The Westmorelands

Praise for New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Brenda Jackson

“Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and characters you fall in love with.”

—New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Lori Foster

“Jackson’s trademark ability to weave multiple characters and side stories together makes shocking truths all the more exciting.”

—Publishers Weekly

“There is no getting away from the sex appeal and charm of Jackson’s Westmoreland family.”

—RT Book Reviews on Feeling the Heat

“Jackson’s characters are wonderful, strong, colorful and hot enough to burn the pages.”

—RT Book Reviews on Westmoreland’s Way

“The kind of sizzling, heart-tugging story Brenda Jackson is famous for.”

—RT Book Reviews on Spencer’s Forbidden Passion

“This is entertainment at its best.”

—RT Book Reviews on Star of His Heart

About the Author

BRENDA JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she believes in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her real-life love story, Brenda and her husband of more than forty years live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.

A New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy-five romance titles, Brenda is a recent retiree who now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald. You may write Brenda at PO Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, USA, email her at WriterBJackson@aol.com or visit her website at www.brendajackson.net.

Zane

Brenda Jackson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

To my husband, the love of my life and my best friend,

Gerald Jackson, Sr.

To everyone who enjoys reading about the

Westmoreland family, this one is for you!

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,

and the man that getteth understanding.

—Proverbs 3:13

One

“What do you mean Channing’s back in Denver?” Zane Westmoreland dropped down in the chair across from his sister, a dark frown covering his face.

He fixed his gaze on Bailey, waiting on her response. Bailey knew that any mention of Channing Hastings would make him mad, but it seemed she was intent on ignoring him while she continued to eat her bowl of ice cream. Anyone else would have jumped at the anger that was apparent in his voice but not this particular sister. She didn’t do anything until she was good and ready. While he waited, even more irritation bubbled up inside of him.

After what seemed like an enormous period of silence, Bailey finally angled her head. “I meant just what I said. I saw Channing today when I had lunch at the hospital with Megan. I understand she arrived in town last week. She looks good by the way.”

Zane wasn’t surprised. As far as he was concerned, there was never a time when Channing hadn’t looked good … even after a sweaty workout session at the gym.

Suddenly, unbridled fury worked its way along his stomach lining. Why should he care how an ex-girlfriend looked? More importantly, why did the thought of her being back in town trigger such deep-seated anger within him?

Zane could answer that question without much thought. It hadn’t been their breakup that still pissed him off but rather how they had broken up. Usually he was the one who decided when one of his relationships ended, but Channing had surprised the hell out of him and ended it herself.

“Is Channing’s fiancé with her?” He could have bitten off his tongue for asking.

“No, she’s only here for six weeks, hosting a medical symposium at the hospital.” Bailey didn’t say anything for a minute and then, “That man got under my skin.”

Zane lifted a brow. “What man?”

“Channing’s fiancé. He was checking out the women at Megan’s wedding reception, even with Channing standing right beside him. He had a lot of nerve.”

Zane had noticed the man’s roving eyes, as well. He really shouldn’t care. If Channing was inclined to put up with that kind of foolishness, that was her business. It shouldn’t concern him. But it did.

He glanced out the window while his mind wandered back in time. He had dated Channing longer than he’d dated any other woman—nine months exactly. Things had been almost perfect between them. But then she’d started hinting that she wanted more from their relationship. That was when he’d reiterated that he was not the marrying kind and never intended to be.

She never brought up the issue again, and Zane had assumed things were back to normal. But less than a month later, out of the clear blue sky, she told him that she had accepted a job at a hospital in Atlanta and would be moving away.

That had annoyed the hell out of him. She was trying to force his hand, and he wouldn’t allow any woman to do that. So he’d called her bluff, refusing to offer a proposal. But then she’d moved to Atlanta as planned. That was almost two years ago, and he hadn’t seen or heard from her until she’d shown up at his sister’s wedding last month an engaged woman.

Engaged.

The very thought made him angry. She’d had the nerve to bring her fiancé to the wedding knowing full well Zane would be there. And like Bailey had said, the man had checked out other women even with Channing by his side. That she was so desperate to have a ring on her finger that she would settle for such a man—the realization made Zane madder.

“This is simply delicious.”

Bailey’s words intruded on his thoughts. He glanced over at his sister, and his frown deepened. He had come home to find her sitting at his kitchen table like she lived there. In his current mood, her presence aggravated him. “And what do you think you’re doing?”

She smiled. “What does it look like? I’m eating ice cream.”

“My ice cream,” he muttered. “How did you get in here, anyway? I changed the locks on my door.”

Bailey leaned back in her chair and chuckled. “I noticed. Did you forget that I know how to pick a lock, Zane? Bane taught me ages ago. And as far as the ice cream, you only bought it because you knew I’d eat it. You don’t even like ice cream, and this is one of my favorite flavors.”

“They’re all your favorite flavors,” he said, forcing himself not to grin. The last thing he needed was for her to think he was getting soft. And as far as picking locks, he had forgotten that talent had been just one of the many ways she and their cousin Bane used to get into trouble.

Getting up from the table, he headed for the door.

“Hey, where are you going?” Bailey called after him.

“Since I can’t find peace in my own home, I’m going to ride my horse a spell. I’ll be gone for an hour or so and hopefully that will give you time to find someone else to visit.”

He then walked out the door and slammed it shut behind him.

“Channing, wait up!”

Channing stopped and turned around. She smiled when she saw Megan Claiborne walking briskly toward her. Megan had been one of the first doctors she’d become good friends with while working at the hospital four years ago, and their friendship had remained intact. Last month, Megan married Rico Claiborne, a gorgeous Bradley Cooper look-alike who worked as a private investigator in Philly. To divide their time between Philadelphia and Denver, Megan worked six months as a doctor of anesthesiology in Denver and the other six months at a hospital in Philly.

Megan looked different. “Marriage agrees with you,” Channing said when Megan came to a stop in front of her.

Her comment made an infectious smile settle on Megan’s lips. “You think so?”

“I know so. There’s a radiant glow about you. You seem happy. I mean truly happy,” Channing said.

Megan’s smile widened. “I am happy, and I have to concur that marriage does agree with me. Rico is the best. He’s everything I could ever want in a man.”

“Then you have a reason to smile and look radiant.” Channing was happy for her friend and she wanted that same happiness and radiance for herself.

Long marriages were common in Channing’s family. Her parents had been married for more than thirty-five years, and her grandparents would be celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary next year. Her aunts and uncles had been in wedded bliss for more than twenty years, and her cousins and oldest brother, Juan, had all been married eight years or more.

When Channing had dated Megan’s brother Zane a few years back, she had believed he was the one. Although he had told her more than once that he never intended to marry, she’d actually thought he’d change his mind. Over the course of their relationship, although he’d never spoken any words of love, his actions had convinced her he had feelings for her. He’d been so attentive, possessive and protective. She was the first woman he’d invited to his family’s weekly dinner gatherings and the first woman he’d given a key to his place. So, quite naturally, she had assumed she meant more to him than all the women he’d dated in the past.

But as time went by, it became obvious that he had no intention of making their relationship more than the affair that it was. Then, one day after they’d dated exclusively for almost nine months—she’d come out and asked him how he saw their relationship evolving. He’d told her nothing had changed. He never intended to marry. He’d said that although he cared for her, he didn’t love her—and never would.

She’d appreciated his honesty, but his words had hurt. To protect her heart from further damage, she’d decided to move on. She wanted more.

A week later, she’d accepted the position as a neurologist at Emory Hospital in Atlanta. She didn’t tell Zane about her plans until the week before she was ready to leave Denver. She knew Zane was still angry with her about the way she’d ended things, but it wasn’t as if she’d left town without telling him.

“I wanted to ask you to come to my family’s Friday night chow-down,” Megan said, intruding into Channing’s thoughts.

Channing winced. “You know I can’t do that.”

“Why not? Things between you and Zane didn’t work out, and you moved on. As far as I’m concerned, it was my brother’s loss.”

“But I don’t want to make things uncomfortable, Megan. I saw the way Zane was staring me down at your wedding. He didn’t like the way I ended things between us.”

“Forget Zane.” Megan bristled. “Did he honestly expect things to continue between the two of you without him ever making a serious commitment?”

Channing shrugged, even though she knew Zane had expected that. They had been dating exclusively, and to him that was enough. “I guess he did,” Channing said softly, remembering how hard it had been to leave him, to move forward and not look back.

“Well, it served him right to find out he was wrong.” Megan took a moment and seemed to choose her next words carefully. “Channing, you were my friend long before you became involved with Zane. You moved away, and now you’re back for a short time. There’s nothing wrong with me inviting you to dine with my family.”

Channing could see plenty wrong with it. “Thanks, but I think it’s best if I don’t accept your invitation. I’ll be in Denver for at least three weeks, six weeks if I decide to do a second symposium. Considering how Zane feels about me, he and I should keep our distance.”

Megan didn’t push … at least not right now. Channing knew her friend wouldn’t let it drop. “You’re welcome to come. If you change your mind, let me know.”

Channing nodded, but she wouldn’t be changing her mind.

By the time Zane had returned home, Bailey was gone. He headed up the stairs to shower, refusing to admit he missed his sister already. She was known for her drop-in visits not only to him but also to her other brothers, sisters and cousins.

Presently, there were fifteen Denver Westmorelands. His parents had had eight children: five boys—Ramsey, Zane, Derringer and the twins, Aiden and Adrian—and three girls—Megan, Gemma and Bailey. Uncle Adam and Aunt Clarisse had had seven sons: Dillon, Micah, Jason, Riley, Canyon, Stern and Brisbane. Over the past few years, nearly everyone had gotten married. Megan had married last month, and Riley would marry in September. The only holdouts were him, the twins, Bailey, Canyon, Stern and Bane.

His parents and uncle and aunt had died in a plane crash nearly twenty years ago, leaving Zane’s brother Ramsey and his cousin Dillon in charge of the family. It hadn’t been easy, especially since several of their siblings and cousins had been under the age of sixteen. Together, Dillon and Ramsey had worked hard and made sacrifices to keep the Westmorelands together. When the state of Colorado tried forcing Dillon to put the youngest four in foster homes, he had refused.

The deaths had been the hardest on those youngest four—the twins, Aiden and Adrian, and Brisbane and Bailey. Everyone had known that their acts of rebellion were their way of handling the grief of losing their parents. Now, the twins had finished college and were working in their chosen professions: Aiden as a doctor and Adrian as an engineer. Brisbane was in the navy and Bailey … was still Bailey. Considered the baby of the family, at twenty-six she worked for Simply Irresistible, a magazine for today’s up-and-coming woman that was owned by Ramsey’s wife, Chloe. But even with a full-time job, Bailey still managed to remind everyone she could be a force to reckon with when she put her mind to it.

When Zane reached his bedroom, he glanced out the window at the acres and acres of land surrounding him. Westmoreland Country. Since Dillon was the oldest, he had inherited the main house along with the three hundred acres it sat on. Everyone else, upon reaching the age of twenty-five, received one hundred acres to call their own. Thanks to Bailey’s creative mind, each of their spreads were given names—Ramsey’s Web, Zane’s Hideout, Derringer’s Dungeon, Megan’s Meadows, Gemma’s Gem, Jason’s Place, Stern’s Stronghold and Canyon’s Bluff. It was beautiful land that encompassed mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers and streams.

Zane loved his home, a two-story structure with a wraparound porch. He had more than enough space for himself and a family—if he ever chose to marry. But since settling down with one woman was not in his plans, he had the place all to himself. Some people did better by themselves, and he was one of those people.

Except when it came to business. He, his brother Derringer and his cousin Jason were partners in a lucrative horse breeding and training business along with several of his Westmoreland cousins who lived in Montana and Texas. The partnership was doing extremely well financially, with horse buyers extending all the way to the Middle East. Ever since one of their horses, Prince Charming, had placed in the Kentucky Derby a few years ago, potential clients had been continually coming out of the woodwork.

He was happy with his work. Zane liked the outdoors. The only thing he liked better was women. He didn’t have a problem with the revolving door to his bedroom, and he didn’t intend for any woman to get it in her head that she could be the one. There wasn’t a woman alive who could make him think about settling down.

A quick flash of pain across his gut let him know he wasn’t being truthful about that. There had been one woman. Dr. Channing Hastings.

Zane’s sister Megan had introduced them, and he had been attracted to Channing from the first time he’d seen her. In addition to her beauty, she had a luscious scent that drew him like a bee to honey. She was the very thing erotic fantasies were made of. He’d only intended to date her for a couple of months. Then, the next thing he knew, he was in an exclusive relationship.

Zane reached under his bed for the locked box he’d placed there. Using the key he kept on his key ring, he opened the box and pulled out the calendar that was inside. It was a personalized photo calendar that Channing had made for him as a gift on his thirty-fifth birthday. Had it been almost two years ago?

He flipped through the calendar, beginning with January. By the time he’d gotten to December, he had worked up a sweat. Seeing Channing dressed in such scanty attire—a different outfit for every month—had sent memories soaring through his mind. In January, she wore a floor-length red gown, the same one she’d worn to a charity benefit he’d taken her to at the hospital and the same one he’d loved taking off of her later that night. By December, she was wearing nothing at all while stretched across her bed in one damn hot position, her body barely covered by a white bedspread decked with colorful Christmas ornaments. She had one of those I want you now looks on her face. The photographer had been another female doctor whose hobby was photography, and she had captured Channing in some unbelievable poses. Channing Hastings was definitely a beautiful woman.

She had skin the color of rich mocha, a beautiful pair of hazel eyes, high cheekbones, a perky nose, full lips and a luxurious mane of golden-brown hair. The one constant in each photo was the necklace around her neck. It was the gold one he had given her. The same one she had returned when she’d told him she was leaving Denver.

Reaching into the box, he pulled out that same necklace, remembering the day he’d bought it. He’d been in Montana at a jewelry store with his cousin Durango, who’d wanted to buy a birthday gift for his wife, Savannah. Zane had seen the crescent moon and immediately known he wanted it for Channing. At the time, he had refused to question why, he’d just known that seeing it around her neck was important to him.

After Channing left, he’d flipped through the calendar and pulled out the necklace too many times, which was why he’d given the locked box to Megan for safekeeping. He’d been tired of torturing himself. Although Megan would have been curious about what was inside, he’d trusted her enough to know she would not open the box. He couldn’t say the same for Bailey, who, as she’d reminded him today, had a fondness for picking locks. Megan had kept the box for almost a year, but he’d gotten it back from her when she’d taken that trip to Texas with Rico last year.

Megan had invited Channing to the wedding last month, even though he’d asked her not to. However, like Bailey, Megan had a mind of her own and didn’t like her brothers telling her what to do. And what teed him off more than the wedding invitation was that he’d been over to Megan’s place a few nights ago to welcome the newlyweds back to Denver, and she hadn’t mentioned anything about Channing returning to town. He was convinced there was no way she hadn’t known.

Zane placed the calendar and necklace back in the box, locked it shut and slid it back under his bed. He then stripped off his clothes to take a shower. His and Channing’s paths probably wouldn’t cross while she was in town.

But … maybe they should.

It was time he looked at the situation differently, more objectively. He had gotten over Channing months ago, and she had evidently gotten over him. She was an engaged woman. He was happy with his life. She was happy with hers.

He stepped in the shower with his mind made up. He felt rather pleased with the decision and already he considered it done. He would seek out Channing and pay her a visit.

There was nothing wrong with welcoming her back to town.

Two

Channing bent to lower the projector screen when a pair of dark leather boots came into view. The boots were followed by a rich, masculine aroma that she would recognize anytime, anyplace. Her stomach knotted as she slowly straightened.

Her eyes moved up past a pair of jeans-clad thighs, a lean waist, a firm stomach and muscled shoulders. Her gaze unerringly landed on a pair of gorgeous dark brown eyes, creamy chestnut-brown skin, an aquiline nose, sharp cheekbones, full lips and a strong chin.

Zane Westmoreland was almost too handsome to be real. She’d thought that very thing the first time she’d seen him three years ago, right here at this very hospital. He had come to repair his sister’s flat tire, and Megan had introduced them. Channing’s life hadn’t been the same since.

She drew in a long breath and slowly released it. “Zane.”

“Channing. I heard you were in town, so I thought I would come by and welcome you back.”

Channing leaned against the podium she’d stood behind earlier. There were any number of plausible reasons for Zane to show up at the hospital’s lecture hall, but for the life of her, she couldn’t think of a valid one. He claimed he wanted to welcome her back to town, but just last month, when she’d seen him at Megan’s wedding, he had refused to say a single word to her.

“Thanks, Zane.” She could mention that she was only in town for three to six weeks but decided it wasn’t any of his business. Two years ago she had left Denver to move on, and she had.

“So, you’re still engaged I see,” he said when she moved to the desk to place a stack of handouts in her briefcase.

She fought back a scowl. “Is there any reason why I wouldn’t be?”

“I guess not.”

“And what about you?” Channing asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I take it you’re still eluding serious commitments?”

She noticed the muscle that flicked in his jaw. “If you’re asking if I’m still single, with no thoughts of settling down, then the answer is yes. That won’t ever change.” And without missing a beat, he asked, “Did Mark come with you?”

She frowned. Why was he all up in her business? “My fiancé’s name is Mack, and no, he’s still in Atlanta.”

“He’s a banker, right?”

Channing clicked her briefcase closed, wondering why Zane felt it necessary to go over information he already knew. Although he had avoided both her and Mack at the wedding, Megan had said Zane had questioned her at the wedding reception.

“Yes, Mack’s a banker.” There was no need to tell him the Hammond family owned several banks that were spread across Georgia, Tennessee and Florida.

She turned to Zane and tried to ignore how totally, utterly male he looked. She felt a deep fluttering in her stomach when her eyes connected to his. He had soft bedroom eyes, eyes that could educate a woman as to what true desire was all about. She, of all people, should know. Yes, some things in her life had changed, but it seemed the charge she got out of seeing Zane Westmoreland hadn’t. Why was her body betraying her this way?

“Well, that’s it for the day. It was good seeing you again, Zane.”

“Same here. I figured sooner or later I’d run into you at one of those Westmoreland family dinners. I thought we should clear the air now so neither of us would feel uncomfortable.”

So that’s what this little visit was about? Channing thought. “I’m sorry you wasted your time coming here just for that. I thanked Megan for the invite yesterday but told her it would be best if I didn’t attend any of your family functions.”