{"id":4731,"date":"2017-12-25T17:32:43","date_gmt":"2017-12-25T07:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.30.214.42\/blog\/?p=4731"},"modified":"2022-09-24T17:00:20","modified_gmt":"2022-09-24T07:00:20","slug":"montana-madness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/montana-madness\/","title":{"rendered":"Montana Madness by Marilee Crow"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Montana<\/a><\/p>\n

When Whitney Cooper inherits a house and five acres in Montana, she jumps at the opportunity to begin a new life. A life without fear…<\/p>\n

In an unpleasant surprise, she’s crushed to discover her house is attached to a ranch belonging to the Martin family. The reception she gets from Jared Martin is anything but welcoming. Even as she wonders what could be worse than what she was running from before, accidents that threaten her life bring back the terror she believed she’d finally escaped in moving to Montana.<\/p>\n

Often left with the bitter taste of regret after an encounter with Whitney, Jared acknowledges he has bad habit of jumping to conclusions about her–the unfair aftereffects of a bad romance in his past. The pull of desire he feels whenever she’s around is the last thing he wants or needs, but he’s certain she’s hiding something and he’s determined to find out what. Will Jared discover too late that keeping Whitney safe could cost them both their lives…along with his heart?<\/p>\n

GENRE:\u00a0 Romantic Suspense\u00a0 \u00a0 Word count: 65, 234<\/p>\n

\"Author<\/a><\/p>\n

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(ebooks<\/strong> are available from all sites, and print<\/strong> is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and some from Angus and Robertson)<\/i><\/p>\n

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\"blue<\/p>\n

\"Reviews\"\u00a0<\/strong>outstanding<\/a> \u00a0<\/em>Great book, really enjoyed it.<\/em><\/p>\n

~ Joanne E. Herrmann<\/a> (Amazon Customer)<\/p>\n

\n

Prologue<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

A dark forest surrounded her.\u00a0 The noises ricocheting through the woods roared in her ears.\u00a0 With every rustle, a tiny shudder rippled through her.\u00a0 Her heart began to race. <\/em><\/p>\n

“I see you,” came the singsong voice of the man she was hiding from.<\/em><\/p>\n

She took off running in a zigzag pattern between the twisted trees, their branches grabbing at her clothes, impeding her progress.\u00a0 Her chest shook with each heartbeat, and a hard, choking lump formed in her throat.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

The distinct sound of gunfire rang out, and a chill prickled the hair on the back of her neck.\u00a0 The next shot stung her upper arm like an angry bee.\u00a0 She was sick with despair, sure the next shot would drop her dead in her tracks.\u00a0 Instead, fate reached out with ensnaring fingers and pulled her down to the forest floor as the next shot buzzed over her head.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

But fate wasn’t kind, after all.\u00a0 In the next moment the man’s hand closed over her arm and pulled her up.\u00a0 The blow to her face was swift, and her head reeled from it.\u00a0 A nauseating lurch of panic, along with the wave of physical pain, accompanied the taste of blood in her mouth.\u00a0 The man shoved her hard.\u00a0 She grabbed at his shirt, grasping at anything to keep from falling.\u00a0 The star-shaped, metallic badge ripped off in her hand, its sharp edges digging into her palm.\u00a0 She sobbed at the irony.\u00a0 He was supposed to protect.\u00a0 Instead, he flung her to the ground.\u00a0 She fell awkwardly, the brunt of the fall taken on her right hip and shoulder.\u00a0 A cloud of dirt flew in her face, and she wrinkled up her nose to keep from choking.<\/p>\n

Before she could recover, the man yanked her up to her knees by her hair.\u00a0 Blood poured from her hand as she tightened her hold on the badge.\u00a0 Cold steel clicked, then the butt of the gun barrel pressed against her temple.\u00a0 Darkness engulfed her, crept in and ravished her with fear.<\/em><\/p>\n

“If I can’t have you, no one will,” he whispered against her ear.\u00a0 “Say goodbye.”<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Whitney woke with a gasp and bolted to a sitting position.\u00a0 Panic-stricken, she glanced around the room.\u00a0 Seconds passed without a breath before she realized she wasn’t in any danger.<\/p>\n

It was only a dream, another nightmare.\u00a0 She took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping in relief.\u00a0 She closed her eyes, placed a hand over her heart, and concentrated on slowing its painful, rapid beating.<\/p>\n

“Damn you, Lloyd Benson,” she whispered hoarsely as she slowly curled back up on her side, pulling the blanket more tightly around her.<\/p>\n

She lay shaking, her eyes wide open, watching the shadows dance on the closet door.\u00a0 Even awake, every noise appeared to be magnified.\u00a0 The thump of her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears and off the walls.\u00a0 She tried to ignore the steady tick of the alarm clock, but a minute later she threw back the covers and sat up.<\/p>\n

She slipped into her warm, knitted slippers, wrapped an afghan around her shoulders, and padded over to the window where she twisted the mini-blind cord just enough to see out.<\/p>\n

She wasn’t the only one up.\u00a0 Some of the houses that lined the other side of the street showed signs of life, a window here and there illuminated with light.<\/p>\n

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the beam of a headlight as it crested the hill and started its slow descent into the neighborhood.\u00a0 Instant suspicion knotted her stomach.\u00a0 As the car passed by the house, she ducked away from the window, terror invading her, piercing her chest like a cold blade.<\/p>\n

She hated herself for her fear, for allowing Lloyd Benson to strip her of her confidence.<\/p>\n

But the danger was real.\u00a0 It had been there from the first time they’d met nine months ago.\u00a0 The apprehension had been thick as syrup when he’d introduced himself and insisted on helping her move into her apartment.\u00a0 She’d become increasingly uncomfortable when he began following her, seeming to run into her everywhere.\u00a0 She’d moved twice and it didn’t help.\u00a0 It only fueled his determination.\u00a0 And when he began sending her notes and presents, she’d taken quick and immediate legal action.<\/p>\n

But that had been nine months ago.\u00a0 Nine months in and out of the courts and all she got was a piece of paper to separate her and Lloyd Benson.\u00a0 Not much of a shield against a man who thought his job as a department store security guard was equal to that of a police officer.\u00a0 Who in the world had given Lloyd Benson the right to carry a gun?<\/p>\n

Pushing herself away from the wall, she paced back and forth.\u00a0 It was nearly midnight.\u00a0 Work, rather than sleep, seemed the only option.\u00a0 She’d get the rest she needed tomorrow, in the middle of the day, when nightmares didn’t plague her.<\/p>\n

Dressed in sweat pants and a T-shirt, she went into the kitchen and heated some water for tea.\u00a0 She carried the soothing brew into the room where she’d set up her computer, then jumped as the shrill ring of the phone shattered the quiet of the house.<\/p>\n

Hot liquid sloshed over her hand. Thankfully, it was not hot enough to scald. A familiar fear knotted her stomach and uneasiness crept up her spine.\u00a0 She set down the cup and stood, tension mounting in her shoulders as she waited for the inevitable.<\/p>\n

One ring, two rings, three rings, four rings.<\/p>\n

The recorder switched on.<\/p>\n

She shuddered at the sound of his voice.<\/p>\n

“Hello, sweetheart.\u00a0 My birthday is Friday.\u00a0 Quit acting like a child.\u00a0 Come help me celebrate.\u00a0 I won’t take no for an answer.\u00a0 It’s really hard to keep this relationship going when you refuse to see me.\u00a0 I love you and I know you’ll love me, too, if you just give me a chance.\u00a0 Isn’t it about time you gave in a little?\u00a0 I know you’re upset that the restraining order wasn’t extended today, so let me make it up to you.\u00a0 I’ll pick you up about seven o’clock.\u00a0 Friday, okay?\u00a0 Just one date.\u00a0 That’s all I’m asking for.\u00a0 One date. \u00a0I won’t accept defeat until you’ve gone out with me and you’ve had a chance to see my good side.\u00a0 Friday, seven.\u00a0 Sweet dreams.”<\/p>\n

A chill spread up her arms and through her chest.\u00a0 She collapsed into her chair, pulled her knees up to her chest for warmth, and pressed her face against her legs.<\/p>\n

Her heart pounded.\u00a0 Her mind raced.\u00a0 All her plans for slipping away in two weeks had to now be done in four days.\u00a0 Her stomach clenched.\u00a0 Despite the threats of what he’d do if she ever tried to leave, of what he’d do if she moved one more time and he found her, there was no alternative.\u00a0 She wouldn’t be here Friday.<\/p>\n

Or any other Friday.<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter One<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Whitney directed her gaze out the window of the bus to catch her first glimpse of Eden, Montana.\u00a0 Extremely alien.\u00a0 Small, very small.\u00a0 She tried to smile, but anxiety seized her lips and kept them from lifting at the corners.\u00a0 Her heart beat with nervous apprehension, with the trepidation that accompanied that first step into the unknown.\u00a0 A familiar ache began in the pit of her stomach; the same feeling she’d gotten every time she’d been taken from one foster home to another.\u00a0 Seven homes in all.<\/p>\n

When the bus came to a stop, she exhaled a long, deep breath.\u00a0 California and everything that went with it was a thing of the past.\u00a0 She’d even sold her car, fearing that Lloyd Benson could have a private detective find her.\u00a0 He’d followed her enough that she was certain he had her license number memorized.\u00a0 She’d also thought it would be safer taking a bus rather than a plane.\u00a0 By taking a bus, she’d only had to buy a ticket, and that she did with cash.\u00a0 She’d even worn a disguise, just in case Lloyd had a picture of her.\u00a0 She’d taken every precaution she could think of to slip away and not be found, not be traced.\u00a0 She left no trail.\u00a0 Her future lay ahead of her now.\u00a0 She just had to step off this bus and meet it.<\/p>\n

Not more than a handful of people got off at the station.\u00a0 She retrieved her five suitcases and rented a car.\u00a0 Now, as she moved out of the station, she was taken aback by the big, puffy, white clouds scattered about against a dark blue sky.\u00a0 Beautiful, and very different from the haze she was accustomed to that hung low in the city, obscuring most everything from her view.<\/p>\n

Hills, dotted with houses, loomed in front of her.\u00a0 Snow-covered mountains rose majestically in the distance.\u00a0 A little bit of joy squeezed in beside the trepidation.<\/p>\n

Perhaps if her phone call to Mr. Smythe, Attorney at Law, had been more positive, she wouldn’t have a knot in her stomach at all.\u00a0 But it hadn’t.\u00a0 The call had been brief and disturbing, leaving her full of doubt.\u00a0 He had discouraged her from coming.\u00a0 The house she’d inherited was run-down, barely habitable.\u00a0 An offer had been made on the property and he would gladly send her a check. \u00a0She need not come at all.<\/p>\n

But she was here now.\u00a0 As she maneuvered the rental car through the downtown area, she pondered on the attorney’s insistence that selling the house would be for the best.\u00a0 How would he know what was best for her?\u00a0 She needed this house.\u00a0 She needed the safe haven it offered.<\/p>\n

After some confusion with a few one-way streets, she pulled into a parking space in front of the law office of Dixon Smythe.<\/p>\n

“May I help you?” the receptionist asked the second she opened the door.<\/p>\n

“I have an appointment with Mr. Smythe.”<\/p>\n

“You must be Miss Cooper.\u00a0 I’ll see if he’s ready for you.”\u00a0 The woman smiled up at her and lifted the phone receiver on her desk.\u00a0 “Miss Cooper is here to see you.\u00a0 Yes, sir.”\u00a0 She returned the phone to its cradle and looked at Whitney.\u00a0 “Go on in.”<\/p>\n

“Thank you.” Whitney opened one of the double wooden doors the receptionist had indicated.<\/p>\n

“Miss Cooper.”\u00a0 A silver-haired man moved to greet her, extending his hand, and giving her a warm broad smile.\u00a0 “I’m Dixon Smythe.\u00a0 I’ve invited…”<\/p>\n

“Sorry I’m late, Dix.”<\/p>\n

Enticed by a rich, mellow baritone, Whitney turned her head toward the doorway.\u00a0 There stood a tall, lean man, displaying nothing but pure male muscle.\u00a0 A wheat-colored Stetson covered a head of dark hair and sat low on his forehead.\u00a0 A quiver of awareness set her pulse fluttering as her gaze locked with blue eyes the color of cobalt.\u00a0 For one immeasurable moment, she was powerless to look away.<\/p>\n

“Miss Cooper, I’d like you to meet Jared Martin,” Mr. Smythe said, introducing the other man.\u00a0 “As I started to tell you, I hope you don’t mind me asking Mr. Martin here, but he has an interest in the house and property.\u00a0 Perhaps we can work something out.”<\/p>\n

She held out her hand.<\/p>\n

Jared swept his hat from his head and took her hand.\u00a0 His blue gaze traveled from her face, then over her figure with practiced ease.\u00a0 It was a bold appraisal, setting her skin aflame.\u00a0 Finally, he let go of her hand.<\/p>\n

“Ms. Cooper,” he said with a slight nod.<\/p>\n

His voice held a definite strain.\u00a0 A niggling of apprehension surfaced.\u00a0\u00a0 He’s wound tighter than a drum.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

“Sit down, sit down,” Mr. Smythe said.<\/p>\n

She flicked her glance from Mr. Martin and sat down, giving the attorney her full attention.<\/p>\n

“As you know from the letter I sent you, it is the will of William Cooper that you take possession of his house and the surrounding five acres.\u00a0 The property in question is attached to Mr. Martin’s ranch.\u00a0 At one time, the property belonged to the Martin family, and Jared has made a generous offer for it.”<\/p>\n

“I know.”\u00a0 Whitney frowned.\u00a0 “You already told me that.\u00a0 And I told you I have no intention of selling.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, I’ve had another offer…”<\/p>\n

“I knew it!”<\/p>\n

Whitney flinched.\u00a0 She glanced at Jared Martin.\u00a0 The man made no pretense of disguising his animosity as his gaze bored into hers.\u00a0 Her fingers gripped her purse.<\/p>\n

“Was this other offer from Stan Malkin?” Mr. Smythe asked.<\/p>\n

Whitney looked away from Jared’s clenched hands and tried to ignore the frantic beat his right foot made against the carpet.<\/p>\n

“Yes, but I told him the same thing I’m telling you.\u00a0 I’m not interested in selling.”<\/p>\n

The lawyer glanced at Jared, clearly gauging his reaction. “Miss Cooper, I assure you that the offer Jared has made is more than the house is worth.\u00a0 Are you sure we can’t convince you to accept his offer?”<\/p>\n

“I’m sorry, but, as I’ve told you several times already, I don’t have any plans to sell right now.\u00a0 I haven’t even seen the property.”<\/p>\n

Jared Martin stood.\u00a0 “I won’t waste any more of your time,” he said to Mr. Smythe between tight lips.<\/p>\n

“Jared…”<\/p>\n

A hand went up stopping whatever the older man was going to say.<\/p>\n

“I’ll talk to you later,” Jared said.\u00a0 He glanced briefly at her, and his eyes turned cold.\u00a0 “Ms. Cooper.”<\/p>\n

Anger bubbled up inside her.\u00a0 Confusion replaced it as a whiff of Jared’s aftershave hit her.\u00a0 He walked out the door, shoulders straight and taut.\u00a0 Stupid jerk. She shook her head, surprised that her thoughts had taken off in another direction.\u00a0 A direction she didn’t normally get drawn into, especially since the intrusion of Lloyd Benson.<\/p>\n

“I’m sorry, Miss Cooper,” Mr. Smythe said. “If I had known Jared would be so…so…”<\/p>\n

“I’m sorry, too,” she said, saving Mr. Smythe from finding a word to amply describe Jared Martin’s animosity.<\/p>\n

“At any rate, Jared Martin is one of the finest men I know.\u00a0 He’s not usually so abrupt.\u00a0 He’s concerned about the property.\u00a0 Mr. Malkin and Jared have had a few run-ins of lately.\u00a0 Mr. Malkin is a land developer who has bought up a number of ranches in the area and turned them into residential neighborhoods and commercial property.\u00a0 Jared has been a front-runner in keeping Mr. Malkin from expanding too much too fast.\u00a0 Mr. Malkin would love to acquire a piece of the Martin ranch.\u00a0 It would be a notch in his belt, so to speak.”<\/p>\n

“Well, that does bring the situation to light.\u00a0 I really don’t have any intention of selling and I promise if I change my mind in the future, I’ll let Mr. Martin know.\u00a0 Only Mr. Martin,” she stressed.<\/p>\n

“Thank you.”\u00a0 Mr. Smythe smiled.\u00a0 “Now, let me read you your father’s will.”<\/p>\n

“Mr. Cooper wasn’t my father,” she piped up.<\/p>\n

For a second, the lawyer was speechless.\u00a0 “Oh, I’m sorry.\u00a0 I just assumed, since you have the same last name.\u00a0 Is he your uncle then?”<\/p>\n

Now it was her turn to smile.\u00a0 “We’re not related at all.\u00a0 I met Mr. Cooper five years ago, very briefly.\u00a0 He was in California at a horse auction when he suffered a heart attack.\u00a0 I gave him CPR and saved his life.\u00a0 I visited him maybe three or four times in the hospital.\u00a0 That was the last contact I’d had with him.\u00a0 We did joke about how we had the same last name and similar backgrounds.\u00a0 He said he didn’t have any family.\u00a0 I don’t either.\u00a0 So I know by accepting his generosity that I’m not depriving someone else of their inheritance.”<\/p>\n

“I had no idea.\u00a0 William never mentioned the incident.”\u00a0 He exhaled a deep breath.\u00a0 “At any rate, the house is in pretty bad shape.\u00a0 William hadn’t lived in it the last nine months.\u00a0 Even before that he’d let things go.\u00a0 Are you absolutely sure you won’t reconsider Mr. Martin’s offer?”<\/p>\n

“I’m sure,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Then let’s just get these papers signed and you can be on your way.”<\/p>\n

She emerged from the office, the key to her house warming the palm of her hand.\u00a0 She smiled, realizing the distance she was putting between her and Lloyd Benson.\u00a0 And Rodney, she thought.\u00a0 Rodney, who always ran to her when he was in trouble, which seemed to be more and more frequently, wouldn’t be bothering her anymore.\u00a0 Ever since they were put in the same foster home, he’d relied on her.\u00a0 It had continued even as adults.\u00a0 She’d paid for his drug rehab twice, tried to get him into a trade school, and had even let him live with her for two months – a disastrous two months.\u00a0 She couldn’t take care of him anymore, not when she was struggling just to take care of herself at the moment.<\/p>\n

But that was about to all change.\u00a0 She squeezed the key in her hand.\u00a0 This was her new beginning, the first day of the rest of her life.<\/p>\n

When she stepped out of the building, her thoughts came to an abrupt end.\u00a0 She shouldn’t have been surprised to find Jared Martin waiting for her.<\/p>\n

But she was.<\/p>\n

Slipping his hands into his pockets, he stared at her with a coldness that rattled her.<\/p>\n

“Are you holding out for more money?” he demanded.<\/p>\n

“Excuse me?”\u00a0 Uneasiness swept over her.\u00a0 Not another Lloyd Benson.\u00a0 No, actually, he wasn’t like Lloyd Benson at all.\u00a0 Jared Martin probably disliked her as much as Lloyd Benson claimed to love her.\u00a0 Frustration and anger began to grow inside her as her chest constricted.\u00a0 There was something disturbing about Jared Martin.\u00a0 So disturbing, her pulse raced.\u00a0 Maybe he wasn’t like Lloyd Benson, but he could be as dangerous.<\/p>\n

He was overbearing, domineering, and judgmental.\u00a0 She could think of a few more names to describe his behavior.\u00a0 The bottom line was this man really got her dander up.\u00a0 Not only that, she was afraid that he wouldn’t take no for an answer either.\u00a0 There was one trait he shared with Lloyd Benson, after all.<\/p>\n

“I can’t offer you as much as Mr. Malkin can, but my offer is more than fair.”<\/p>\n

“Mr. Martin, I promise, if I had any intention of selling, you’d be the only one I’d talk to.”<\/p>\n

“Sometimes money talks louder than words,” he said.<\/p>\n

She gave him a quick, hard glare.\u00a0 “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Mr. Martin.\u00a0 I’m not planning on selling this place to you or anyone else.\u00a0 Now, if you’ll excuse me.”<\/p>\n

She attempted to walk away but Jared stretched out an arm and placed it on the building, blocking her.\u00a0 “Excuse me,” she said, anxiety almost overwhelming her.\u00a0 She backed against the cold brick.<\/p>\n

He leaned toward her.\u00a0 “You’re not wanted here.”\u00a0 His voice was a harsh whisper, his face taut with contempt.<\/p>\n

A sharp pain twisted through her.\u00a0 She fought the dreadful panic in her chest, fought to breathe.\u00a0 Her gaze went down to his boots.\u00a0 Don’t show him you’re afraid of him<\/em>, she told herself.\u00a0 She took several steady breaths before she raised her head and spoke.\u00a0 “That’s okay, Mr. Martin, because nothing is going to change my mind.\u00a0 It won’t be the first time I haven’t been wanted.”\u00a0 She lifted her chin slightly, not about to let him bully her.\u00a0 “I want this house very much.\u00a0 I’m staying.\u00a0 I’m sorry if that bothers you.\u00a0 I’ll do my best to stay out of your way.”<\/p>\n

To her own dismay, her voice sounded husky and shaky, revealing that what he’d said had struck a chord in her, more than she cared to admit.<\/p>\n

“We’ll see how long you last.\u00a0 Believe me, the house isn’t habitable.\u00a0 It needs a lot of work.\u00a0 A lot of work.\u00a0 Take the money,” he said.<\/p>\n

“No, thank you. \u00a0Can I go now?”<\/p>\n

He stared at her coldly a moment.\u00a0 “Why is it that vultures only come around when someone dies?”<\/p>\n

Her slap came quick and hard, its force leaving a red impression on his face, and a look of shock that mirrored her own. He seized her, his strong fingers clamping around her arms.<\/p>\n

She gasped.\u00a0 Her green eyes widened with shock.\u00a0 “I’m sorry.\u00a0 I’m sorry.”<\/p>\n

He glared at her, his eyes flaming with hostility.<\/p>\n

Frantically, she tried to pull away from his hold.\u00a0 “Please let me go,” she cried.<\/p>\n

He did, stepping back and putting distance between them.\u00a0 “Hit a little too close to the truth?” he asked.<\/p>\n

Tears welled in her eyes.\u00a0 “Before you go around calling people vultures, you’d better know what you’re talking about, Mr. Martin.”\u00a0 To her dismay, her voice shook uncontrollably.<\/p>\n

“Your father spent the last few months of his life in a rest home, Ms. Cooper.\u00a0 Alone.\u00a0 No loving daughter to console him.\u00a0 You didn’t care to visit while he was alive, but you sure came running when he died.”<\/p>\n

“Like I said, Mr. Martin, know what you’re talking about before you run off at the mouth with a bunch of utter nonsense.”\u00a0 She shook her head in disbelief.\u00a0 “My father died when I was ten years old, along with my mother and brother, in a car accident.\u00a0 You know what else?\u00a0 You’re a real bastard.”<\/p>\n

She stepped around him and walked away, relieved when he didn’t try to stop her.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Jared’s fingers curled into fists.\u00a0 God, a minute ago, when she’d slapped him, he had the urge to hit her back, but he hadn’t.\u00a0 He’d never hit a woman before and he wasn’t about to start now.\u00a0 He stood there a moment, fighting his own demons.<\/p>\n

Then, something awakened in his mind.<\/p>\n

An old feeling crept up from the depths of his being.\u00a0 Attraction.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 It couldn’t be that.\u00a0 A fevered tension bolted through him.<\/p>\n

Damn!\u00a0 That couldn’t be it.\u00a0 He couldn’t possibly be attracted to a heartless witch.\u00a0 Not someone who was cool and unfeeling.<\/p>\n

Jared frowned.\u00a0 What had she said?\u00a0 Her parents and brother died ten years ago in a car accident?\u00a0 Was it possible he was wrong about Whitney Cooper?\u00a0 He was so sure this beautiful woman–and he had to admit she was beautiful–had abandoned her father years ago.\u00a0 It had irritated him when he’d found out that William Cooper had left everything to who he’d presumed was his daughter.\u00a0 He had no tolerance for abandonment.\u00a0 His own mother had walked out on her family, leaving four young children confused and heartbroken.\u00a0 He’d really never even considered, until this moment, that maybe William had walked out and never looked back.\u00a0 But if Whitney wasn’t his daughter, then what was she to him?\u00a0 A niece?<\/p>\n

Jared took off his Stetson, ran a hand through his hair, and plopped the hat back on his head.\u00a0 He took a deep breath and returned to the building to talk with Dixon Smythe.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Whitney barely made it into the motel room before a stream of tears tumbled down her face.\u00a0 She tried to hold them back.\u00a0 Jared Martin had no right to treat her that way.\u00a0 How dare he judge her?<\/p>\n

She had learned over the years to ignore whatever people thought of her, hadn’t she?\u00a0 So, why did this man’s animosity disturb her?<\/p>\n

She spotted the key on the nightstand, took it and squeezed it tightly.\u00a0 Jared Martin wasn’t going to scare her away.\u00a0 But she’d wait until tomorrow to drive out to the house.\u00a0 She’d decided that only when she’d passed by the motel.\u00a0 She wasn’t up to another confrontation.\u00a0 She’d turned around and gotten a room. Now, she stripped off her clothes and headed for the shower.\u00a0 Under a stream of hot water, she willed the drops to wash away all the loneliness she had bottled up inside her, along with the tears streaming down her face.\u00a0 Wash everything away and let a fresh new life emerge.<\/p>\n

But it didn’t happen.<\/p>\n

The water turned cold.\u00a0 She turned off the tap, wrapped a towel around her body and another around her hair, walked on shaky legs to the bed and collapsed in another fit of tears.\u00a0 They continued until she had cried herself into a state of exhaustion.\u00a0 When there was no more emotion, she rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.\u00a0 Now she felt better.\u00a0 Exhausted, numb, but better.\u00a0 She couldn’t remember ever crying like that.<\/p>\n

Whitney longed for a sense of belonging.\u00a0 She had hoped it would be here, but Jared Martin had shaken her confidence.<\/p>\n

Jared Martin be damned!<\/p>\n

She had lost a loving family, endured years of indifference and anxiety.\u00a0 The end result had made her a loner, afraid of commitment, uncomfortable with touching, hugging, and intimacy.\u00a0 All her passion had gone into her career as a school psychologist and her artwork.<\/p>\n

It was safer that way.<\/p>\n

It was predictable.<\/p>\n

It passed the time.<\/p>\n

She sat up on the bed and glanced into the mirror directly across from her.\u00a0 She clenched her teeth.\u00a0 What a ghastly sight she made.\u00a0 At twenty-eight years old, with an education and a God-given talent for illustration, she should be happy.<\/p>\n

But she wasn’t.\u00a0 And it was about time that changed.\u00a0 She sniffled.<\/p>\n

“Jared Martin, here I come,” she whispered to the mirror.<\/p>\n

That made her smile.\u00a0 A weak smile, but a smile just the same.<\/p>\n

She took off the towels, put on an oversized T-shirt, and combed her hair.\u00a0 Her eyes felt gritty.\u00a0 She lay on the bed, closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, wet hair and all.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Jared sat nursing his second beer.\u00a0 Beer–it wasn’t nearly strong enough to dull his senses.\u00a0 It didn’t take away any of the pain.\u00a0 And it only made the frustration more intense.\u00a0 He took a long drink, set down the bottle, and squeezed the neck in frustration.<\/p>\n

Searching his memory, he tried to remember if anyone had ever called him a bastard before.\u00a0 To his knowledge, no.\u00a0 She was the first one, the only one.\u00a0 Damn!<\/p>\n

“So, what’s she look like?”\u00a0 Rob slipped into an empty seat at the kitchen table across from Jared.<\/p>\n

“Who?”<\/p>\n

“Come on, big brother,” Rob chuckled.\u00a0 “Will’s daughter.\u00a0 What does she look like?”<\/p>\n

“She’s not Will’s daughter.”<\/p>\n

“She’s not?”<\/p>\n

“No.\u00a0 Not his daughter, not his niece. \u00a0She’s no relation at all.”<\/p>\n

“Then–”<\/p>\n

“According to Dixon, she performed CPR on Will five years ago.\u00a0 She saved his life.\u00a0 That she has the same last name is just a coincidence.”<\/p>\n

“CPR?\u00a0 What for?”\u00a0 Rob asked.<\/p>\n

“Apparently Will had a heart attack.”<\/p>\n

“And he never told us?”<\/p>\n

Jared shook his head.\u00a0 “No.\u00a0 But that’s just like Will.\u00a0 He never did share his life, past or present, with us.”<\/p>\n

Rob expelled a breath.\u00a0 “So, what does she look like?” he asked for the third time.<\/p>\n

Jared frowned.\u00a0 “Who?”<\/p>\n

“Ms. Cooper.”<\/p>\n

“I didn’t get that close of a look,” he lied.<\/p>\n

He remembered exactly what she looked like.\u00a0 She was petite in stature, not more than five foot four, but curved in all the right areas.\u00a0 Her hair was the color of spun honey, cut just above the shoulders.\u00a0 She had a stubborn chin, a generous, full mouth.\u00a0 But it was her eyes he remembered most.\u00a0 They were green, emerald green, sizzling with anger.<\/p>\n

Something stirred inside him.\u00a0 He felt it then and he felt it now.<\/p>\n

He squirmed in his seat.\u00a0 He’d been sorely tempted to stop her quivering with a kiss.\u00a0 He took another deep gulp of his beer.\u00a0 Was her hair as soft as her lips?\u00a0 Immediately, he stopped his train of thoughts, reminding himself exactly why he was still unattached.\u00a0 He didn’t trust women.\u00a0 For the last four years he hadn’t given any female a second thought.\u00a0 Not since Rachel had deceived him.\u00a0 So why should Whitney Cooper be any different?\u00a0 Was it because of the guilt he felt for the way he’d treated her?\u00a0 After all, he did owe her an apology.<\/p>\n

“Earth to Jared.”<\/p>\n

Jared glanced at his younger brother.<\/p>\n

“I think you’re holding back.\u00a0 I guess I’m just going to have to find out for myself.\u00a0 When is she coming out to the house?”<\/p>\n

His body went rigid.\u00a0 “The last thing you need in your life right now is another woman, so don’t get any ideas.”<\/p>\n

Rob gave a little snort of laughter.\u00a0 “I already have my sights set on someone.\u00a0 I’m divorced, not dead.\u00a0 Unlike you, I still want to find a woman to spend the rest of my life with.\u00a0 I guess in our case, practice makes perfect.”<\/p>\n

“I don’t have time for a woman.\u00a0 I’ve got Katelyn to rear.”<\/p>\n

“Have you ever thought that maybe Katelyn needs a woman around?”<\/p>\n

“What’s wrong with Aunt Vivian and Carly?”<\/p>\n

“Hell, Jared, you haven’t been involved with anyone since Rachel.\u00a0 Don’t you realize that there are women lined up just itching for your attention?\u00a0 All you have to do is reach out to one of them.”<\/p>\n

“I don’t want just any woman.”<\/p>\n

Rob smiled.\u00a0 “God, I think you’re human after all.”<\/p>\n

Jared lifted the bottle to his lips, downing the rest of the liquid, needing it to anesthetize him as a shadow of pain drifted over his mind.<\/p>\n

“Maybe the right woman hasn’t come along yet,” he said quietly, his thoughts drifting to Whitney Cooper.<\/p>\n

Rob lifted his bottle.\u00a0 “Here, here.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Montana<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Whitney Cooper inherits a house and five acres in Montana, she jumps at the opportunity to begin a new life. A life without fear… In an unpleasant surprise, she’s crushed to discover her house is attached to a ranch belonging to the Martin family. The reception she gets from Jared Martin is anything but welcoming. Even as she wonders what could be worse than what she was running from before, accidents that threaten her life bring back the terror…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":206174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[209],"tags":[81,56,290,52,551,55,633,305,120,126,417],"class_list":["post-4731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-romance","tag-kindle","tag-amazon","tag-book","tag-ebook","tag-marileecrow","tag-romance","tag-romantic","tag-suspense","tag-weeauthors","tag-whattoread","tag-writersexchangeepublishing"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/montana-madness-3d-cover-updated-2022.jpg?fit=897%2C1249&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1tQiy-1ej","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4731"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":206182,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4731\/revisions\/206182"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/206174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}