Mitchell,” she said, the light in her eyes utterly wicked.

“Whose balls haven’t been yours?”

That taunt didn’t come from Cade’s mouth, and it had him on edge instantly.

Mike Steele. Standard, grade A douche who worked at the mill. They’d all gone to high school together, but he’d never been too big of an ass. He was drunk tonight though, and hanging out with two other guys from high school who fell on the wrong side of the douche spectrum.

And for some reason, they were interested in letting their asswipe flags fly.

Cade opened his mouth to tell them to back down but Amber had already whirled around, the end of the pool cue smacking sharply on the floor, the tip held up by her face.