Dream Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #1) (18 page)

After
Sarah was sure Sage was asleep, she quickly dressed and reached into the pocket
of her Levis for the note she'd written earlier. Going to his dresser, she set
the envelope on top of his Stetson. Turning for a last look, her eyes lovingly
caressed his face before she tiptoed to the kitchen to grab his truck keys off
the peg. Running back to the dorm, she quietly slipped into her room and
grabbed a suitcase. After hauling it to the bed of the truck, she returned for
the other one. Finally, with her heart hammering, she made her last trek to the
dorm to retrieve her travel case, laptop, and purse. Glancing around her dorm
room, she silently bid goodbye to Lazy M Ranch. Slinking through the hall and
great room, she went back to the truck and prayed no one would hear the engine
turn over. Slipping the truck into gear, she backed away from the house and
turned down the long drive. When she was out of sight of the house, she punched
the gas pedal. At the Shop Til You Drop Truck Stop, she parked in the back and
walked to the payphone to call a cab.

* * *

Sage
stretched and yawned and then grinned when he remembered his night of passion.
He was in love with Sarah Carter a.k.a. Mims Murphy and as soon as he was free
of the disaster he'd created for himself, he was going to take her somewhere
special and tell her.

He
rolled over intending to suggest they shower together. Her side of the bed was
empty. Maybe she was already in the shower and he'd surprise her. He sat up and
scratched his chest. When he started toward the bathroom, he noticed something
on top of his hat. Walking naked to his dresser he felt a tingling of
foreboding. He reached for an envelope and ripped it open. Reading Sarah's
words made him want to pound his fist in the wall.

Sage,

We've
had a fun fling, but now it's time to move on. Our worlds are as different as
night and day. For me, the thrill of your world would soon wear thin. For you,
the sameness of mine would drive you stir crazy. Reality has reared its head
and it's time to accept who we are. I borrowed your truck. You'll find it at
Shop Til You Drop Truck Stop. The key is on top of the passenger tire. Thanks
for all the great research and I wish you a happy life. I'll never forget you
or Julie.

—Mims

Sage
crumpled the note and threw it across the room. Their relationship had only
been a "fling" for her?

Sprawled
across her bed, Julie devoured the pages of the book Tooty had secreted to her
the previous day. She read the last word and closed it. Smoothing her hand over
the cover, she reached and set it on the bedside table before rolling onto her
back and placing her hands behind her head. After a few minutes of staring at
the ceiling, she grabbed the book back up. She was on a mission. Checking the
barn first, she found her dad brushing Jackel.

He
paused and said, "Hey, Julie, what have you been doing all day? You
usually spend your Saturdays riding or hanging out with Tooty."

She
stopped a few feet from him with her hand behind her back. "Dad, I'm going
to ask you to do something and you have to promise you'll say yes."

"How
can I say yes to a request like that?"

"You
can say yes because you trust me."

Her
father studied her face. "Okay, since you put it like that. What do I have
to do?"

She
pulled her hand from behind her back and shoved the book
Dream Kisses
at
him. "You have to read this."

He
took one look at himself on the cover and went back to brushing Jackel. "I
don't want to read it. It wasn't right the way she just up and left."

"Dad,
you
promised
. And
I promise
you won't be disappointed. You
probably don't know this, but Sarah named her characters Tarah and Gage."
She let that tidbit of information sink in. "And besides, the way you've
been moping around since she left, maybe reading the story will give you
closure." Oh, that last line was brilliant. Now he'd have to read it. She
grinned inwardly when he reluctantly accepted the paperback.

* * *

Sage
watched Julie walk away and grimaced when he looked at the book.
Crap.
Now
he was curious. Giving Jackel a final pat, he tucked the novel in the waistband
of his Levis, grabbed his hat, and headed toward the house.

Dawn's
light peeked through his curtains when he read the last page. He finally
understood Sarah. At precisely nine o'clock, he was in town and waiting for the
library to open. Heading to the bank of computers, he called up the internet
and found Mims Murphy's website. He searched her site until he found her
schedule.

Two
weeks later, he entered the Annual Romance Writers' Convention in San
Francisco. According to Mim's website she and several other authors were speaking
at the gathering. He located the intricately carved double doors of the
auditorium and, inhaling deeply, stepped inside. He was about to turn heads,
and he knew it.

The
woman at the podium stopped speaking. Behind her, another woman sitting beside
Sarah, pointed, and heads in the audience turned. Sage stepped forward until he
was in the aisle. A middle aged redhead in an aisle seat shouted, "Oh, my
God!" The young blonde beside her gasped and covered her mouth. An elderly
lady on the opposite aisle stood and squealed, "It's Gage Garrett from
Dream
Kisses!"
By then, the entire audience had turned to look at him.

Dressed
as he had been for the cover of
Dream Kisses,
he slowly stepped forward,
purpose accentuating every step. Several women began fanning themselves with
their program sheets. He reached the first row and stopped again. Glancing down,
he winked at a lady rapidly fanning her pink face with her purple program, and
she fell backwards against her neighbor.

Returning
his gaze to a stunned Mims Murphy alias Sarah Carter alias Tarah Casey, his
silence charged the atmosphere. The only sound was the squeak of a chair.
Finally, he started to speak and someone shoved a microphone in his hand. He
looked at it and shrugged. Lifting it, he said in a deep timbre,

"Tarah
Casey what were you thinking to leave me? I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't
live without you. I'm wasting away, day by day. I no longer possess my heart;
it has been stolen by you. I, Gage Garrett, am but a shell of a man without
you. I am begging you to return to Liberty Ranch…Lazy M Ranch…and make me
whole."

Silence
reined when he finished his memorization of Gage's words from the last chapter
of
Dream Kisses,
with the words, "Lazy M Ranch," added
.
He now said, "Sarah Carter, because I'm on the cover of your book, I once
jokingly asked what I was doing in those pages. I read
Dream Kisses
and
now I know. I was falling in love with you. Will you marry me and have my
babies?"

At
his words, several women swooned and the convention turned into pandemonium.
Sage vaulted onto the stage and Sarah jumped from her chair, running and launching
herself into his arms. Sissy Johansen grabbed a microphone and said,
"Sarah, I
told
you he gave you
that
look." The audience
went wild.

Sage
entered the kitchen with a four year old twin under each arm. "I think the
two of you need to tell Mommy what you've done."

Sarah
glanced at her husband who was trying, but failing, to maintain a stern look. A
grin threatened to expose his disciplinary action as being totally faked. She
looked from Preston's apprehensive expression to Toby's wide smile.

Sage
continued, "Seems they were watching Ann decorate the dorm for Julie and
Jacob's wedding reception tomorrow and wanted to recreate the crepe paper look
in our bedroom…with toilet paper."

"Yeah,
Mommy, it's beautiful. We covered everything," Toby said proudly.

"We'll
clean it up," Preston offered.

Sarah's
mouth gaped.

"What
should we do about these boys, Sarah?"

 Sarah
glanced at their sons and then back at Sage. "Umm, I think Daddy should
demonstrate the technique of cleaning up toilet paper." Unable to keep a
straight face, she covered her smile with her hand.

Sage
set the boys on the floor and pointed in the direction of the bedroom.
"You boys start cleaning up the mess while Daddy discusses something
important with Mommy."

Grateful
for their reprieve the boys ran off. Sarah heard Toby say, "I told you she
wouldn't be mad." Preston pushed Toby and Toby pushed back. She looked at
Sage and waited to hear what was so important.

He
leaned in, "I was thinking that after the wedding we could steal away for
a few days and pretend we're on our honeymoon again."

Sarah
leaned back. "Oh, so you have to
pretend
you're on a honeymoon with
me? What happened to the real thing?"

Sage
didn't miss a beat. "How about we
pretend
first, and then
follow-through with the real deal? That way we get to do it twice." He
grinned and walked to the door, but turned to look back. "In fact, as soon
as our bedroom is free of toilet paper, I'm putting the boys down for a nap. I
think it would be a good time to test the waters of pretending versus reality.
See which one we like best."

Sarah's
heart hammered. "I'll help with the clean up."

Thank you for reading Book One in the
Romance
on the Ranch Series.
After introducing Ann Hackstetter in
Dream Kisses,
I knew she and Jackson Martinez had to have their own book,
Honey Kisses.
I adore Jackson, and come to find out, he adores Mrs. Hackstetter. How they
come to their happily-ever-after is fraught with heartache, mystery, deception,
misunderstandings, and a secret thrown into the mix.

In
Baby Kisses,
Tooty Townsend is grown
up and has her hands full as a single mom trying to make a living and raise
Harris, her four year old. Reclusive author, Miles Brightman; pen name Maxwell
Henry, is looking to hire a personal assistant while in Colorado finishing up
his latest suspense thriller. Sarah Tanner recommended Tooty for the job and
she's swallowing her pride to apply. Her mischievous little boy met Mr.
Brightman at her best friend's wedding and asked him if he wanted to become his
daddy.

As for
Candy Kisses,
the saga continues,
only with a most unlikely heroine. I think you will be surprised when you read
the excerpt to discover just who she is.

Read on for excerpts from
Honey Kisses
,
Baby
Kisses,
and
Candy Kisses.

Novels and Novellas by Verna Clay:

Western Romance

Contemporary:

Romance on the Ranch Series

Dream Kisses

Honey Kisses

Baby Kisses

Candy Kisses

Historic:

Unconventional Series

Abby: Mail Order Bride

Broken Angel

Ryder's Salvation

Finding Home Series

Cry of the West: Hallie

Rescue on the Rio: Lilah

Missouri Challenge: Daisy (coming soon!)

Fantasy Romance

Shapeling Trilogy

Roth:  Book One: Protector

Fawn:  Book Two: Master

Davide: Book Three: Prince

11:11: Countdown to 2012

The Theory of Everything

Far Into Yesterday (Novella)

Jazmine (Novella)

 
Sci-Fi Fantasy Romance

The Ordinaries (coming someday!)

Honey Kisses

Romance on the Ranch Series

Chapter One Excerpt

Pastor Porter boomed, "I now pronounce you
husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Ann lifted a tissue to blot tears as she watched
her only child, Jacob, kiss Julie Tanner, now Julie Hackstetter. Across the
aisle, Julie's father and stepmother, Sage and Sarah, lovingly held hands. Sage
lifted Sarah's hand to his lips and kissed it.