Santa Fe Fortune & How to Marry a Matador

life as a schoolteacher?”
    She caressed him with her gaze, making him feel warm all over.
    “The life I want is out here.”
    “You’ll have all the time you need to paint, you know.”
    “That would be a dream come true.”
    “Just as long as you leave enough time for that other thing,” he said suggestively.
    “What other thing?” she asked.
    “Getting started on our family,” he said, nuzzling her neck.
    “Oh Dan…” She seemed to lose her balance, so he steadied his arms around her. “I’d like that. I’d like that very much.”
    “Of course, I know we’ll need to discuss things and work with the doctors. We can go for counseling if you’d like. Talk to some—”
    “Dan,” she said, stopping him with hot-as-Hades brown eyes. “I want to have your baby.”
    She gave him a sensuous kiss, pressing her jalapeño-pepper-hot body up against his until Dan thought he might explode from the sheer torture.
    “How soon can we get started?” he asked, his tone urgent with desire.
    Gwen saucily tilted her head to one side and cocked an eyebrow. “Want to help me off with these boots?”
    Dan loved this woman more than he’d ever loved anybody on the planet. He thanked his lucky stars that he was finally getting an opportunity to show her.
    “That, Ms. Marsh,” he said, with a warm, willing grin, “would be my great pleasure.”
    Then, with one powerful motion that he’d mentally practiced two dozen times, Dan swept his sexy cowgirl off her feet and carried her to his bed.

Epilogue

    The sun angled high in the summer sky, casting a cheery glow across the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In the riding ring behind the barn, Gwen helped a young boy with an unsteady gait mount Rascal.
    “Are you sure he’ll be all right?” his coed aide asked with concern.
    “Oh yes,” Gwen said, smiling brightly. “I’ll be with him the whole time. Besides,” she said, gently stroking the horse, “old Rascal’s a real softie.”
    Rascal snorted loudly and stomped his foot as Dan led a lovely palomino into the ring.
    Dan grinned and winked at Gwen. “Sounds like old Rascal’s been missing his honey.”
    Gwen laughed as one of their trained riders approached to help a slight child up on the mare. “We’ll be back in an hour,” she told Dan once the other pair had settled in.
    Dan set his hands on his hips, proudly surveying the scene. Gwen delighted in the sight of him, more at home now than he’d ever been on this ranch.
    “Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you,” he said. “Nancy called this morning. She sold another landscape series. The ones including the horse.”
    Gwen beamed from ear to ear. “Why, thanks, Rascal,” she said, nuzzling his nose and giving it a kiss. Rascal nibbled lightly on her curls, tickling her ear. “Who knew you’d be such a great model”
    The palomino protested loudly, scraping the dirt with her hoof.
    “Of course you did,” Dan told her with a laugh.
    Just then, a small girl with springy yellow curls rushed into the ring.
    “Daddy! Daddy!” she called, racing toward Dan. “Guess what I got!”
    Dan smiled kindly and scooped her into his arms. “What’s that, pumpkin?”
    The child happily waved a report card. “An A in music!” she proclaimed with glee. “The teacher says I’m the best student she’s got!”
    “I think that’s wonderful, honey,” Gwen said, mounting Rascal behind her small charge.
    Dan kissed his little daughter. “Yes, sweetheart, really terrific.”
    Gwen gave Rascal a loud command, then paraded past Dan, wearing her favorite pair of boots. Catching his gaze, she squared her small shoulders and gave a saucy tilt to her chin.
    “Who do you think taught her to sing?”
    Little lines pulled at the edges of his mouth as blue eyes crinkled.
    “Hurry home, cowgirl,” Dan said. “We’ll be waiting for you.”

    The End

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HOW TO MARRY A MATADOR

    By
    Ginny Baird

    Published by
    Winter Wedding Press

    Copyright 2012
    Ginny Baird
    Kindle Edition
    ISBN 978-0-9851235-6-7
    All Rights Reserved

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