Runaway Temptation

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

One (#ub9f92427-f13f-5a1b-9a5b-cf72d4aabe78)

“I hate weddings.” Caleb Mackenzie ran his index finger around the inside of his collar. But that didn’t do a thing to loosen the tie he wore, or to rid himself of the “wish I were anywhere but here” thoughts racing through his mind. “I feel like I’m overdressed for my own hanging.”

Caleb wasn’t real fond of suits. Sure, he had a wide selection of them since he needed them for meetings and business deals. But he was much more comfortable in jeans, a work shirt and his favorite boots, running his ranch, the Double M. Still, as the ranch grew, he found himself in the dreaded suits more and more often because expansion called for meeting bankers and investors on their turf.

Right now, though, he’d give plenty to be on a horse riding out across the open range. Caleb knew his ranch hands were getting the work done, but there were stock ponds to check on, a pregnant mare he was keeping an eye on and a hay field still to harvest and store.

Yet instead, here he stood, in the hot Texas sun, in an elegant suit and shining black boots. He tugged the brim of his gray Stetson down lower over his eyes and slanted a look at the mob of people slowly streaming into the Texas Cattleman’s Club for the ceremony and reception.

If he could, he’d slip out of town. But it was too late now.

“You’re preaching to the choir, man.”

Caleb nodded at his friend Nathan Battle. If he had to be there, at least he had company.

Nathan settled his cowboy hat more firmly on his head and sent a frown toward his pretty, very pregnant wife standing with a group of her friends. “I swear, I think Amanda really enjoys it when I have to wear a suit.”

“Women’ll kill you.” Caleb sighed and leaned back against his truck. As hot as he was, he was in no hurry to go inside and take a seat for the ceremony. Given a choice, he’d always choose to be outside under the sky. Even a hot and humid August day was preferable to being trapped inside.

“Maybe, but it’s not a bad way to go—” Nathan broke off and asked, “Why’re you here, anyway? Not like you’ve got a wife to make you do what you don’t want to do.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Nathan winced and said, “Sorry, man. Wasn’t thinking.”

“No problem.” Caleb gritted his teeth and swallowed the knot of humiliation that could still rise up and choke him from time to time. The thing about small towns was, not only did everyone know what everybody else was doing—nobody ever forgot a damn thing. Four years since the day his wedding hadn’t happened and everyone in Royal remembered.

But then, it wasn’t like he’d forgotten, either.

Amazing, really. In the last few years, this town had seen tornadoes, killer storms, blackmailers and even a man coming back from the dead. But somehow, the memory of Caleb’s botched wedding day hadn’t been lost in the tidal wave of events.

Nathan shifted position, his discomfort apparent. Caleb couldn’t help him with that. Hell, he was uncomfortable, too. But to dispel the tension, Caleb said lightly, “You should have worn your uniform.”

As town sheriff, Nathan was rarely dressed in civilian clothes. The man was most comfortable in his khaki uniform, complete with badge, walking the town, talking to everyone and keeping an eye on things. He snorted. “Yeah, that wouldn’t fly with Amanda.”

A soft smile curved his friend’s mouth and just for a second or two, Caleb envied the other man. “When’s the new baby due again?”

“Next month.”

And, though he knew the answer already, Caleb asked, “How many will that make now?”

Nathan grinned and shot him a wink. “This one makes four.”

A set of four-year-old twin boys, a two-year-old girl and now another one. “How many are you planning, anyway?”

Nathan shrugged. “Who says there’s a plan? Mandy loves babies, and I have to say I do enjoy making them.”

Marriage. Family. All of that slipped by him four years ago. And now that Nathan had reminded him, Caleb idly wondered how many kids he and Meg might have had by now if things had gone the way he’d expected. But the night before their wedding, Meg had run off with Caleb’s brother, Mitch. Now the two of them lived on the family ranch with their set of twins. Three years old, the boy and girl ran wild around the ranch and Caleb put whatever he might have felt for kids of his own into those two.

There might still be tension between him and his brother, Mitch, not to mention Meg. But he loved those kids more than he would have thought possible.

“Mitch and Meg still out of town?” Nathan asked, glancing around as if half expecting to see them walking up.

“Yeah. Visiting Meg’s family.” And Caleb had been enjoying the respite.

“That’s one way to get out of going to a summer wedding.”

“Amen.” Caleb loosened his tie a little. Felt like he was beginning to melt out here in the sun. He spared a glance at the sky and watched a few lazy white clouds drifting along. “Who plans a wedding in August, anyway? Hotter than the halls of hell out here.”

“You know how the Goodmans are,” Nathan answered. “The old man figures he knows everything and the rest of them—except Brooke—just fall in line. Probably his idea to hold it in high summer. No doubt he was aiming for it to be the talk of the town.”

That sounded like Simon Goodman. Though the man was Caleb’s lawyer, that was more from inertia than anything else. Goodman had been Caleb’s father’s lawyer and when the elder Mackenzie died, Caleb just never bothered to change the situation. So his own inaction had brought him here. Truth be told, Caleb usually avoided attending any weddings since it inevitably brought up old memories that he’d just as soon bury.

“Anyway,” Nathan said, pushing past the uncomfortable pause in the conversation, “I’m the town sheriff. I’m sort of forced to be at these society things. Why the hell did you come?”

Caleb snorted. “Normally, I wouldn’t have. But Simon Goodman’s still the ranch attorney. So it’s business to be at his son Jared’s wedding.” And he made a mental note to do something about that real soon. He shrugged. “If Mitch and Meg had been in town I’d have forced my brother to go instead of me. But since they’re gone, I’m stuck.”

Served him right, Caleb told himself, for letting things slide. He never should have kept Simon on. He and Caleb’s father had been great friends so that didn’t speak well of the man.

He’d let the lawyer relationship stand mainly because it was easier than taking time away from work to find someone new. Between running the ranch and expanding the oil-rich field discovered only twenty years before, Caleb had been too damn busy to worry about a lawyer he only had to deal with a few times a year.

Looking for a change of subject, Caleb said, “Since you’re here, that means the new deputy’s in charge, right?”

Nathan winced. “Yeah. Jeff’s doing fine.”

Caleb laughed. “Sure, I can hear the confidence in your voice.”

Sighing, Nathan pushed one hand through his hair and shook his head. “With Jack retired, I needed a deputy and Jeff Baker’s working out. But he’s from Houston so it’s taking him some time to get used to small town living.”

Caleb had heard about it. Jeff was about thirty and a little too strict on the law and order thing for Royal. The new deputy had handed out more speeding tickets in the last six months than Nathan had in years. Folks in Royal hit an empty road and they just naturally picked up speed. Jeff Baker wasn’t making many friends.

“Hell,” Caleb said, “I’ve lived here my whole life and I’m still not used to it.”

“I hear that,” Nathan replied, shifting his gaze to where his wife stood with a group of friends. “But I’ve been getting a lot of complaints about the tickets Jeff’s handing out.”

Caleb laughed. “He’s not going to slow anybody down.”

“Maybe not,” Nathan agreed with a nod. “But he’s going to keep trying.”

“I expect so,” Caleb mused, then glanced over at Nathan’s wife who was smiling and waving one hand. “I think Amanda wants you.”

Straightening up, Nathan gave a heartfelt sigh. “That’s it, then. I’ll see you after. At the reception?”

“I don’t think so. Soon as I’m clear, I’m headed back to the ranch.”

Another sigh. “Lucky bastard.”

Caleb grinned and watched his friend head toward the Texas Cattleman’s Club building. The place was a one-story, rambling sort, made of dark wood and stone, boasting a tall slate roof. It was a part of Royal and had been for generations. Celebrations of all kinds had been held there and today, it was a wedding. One he’d have to attend in just a few minutes.