The Wildwood: Smolder Part 18

Lifting her gaze to meet his, she replied, Delaney Collins.

Nice to meet you, Jace said, his rich, baritone voice smooth and . . . dangerously distracting. His hand gave hers a warm squeeze, and although he glanced toward Sammy Jo to include her in his greeting, it was clear who held his real interest. Are you with the press?

Delaney glanced down at the Canon EOS 7D with its high-definition 20.2 megapixel zoom lens hanging down from the strap around her neck. Yes. Im taking photos for True Montana.

The edges of his mouth curved into another smile. I havent seen you around before.

I"Im not around much, but Sammy Jo here, she said, motioning toward her friend to divert his attention, used to race barrels. You must know her. Sammy Jo Macpherson?

Jace gave her friend a brief nod. I believe weve met.

Dels a great photographer, Sammy Jo said, bouncing the attention back to her.

Jace grinned. I bet.

Its the lens, Delaney said, averting her gaze, and Sammy Jo shot her a disgruntled look as if to say, Smarten up, this guys in to you. Dont blow it!

Except she had no desire to get involved in a relations.h.i.+p right now. And definitely not one with a hunter. She needed to focus on her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Meghan, and help her familys guest ranch bring in enough money to support them.

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An Excerpt from.

ONCE AND FOR ALL.

An American Valor Novel.

By Cheryl Etchison.

Staff Sergeant Danny MacGregor has always said military and matrimony dont mix, but if theres one person he would break all his rules for, its Bree"his first friend, first love, first everything.

Bree Dunbar has battled cancer, twice. What she wants most is a fresh start. By some miracle her wish is granted, but it comes with one major string attached"the man who broke her heart ten years before.

The rules for this marriage of convenience are simple: when shes ready to stand on her own two feet, sh.e.l.l walk away and h.e.l.l let her go. Only, things dont always go according to plan . . .

She pulled into the garage of her parents home and stared in the rearview mirror at the house across the street where Danny used to live. The same one where he was now staying. She had no idea how much longer hed be in town, but odds werent in her favor he would just leave her be. Shed thrown down the gauntlet and Daniel Patrick MacGregor had never been one to back down from a challenge.

Hitting the garage remote, the house slowly disappeared from view as the door lowered to the ground. Bree headed inside, her mother greeting her at the back door as she opened it.

Can I help you carry some things in? she asked while drying her hands on a dish towel.

Nothing to bring in.

Bree scooted past her mother, not yet ready to rehash the mornings events.

I thought you were going to the store?

Ill go back later.

She grabbed the ibuprofen from the cabinet by the sink, the dull ache behind her eyes now reaching epic proportions. After swallowing two small tablets with a single drink of water, she headed for her bedroom.

Is everything okay, sweetheart? You look flushed.

Fine, she said, ducking out of her mothers reach. Twenty-eight years old and her mother still wanted to check her temperature with the back of her hand.

Are you sure? Youre not running a fever, are you? Your immune system still isnt where it needs to be. You need to be careful"

Im fine, Mom. I swear. Just going to lie down for a bit.

Bree darted upstairs, escaping to the relative peace and quiet of her bedroom. She closed the door behind her, sighing in relief to see her mother wasnt hot on her heels.

She loved her dearly and wouldnt have survived chemo treatments without her, but sometimes her mothers care and concern was too much. Suffocating. And despite her best intentions, she was always reminding Bree that shed been very sick, when all Bree wanted to do was put it behind her.

For now, shed settle for crawling into bed and trying to forget the morning ever happened. As she closed the blinds, a familiar old truck pulled into the driveway across the street. The door flung open, and booted feet hit the concrete. Instinctively she jumped back from the window, not wanting Danny to think shed been standing there, watching, waiting all this time for him to return home.

Bree held her breath and with the tips of her fingers lifted a single wooden slat so she could peek out. The old trucks pa.s.senger door sat open wide, but there was no sign of either brother. The screen door swung open and Danny bounded down the porch steps, reaching the truck in four long strides. He grabbed the last few grocery bags from the floorboard and shoved the door closed with his elbow. On his way back into the house he suddenly stopped and turned to look across the street. At her house. At her bedroom window.

Despite peering through a tiny gap no wider than an inch, she knew he could somehow see her. She could feel his gaze locked on hers. But he didnt drop the grocery bags on the front porch or storm across the street toward her. Instead, he just stood there. His expression completely unreadable.

Surely he wouldnt march across the street and start things up again right now? He wouldnt dare.

Oh, but he would.

Maybe he expected her to do something. Wave. Stick out her tongue. Flip him the bird. Instead, like a deer caught in a hunters sight, she stood frozen, unable to will herself away from the window. Then he did the very last thing she expected him to do.

He smiled.

A smile so wide, so bright, she hadnt seen the likes of one in over a decade. Although she didnt want to admit it, shed missed that smile desperately and her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. Finally, Danny looked away, breaking eye contact, releasing her from his spell. As he turned to go inside, he shook his head, apparently unable to believe it himself.

For a long time after he went inside, Bree stood there looking out the window. And the more she replayed it in her mind, the more she began to wonder if shed imagined the entire thing.

Only one thing was for certain"things between them were far from over.

end.