Breaking Love's Curse

By Kreseda Kaine

Chance Guiley has left the Marines and returned home to Bandit Creek to keep his end of the contract he signed years ago with his biological father, Zeke Guiley. However, it's not what Zeke expects. Chance found a loophole in the contract and hired his best friend's baby sister, Nikki Sayors, to take his place at the firm flaming Zeke's ire. The arrangement does allow Chance to keep his promise to his best friend and watch out for Nikki. He now also has the time to take over his aging grandparent's ranch – the only thing he has ever wanted to do since the first time he pulled on a pair of cowboy boots. But Chance's perfectly crafted plan backfires when Nikki comes to town. She's always been attractive, but now she's grown into a full-blown bombshell turning every man's head. If he doesn't make a move - and soon - someone else will. Chance must choose between his loyalty to his best friend and his attraction to the one woman he has never been able to get out of his head.
Nikki's loved Chance from the moment she met him years ago and has always wished he would see her as a woman instead of his good friend's kid sister. Since her brother's death in Iraq, Chance has played the part of fill-in-brother, constantly calling to make sure she is doing okay but always careful to keep a physical distance. She's out to annihilate the distance in every way and make him understand she doesn't need a protector - she needs a man and her sights are set on him. Time isn't on Nikki's side though. Like the legends of Lost Lake, the Guiley name is cursed and Nikki is the only one who can change the past. If she doesn't set things straight between father and son, she loses everything, including Chance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kreseda Kaine
• Release date: Oct 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301871117

Kreseda Kaine

My small-town-girl roots collided with my big-city imagination and created a passion for writing steamy romance novels. My motto - The Steamier The Better. I love a fall day, a glass of wine, and me, curled up in a big chair in front of a fireplace with a good book. Since I live in Central Alberta, finding a fall day, a glass of wine and a fireplace is easy - finding the time to enjoy them ... not so easy. I'm in love with the man of my dreams, and yes, he's my husband. We have two wonderful children together. My daughter's smile is beyond priceless and her laughter is contagious. She's a chip off the old block as she loves to read and write as much as I do! My young son never stops amazing me with his creativity in finding trouble and his innocent confidence to do anything.

Book preview

Breaking Love’s Curse

A Bandit Creek Contemporary Romance

By

Kreseda Kaine

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Kreseda Kaine

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my mom who without even knowing it inspired me to write because of her joy of reading. To my dad for passing on his stubbornness so I never gave up.

To my wonderful husband for allowing me the precious time to write and holding no grudges when I disappeared for hours. Thank you to my two children for filling my day with joy and reminding me how powerful laughter can be.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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 1

Sergeant Chance Guilley stepped into the Powder Horn Saloon and removed his silver-mirrored shades to survey his old stompin’ grounds. Everything—from the dim lighting to the lingering smell of stale alcohol to the grime so much a part of the worn wooden floor—was just as it had always been.

Hooking the arm of his sunglasses onto the collar of his tee-shirt, he made his way to the bar and the familiar face working behind the counter shining up a beer glass. Like the Powder Horn, the bartender hadn’t changed a bit either.

Cotton was still bald.

And still beefy.

What can I get ya? Cotton asked, without looking Chance’s way.

Chance slid onto a stool and let his smile soak into his words. What’s good in a joint like this?

Cotton froze almost comically. He quirked his head sideways and shot a look down the length of the bar before a toothy grin enveloped his face. Well I’ll be, he said, throwing his dishtowel over his shoulder, and stepping around the counter. Chance Guiley. Good to see you soldier boy.

Chance found his hand gripped for an exuberant shake and his shoulder clapped by the large man.

The last time I saw ya, young Medicine Crow and you were out celebrating your escape from working with your daddy.

Chance remembered the night well, or at least he remembered the side effects.

I had to load you two hooligans up and take ya to my place to sleep it off. Course with Medicine Crow being the Deputy now I’m suspecting I won’t have to do that again.

Chance just smiled. He didn’t make promises he couldn’t keep.

Cotton chuckled. Youngins. How’s the knee?

Good.

When did you get home?

Five minutes ago.

Suspicion thickened Cotton’s down-turned brows. And you came here first?

He wasn’t about to get into details with Cotton. What can I say, I missed ya.

The bartender’s large fists settled on his hips. Do I look like some floozy you can sweet-talk?

Chance snorted, You’d have to have hair to be a floozy.

Cotton buzzed the top of his smooth head. You’re not funny.

A matter of opinion. How about a coffee?

Douglas has brewed up some good huckleberry ale if you’re interested?

Maybe later.

Returning to his spot behind the counter, Cotton set a mug in front of Chance and poured the steaming-hot black liquid into the cup. A shrill voice from the back hollered, Cotton.

Your daddy know you’re home? Cotton asked, ignoring the interruption.

Silence reigned for short seconds before another shrill holler. Cotton, you get back here and help me unload stock.

Chance glanced down the hallway, then back to Cotton. Shouldn’t you get on that?

Uh huh, the large man smirked, obviously certain he had sized up the situation. Keep your knickers on, I’m coming, he said to the unknown voice and wandered into the back.

Chance watched the bartender disappear and realized, like Cotton, everyone who had known him before would still see the easy going kid. What they didn't know was that hovering beneath that demeanor was a hardened killer the Marines had sculpted out of him. Living a civilian life again, he tucked those instincts deep inside as best he could but once a man became a Marine, he was always a Marine. Those finely honed instincts would surface in a heartbeat if needed.

Chance reached for the cup of coffee and brought it to his mouth. He breathed in the rich bodied aroma followed by a sip that sent his taste buds rejoicing from the flavorful euphoria dancing across them. No one made coffee like Cotton.

Setting the mug down on the counter, a blur of deep blue color peeked out from under the sleeve of his coat. Pushing the material up, he stared at the word inked on the inside of his wrist for a long moment, then brushed his thumb across it.

From the first day of basic training until that fateful day, Bobby had been the brother Chance never had. With too many ounces of liquid courage running through their veins, they’d dropped into a tattoo parlor and had Brothers tattooed on their wrists sealing their promise to each other. If one didn’t make it, the other was to look after things for his fallen brother. Bonds of blood brothers couldn’t be any stronger.

Reality hit hard and crippled him momentarily for the millionth time.

Bobby was gone.

He braced himself for the barrage of memories that inevitably followed. Like water breaking through a dam, the image of Bobby’s limp body in the middle of an Iraqui street tore through Chance.

And the guilt.

It ate at him like a corrosive gnawing at pipes. It should have been him the bomb explosion took, not Bobby. Bobby had a sister who counted on him, who needed him.

Taking another sip of coffee, Chance wished he had taken Cotton up on his offer for something stronger. Only sheer determination coupled with an image of Bobby’s little sister, forced the horror of that day to the shadows of his mind.

Rubbing tiny circles with his hand over his left breast pocket as if it was the top of a child’s head, Chance finally dipped his fingers into the opening and retrieved the employment contract. He unfolded the crisp white paper, and caressed it between his fingers as if it was gold.

While at Walter Reed Army Hospital for rehabilitation of his knee which had been shattered by a sniper on his final deployment, he spent weeks on the phone making this proposition to Bobby’s sister, Nikki Sayors. In the end, he convinced her working for him in Bandit Creek was exactly the challenge she was looking for.

From behind came a voice tainted with an alcohol-induced slur. She’ll bring you pain.

Looking up from Nikki’s contract, Chance peered over his shoulder at a scraggily dressed old man. It was JD, the town drunk who had lived in Bandit Creek since forever according to some.

Chance found the man’s ramblings comforting similar in a way you could count on some things never changing. Who you talking about, JD?

With a shaky finger, JD pointed at the paper in Chance’s hand, spittle on the corners of his mouth. The woman, he slurred.

Chance didn’t believe all the hokus pokus surrounding JD so many of the towns folks spun. However, he was impressed with the man’s ability to focus on the tiny print splayed across the paper since he obviously still consumed copious amounts of Jack Daniels. To actually read Nikki’s name over his shoulder and know she was a woman, equally impressive. Bum or not, JD was old school. Nikki wouldn’t be a name for a woman in his time.

Careful JD or you’ll end up convincing me all those rumors about you having special powers and seeing into the future are true, Chance teased.

JD wavered on his feet. Not rumors. I’m an out...standing citizen. Shit for charges.

Setting Nikki’s contract on the counter, Chance swiveled on the stool to face JD head on and was greeted to a stench of ripe body odor coated in pungent whiskey. Instinctively Chance gripped his