Love on the Wild Side Read online

  Table of Contents

  “I’m worried about you, Dade, really.

  Kudos for Mariah Ankenman

  Love on the Wild Side

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Read the first of Mariah Ankenman’s Peak Town, Colorado series from The Wild Rose Press, Inc., with Maggie and Colton’s story…

  A word about the author…

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  “I’m worried about you, Dade, really.

  You seem to have a medical condition.”

  She came closer, stopping about a foot in front of him. The smell of sugar wafted off her tempting porcelain skin. Probably from Maggie’s cupcake shop. Sugar and spice described Elizabeth perfectly. She looked so sweet and sexy, but once she opened her mouth, nothing but smartass remarks. Drove him insane.

  He tipped his hat back, brushing the sweat off his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “Oh really? And what condition would that be?”

  She stepped closer, placing a finger on his chest. His body burned from the contact. Just one, tiny touch, and he wanted to pull her closer and see if that smart mouth could be put to better use.

  He wanted her and hated that he wanted her. She was not his type. Not by a long shot. He liked sweet women, soft-spoken women who enjoyed quiet nights at home or a peaceful stroll at sunset.

  There was nothing quiet or peaceful about Lizzy—though she didn’t let him call her that. The woman was high-octane energy. She was loud, pushy, and outgoing. Everything he was not. They were like fire and water.

  So, why the hell did he want her so much?

  She was beautiful, there was no denying that. Long, strawberry-blonde hair, clear, smoky gray eyes. At six three, he dwarfed most women, but she matched him perfectly. Even in those ridiculous heels, she came just about eye to nose with him. The perfect height for him to lean over and press his lips to hers. He would never do that. For many reasons—one being he wasn’t entirely sure she wouldn’t bite him if he tried.

  Kudos for Mariah Ankenman

  2013 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist

  *

  Author of Daemon Uprising,

  also released by The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  Love

  on the Wild Side

  by

  Mariah Ankenman

  Peak Town, Colorado, Book 2

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Love on the Wild Side

  COPYRIGHT © 2017 by Mariah Ankenman

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Kristian Norris

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Yellow Rose Edition, 2017

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-1252-1

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-1253-8

  Peak Town, Colorado, Book 2

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To all my friends and family

  who encouraged me to follow my dreams.

  And to my Prince Charming.

  Thank you for being my human spell-check.

  Chapter 1

  “I’m engaged!”

  “Wahoo!” Elizabeth Hayworth cheered over the phone. “That is fantastacular news, Maggie.”

  Melodic laughter rang over the line. “That’s not a word, Lizzy.”

  “It’s a combination of fantastic and spectacular.”

  “Still not a word.”

  “It should be.”

  Lizzy sighed as her giddy best friend recounted the proposal story. She didn’t really need to hear it. Colton, Maggie’s boyfriend—now fiancé—had called a week ago asking for help with the set up.

  She was happy for her friend. Maggie had been in love with Colton Denning since before she and Maggie ever knew each other. Childhood friends had turned into something more when her old roommate moved back to Peak Town almost a year ago. Lizzy didn’t know the cowboy very well, but her friend loved him, and that was really all that mattered.

  The two lovebirds had been having a rough time lately, though, what with someone sabotaging her best friend’s cupcake shop and trying to kill her, but at least the culprit had been discovered.

  It was so crazy Lizzy almost hadn’t believed it—sounded more like one of the bad B list movies her father made than anything in real life. But it happened, and Maggie almost lost her life when she was shot. Lizzy never wanted to clobber someone more than when she’d heard her best friend had almost been killed.

  No one hurt her best friend.

  No one.

  The assailant was in jail now, and Maggie was on her way to recovery.

  “I don’t know why I’m telling you how it happened. I’m sure Colton got your help in the planning, didn’t he?”

  “He did.” She smiled even though her friend couldn’t see. “He wanted to make sure it was perfect for you. I helped him pick out the ring. Do you like it?”

  “I love it! And I love Colton.” The other woman let out a happy sigh. “I never imagined I could be this happy.”

  Her smile slipped. She was happy for her friend; if anyone deserved to be happy it was Maggie. But all that happiness just pointed out the emptiness in her own life.

  “I don’t think I even need to ask but—”

  “Yes. I’ll be your maid of honor,” she interrupted. “We’ve only been planning each other’s weddings since junior year of high school!” She laughed loudly into the phone. The guffaw swallowing the delicate sound of her friend’s gentler chuckle.

  “Can you come by the ranch tonight for dinner? We want to have a celebration. Nothing big. Just me, Colt, you, and Dade.”

  Ugh, Dade Denning. Colton’s brother, ranch co-owner, and all around stick in the mud. From the moment they’d met, she and Dade had butted heads. The cowboy was sexy as sin, but had the humor of a potato.

  A couple passed by the bakery shop window and smiled. She waved, smiling back. She’d only been in Peak Town a few weeks, but everyo
ne was really friendly. Must be a small town thing. The place felt like Mayberry sometimes.

  “Dade’s going to be there?” She tried to keep the disdain out of her voice.

  “Why do you two hate each other so much?”

  Guess I failed.

  “Well, I can’t speak for him, but I don’t hate Dade. I just extremely dislike him.”

  “Okay,” Maggie said. “Why do you extremely dislike him then?”

  Sighing, she snatched up a Chocolate Volcano cupcake. She was going to gain so much weight looking after this shop while her friend healed. “For one thing, he tried to bar me from your hospital room after you got shot, and after I flew over a thousand miles to see you.”

  “He didn’t know who you were.”

  “I said I was your best friend!”

  “Well, how was he supposed to know that? He’d never seen a picture of you or anything.”

  “Also, the man has no sense of humor. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the guy crack a smile. I’m sure his face would break if he even tried.” She took a big bite of the cupcake, savoring the moist chocolate and creamy frosting. Oooooo, mama! The weight gain was so worth it.

  “Lizzy…are you eating the cupcakes again?” Her best friend’s voice was laced with suspicion.

  She quickly swallowed the huge bite, almost choking on it, muffling out a, “No.”

  “Elizabeth Audrey Hayworth.”

  Ew—she hated her full name. It sounded so pretentious. Exactly what her Hollywood elite parents had intended.

  “Fine. You win. I’m eating another cupcake. But seriously, Maggie, if you didn’t want people to eat them, stop making them so good.”

  Soft laughter trickled over the phone. “I haven’t made a cupcake for the bakery in weeks remember?”

  Yeah, she did. Maggie was up at the Denning ranch recovering from a bullet wound to the gut. Lizzy had come to Peak Town—or Podunk Town as she liked to call it—to help out, among other reasons.

  “True, but I swear Jamie and Tony can cook just like you, especially Tony. That kid is a natural.”

  “I know. I’m glad he decided to work for me. I think he’s going to be big someday.”

  Tony had worked on the Denning ranch with his Uncle Juan, the ranch foreman. Maggie recognized his talent and offered to help him expand his culinary skills. Her best friend rocked that way. “He sure does make a delicious cupcake.”

  “But no one will be able to taste any of his delicious cupcakes if you keep eating them all,” the baker admonished.

  “Yeah, yeah. I should stop or I’m going to weigh three hundred pounds soon.” Putting the tasty pastry down, she stared at it with longing. “This is pure torture, Maggie. I swear it wasn’t this bad when we worked at La Central.”

  “That’s because it was a full restaurant. I only made half a dozen desserts. You filled up on pasta before you got to the cheesecake.”

  “Mmm, pasta.”

  Living in Hollywood, most people were following the latest fad diets—paleo, gluten free, juice cleanse. Not her. She loved food, any kind and all flavors, and refused to give it up. Thankfully, she was blessed with a high metabolism that let her eat almost anything. Still, if she wanted to fit into her future bridesmaid’s dress, she better watch the sugar intake.

  “So, you’ll come to dinner tonight?”

  What? Oh right, dinner at the ranch to celebrate the engagement. It sounded great except for—

  “And you’ll be civil to Dade? He is going to be my brother now.”

  “Brother-in-law, but yes I’ll come and be nice to the cowpoke.”

  Her friend snickered. “He hates it when you call him that.”

  “Why do you think I do it?”

  “Behave, Lizzy.”

  “Fine. I’ll be on my best behavior with cow—Dade.”

  “Are your fingers crossed?”

  She pulled the overlapped appendages out from behind her back, grinning into the phone. “You know me too well.”

  “Seven o’clock. And bring some Mint Madness cupcakes with you for dessert.”

  “Evil temptress, that’s what you are.”

  Maggie laughed and hung up.

  Pocketing her cell phone, Lizzy eyed the half-eaten chocolate cupcake in front of her. “I can’t just leave you to rot. That’s wasteful.”

  Scooping up the dessert, she shoved the entire thing into her mouth. Not very dainty, but hey, no one was in the shop at the moment to see, so who cared? Besides, nobody had ever accused her of being dainty. With her five-nine stature and tipping the scale at one hundred and fifty—plus or minus a few cupcakes—dainty was one thing Elizabeth Hayworth was not. Didn’t matter…she liked who she was.

  Grabbing a cardboard box, she placed four Mint Madness cupcakes inside and closed the lid. The minty chocolate smell wafted up, hitting her nostrils. Despite having just finished a whole cupcake, her mouth watered for another. Working at Cupcakes Above the Clouds was going to wreak havoc on her waistline.

  She thought about dinner and how Dade would be there. Sexy, stickin-the-mud, Dade. With his dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and sharp-square jaw, the man could be the poster boy for the rugged American cowboy.

  Too bad the cows have more personality.

  Something about him just rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe it was the fact she wanted to rub him the right way.

  Ludicrous. She was attracted to nice men, funny men, men who said more than one word when responding to a question. Dade Denning might be sexy as all get out, but there was more to a person than looks. Something she knew intimately.

  But he was going to be Maggie’s family, and since Maggie was like family to her, she would make an effort to get along.

  The sugary cupcake smell hit her nose once again, tempting her to sneak another sweet. She didn’t know what was going to do her in first, her best friend’s cupcakes or her best friend’s soon to be brother-in-law.

  Cupcakes and Dade, mmm-mmm.

  What delicious temptations.

  Chapter 2

  Lizzy spent the day going over delivery orders and accounting paperwork. Jamie had come in a few hours after she’d hung up with Maggie and was now helping Tony frost the last batch of Crazy Cinnamon Carrot cupcakes. The teenagers laughed, and she peeked around the flimsy plywood wall that separated the desk from the kitchen.

  The young girl covered her mouth and pointed at Tony’s face. “You keep missing it.”

  He swiped his forehead with the back of his arm. “Did I get it now?”

  “No, you just made it worse.” Jamie laughed even harder.

  Since Tony’s back was facing away, Lizzy had no idea what was so hilarious.

  “How did you get frosting on your face anyhow?”

  “I have no idea.” He swiped again. “Now?”

  The teenager smiled, shaking her head. “No.” Grabbing a towel from the counter, she stepped closer to her fellow employee. “Here, let me get it.”

  She watched as Jamie brought the towel up and wiped it across Tony’s brow. As the young girl started to drop her hand, he reached out to grab it. The towel was still clutched tightly in her grasp when he brought her hand to his lips and softly kissed the knuckles.

  “Gracias, bonita.”

  A blush rose on the fair girl’s cheeks.

  Lizzy felt like a voyeur. It seemed everyone was falling in love around her. Great, just what she didn’t need, to be reminded that everyone was happy and had someone to love them. Well, shucks to that. She loved herself enough. She didn’t need anyone else.

  But that didn’t mean she didn’t want someone. It would be nice to come home to strong arms, a friendly ear, and a comforting body to warm her bed.

  No, she didn’t need anyone, but it sure would be nice if everyone stopped reminding her of how alone she was.

  The bell rang above the shop door, and the two teens broke away. Jamie rushed to the front to help the customer while Tony went back to frosting.

  Ah, young love. S
o exciting.

  Man, she really needed to get out if watching two teenagers barely kiss was getting her all twitter-pated. Maybe she’d hit a bar after dinner. Did Peak Town have a bar?

  “Ms. Hayworth?”

  She shook herself out of her thoughts and glanced up to find Tony standing in front of her. The young man was very talented and smart. He was already a bit of eye candy with his deep brow eyes and mocha smooth skin. In a few years, he would be an absolute heartthrob. She had to give Jamie an A in the taste department.

  “How many times have I told you to call me Lizzy?” she said with a smile. The boy was also unendingly polite.

  He smiled sheepishly, revealing a deep dimple in his right cheek.

  Change that heartthrob to all out panty dropper. Jamie better buy a club for the hordes of women who’d be chasing this one.

  “Perdon. We are down to five bags of sugar.”

  The bakery ordered commercial bags, which contained twenty-five pounds of sugar each. It wasn’t as if they’d run out tomorrow, but when all you made were delicious, sugary cupcakes, twenty-five pounds of sugar didn’t go as far as one might think.

  “Thank you, Tony. I was just putting together a supply order. I’ll add sugar.”

  “De nada.”

  “How are you enjoying the shop?” she asked. “Better than all that manure shoveling you did on the ranch?”

  The young man smiled, revealing his dimple again. “I do enjoy the baking. Cooking has always been a love of mine.” He shrugged. “I miss working with my uncle, but I do not miss the shoveling of the manure.”

  She laughed. “Can’t say I blame you.”

  He headed back to the kitchen, and Lizzy grabbed a pen, adding sugar to her supply list. She’d place the order tomorrow after a final check of the stock. Cooking might not be her forte, but managing sure was.