Amazed by You (Riding Tall Book 11) Read online

  “It’s more than a hobby, Helene.” Jayson squeezed Celine’s hand beneath the table. “Few have accomplished what she has. Not many fashion designers have their clothing line selected to sell in exclusive department stores.”

  Both Mother and Father turned their attention to Celine.

  “Darling, you’ve never shared that information with us.” Helene looked completely astonished. Dollar signs popped into her eyes. “Do tell.”

  Her father was likely working the math over in his head. “Which department store?”

  “I’d rather keep it confidential.” Celine gave a tight smile.

  Helene sounded annoyed. “We’re your parents.”

  “Exactly,” Celine said.

  Jayson jumped in. “Our wedding date is set for next summer.”

  “That’s lovely.” Helene’s use of the word “lovely” had a condescending ring to it.

  Dinner went downhill from there.

  Later, Celine did feel it was important to let her father know about Monty and what he had done when he worked for Charles. She finished with, “He killed Sky.”

  Charles brushed that aside. “How dare he take from me.” Her moneyed and privileged father was more concerned with Monty having stolen from them than for the horses Monty had killed, including the one so important to Celine’s heart. “I must check to see if the statute of limitations has expired.”

  Jayson explained that Monty was in prison and would likely serve a considerable amount of time for the things he’d done.

  “Not good enough,” Charles ground out.

  The evening continued to speed down that hill.

  “Tell us about your future in-laws,” Helen said at one point.

  “Mom and Dad are wonderful,” Celine didn’t catch herself in time from referring to them like they were her parents, but whatever.

  “Mom and Dad?” Helene said the words coldly, leaving a chill in the air.

  “They have embraced me as one of their own.” Celine sat straighter in her seat. “The McBrides are, to a one, great people.”

  “Of course, they are.” Helene’s expression was so rigid, it looked like her face might shatter.

  And with that, the night hit rock-bottom.

  Celine and Jayson politely declined dessert.

  Jayson insisted on paying for dinner and left enough cash in the black check presenter to cover it. They said their good nights and left the restaurant.

  Instead of returning to their room in the hotel, they took a walk around Times Square, Jayson holding her hand.

  “I cannot believe them.” The words exploded from Celine. “Or maybe I can. Their behavior was absolutely unacceptable.”

  Jayson squeezed her hand and smiled gently at her when she looked at him. “It’s all right, Celine. You have a family in Arizona who embraces you for who you are. And you are one hell of a woman. I’m proud of you.”

  Celine let out a long breath and smiled in return. “You’re right. And most importantly, I have you.”

  Chapter 15

  “Bold and spectacular.”

  “Innovative and fresh.”

  “Beautifully interpreted.”

  “Mouthwateringly sublime.”

  “A distinct and thrilling voice.”

  The praise bounced around in Celine’s mind like the champagne bubbles in her glass.

  Jayson, dressed in the Armani tuxedo she had given him, placed his fingers on the base of her spine, keeping her grounded. He always looked fantastic in Wranglers and a T-shirt…but in an Armani tux? Oh. My. God. He had every single woman there turning her head. Even the old scions of the fashion world seemed to do a double-take.

  The journey here had been beyond rocky, but when everything started to fall together, she knew it was going to be okay. After what had happened with Monty, her team had pressed forward even harder, everyone even more determined to make her line a success.

  Celine had felt positive about the commercial shoot and thrilled with the preparation for the launch. After Monty was gone, everything had fallen into place like well-ordered dominoes.

  However, the reception of this Celine Originals line by the world of fashion during this runway debut had blown her away. It almost was too much to take.

  She smiled and nodded as many who made up an important part of the fashion world made a point of congratulating her and raving about what she’d done with her hand crafted traditional textiles combined with cutting-edge digital technology.

  “Thank you,” she said over and over, meaning it every time. She made appropriate small talk before the next person came up to her and raved about her line.

  A few made catty remarks formed as praise, but Celine didn’t let it bother her. She’d been around people like that all her life, and she knew it for what it was.

  Overall, everything turned out beautifully, and things couldn’t be any better. She looked up and smiled at her future husband, feeling a sense of being home. Wherever she was with this man, she was exactly where she belonged.

  Celine stood with her arms folded on the top railing of one of the corrals at the Arabaya boys ranch outside of Prescott. She’d realized her dream when she’d purchased the ranch using funds from the deal with the exclusive department store that now carried her line of clothing.

  Her employees who ran the ranch made sure the teenagers didn’t make the mistake Celine had. She didn’t want any kid to experience that same heartbreak, or any horse to go through what Sky had.

  She watched Darrell who practiced his showmanship astride a gray Arabian. She saw potential in the young man. A little work on his horsemanship, a lot more work on healing the troubles of his abusive past, and he would do well.

  Abuse—his had been both emotional and verbal, something she knew something about. Many thought abuse had to be physical, but the other was equally bad. No child should be told they are worthless, or even that they are an inconvenience.

  For her entire life, Celine had known nothing but wealth. She’d had everything a child could want—if her parents hadn’t decided she was too good for it, but only because she was their child, wanted or no. She was too good for Barbies and Legos. Her parents insisted she must have handmade wooden or porcelain dolls that they made her keep on a shelf because they were too nice to play with, and much too expensive.

  She’d grown up not knowing what “fun” was. She hadn’t watched so much as a single TV show while she was growing up. Her parents thought she was above such common things that would hamper her education and threaten her intelligence.

  Dear God.

  Children of the royal family likely had less restrictions on what they were allowed to do or have than she’d had. Celine mentally shook her head. She wasn’t sure if that analogy was a stretch. She’d watched Princess Kate dote on her children and what a proud mother she was. Celine envied that.

  What would it have been like to feel a parent’s genuine pride instead of being shuttered away as nothing more than an inconvenience? Knowing she had been just as unwanted as Darrell had been told he was?

  Water under the bridge? Could she just let it go?

  She didn’t know. Maybe one day she would.

  Now, as she watched the kids at the boys’ ranch and the therapeutic Arabian horses, she thought about how different their lives and paths were and had been. They’d had tough beginnings while many might have considered hers easy.

  She watched a boy ride a proud Arabian and thought about Sky, the multimillion-dollar Arabian she’d had while growing up.

  When it came down to it, she and the boys were the same in all that mattered. In love with horses that gave love only such a proud beast could.

  Jayson settled his palm at her waist, drawing her attention to him. “You’ve done a good thing here, honey.”

  She turned to smile at him. “It doesn’t feel like I’ve done enough, but it’s a start.”

  “When you get out there and teach those kids like you plan to,” he said, “you’re going to
enjoy that even more than watching.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I am.” She shaded her eyes from the sun when she looked up at him. “Are you ready to go home? It’s time for chores.”

  “My men will take care of it.” Jayson squeezed her to him. “I have an idea.”

  “Oh?” She turned to face him and raised an eyebrow. “You’re full of ideas.”

  “Let’s take off.” He took her hands in his. “We can pick anywhere in the world you want to go.”

  She smiled. “What’s the occasion?”

  “You.” He pointed to her chest. “Me.” He thumped his own. “We wanted to get married on the anniversary of the day we met, this summer. Let’s forget waiting. Let’s do it now.”

  Sunshine bright happiness flowed through her. “You know what I have to say?”

  He grinned. He knew her too well.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I’m ready when you are.”

  Also by Cheyenne McCray

  “Riding Tall” series

  Branded for You

  Roping Your Heart

  Fencing You In

  Tying You Down

  Playing With You

  Crazy For You

  Hot For You

  Made For You

  Held By You

  Belong to You

  Amazed By You

  More by Cheyenne McCray

  Stories in the “Armed and Dangerous” Series

  Book 1: Zack

  Book 2: Luke

  Book 3: Clay

  Book 4: Kade

  Book 5: Alex (novella)

  Stories in the “Rough and Ready” Series: The Camerons

  Book 1: Silk and Spurs

  Book 2: Lace and Lassos

  Book 3: Champagne and Chaps

  Book 4: Satin and Saddles

  Book 5: Roses and Rodeo

  Book 6: Lingerie and Lariats

  Book 7: Lipstick and Leather

  Stories in the “King Creek Cowboys” Series

  Book 1: Country Heat

  About the Author

  Cheyenne McCray is an award winning, New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author who is a rare native Arizonan.

  In her spare time she loves to torture characters—whether they’re misbehaving or not—and kill off deserving individuals. She also has a blast blowing things up. All fictionally, of course.

  Chey enjoys creating stories of love, suspense, and redemption, and she loves building worlds her readers can get lost in.

  Cheyenne and her equally geeky husband live in the wilds of Arizona with their two furballs, Nikki and Checkers.

  Visit Cheyenne at her favorite places:

  cheyennemccray.com

  [email protected]