“There’s nothing to stop you from legally changing your name to Laredo Smith if that’s what you want,” Chase pointed out.
“I guess not.” Laredo nodded and glanced sideways at Jessy. “There’s no reason we can’t get yours legally changed at the same time.”
Her mouth opened in surprise, a telltale shimmer of tears welling in her eyes. When she failed to say anything, Trey spoke up, “That sounds like a proposal to me, Mom.”
“And in front of witnesses, too,” Laura added.
Jessy laughed softly. “It had better be one, because I’m accepting it.”
Holding the document in one hand, Laredo wrapped an arm around Jessy and held her tightly to his side before planting one hard, quick kiss on her mouth. Both looked a little self-conscious when a mix of cheers and clapping erupted around them.
“Glad to see you’re going to make an honest woman of her, Laredo.” Chase nodded his approval.
“Only because you made an honest one of me.” Respect and gratitude was in his look.
Jake ran into the entryway, looking around. “What’s everybody yelling about? Did Santa come?”
“You might say that.” Laredo grinned.
“Where’d he go?” Jake turned and spotted Wade. “Greypa, he was here!” He looked at Chase with open-eyed wonder. “He brought Aunt Cat’s husband for her!”
Chuckling, Chase ruffled the top of his head. “He certainly did.”
Did you enjoy this Janet Dailey book?
Then try the rest of her Calder family
series….
Calder Storm
With his rugged-cowboy looks, Trey Calder could have his pick of women. But he’s been holding out for someone special, and the minute he lays eyes on photographer Sloan Davis, he knows he’s found her, and within weeks the two are married. It’s a dream come true for the orphaned Sloan…until Trey makes a startling discovery about just who Sloan is and what she’s really after.
Passion turns into suspicion and a dangerous game is set in motion, putting everything the Calders have worked for over the generations on the line. A formidable enemy has been lying in wait. Someone who will use whatever means necessary to control their land, their lives, and their legacy forever. Trey Calder has been trained to take over his family’s ranch, to protect what is theirs. Now the time has come for a Calder son to make a stand and hope that his way is the right way.
Lone Calder Star
Quint Echohawk is a lawman, not a rancher, but he’s a Calder through and through. And when someone sets out to undermine the Calders’ Texas outfit, it’s time for him to step in and investigate.
From the moment Quint’s boots touch Texas dirt, it’s clear that everyone in town is running scared from Max Rutledge, the ruthless owner of a competing ranch. Posing as a cowboy looking for work, Quint has no one to trust but “Empty” Garner and his granddaughter, Dallas. In Empty, Quint finds a steadfast ally; in Dallas, Quint finds something more—the promise of a future.
In a town where betrayal lies around every corner, where every unlocked door, thrown punch, or suspicious fire is just a hint of deadlier things to come, the Calders will be tested as never before. And this time, it could cost them more than their land…it could cost them everything.
Calder Promise
All Laura Calder Wants Is Everything…
Young and beautiful, Laura Calder isn’t content to live on a Montana ranch. Touring Europe with her “Aunt” Tara brings her into contact with the sophisticated world she’s craved…and with the two men—and ultimate rivals—who will lay claim to her heart. Boone Rutledge is the son of a Texas billionaire and used to getting what he wants. He wants Laura…and so does Sebastian Dunshill, Earl of Crawford, a handsome, sexy Londoner with a few secrets he can’t share.
Caught up in a whirlwind courtship with both men that will take her from the nightclubs of Rome to the manor houses of England, across the dusty flatlands of Texas and finally home to the Triple C ranch, Laura is determined to make her choice on her own terms. But Calder pride will lead Laura into a danger for which her sheltered background has never prepared her…and to a man who is a threat to the family she loves more than she knows.
Shifting Calder Wind
Chase Calder has no recollection of who he is, why he came to Fort Worth…or who tried to put a bullet in his head the night that a cowboy named Laredo Smith saved his life. Laredo recognizes him as the owner of Montana’s Triple C ranch—but according to the local papers, Chase has just been declared dead, the victim of a fiery car crash.
The only place Chase can find answers is at the Triple C…and the only
person he can trust is his level-headed daughter-in-law, Jessy Calder. Helping Chase brings Jessy into conflict with headstrong Cat Calder, and into an uneasy alliance with the mysterious and seductive Laredo. And when another family member is found murdered on Calder soil, Chase resolves to come out of hiding and track down a ruthless killer…before the killer finds him first.