The Rancher And The Runaway Bride: Part 3

36 Hours Serial

As a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours
will change the town and its residents forever….

The Rancher and the Runaway Bride
Part 3

Time is running out for runaway bride Randi Howell. The hitmen are hot on her trail,
and soon no one will be safe at Brady’s ranch. Texas feels a lifetime away from Grand
Springs, but going home and facing up to her old life may be the only way to hang
on to the new one. Randi’s days of running are over—she just hopes that Brady can
face his fears about love and stop running, too….

Don’t miss the continuing drama of Grand Springs in
Marriage by Contract
by Sandra Steffen.

Dear Reader,

In the town of Grand Springs, Colorado, a devastating summer storm sets off a string
of events that changes the lives of the residents forever….

Welcome to Harlequin’s exciting new digital serial, 36 Hours! In this thirty-six part
serial share the stories of the residents of Grand Springs, Colorado, in the wake
of a deadly storm.

With power knocked out and mudslides washing over the roads, the town is plunged into
darkness and the residents are forced to face their biggest fears—and find love against
all odds.

Each week features a new story written by a variety of bestselling authors like Susan
Mallery and Sharon Sala. The stories are published in three segments, on Monday, Wednesday
and Friday, and the first segment of every three-part book is free, so you can get
caught up in the mystery and drama of Grand Springs. And you can get to know a new
set of characters every week. You can read just one, but as the lives and stories
of each intertwine in surprising ways, you’ll want to read them all!

Join Harlequin E every week as we bring you excitement, mystery, fun and romance in
36 Hours!

Happy reading!

Malle Vallik

Director Editorial Digital Initiatives

New York Times
bestselling author Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty
and emotional stories about women.
Publishers Weekly
calls Susan’s prose “luscious and provocative,” and
Booklist
says, “Novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance,
humor and superb storytelling.” Susan lives in Seattle with her husband and her tiny
but intrepid toy poodle. Visit her at
www.susanmallery.com
.

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Randi Howell, a.k.a. Rita Howard, has been hiding out on Brady’s ranch for several
weeks, but all good things must come to an end. To leave the only place she’s ever
considered “home” will be devastating, but it would be even worse to have her past
track her down before she’s had time to explain. Randi just wants a few more days
of happiness before running again. But time is not on her side. The hit men are already
on her trail. How long until they find and kill her? The countdown has begun…

The crowd surged around them like water in a river. Randi Howell, a.k.a. Rita Howard,
tried to remain calm.

“You okay?” Brady Jones asked.

She nodded. “I think I’ve been isolated too long. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to
be out among people.”

“I get that feeling myself.” Brady slipped his hand through hers. “I won’t let them
steal you away,” he promised.

“Thank you.” As his fingers entwined with hers and he tugged her close to his side,
she was able to smile. With Brady around, she might actually start to relax.

The livestock and horse show drew buyers and exhibitors from all the western states.
In addition to the animals, booths displayed everything necessary for a well-run ranch
as well as plenty of items for the home. There were western clothing manufacturers
and leather companies, people selling odd jars of spices for making everything from
beef to rattler more tasty. Various universities sold sweatshirts, while conservationists
preached about the value of recycling.

Then there was the food. Beef on a stick, churros, ice cream, hot dogs, pretzels,
Mexican entrées, and more exotic fare including venison and snake.

Randi wanted to get lost in the crowd, but for now, she was too nervous. Part of what
she’d told Brady was true—she
did
find it uncomfortable to be around so many people. When she’d first gone on the road,
she’d stayed away from busy places because it was safer…or so she’d thought. But over
the past couple of months, she found she liked a more solitary existence. On the ranch,
there were plenty of people around if she wanted to have a conversation, but Brady
and the cowboys were different from a crowd full of strangers.

The other reason she was nervous was that she kept expecting to see someone she knew.
The idea was ridiculous. What were the odds of a friend from Grand Springs showing
up here? Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of impending disaster. If not a friend,
what about those men with guns from her wedding?

She clutched Brady’s hand tighter, enjoying both the physical connection and the feeling
of safety. With him around, she knew she was going to be all right, no matter what
happened.

But as the mass of people increased, she found her nerves drawn tight. Telling herself
she was unlikely to be recognized didn’t help. While the crowd protected her, it also
made it impossible for her to stare at every face. She shouldn’t have come with him.

Yet she hadn’t had a choice. In the past week, she’d had a sense of time running out.
Soon, she would have to move on to another temporary place, or back to Grand Springs
and face what she’s done. Either way, she was going to have to leave Brady behind.
And she didn’t want to. Not yet. Not ever.

“You hungry?” Brady asked.

Randi touched her free hand to her stomach and tried to sense anything but faint fear.
“I could probably eat.”

“Rattler tacos?”

She glanced up at his smiling face and wondered how she would survive without him.
She grinned in return. “Sure, but I want to watch you eat one first.”

“I’ve had rattler before.”

“Let me guess, it tastes like chicken.”

He raised his eyebrows. “How’d you know?”

“Everything weird tastes like chicken. At least that’s what people try to convince
us unsuspecting types. I’ve yet to taste anything other than chicken that really tastes
like chicken. I’m convinced it’s all a ploy so that we have to eat the nasty thing
you guys just tried.”

He bent down and kissed the tip of her nose. “That made no sense at all.”

“My point is that I think I want beef on a stick.”

“Sounds good to me.” He headed them in that general direction.

“When does the bull auction start?” she asked.

“Tomorrow. I want to buy at least two, maybe three. I’ve been tracking bloodlines
on the computer. I’m going for the leaner stock. If I could come up with a low-fat
filet mignon, I’d be rich.”

Two young boys darted toward them. Brady released her hand and stepped aside. When
the kids had zoomed past, he moved close again and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Any horses?” she asked.

“I think we have enough for now. What do you think?”

“I agree. They get worked steadily, but they all have a couple of days off to rest.”

“Agreed. So I’ll concentrate on the bulls.”

She leaned against him, absorbing his heat. The sun was bright, the afternoon warm.
Smells from the livestock blended with barbecue and meat smokers. Conversation and
laughter surrounded them in a pleasing cacophony.

She would remember this, she told herself. Whatever happened, they would have had
this time together.

“Brady? Brady Jones?”

Brady stopped when he heard his name and turned toward the sound. Instinctively, Randi
stepped free of his embrace, prepared for flight. But she didn’t recognize the man
approaching.

“Travis!” Brady grinned and held out his hand. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t
you heading for a rodeo?”

Travis shrugged. He was good-looking, in a rugged sort of way, with sun-streaked brown
hair and brown eyes. He winked at Randi. “Ma’am,” he said, pulling off his cowboy
hat.

Brady turned to her and touched her arm. “Rita, this is an old friend of mine, Travis
Stockwell. We were on the rodeo circuit together. Travis, this is Rita Howard. She
works for me.”

“Hi,” Randi managed to say past the tightness in her throat, listening to Brady use
her alias.

“Nice to meet you.” Travis plopped his hat back on his head. “I got hitched,” he said.

Brady raised his eyebrows. “You’re married? What happened? You get struck by lightning?”

“Just about. I got hurt pretty bad at the last one and took some time off to heal.”
Travis smiled proudly. “While I was getting better, I met a woman. Her name is Peggy
and we’re married.”

Up until that point, Randi had only been half listening to the conversation. While
the two men chatted, she’d been scanning the crowd, trying to find the source of a
sudden prickling at the back of her neck.

Peggy? She blinked. She knew a Peggy. Peggy Saxon who worked in City Hall back in
Grand Springs. Her chest tightened.

Stop it! she ordered herself. They couldn’t be the same woman. There were thousands,
probably millions, of Peggys in the country.

Brady slapped Travis on the back. “I don’t believe it. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Travis grinned. “I sure didn’t expect something like this to happen to me.”
He glanced at Randi and winked. “I was one of those guys who liked the rodeo circuit
and thought I’d be single till I died. But Peggy and the babies have changed me.”

Babies? Her heart froze. Randi felt as if she couldn’t move. Peggy Saxon had been
pregnant…very pregnant the last time she, Randi, had seen her.

“Babies?” Brady asked.

“It’s a long story.”

Randi forced herself to speak. “Where did you find this wonderful new family?”

“My hometown, Grand Springs. It’s a nice town in Colorado.” He looked at Brady. “You’d
like it there. Now, stay right here. I want to introduce you to my bride. If I can
find her.”

She had to get out of there, Randi ordered herself. She had to! Now! But it was impossible
to think, impossible to move or breathe. Oh, Lord, what if Travis recognized her?
What if Peggy walked up and saw her? Who else could it be but Peggy Saxon from Grand
Springs? The same woman who spoke to Randi every time she’d gone to visit her ex-fiancé,
Hal.

Images began to spin in front of her eyes. Run! a voice in her head screamed. She
decided she’d better listen.

She touched Brady’s arm. “I don’t want to be rude,” she said through stiff lips, “but
I’m not feeling well. I need to find a rest room.”

His eyes darkened with concern. “You look a little pale. Go on. I’ll catch up with
you by that tent,” he said, pointing to a green-and-white striped tent at the entrance
to the food area. “Are you going to be all right?”

She nodded, then turned away. She walked toward the rest rooms, then ducked behind
a vendor stall selling earrings. From here she could see Brady talking to his friend.
A couple of minutes later a woman joined them. Randi bit back a groan. It was Peggy.
The three of them chatted for a bit, then they split up. Travis and Peggy headed in
one direction while Brady made his way to the tent.

Randi closed her eyes and tried to think. She’d never seen Travis Stockwell before,
so it was unlikely he knew her, either. Even if her running away from her wedding
had made the paper, it would have been in the back pages, and wasn’t something likely
to interest a rodeo cowboy.

Peggy was another matter. She would know Randi on sight and would be very intrigued
at the events surrounding the wedding. But she hadn’t acted as if she’d seen anything
unusual. Surely if Peggy had spotted her, she would have said something and Brady
would have reacted. Yet nothing about his body language indicated anything unusual.

After taking a couple of deep breaths to clear her head, she walked to the tent. Brady
waited for her. He frowned when he saw her. “You still look pale. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said, touching his arm. “I think it’s just a reaction to the crowd.
Really. I’m fine. What happened to your friend?”

“Travis and I are going to have a drink later. But only if you’re sure you’re going
to be all right. I don’t want to leave you alone otherwise.”

She searched his brown eyes, reading the caring there. Caring and affection, and nothing
else. Peggy hadn’t seen her. Randi’s secret was safe.

As she stared at Brady, she was filled with a strong desire to make love to him. She’d
done nothing to deserve this wonderful man in her life. If things had been different,
she would have wanted to be with him forever. But they weren’t. Sharing his bed would
imply a commitment she wasn’t ready to make. No, she was ready to make it, but he
wouldn’t want it, once he knew about her. He still hurt from being left at the altar.
How could he ever understand that Randi had done the same to Hal. Brady would hate
her. Maybe she should just come clean, she thought. And she would, she promised herself,
suddenly realizing it was time to stop running from him, as well. As soon as they
got back to the ranch, she would tell the truth about her past. She just wanted these
few days together, first. Sort of a last chance for them.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly. “I’m going to be just
fine,” she said. “Enjoy your drink with Travis. But first, I’m suddenly starving.”

“Rattler taco?”

She laughed. “You’re an amazing man, Brady Jones.”

He tugged on her braid, forcing her to look up at him. “That’s what all the girls
say.”

“Guess what?” she teased. “In this case, all the girls are right.”

* * *

The smoky bar reminded Brady of countless others he’d frequented when he’d been on
the rodeo circuit. Places with scarred floors and cold beer on draft. Whenever he
found himself in bars like this, or meeting with friends from the “good old days,”
he waited for a yearning to go back to his youth. When a good ride meant the difference
between money in his pocket or not, and the women had been pretty, starry-eyed and
willing. Not that he’d been all that eager to take them up on what they offered, he
thought with a grin.

But no matter how many old friends he met up with, or how many bars he stopped in,
the yearning for those days never came. They’d been lots of fun, a hell of a way to
see the country and grow up, but that time was over. Now his life was where it should
be. If he occasionally fought the demon of loneliness, he’d learned to win that battle.
One day he would find someone to love. Maybe he already had.

He searched the crowd, then spotted Travis already seated at a back booth. The cowboy
motioned him over, then pointed to the frosty glass waiting.

“I thought you’d be thirsty,” Travis said, and took a drink of his beer.

Brady grinned his thanks. “You always were a thoughtful fellow.” He took a sip of
his beer and leaned back in the seat. “Tell me what’s been happening with you.”

Travis talked about his injury and the temporary job he’d had driving a cab. When
he explained how he’d met his wife, Brady sat up straight.

“You delivered her babies?”

“Yup. During one of the worst storms to ever hit Colorado.” Travis beamed with obvious
pride. “Twins. It was easy.”

“You go to hell for lying same as stealing, Travis. It might have been a lot of things,
but I’ll bet it wasn’t easy.”

Travis’s humor faded. “That moment changed my life forever. I’ve got Peggy, and the
babies. Me!” He pointed at his chest. “Who would have thought it?”

“Not anyone who knew you.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not the only one with surprises. What about you? What are you doing
hiding Grand Springs’ famous runaway bride?”

Brady had raised the glass to his lips. Now he set it down, untasted. His stomach
constricted tightly as a cold foreboding swept through his body. “You know Rita?”

Travis leaned forward and shook his head. “Not me. Peggy. And I know her name’s not
Rita, Brady. You don’t have to pretend with me.” He lowered his voice. “Peggy used
to work at City Hall in town. She saw Randi visiting from time to time. Her fiancé’s
a member of the city council. His mother was the mayor, but now that she’s dead, he’s
been acting in her place.”

Brady couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Rita wasn’t Rita? She was from Grand Springs
and she was a runaway bride?

“Whose fiancé is acting as mayor? Rita’s, ah, Randi’s?”

Travis nodded. “Sure. Peggy says Hal is a jerk, so I don’t blame the girl for running
out. She left him standing at the altar in front of God and everyone. Just disappeared.
It was the day we had that big blackout, mudslides, nonstop torrential rain. I remember.
Peggy had the twins right then. What a mess.”