The Unfinished Groom: Bachelor Billionaire Romance (A Last Play Companion) Read online

  The Unfinished Groom

  Bachelor Billionaire Romances

  Taylor Hart

  Contents

  Copyright

  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 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  The No Regrets Groom by Taylor Hart

  Also by Taylor Hart

  About the Author

  Copyright

  All rights reserved.

  © 2016 ArchStone Ink

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews. The reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form whether electronic, mechanical or other means, known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written consent of the publisher and/or author. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This edition is published by ArchStone Ink LLC.

  First eBook Edition: 2015

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the creation of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dear Reader

  I’m so excited for you to read rough and tough Hunter James’s love story!

  But, just in case you didn’t know, there’s other fun bachelor billionaires living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming who have already fallen in love…

  Cameron Cruz, football player for the Denver Storm. His story is The Football Groom Get it Here!

  and

  Montana Crew, country rock star. His story is Almost Everything (Part of The Destination Billionaire Romances) Get it Here.

  Chapter 1

  Lucky—that’s how Hunter James had always described himself. Even while growing up dirt poor on a farm in Texas. Even when he’d found himself in a war zone in Afghanistan. Even before he’d struck it rich in oil and then won the forty acres of horse property in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in a poker game. He’d always known he’d be rich someday. That’s how life went when you decided to make your own luck. Sitting on his horse, looking out at the Teton Mountains in the distance, he knew someday had arrived.

  And he wouldn’t lie, it felt good.

  Soaking in the evening sunset, he galloped west toward the one acre that he didn’t own. He’d heard he had new neighbors, and they had finally come to fix up the eyesore at the edge of his property.

  About time.

  Hunter’s lawyers had petitioned to buy that acre, but it had been protected in some land trust.

  Humph.

  If his instincts were right, and they usually were, he’d own it by nightfall. He was prepared to offer the right price to the owner.

  Coming up to the stream that separated the properties, he hopped off his horse and took the reins, prepared to lead the horse across. It wasn’t deep, but he thought he might as well enjoy himself and take the time to look a bit closer. After all, this stream would be his soon.

  “Come back here!”

  Hunter hesitated, hearing what sounded like a child’s voice.

  “Stupid frog, c’mon. I told Mama I could do it. Don’t make me a liar! Come back!”

  A young kid skipped across the stream, barefoot and hunched over. The frog he chased hopped quickly out of reach.

  “Get back here!” the boy yelled, not seeing Hunter.

  “Son.” Hunter spoke in a firm voice.

  The boy, clearly startled, turned and slipped, falling back into the water.

  Hunter dropped his horse’s reins and moved swiftly, unable to prevent the boy from falling into the water, but getting there quickly enough to pick him up after only a few seconds.

  The boy appeared frightened and tried to wriggle away. “Stranger danger!” he yelled.

  A low laugh escaped Hunter’s lips. “Take it easy. Do you want me to help you catch a frog?” He steadied the boy on his feet and let him go.

  The boy frowned, hunched over in his soaking clothes, and looked up. His brown hair fell into his eyes. “Who are you?”

  Hunter knew he must seem huge to the boy. He cocked an eyebrow. He didn’t know of any kids that lived close by. “Who are you?”

  The boy blinked and then swallowed. “I …” He trailed off.

  “You’re not supposed to speak to strangers, right?”

  The boy’s eyes were still frightened, and Hunter could see his small frame shaking. He nodded.

  Hunter put his hand out. “I’m Hunter James, your neighbor. Now, I’m not a stranger.”

  Hesitantly, the boy put his hand out.

  Hunter took his hand, shaking it. “You always keep a firm grip, you hear? It’ll make people think you’re certain of yourself even if you’re not.”

  The boy’s jaw shut, and he paused before nodding. “I’m Cade Kingston.”

  Hunter gave him a gentle shake and released his hand. Recognizing the name Kingston from the legal paperwork, he nodded. “What are you doing out here?”

  “I-I …” the boy stuttered.

  Hunter wondered if he was still scaring the boy and took a step back. “It’s okay. Can I help you?”

  The boy didn’t utter another word, just took off in a flash, racing across the rocks in the stream. “Well,” Hunter muttered. He turned back, moved to Honey, hopped into the saddle, and took off after him.

  Hunter didn’t bother trying to catch up with him. Once the boy got out of the trees next to the stream, Hunter could see him dashing toward the house.

  The broken-down house had an eyesore of a garden on the west side. He hadn’t been in the house, but he’d seen enough from around the outside to know it hadn’t been loved in a long time. Clicking his tongue, he signaled Honey to slow as he approached the side of the property.

  An old white Ford was parked in the weedy driveway in front of the house. A brand-new black Ford F-250 was parked right next to it. Hmm. A couple? None of it made sense. Why would they want this acre, this house? It was so run-down he’d figured he’d mow the house down when he got it. Navigating the slope down to the house, he decided to be polite and go to the front door. He imagined the boy had already told his parents he was coming. Good. Fine. That was all right with Hunter.

  A lot of work had been done recently. The garden was actually cleaned out, and it looked like they’d done some planting. The trash around the yard was all picked up, and the front porch had two white wicker chairs and a small table that brightened the place up.

  As he got closer, he heard eighties rock pounding out of the windows. He’d always liked eighties rock. Maybe these people would be rational and sane after all. He couldn’t figure out why in the world t
hey would want this home. Granted, the front looked mansion-like with a wraparound porch, weathered brick, and faded black shutters. Each window had flower boxes underneath. At one time, it’d been a fine home. Unfortunately, the outlying buildings of what clearly used to be stables were so old, he was pretty sure if he gave them a firm push they’d topple over.

  Stepping onto the porch, he noticed a huge pile of daises on top of the small table. The smell of fresh paint was strong when he reached the front door. Too bad they’d already done all this work. At least the price he would give them would more than compensate them for their sweat equity. Putting up his hand to knock, he heard an explosion of shouting.

  “Get out of my house!”

  The voice was distinctly female and very ticked off. He held his hand in the air, glad he hadn’t knocked yet. The hair on the back of his neck pricked up. The best and worst thing about his time in the military was he was always ready. He no longer had to tell his body to prepare for a confrontation. His senses had been honed during his special ops training.

  In fact, the only hard part these days for Hunter was convincing himself he didn’t need to react, didn’t need to prepare. He spent a lot of nights meditating, but not because, as his friend Cooper teased him, he was the new Jedi master. No. Meditation was the only thing that calmed the beast inside of him. Well, that and poker.

  “It was always supposed to be you and me, Summer. Always.” The other voice was male and calm, too calm. “I’m offering you the whole kingdom.”

  It was the kind of calm tone Hunter instantly recognized as a bluff.

  For a second, nothing happened. Hunter resisted the urge to rip the screen off its hinges and move into the house. He could barely make out the next words.

  “I don’t want the kingdom. I never did, Luke.”

  Hunter got the distinct impression there was a deeper meaning to their conversation and it was intensely personal.

  The voice got louder. “Our history is tied together and so is our future.”

  “I asked you to come, remember?” Her voice was tight, controlled.

  Silence.

  Hunter wanted to leave, but he felt like he was reading a novel. No matter how much you wanted to close the book, you had to see what would happen next.

  “You ran before we could work it out with your father.”

  “No!” she shouted. “I left because of my father. But you stayed because of him.”

  Silence.

  Then her voice. “My husband died, and this is the only place I have to go. So I’m here. For Cade. That’s all. So please, just leave.”

  Hunter’s heart was in his throat. Hearing the vulnerability, the rawness, of her confession made him feel like an interloper. Taking a step back, his hand went to his side, and he was about to dart off the porch. Clearly, he shouldn’t have come today to visit his new neighbors.

  But he was too late.

  The sound of a door opening and feet shuffling, and an excited voice.

  “Mama, Mama!”

  “Cade, go outside, sweetie.”

  “Mama! There’s a man at the front door.”

  Chapter 2

  Summer Kingston only knew one thing about men showing up unannounced: they never brought good news. Growing up, her father had always been away on business, only coming home at short intervals at a time. When he did, her mother and the servants had been on constant edge. On her fifth birthday, her mother had thrown her a party and invited the whole county. There were clowns and horse rides on their ranch and all of her friends from school. That’s when she’d learned the true danger of her father showing up unannounced. He’d walked into the backyard and told everyone the party was over and to get off their property. It wasn’t until later that Summer realized he’d been drunk as a skunk.

  Her mother had begged him to go in the house and go to bed. She tried to add niceties and tell everyone to go back to the party. Without warning, her father turned and slapped her.

  Summer still vividly remembered that night. Still relived it in her dreams. The moment when she’d started crying, feeling horrible for wanting the stupid party. The anger she had felt at her father for hitting her mother, and the shame.

  Her father left, again, after hitting her mother. Six months later he showed up with armloads of presents, claiming to be a changed man. But it was always the same. Every time he came home, the whole house would go on alert.

  After her birthday party, her mother changed. Later, Summer realized a part of her mother died that night. Before then, she’d been able to pretend her husband was a kind, benevolent man who’d given her all the things wealth could buy. But after the night he hit her in front of people, she couldn’t pretend any longer. So she took to bed more and more often, claiming frequent migraines.

  Luke was the son of the foreman on their ranch. He’d been her childhood friend, her confidant, and her first boyfriend. When she’d go riding for hours, trying to sort out why her mother lay in bed most of the time and why her father always seemed to come home angry, he’d find her … and ride with her. Sometimes talking, sometimes simply just being with her. But when she needed him the most, he refused to leave Jackson with her. So she’d gone … alone.

  Summer moved toward the front door and the unannounced guest.

  Luke moved with her. He was tall and even more filled out since high school. He got to the door before her and swung it back, a slight frown crossing his face. “It’s not enough to steal my land? Now you follow me around, James?”

  The man came into view, and she saw he was more than a match for Luke. Tall, in full cowboy gear and bulkier in the shoulders, he held his cowboy hat in his hand. His blond hair, shaved on the sides, fell down into his eyes. The look in his green eyes, one of total focus on Luke, told her he wasn’t the least bit intimidated. He said, “We all get dealt bad hands, Stonewall. You shouldn’t have put up the land as collateral.”

  She had no idea what they were talking about, but she was embarrassed by what Mr. James must have heard while waiting at the door.

  Luke scoffed. “I’ll get it back.”

  Annoyed that he wouldn’t get out of her way, she settled for standing next to Luke and focused on the man. She was distracted by his eyes. The bright green in them looked like the forest on a summer day. Watchful, they looked from Luke to her and back. Then they narrowed at Luke. “Excuse me, Mr. Stonewall. I have business with the lady, and I believe she asked you to leave.”

  Summer pushed herself in front of Luke and opened the screen door, taking the opportunity to get away from Luke. She held the door for Cade. “C’mon out here with me, son.” She wasn’t leaving him in there with Luke.

  Cade followed, grinning up at Hunter. “I fell, and he helped me up. I hope that’s okay. You said not to talk to strangers, but his name is Hunter. He told me we’re not strangers anymore.” A grin brightened the boy’s face.

  The side of Hunter’s lip twitched up and he nodded at Cade, then flashed a grin to her. “You have a smart boy there, and he’s gonna be one of the best frog catchers around with all that persistence.”

  It was silly how the compliment about her son and Hunter’s warm smile completely disarmed her. She turned to Cade, who now wore a big grin, and saw he was blushing. She patted his head and pulled him to her hip in a protective gesture. “Cade is the most curious boy you’ll ever meet,” she stated proudly. “Just like his father.”

  Luke walked out of the house and stood between her and Hunter. “What’s your business here?”

  Anger swelled within her chest at the way Luke tried to dominate, acting like he was in charge. Part of Summer wanted to yell at Luke to leave and never come back, but unlike her father, she didn’t want to make an unnecessary scene in front of her child.

  Hunter’s grin only widened as he flashed his attention back to Luke and then stood straighter. Every part of him seemed ready for a fight.

  The center of Summer’s chest warmed, and she was confused by the instant attracti
on she felt for this man. “Luke, I have this handled.”

  Luke stayed in Hunter’s face.

  Lazily, Hunter eyed Luke, keeping the grin on his face. “I don’t think you heard.” He gestured to Summer with his hat. “My business is with the lady,” he said with an emphasized southern drawl.

  Turning to Luke, Summer noticed his mouth went from a frown to a quick snarl. “I’m not done talking with her, so you’ll just have to come back.”

  Clearing her throat, she turned to Luke. “We’re done here.”

  “But—”

  Summer shook her head, giving him a glare. “Please, just leave.”

  Luke’s nostrils widened, and he let out a long breath. For a second, he held her gaze. “Fine. Later.”

  Summer’s heart nearly beat out of her chest. She’d known Luke had never married, but she hadn’t expected him to come over today and want to pick up where they’d left off ten years ago.

  Both of them watched Luke back down the driveway.

  She felt the tension drain out of her a bit. It put her on edge to have Luke around. She turned to Cade. “I have a piece of apple pie in the fridge I said you could have when you got back. Why don’t you go eat it at the counter?”

  A smile brightened Cade’s face, and he leapt toward the screen door. “Okay, Mama.” He went inside.

  She smiled at his exuberance and then turned back to Hunter. He was watching Cade with a smile too.

  He held out hand to her. “Hunter James.”