A Daring Proposal Read Free

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    Reality crashed over her. She broke the kiss. The eyes staring down at her were dark, like storm clouds rolling over the Rockies. With passion? Desire? Love?
    Wake up and smell the manure, Chaney. If Jed ever desired you, it was for a quick roll in the loft. Love never entered his mind.
    “I lied.”
    “Lied?” he asked, his voice definitely whiskey toned, but a bit rough around the edges.
    “I do still take dares.”
    At his continued confusion, she nodded toward the bridesmaids giving her the thumbs up fr om the side of the dance floor.
    “I know I shouldn’t let the society girls of Crescent get to me, but sometimes I forget how old I am. Be sides, they called me chicken.”
    Jed’s features eased. A grin pulled at the corners of those scrumptious lips and he pulled her close again. She felt her resolve to keep her distance waiver.
    “You never could stand being called chicken.”
    “Still can’t,” she said as the music ended. Trying to step out of his embrace she found herself held fast by the iron band he called an arm. “Is there a problem?” she asked, knowing she needed to get away from him soon to rebuild her defenses.
    “Where did you learn to kiss like that?” he asked as the next song began.
    Chaney couldn’t believe the unhappy frown on his face. If she thought she had truly affected him, it would be a great boon to her ego. Her ego, which had taken a huge beating with the reading of her father’s will. Travis McBride had made it clear he didn’t believe his oldest daughter could attract a man without the ranch as a dowry. The reminder caused her lighthearted reply to sound more forced than she would have liked.
    “Practice,” she said . Obviously, surprised by her answer his hold loosened. Chaney twirled out of his embrace. Then she forced herself to walk, not run away.
    ***
    Jed watched her weave her way across the dance floor. Her long silky hair, normally pulled out of her way into a braid or ponytail, fell softly over her shoulders. Had he really imagined the caramel warmth in her eyes? The thoughts held him immobile until guests bumped into him on the dance floor. He started to follow her and demand to know just whom she’d been practicing with. Thankfully, the stupidity of the thought stopped him. Chaney didn’t owe him any explanations. The ones he owed her would never see the light of day. Even if they did, he doubted she would believe them.
    With a grin of resolution pulling at his lips, he shook off the charge her kiss had given him. She’d shot down his proposal. Nothing else mattered. He caught sight of his uncle waving him over and grudgingly made his way to the older man.
    Dale didn’t look as hard as Jed remembered, granted, his memories were jaded by the night he’d left town. He’d been back once before to attend his aunt’s funeral. At that time, his uncle barely spoke to anyone. If Dale ever loved anyone, it had been her. Her loss had no doubt been hard on him. Not that his uncle would admit it. His features may have softened with age, looking at his still straight posture and rock hard stare, Jed doubted his demeanor had changed.
    “That was quite a performance out there.”
    Jed didn’t say a word. He knew nothing he said would make a difference anyway. He simply stood beside Dale and stared unseeing at the people on the dance floor. He and his uncle had barely spoken since Jed left twelve years ago. Since that time, he only talked to Steve. If his cousin hadn’t asked him to be part of the wedding, he wouldn’t be here now. He also wouldn ’t have made a fool of himself daring Chaney to marry him. Damn Steve.
    “Just because her father’s gone, doesn’t mean you can come back and everything between you two will be the same. You know how he felt about you.”
    “Hate is hard to forget.”
    “That it is. Not to side with the man, but back then you were looking for a way to prove you weren’t worthy of anything or anyone. You took the surest