Montana Hearts (22 page)

“The builder who wanted to turn the Owens property into a housing development unexpectedly put the land up for sale today,” Sammy Jo informed him. “After I got that confession out of Winona and Harley on my cell phone, everyone connected with them has been either ‘going on vacation' or ‘moving to another state.' ”

“Goes to show how many ­people Susan and Wade Randall were spoon-­feeding profits when they posed as ranch managers and embezzled the Collins money,” her father muttered.

“Winona had set up a special bank fund for the Randalls to slip the Collinses' money into,” Sammy Jo informed him. “In return, they were giving her a cut of the money. She blames the Collinses for scaring the Randalls off and taking away her incoming share.”

“As if it was rightfully hers,” her father scoffed.

Sammy Jo nodded. “Winona thought if she could force Collins Country Cabins into foreclosure, she could recoup her loss by selling their land to the builder next door. With Harley and his friends' help, of course.”

Her father shook his head. “I never should have trusted her. And when I suspected she was up to no good, I should have warned the Collinses before she stole away more of their money.”

“They're hurting financially, but the good news is, everything is set for when the big wedding party comes in next week. The money they receive from that should help them survive.”

“Unless someone else is on the Randalls' payroll.” Her father sat up in the bed and frowned. “Does anyone know where Susan and Wade might be now?”

“Bree says the private investigator they hired has tracked them across several Midwestern states, and it's possible they might be headed back to Montana. But they are still on the move and he just can't seem to get ahead of them.”

Her father hesitated, then asked, “Did the Collinses say anything about me?”

Sammy Jo pursed her lips. “They aren't pressing charges, if that's what you mean. In fact,” she said, arching her brow, “Jed has invited us over for dinner as soon as you're up for it.”

Her father's expression softened. “He did?”

“Yes,” she said, and smirked. “I told him you'd be happy to bring dessert—­humble pie.”

Her dad chuckled. “I'd better bring two. I owe Loretta an apology as well.”

A triple knock sounded on the bedroom door and Sammy Jo met her father's gaze. “Are you expecting company?”

“Maybe,” he said, and when he turned toward the door his eyes gleamed and his face took on an expectant expression.

The door opened and Sammy Jo gasped.
“Mom?”

“Hi, baby,” she said, wrapping her in a giant hug. “How are you?”

Sammy Jo looked at her mother's happy, smiling face, and back to her dad, then said, “Great. I think everything is great.”

After all, if there was a chance it might work out for her mom and dad after all this time, after everything that had happened, then she had to believe there was hope for her and Luke, too.

In fact, she'd tell Luke she wasn't giving up on him this very night . . . just as soon as they came face-­to-­face at Ryan and Bree's engagement party.

L
UKE TAPPED HIS
cane against the edge of his seat as he waited for the doctor to come back with the results of his newest X-­rays. He didn't think he'd be able to get in so soon, but someone else had canceled and the receptionist had been eager to have him fill the open slot.

The door opened and Luke froze, unable to breathe. Then the doc said, “Good news. I don't think you need to have the surgery.”

“What?” Luke stared at the images the doctor brought up on the computerized screen on the wall in front of him. “How is that possible?”

“Well, it's been a while since your accident and it's given your torn ACL ligament time to heal. With the recent physical activity, your muscles have strengthened around the old wound, giving it better support. So I have a few recommendations for you.”

“Yes?” Luke asked, giving the doctor his full attention. He'd do whatever the doctor suggested. Anything, if it meant avoiding the surgery.

“First, keep riding . . .”

Luke came home from his appointment feeling like he'd just won the lottery.
No surgery. No being put out with that risky nitrous gas or sleep cocktail or whatever medicine they used these days.

Even more importantly, the doctor had said that if he agreed to physical therapy twice a week and kept up with the riding, he should make a full recovery. It would take time, but he
could
look forward to a day when he would no longer need the assistance of a cane. A day when he would be
whole
.

He glanced at the cows back in their pen, munching on the hay Delaney had tossed in for their evening feed, and shifted his gaze to the influx of guests bringing suitcases to their assigned cabins.

Bree had found out one of the newcomers was a country singer and hired him to perform at the engagement party. Luke's sisters had spent most of the day decorating the backyard gazebo in teal and white streamers and Sammy Jo had hung a banner that read Congratulations, Bree and Ryan.

He couldn't wait to see Sammy Jo tonight. She'd been over almost every day, as usual, and they'd talked about what happened at the bank, but they hadn't spent much time alone.

Besides helping Bree get ready for the engagement party, she'd stopped in at the horse camp to see her kids and tended to her father's shoulder wound. Luke hoped now that the feud had been called off, her father would
finally
allow her to date.

At least that was the plan.

The Walford twins ran up beside him as he headed down the path toward the horse barn.

“Mr. Luke, guess what?” Nora exclaimed, shuffling the load of towels in her arms.

“Bree isn't going to make you do any more laundry?” Luke teased.

“No!”
both girls squealed in unison.
“We're going to the engagement party with Devin!”

“Both of you?”

“Yes!”
the girls cried, their excitement almost contagious.

“Those awful girls from Travel Light Adventures were chasing him and poor Devin had nowhere to run and hide,” Nora explained. “And so we—­”

“We used our key to open one of the empty cabins,” Nora cut in, talking over her sister. “And he was so grateful that he agreed to be our date!”

Luke arched his brow and asked, “You don't mind sharing ‘Dreamy Devin' with each other?”

“Not tonight,” Nora assured him.

“We're just so happy to all be together,” Nadine agreed, giving her twin a high five.

Luke thought of Sammy Jo and his own sisters and how they'd all grown up together. The happiest moments
were
the ones they'd shared.
“The more the merrier,
”
Grandma always said. His thoughts returned to the engagement party and he began to formulate a new plan, one that would make it extra special . . . for all of them.

Nora looked over his shoulder and gasped. “There's Devin now.”

As the twins dropped off their load of clean towels in the cabin beside them, and ran to catch up with the new ranch hand, Luke chuckled.

If only everyone could be that happy.

L
ATER THAT EVENING,
Luke searched through the faces of dozens of guests, waiting for Sammy Jo to show.

The Walford twins, dressed in matching sparkly, blue, off-­the-­shoulder dresses, giggled as they passed by on either side of Devin, their arms looped through his.

He spotted his niece, Meghan, and beside her, Delaney with Zach Tanner, and it looked like they might actually be
flirting
.

Then his gaze slid over to his sister Bree, stunning in her brown cowboy boots and fashionable red dress, one of her own designs. Ryan held her hand, keeping close, his eyes never straying too far from hers. Except to glance at his son, Cody, who greeted everyone and seemed to think tonight's party was all about him.

A second later Luke spotted A.J. Malloy. “Hey, thanks for coming. Tonight and . . . that night at the dance hall.”

A.J. shot him a quick, easy grin. “Couldn't let you get all the credit. The town will be talkin' about that one for years to come. This time we'll
all
be legends.”

Luke laughed at the reference, then admitted, “I didn't know whose side you would take when you found out your aunt was involved.”

A.J. shrugged. “She's only an aunt by marriage. And even if she wasn't, she got what she deserved. But hey, you better not stand here talkin' to me all night. Look over there. Isn't that your woman?”

“Indeed it is,” Luke said and, tipping his hat, took his leave.

“Luke Collins,” Sammy Jo said, weaving her way through the throng of ­people as she made her way toward him. “I have something to say to you.”

“Well, I guess that's good because I have something to say to you, too,” he said, his tone matter-­of-­fact.

She looked beautiful wearing a sleek, purple gauzy thing that emphasized her figure in all the right places. And her long dark curls had been pulled away from her face in a soft twist at the back of her head. While he preferred her hair down most times, the style
did
expose her neck—­which Luke was mighty tempted to lean down and kiss. Especially as she stopped short and stared up at him.

“D-­did you get a haircut?” she stammered, her eyes wide.

He took off his hat to reveal the short chop he'd received at the barber. “They took a little off the top.”

“More like four inches!” she exclaimed.

“You like?” he teased.

“I—­I do, but—­” She narrowed her gaze. “But what I wanted to tell you was that my mother came to visit and—­”

“Your mother is here? Now?” Luke's spirits plummeted. Something wasn't right. Sammy Jo had that stubborn scowl on her face, the one that said she'd already made up her mind about something and she'd fight anyone who dared to try to change it. His jaw tightened. “Are you going to live with your mother?”

“I hope so,” Sammy Jo told him, her tone wistful.

Obviously she hadn't forgiven him. He drew in a deep breath, his pulse racing, and said, “I'm
sorry
I accused your dad of being a rustler and trying to sabotage our ranch.”

Sammy Jo shrugged off his apology as if it didn't make much difference. “Anyone would have suspected him, given the evidence.”

“You can't go,” he said, swallowing hard. “I can't let you go to Wyoming.”

“Wyoming?” she repeated. She gave him a puzzled look and then laughed. “When I said I hoped to live with my mother, I meant
here
. I'm hoping she decides to stay.”

Luke released his breath and relaxed. “Well, that's okay, then.
We're
okay, right?”

“That's what I wanted to tell you,” Sammy Jo said, and gave him a teasing smile. “I'm the one who's not letting
you
go. I won't push you, but when you're ready to finally fall in love, I want you to know . . . I'll still be here.”

“No, actually,” he said, glancing around and then taking her hand and moving her closer to the front of the gazebo. “You need to be right
here
.”

“What? Luke, what are you doing? You just made me bump into those nice innocent ­people and now everyone's looking at us.”

“My beloved sweetheart, Sammy Jo,” he said, drawing her into his arms.
“I love you. I adore you. With all my heart.”
He grinned when her eyes widened and it became clear she recognized the sweet-­talkin' verse. “And I've decided I just don't want to date you. I want to marry you.”

The music suddenly shut off, more faces crowded around, and Luke didn't think he'd ever seen Sammy Jo look so nervous.

“You want to marry
me
?” she asked, as if half-­afraid this was all a hoax.

He watched his future bride glance over at his sister Bree, who smiled and pulled the cord unfurling the second banner. One that let Sammy Jo know this wasn't just Ryan and Bree's engagement party. It was
theirs
.

“You said you'd only marry for love and so I'm here today announcing to all these fine ­people,
on bended knee
,” he added, dropping down onto his good leg, “that I love you and I want you to be my wife. The only question is . . . do
you
love me?”

“Yes.” Tears sprung into her eyes and for a moment it didn't look like Sammy Jo could speak. Then with a brilliant smile and more force, she repeated,
“Yes!”

As she helped him back up onto his feet, a loud cheer rose into the air, followed by a tumultuous roar of thunderous claps from the ­people in the crowd around them. But Luke didn't pay them much attention. The minute his new fiancée flung herself into his arms, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.

“Now that you've agreed to this deal, you know I'm not going to let you back out, right?” he teased.

“I wouldn't want to,” Sammy Jo said as she wrapped her hands behind his neck. “
Never in a million years
would I ever want to.”

“And you'll promise to love me all that time?” he pressed.

She nodded. “Of course!”

“And kiss me every day? Morning, noon, and night?”

“Luke Collins,” she said, giving him one of those big, flirtatious smiles he loved. “I never knew you could be so persistent.”

He grinned, then moved in for another kiss, one she'd remember forever, and promised, “Whatever it takes, sweetheart. Whatever it takes.”

 

Keep reading to discover the very first book

in fan-­favorite Darlene Panzera's new series . . .

MONTANA HEARTS: HER WEEKEND WRANGLER

Bree Collins has finally come home to Fox Creek, Montana to manage her family's guest ranch. She knows she can handle any challenges that come her way, but when the infuriating Ryan Tanner reappears in her life, Bree suddenly has doubts about her ability to stay professional-­and away from the handsome cowboy.

Ryan Tanner is in a bind. He needs to train a young foal for the upcoming show but its mother would rather bite his hand off. Just his luck the cute cowgirl from his past arrives back in town. Bree just so happens to have a reputation for taming animals of this nature. Ryan is willing to make a deal with her, but he has no intention of being swayed by her sweet smile or the tenderness she shows his young son.

Yet when fate brings them together, falling for one another becomes the easiest thing in the world. Ryan might just want to wrangle this cowgirl's heart . . . but will Bree give him the chance?

Available Now from Avon Impulse