Authors: Jane Porter
Beauty's Kiss (20 page)
And now Troy was back again, this time to escort Taylor to the Wedding Giveaway’s Spring Gala at Emerson’s big barn tomorrow night.
Taylor was looking forward to the barn dance. Troy was just happy to have time alone with Taylor. An entire weekend alone if they chose to skip the barn dance and hide out in his suite. She wouldn’t have been able to do it before, but now that Doug had gotten a job on Brock’s ranch, a real joy, a paying job, Doug was happy out at Copper Mountain. He liked Brock’s cowboys and the easy camaraderie in the bunkhouse and said he’d already made a couple of friends.
“Things are working out,” Taylor had said when they’d tumbled into bed earlier this evening.
“Yes, they are,” he agreed.
Now, close to midnight, they’d just made love again, and were warm and relaxed. Taylor was curled up against him, smiling and practically purring with pleasure.
His little librarian was not a shy thing in bed.
“Come with me to San Francisco for a week,” he said. “We can fly out together, spend the week in California, and then have you back the following Sunday in time for work Monday.”
She opened her eyes, looked at him. “I wish I could—”
“Why can’t you?”
“Doug.”
He kissed her, his hand tangling in her hair. It was meant to be a quick reassuring kiss, but the moment her lips touched his, he just wanted more. That was the thing about her. It didn’t matter how much he had of her, it was never enough.
When the kiss finally ended, he stroked her flushed cheek then watched her sit up. “What about Doug?” he asked.
“I worry about him.”
“I know you do, but Taylor, he’s a young man—” Troy saw her lips part in protest and he added firmly, “—on his way to becoming a mature man and he can handle you being gone for a week. It’s good for both of you to have some independence, and you can rest easy knowing he’s at Brock’s and nothing’s going to happen to him there. Everybody in the bunkhouse will keep an eye out for him, and there’s no one more maternal than Harley. She’s one of five kids herself. She’ll take good care of Doug. You know that.”
Taylor lay back down next to him, nestling close. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her, feeling her tension. She was still so worried.
“What else?” he asked.
“My job.”
“Will be waiting. No one’s going to fire you over taking a few days off, and good grief, wouldn’t it be nice to miss one week of that horrible Tuesday Night Book Group?”
Taylor giggled and then her giggle turned to a heavy sigh. “But Maureen will talk. The
gossip
.”
“And if it’s not Maureen, then it will be Carol Bingley, who used to gossip about all us Sheenan boys. But what I’ve learned is that even if you don’t go, or do anything bad, those same folks will talk anyway. It’s not personal. It’s just what they do.”
She stifled another sigh “True.”
He smoothed her long dark hair back from her face, kissed her bare shoulder. He’d loved it when she’d giggled a moment ago. She sounded so young and carefree and it made his heart lift, happy. He’d never met anyone he’d wanted to make laugh the way he wanted to make Taylor laugh. He’d never met anyone he’d wanted to love the way he wanted to love her.
Taylor Harris deserved the sun and the moon.
And Troy Sheenan was damned determined to give her the sun and the moon and all the stars in the sky, too.
“I love you, Taylor.” He kissed her again. “And if you’re not ready to leave Marietta yet, that’s okay. San Francisco will always be there. You come see my world there when you’re ready.”
She was silent a long moment. “Is that where you’d want to raise your kids... in the city?”
An interesting question, one he hadn’t asked himself before but now that she’d put it to him... no. He didn’t want to raise his kids in a big city. He’d want to raise them here, in Marietta. “I think my kids would have to be raised in Montana. With you here, it once again feels like home.”
She sat up, pulling the sheet with her. “You’d live on the Sheenan ranch?”
“No. We’d find our own place.” He saw her eyes widen at the use of
we
. “Preferably a big house on Bramble Lane,” he added, tugging on a long strand of her dark silky hair. “That way during the summer our kids could walk to the library to see their mom.”
Taylor blinked hard, her eyes turning liquid. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“I want to marry you, Taylor.” He hesitated a moment, and smiled crookedly. “I couldn’t imagine any woman more perfect for me.”
She knocked away the tears. “And you wouldn’t mind if I wanted to work after we got married and had kids?”
“Of course not. You’re my book girl. How could I take you away from what you love most?”
“But maybe I love you most,” she said softly.
“That’s a good answer.” Smiling, he reached out to catch the next tears before they could fall. “But there is no reason you can’t have a family and do the work you love. I believe in you, Taylor. I believe you should be who you want to be. If you want to continue at the library, I’m one hundred percent behind you. If you want to work part-time, then that’s what you should do. And if you want to stay home, I’m good with that, too. But I love you too much, and respect you too much, to make life decisions for you.”
“You are one evolved man, Troy Sheenan,” she whispered, leaning over to kiss him.
He pulled her down on top of him, kissing her back, tasting the salt of her tears. “My mother taught me well.”
“I wish I could have met her, Troy.”
“I wish you could have, too. She would have loved you. You would have been the daughter she never had.”
“I hope we have a little girl. We could name her after your mom.”
“I hope we have a little girl, and I hope she looks just like you.”
“But without the big glasses.”
“I’d love it if she wore big glasses. It’ll help keep all the boys away.”
Taylor punched him lightly in the shoulder. “I thought you said you loved me in glasses.”
“I do. But as you know, I’m highly evolved.”
Taylor didn’t know whether she should laugh, cry or punch him again. “So most boys don’t like girls who wear glasses.”
“Well, we both know that most boys are fools. Let’s just say
I
personally think book girls should rule the world.”
She laughed and kissed him. “You are so good with words.”
“I mean every word I say.” He clasped her face in his hands, and kissed her slowly, thoroughly, completely. “I love you, Taylor, with all my heart, and I want to have a life with you, and make babies with you, and grow old with you. You are my friend, my lover, and my future.”
Taylor just grinned. How could she possibly argue with that?
The End
The Taming of the Sheenan Novels
If you enjoyed Beauty’s Kiss, you’ll love the other Taming of the Sheenan novels!
Book One: Christmas At Copper Mountain
Brock’s story–
buy it now
!
Book Two: Beauty’s Kiss
Troy’s story–buy it now!
Book Three: Home To Me
Cormac’s story–coming in May 2014!
Montana Born Brides
The excitement is building in Marietta, Montana, with a series of stories centered around the 100
th
Anniversary of the Graff Hotel and—as part of the celebration—an incredible Wedding Giveaway.
The Graff Hotel has enlisted the entire town to stage a spectacular 100-year repeat of the Great Wedding Giveaway of 1914. Photographs and posters of the original event inspired a look back to an elegant time. Woodrow Wilson was President of the United States and King George V ruled England. High fashion drawings featured long skirts and elaborate feathered hats. As the dance craze swept the world, everyone was learning the tango… hemlines started to rise and “dance shoes” became popular.
Today’s Great Wedding Giveaway seeks to recapture the style and grace of Marietta’s past and launch a campaign to make Marietta a wedding destination. So couples from all over the country are invited to enter the contest and compete for the works—air fare, bridal gown, flowers, photography, food, the wedding suite at the Graff, a honeymoon, and more.
The stories in the Montana Born Brides series bring you the heart, humor, and charm of Marietta and the people who want to get married there (or not). Some brides are sweet, some are sassy, and all are as unique as Montana snowflakes. Watch for new releases… you won’t want to miss a single one!
Click here to learn about Montana Born Brides releases:
Also by Jane Porter
When Jenny Wright’s fiancé leaves her standing at the altar in a Vera Wang bridal gown she can’t afford, she’s humiliated and heartbroken. To have Marietta hero bull riding champ Colton Thorpe witness her shame – makes the rejection even more devastating.
Jenny and Colton grew up in the same rough neighborhood and they both left home right after school to pursue big dreams. Now they’re both back, with Colton as the celebrity chair for the 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo, and Jenny in disgrace.
Sexy, rugged Colton didn’t get to be a national champion by chance. He’s a man that takes risks and goes after what he wants. During the rodeo weekend, Colton makes it clear he wants Jenny. Flustered but flattered, Jenny finds it difficult to resist his charm. But what happens when the rodeo ends and Colton leaves town? Will she dare to dream again?
Find out more at
MontanaBornBooks.com
!
About the Author
Bestselling author Jane Porter has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award four times and has over 12 million copies in print. Jane’s novel,
Flirting With Forty
, picked by Redbook as its Red Hot Summer Read, went back for seven printings in six weeks before being made into a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear. A mother of three sons, Jane holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and makes her home in sunny San Clemente, CA with her surfer husband.