It Happened One Wedding Night

  Stories of family and romance beneath the Big Sky!

  “You get to me, Daisy,” Ryder said in a husky voice.

  Her mouth went dry and she knew she was trembling. “We’re so different, you and I,” she murmured.

  “That kiss Saturday night wasn’t a run-of-the-mill kiss.”

  “What was it?” she asked softly.

  “Special. Too special for you to pretend it didn’t happen. I know you’re trying to protect yourself and your child. But I want you to consider something, Daisy. Consider not protecting yourself from me.”

  Before she could manage an adequate response, he brushed his lips across hers, then opened the door and stepped back outside into the sleet and rain.

  When the door closed, she touched her fingertips to her lips. Ryder’s heat was still there, and it burned all the way to her soul.

  KAREN ROSE SMITH

  It Happened One Wedding Night

  KAREN ROSE SMITH

  Award-winning and bestselling author Karen Rose Smith has seen more than sixty-five novels published since 1992. She grew up in Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Valley and still lives a stone’s throw away with her husband—who was her college sweetheart—and their two cats. She especially enjoys researching and visiting the West and Southwest where her latest series of books is set. Readers can receive updates on Karen’s releases and write to her through her Web site at www.karenrosesmith.com or at P.O. Box 1545, Hanover, PA 17331.

  To Edie Hanes. For your constant support, encouragement and friendship. Thank you.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  The country music blaring from the jukebox inside the Hitching Post, a popular watering hole on the outskirts of San Antonio, didn’t make conversation easy. But Ryder Redstone wasn’t interested in conversation. He hadn’t been interested in much of anything since the night of his half brother’s wedding reception in September. Usually calf roping and the rodeo circuit kept him keyed up, ready to tackle the next competition.

  Tomorrow morning he was leaving for California to compete for a substantial purse and a brand-new truck. But even that thought didn’t get his adrenaline flowing. It seemed only thoughts of Daisy Harding did. That one night they’d spent together…

  Since that night he’d had to frequently shrug off the vision of her face as he’d discovered she was a virgin, as well as the memories of the pleasure that had over-taken them both. A thirty-year-old virgin! At first he’d been astonished, then particularly pleased until he’d awakened to find her gone. Since then, he’d kicked himself up and down. After all, Daisy was his new sister-in-law’s sister.

  You’re spending entirely too much time thinking about a woman you might never see again, he silently admonished himself.

  Looking for a distraction, he caught sight of a blonde standing at the end of the bar. He’d spotted her here a couple of times before. She was a looker, with her curly hair, blue eyes and tight jeans.

  Suddenly the bartender yelled for Ryder and pointed to the phone.

  Immediately worried that something was amiss with his parents at Rimrock Ranch—he’d told them he was stopping here—he scraped back his chair and strode quickly to the phone.

  “How much are you going to win in San Diego this time?” It was his half brother Cade.

  He and Cade had their mother’s Cheyenne blood in common. Ryder’s birth father, who’d been a good father to Cade, too, was also Cheyenne. The bonds of heritage united the family in a way nothing else could. “I’m going to win a shiny crew cab along with enough money to see me through the year.”

  “Whew! High stakes. How about doing me a favor afterward?”

  Cade was the responsible older brother, steady, now married and settled down. The illegitimate son of a deceased Montana landowner, Cade had been called to Whitehorn, Montana, by his newfound grandfather last spring to receive his legacy. He’d decided to stay a month or so to get to know Garrett Kincaid and other members of his family, as well as to forget about a fiancée who’d left him at the altar. Instead he’d met Leanne Harding, married her, and was now building a life there. He wouldn’t be asking for a favor if he didn’t need one.

  “Trouble?” Ryder asked. The Kincaid ranch where Cade was living had seen its share.

  “Everything’s fine, but I’d like you to come up and start some green colts that I bought. Within the next week or so we’re going to have our hands full with calving. You could help out with that in your spare time.”

  Ryder laughed. There was no spare time on a ranch, especially not on one the size of the Kincaid spread.

  February and March were slow months for rodeoing. He could give Cade some of his time if that’s what he needed. “Sure I can get them started. But don’t you have someone to help out?” Ryder remembered a tall, brooding, blond wrangler who’d kept his distance from Ryder whenever he’d visited Cade.

  “I don’t like the way he handles the horses. He could learn a lot from you.”

  “I’m no teacher,” Ryder said. “You know that.”

  “Yeah, I know. Everything you do, you do by instinct. But just watching you around the horses might help Watts get the hang of how I intend to handle training around here.”

  Ryder planned to leave tomorrow morning to drive to San Diego. Add on five days for the rodeo, another four or five to get back up to Montana. “I’ll be there in about two weeks. Is that okay?”

  “That’s great. And good luck in California. I’ll be watching for that new truck.”

  Ryder grinned as he said goodbye, and his gaze rested again on the woman still standing by the bar. Her blue eyes looked into his brown ones as friendly as all get-out. Why sit alone when he could have the company of a pretty woman? And maybe more.

  But as he ambled toward her, he saw Daisy Harding’s face once more. If his visit to Cade lasted long enough, he might run into her again.

  Or he might not.

  He told himself it didn’t matter.

  One

  Daisy was still in shock as she parked in front of one of the detached garages on the Kincaid ranch. She’d quit her job and still couldn’t quite believe she’d done it!

  She laid her hand protectively over her stomach. She’d only started wearing maternity clothes the past few weeks when none of her old clothes would fit. That’s when the rumors around the school and among parents had apparently started.

  Yesterday, to her dismay and astonishment, Mr. Gladden, the principal of the private school in Sedgemore who had hired her for her specialized skills in teaching reading, had called her up in front of the board of directors. They’d had questions for her. Personal questions. Too personal for her liking and none of their business. The members had asked if she was engaged, if she planned to marry. It was obvious where the inquiries were headed—to dismissal. Her contract contained an ambiguous morals clause the board could interpret however it wanted. So before they could fire her, she’d quit. Upset when she’d gotten back to her apartment, she’d called her sister, Leanne, to finally confide in her that she was pregnant.

  Daisy climbed out of her well-worn but reliable SUV, opened the back door and removed her suitcase. Her recital to Leanne had been met with stunned silence until her sister’s usual buoyancy had taken over. Concerned about Daisy and
up in arms at a school that would do such a thing, Leanne had invited her to come and stay at the Kincaid ranch for as long as she needed to.

  But every time Daisy visited here, she remembered what had happened in a bedroom on the first floor the night an irresistibly sexy cowboy named Ryder Redstone had woven a spell around her.

  An icy blast of early February wind tossed Daisy’s thick, long brown braid over her shoulder as she walked to the door of “The Mansion,” as both her brother Rand, who was foreman on the ranch, and her sister called it. Daisy had no sooner set down the suitcase and pushed the doorbell when Leanne opened the door and enveloped her in a huge hug. After an “I’m glad you’re here,” she scolded, “You shouldn’t have carried that suitcase. I could have brought it in for you.”

  Leaning back in Leanne’s embrace, Daisy studied her younger sister. Leanne’s long, wavy chestnut hair fell just below her shoulders. Her green eyes, which looked so much more spectacular than Daisy’s brown ones, sparkled. There was an energy about her that always filled a room. Daisy loved her sister dearly despite the fact that she’d felt eclipsed by her ever since Leanne was born. “The suitcase isn’t heavy. I didn’t bring much.”

  Leanne studied her, looking worried. “Why didn’t you tell me about the baby sooner?”

  “Because I didn’t want to answer all the questions you’d have.”

  Leanne shook her head, grabbed the suitcase and hustled Daisy inside. “Cade’s checking the heifers down at the calving barn, but Garrett and Collin are here. There’s some trouble about the sale of the property, and they’re staying until it’s straightened out.”

  The history of the Kincaid ranch was long and complicated, but when Wayne Kincaid put it up for sale, Garrett, patriarch of the estranged side of the family from western Montana, decided to buy it for seven very good reasons. He’d discovered his deceased son, Larry, had fathered seven illegitimate children. Garrett was still searching for the youngest. As a legacy for the grandchildren he’d never known, he intended to buy the ranch in Whitehorn and give it to them in reparation for things they’d missed all their lives. Cade was one of those grandsons.

  “Why is there a problem with the sale?” Daisy asked. “I thought it was a done deal.” Last spring Garrett had called a reunion at the ranch, bringing relatives in from far and wide.

  “We thought so, too. But some man named Jordan Baxter supposedly found a document that said he had the right of first refusal to buy the place, and he’s contesting the sale. Garrett and Collin are fit to be tied.”

  “But we’ll get the whole thing settled.” Garrett’s strong voice boomed throughout the living room. At seventy-two, he was tall and strong. His Native American heritage was evident in the contours of his tanned face; his blue eyes were welcoming as he strode toward Daisy.

  “Leanne said you were coming. You make yourself at home and stay as long as you like.” He looked as if he debated with himself about something, but then continued. “Leanne told us you’re with child, and I just want you to know there’ll be no judgments here.”

  Garrett’s firm, gentle words brought tears to Daisy’s eyes. She’d liked the older man ever since she’d met him at Leanne’s wedding. His paternal attitude toward her had made her feel like one of the family. “Thank you.”

  Garrett cleared his throat. “So you quit your job?”

  Apparently Leanne had told him everything. Suddenly she was worried just who knew about her pregnancy. Trying to put that aside for the moment, she answered, “If they don’t want me there, I don’t want to be there.”

  “Good for you.” Turning, Garrett went to the foyer closet and pulled out a down parka. “I’m going out and give Cade a hand. Do you want me to deliver any messages?”

  Leanne grinned at him. “You could tell him I miss him.”

  Garrett chuckled and shook his head, muttering, “Newlyweds,” then headed for the door.

  As soon as the heavy wooden portal had closed behind him, Daisy asked, “Just who did you tell about my pregnancy?”

  “Cade, Collin and Garrett. Why? Anyone who sees you will know. It looks as if you’re five months along.” She paused for a moment. “Due in June?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Daisy answered vaguely. She certainly didn’t want to get into a specific due date with her sister. “You haven’t told Rand yet?”

  “I tried to call him, but he went into town. Besides, I thought you’d want to tell him yourself.”

  Rand was the perfect older brother, the perfect firstborn. He was strong, athletic, and intelligent, and always did everything right. He’d been foreman on the Kincaid ranch for years. After he’d married, he’d moved into a house on the spread with his new bride and her younger brother. Rand was as proud as he could be of Suzanne and their son, Joe. But Daisy knew he wouldn’t be proud of her in her condition. Ever since their parents had died, Rand felt he had to act as a father figure.

  “He’s going to want to know who the father is.” Leanne hooked her arm in her sister’s and led her into the living room that was decorated in a Western motif. “I’m curious myself.”

  Daisy thought about Ryder, about that wonderful night… He might have woven a sensual spell around her, but she wasn’t blameless. She’d let herself be seduced because her biological clock was ticking and she’d wanted a child. Before the wedding, she’d seriously thought about finding a sperm donor. But then she’d met Ryder. A few glasses of champagne after Cade and Leanne’s wedding reception had loosened her inhibitions. Ryder’s kisses, the thought of a baby, and a yearning she’d never experienced before had convinced her that her virginity was outdated and at age thirty she’d better reach for what she wanted or she’d never have it. But when she’d awakened in the middle of the night, naked, lying beside Ryder Redstone, she’d been horrified at what she’d done, slipped out of his room, packed her bag and gone back to Sedgemore.

  After she’d discovered she was pregnant, she’d told no one.

  Now anyone could see the result of her decision that night, but she wasn’t saying who the father was. No one had to know that her new brother-in-law’s half brother was the father of this child. Not Leanne, not Cade, and certainly not Ryder. She’d heard about his reputation with women when he’d arrived at the ranch for the wedding. He was a rodeo cowboy who didn’t know the first thing about commitment, fidelity or roots. There was another reason, too.

  “So are you going to tell me who the father is?” Leanne pressed.

  “Lee, I don’t want to discuss it, okay?”

  After a very long, probing look, her sister nodded. “All right. I won’t push for now, but you know Rand will. I invited him and Suzanne for supper. You might as well get it over with.”

  Daisy realized that if she’d wanted to hole away in seclusion, she should have gone somewhere else. But she knew her family loved her and, after tonight, hopefully they’d just let her figure everything out on her own.

  Leanne made Daisy a cup of tea and insisted she eat a biscuit left over from breakfast. The ranch’s housekeeper had quit to find work closer to her family in northern Montana, so for the time being, Leanne was taking over the chores.

  She showed Daisy to a guest room upstairs. It was the same one Daisy had used when she’d arrived for Leanne and Cade’s wedding celebration. The walls were covered with pink rosebud wallpaper. The bed, dresser, washstand and chest were polished dark pine. It was a pleasant room, warmed by the afternoon sun.

  “Take a nap while I make supper,” Leanne suggested.

  “I thought I’d help—”

  Leanne waved her offer away. “There’ll be time for that. First and foremost you have to take care of yourself and your baby.”

  Daisy’s hands went to her belly. “I intend to take very good care of this child. I love him or her so much already I just can’t believe it. I’ve started reading everything I can find, crocheting booties, buying little toys—” She stopped.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you quite so excited about an
ything, except maybe teaching. You really want this baby, don’t you?”

  “I really want this baby.”

  Leanne gave Daisy another hug, then left her alone.

  Giving in to fatigue that wasn’t as bad as earlier in the pregnancy, Daisy fell asleep. When she awoke, she took a shower, then dressed. Never fashion-conscious, knowing she couldn’t compete with Leanne, or any of the other pretty girls at school, Daisy had always dressed comfortably, in jeans and large sweaters, skirts and tailored blouses. She’d bought herself new clothes for her pregnancy, but they were comfortable, too. Tonight she wore a long-sleeved, gray sweater with her maternity jeans.

  Fortunately, Rand and his family didn’t arrive until everyone was ready to sit and eat. When he saw Daisy, a look of astonishment crossed his face. He hadn’t seen her since Christmas when loose clothing had hidden any weight she’d gained. But she just hugged his wife Suzanne, kissed her nephew Joe, then took the place Leanne had assigned her at the immense dining-room table. At least five conversations went on around the table at any one time during the meal and Daisy sat back and listened, avoiding her older brother’s gaze.

  From Collin Kincaid, Garrett’s legitimate grandson, she received a gentle smile that said his attitude toward her was the same as his grandfather’s. But after dessert Rand came around the table, took her arm, and said, “Let’s go to Cade’s office to talk.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about, Rand.”

  “Who’s the father?”

  “I’m not discussing the father.”

  “Does he know?”

  “This is my baby, Rand.”

  Her brother drove a hand through his hair. “What’s gotten into you, Daisy? Usually Leanne is the wild one, the stubborn one. And how come you’re here when school’s in session? Are you feeling okay?”

  The concern in Rand’s voice touched her, and she knew she had to tell him about her job. “I’m fine, but I quit my teaching position before they could dismiss me because of the pregnancy.”