A Promise at Bluebell Hill (27 page)

“We don't have to say good-­bye.”

She looked up at him, hope beginning to rise in her chest. “You wouldn't mind giving a long-­distance relationship a try? I was afraid to even bring up the subject. But my sister is in D.C., and I'd always have a place to stay, and—­”

“I was thinking the same thing early in the week, but now, it's not going to be enough.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Monica.”

She inhaled swiftly, the rush of joy overwhelming. “Oh, Travis, I love you, too. We can make this work, I know we can.”

“You haven't asked me, so I don't know if you've been thinking about it, but would you mind if I moved here to be with you?”

Her mouth fell open. “You'd—­you'd move to Valentine Valley?”

“It's not like I don't know small towns—­I was raised in one.”

“What about the Secret Ser­vice?”

“I've struggled with that all week. It's difficult to take the stress for more than ten or so years. Hotel room to hotel room, city to city, sometimes getting little sleep, or not even knowing where I am when I wake up. I realized I could no longer give it the focus it needed when I sent you part of the president's schedule.”

She winced. “Oh, Travis, I didn't mean to make you betray your principles.”

“No, no,” he hurriedly said, kissing her forehead. “It's not you. I just don't have the drive necessary anymore. I don't seem to be able to be healthy about it, to find time for myself so that I'm sharp and focused. I was so wrapped up in my job, I thought it ended my marriage, when it was really me. I couldn't protect my wife from her duties; I couldn't save my sister. I just retreated from it all emotionally, became the job instead of a whole person. Then I met you, and it was like I had the chance to be a part of true love, a chance to show you that you're my world. I can't do that in the Secret Ser­vice, from across the country. This incredible feeling came over me when I watched that baby being born. I want babies, Monica, and I was wondering if you wanted babies, too.”

She laughed, even as the first tear slipped from the corner of her eye. “Oh, yes, I want babies—­your babies. I love you so much!”

She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him, and felt herself briefly weightless as he lifted her off the ground.

When they surfaced for air, she grinned up at him. “Speaking about babies makes this a very serious conversation, Travis Beaumont. Are you talking about marriage?”

“I am. Not right away, of course. Maybe I should have chosen a better place for this discussion than someone else's wedding reception,” he said, sending a guilty glance back toward the main doors to the banquet room. “And we've only known each other a ­couple weeks—­maybe we shouldn't even talk about anything too serious until I move to town and date you properly.”

“Wow, proper dates where we have fun adventures instead of talking about observation posts and activism.” She waved a hand before her flushed face. “How will I bear such normalcy?” Then she stared into his eyes. “I don't think that'll matter to me, Travis. I know everything about you that I need to know. I would marry you today. You're smart and funny, two things I really admire and want in my husband. And did you see how calm and reassuring you are when a baby's being born? Wow!”

“Don't forget, I sometimes don't see what's right in front of my face, and I can totally miss the subtleties of life—­but you'd still love me anyway?”

“I will—­I do. And you're sexy as hell, let's not forget that. And you make me feel like the most important woman in the world to you.”

He slid his hands up and down her back. “I don't ever want you to forget that. You're first in my life, from now on, Monica Shaw—­although I promise you can make your own decisions, and I won't let my worries interfere.”

“You'll talk about them instead of bottling them inside?”

“I promise.”

“But . . . what about your job? What will you do here?”

“There's a lot I could do although that might surprise you. I'd probably start out doing security consulting—­seems like Aspen might need some of that. Maybe I'd even set up an executive protection firm of my own. But I'd oversee, not do all the heavy traveling myself. I'm done traveling unless it's with you.”

“Wow,” she breathed, staring up into his beloved face. “My grandpa always told me what was meant to be, was meant to be. And I tried to believe him, but it wasn't until now that I truly understood that love can change anything. I think my grandpa's up there pulling strings.” Her voice shook, and her smile was watery. “I hope it's not selfish, Travis, but I want to put us and our future first—­I'll work so hard to make sure we're both happy.”

He laughed. “I don't think it'll be hard work loving you.”

She bit her lip. “I almost gave you up, didn't even know if I should fight for you because I thought I could never compete with your job, with the exciting life—­the important duties—­you already had. But dammit, this love we feel
is
important. We deserve to be happy.” She kissed him gently, then stepped back. “But today you have to make sure someone else's wedding day is perfect. I can be patient.”

He caught her hard against him. “It'll be difficult to wait for our life to begin, Monica. But knowing you're here waiting for me? I'll do my best.” He kissed her. “Remember I love you, and you're going to hear that every day of our life.”

As she watched him shrug into his suit coat and walk back into the reception, she knew it would be the last time he'd walk away from her, the last time she had to hide what they were feeling. She was no longer the Last Single Girl in Valentine.

Suddenly, her life and her future spread out before her—­and it was full of love.

 

If you loved

A Promise at Bluebell Hill

don't miss the rest of Emma Cane's charming, sexy
Valentine Valley
series.

 

A Town Called Valentine

A Valentine Valley Novel, Book 1

Welcome to Valentine Valley—­where broken hearts come home to mend, and true love may lie just across the range . . .

Emily Murphy never thought she'd return to her mom's rustic hometown in the Colorado mountains. But after her marriage in San Francisco falls apart, leaving her penniless and heartsick, she returns to her old family home to find a new direction for her life. On her first night back, though, a steamy encounter with handsome rancher Nate Thalberg is not the fresh start she had in mind . . .

Nate has good reason not to trust the determined beauty who just waltzed into town—­he's no stranger to betrayal. Besides, she's only there to sell her family's old property and move back out. But as Nate and Emily begin working side by side to restore her timeworn building, and old family secrets change Emily's perception of herself, both are about to learn how difficult it is to hide from love in a place known far and wide for romance, family ties, and happily-­ever-­afters: a town called Valentine.

 

True Love at Silver Creek Ranch

A Valentine Valley Novel, Book 2

Welcome to Valentine Valley, where tongues are wagging now that the town bad boy is back—­and rumor has it the lean, mean ex-­Marine is about to lose his heart! But like it or not, in a town like Valentine, love happens . . .

Adam Desantis is back—­bruised, battle-­weary, and sexier than ever! Not that Brooke Thalberg is in the market. The beautiful cowgirl of Silver Creek Ranch needs a cowboy for hire, not a boyfriend—­though the gaggle of grandmas at the Widows' Boardinghouse think otherwise. But from the moment she finds herself in Adam's arms, she's shocked to discover she may just want more.

Adam knows it's crazy to tangle with Brooke, especially with the memories that still haunt him and the warm welcome her family has given him. But he finds himself in a fix, because tender-­loving Brooke is so much more woman than he ever imagined. Can a soldier battling demons give her the love she clearly deserves?

Just about everybody in Valentine thinks so!

 

A Wedding in Valentine

A Valentine Valley Novella

It's the wedding all of Valentine Valley has been waiting for!

Bridesmaid Heather Armstrong arrives for Nate and Emily's big weekend, only to discover that one of the ushers is the man she had a close encounter with when they were trapped by a blizzard seven months before—­and he's the bride's brother!

Cowboy Chris Sweet never forgot the sexy redhead although she'd disappeared without a trace. At first, the secret creates a divide between them, but as they grow closer during the romantic weekend, will Heather dare risk her heart again?

 

The Christmas Cabin

from the anthology
All I Want for Christmas Is a Cowboy

It's Christmas in Valentine, and the Thalbergs remember how their family came to be . . .

Sandy, recently diagnosed with MS and abandoned by her husband, is determined to make Christmas special for her three-­year-­old Nate. While they're trooping through the woods to cut down their Christmas tree, a snowstorm arises, and a mysterious old ranch hand points them toward an abandoned cabin. Little do they realize, the ranch hand also guides cowboy Doug Thalberg to the same place . . .

 

The Cowboy of Valentine Valley

A Valentine Valley Novel, Book 3

Welcome to Valentine Valley, where the cowboys have many talents and love is waiting around every corner . . .

Ever since a heated late-­night kiss that absolutely should not have happened, cowboy Josh Thalberg makes former Hollywood bad girl Whitney Winslow's pulse beat faster. But when she decides to use his gorgeous leatherwork in her new upscale lingerie shop, Leather & Lace, she's determined to keep their relationship strictly professional . . . even if she wants so much more.

Josh has never met a challenge he isn't up for. Which is probably why he allowed Whitney to persuade him to take the sexy publicity photo that went viral and now has every woman in America knocking down his door . . . every woman except for the one he can't get out of his head. But how to convince a reformed bad girl that some rules are worth breaking?

 

 

About the Author

EMMA CANE grew up reading, and soon discovered that she liked to write passionate stories of teenagers in space. Her love of “passionate stories” has never gone away, although today she concentrates on the heartwarming characters of Valentine, Colorado, a small town of her own creation nestled in the Rocky Mountains.

Now that her three children are grown, Emma loves spending time crocheting and singing (although not necessarily at the same time), and hiking and snowshoeing alongside her husband, Jim, and two rambunctious dogs, Apollo and Uma. Emma also writes
USA Today
bestselling novels under the name Gayle Callen.

Visit
www.AuthorTracker.com
for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

 

Romances by Emma Cane

Valentine Valley Novels

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Novellas from Avon Impulse

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(from the
All I Want for Christmas Is a Cowboy
anthology)