Canyon Read online

  From New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson comes a new trilogy starring three Westmorelands…

  Years ago, Canyon Westmoreland let misunderstandings come between him and Keisha Ashford. But when Keisha returns to town with a two-year-old son, it’s time to settle things once and for all. A blazing attraction still burns between them, and this time around, nothing will stop Canyon from claiming what is his—his woman and his child!

  Praise for New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Brenda Jackson

  “Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and characters you fall in love with.”

  —New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Lori Foster

  “Jackson’s trademark ability to weave multiple characters and side stories together makes shocking truths all the more exciting.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “There is no getting away from the sex appeal and charm of Jackson’s Westmoreland family.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Feeling the Heat

  “Jackson’s characters are wonderful, strong, colorful and hot enough to burn the pages.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Westmoreland’s Way

  “The kind of sizzling, heart-tugging story Brenda Jackson is famous for.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Spencer’s Forbidden Passion

  “This is entertainment at its best.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Star of His Heart

  * * *

  Canyon is part of The Westmorelands series:

  A family bound by loyalty…and love!

  Dear Reader,

  I love writing about those Westmorelands because they exemplify what a strong family is all about, mainly the sharing of love and support. For that reason, when I was given the chance to present them in a trilogy, I was excited and ready to dive into the lives of Zane, Canyon and Stern Westmoreland.

  It is hard to believe that Canyon is my twenty-fifth Westmoreland novel. It seems like it was only yesterday when I introduced you to Delaney and her five brothers. I knew by the time I wrote Thorn’s story that I just had to tell you about their cousins that were spread out over Montana, Texas, California and Colorado.

  It has been an adventure and I enjoyed sharing it with you. I’ve gotten your emails and snail mails letting me know how much you adore those Westmoreland men, and I appreciate hearing from you. Each Westmoreland—male or female—is unique, and the way love conquers their hearts is heartwarming, breathtaking and totally satisfying.

  In this story, Canyon is in for a shocker when he discovers his former girlfriend’s closely guarded secret. And then he has to learn to forgive a woman who has a problem with forgiving herself.

  I hope you enjoy this story about Canyon and Keisha Ashford.

  Happy Reading!

  Brenda Jackson

  Selected books by Brenda Jackson

  Harlequin Desire

  *A Wife for a Westmoreland #2077

  *The Proposal #2089

  *Feeling the Heat #2149

  *Texas Wild #2185

  *One Winter’s Night #2197

  *Zane #2239

  *Canyon #2245

  Silhouette Desire

  *Delaney’s Desert Sheikh #1473

  *A Little Dare #1533

  *Thorn’s Challenge #1552

  *Stone Cold Surrender #1601

  *Riding the Storm #1625

  *Jared’s Counterfeit Fiancée #1654

  *The Chase Is On #1690

  *The Durango Affair #1727

  *Ian’s Ultimate Gamble #1745

  *Seduction, Westmoreland Style #1778

  *Spencer’s Forbidden Passion #1838

  *Taming Clint Westmoreland #1850

  *Cole’s Red-Hot Pursuit #1874

  *Quade’s Babies #1911

  *Tall, Dark…Westmoreland! #1928

  *Westmoreland’s Way #1975

  *Hot Westmoreland Nights #2000

  *What a Westmoreland Wants #2035

  Harlequin Kimani Arabesque

  ΔWhispered Promises

  ΔEternally Yours

  ΔOne Special Moment

  ΔFire and Desire

  ΔSecret Love

  ΔTrue Love

  ΔSurrender

  ΔSensual Confessions

  ΔInseparable

  ΔCourting Justice

  Harlequin Kimani Romance

  ΩSolid Soul #1

  ΩNight Heat #9

  ΩBeyond Temptation #25

  ΩRisky Pleasures #37

  ΩIrresistible Forces #89

  ΩIntimate Seduction #145

  ΩHidden Pleasures #189

  ΩA Steele for Christmas #253

  ΩPrivate Arrangements #269

  *The Westmorelands

  ΔMadaris Family Saga

  ΩSteele Family titles

  Other titles by this author are available in ebook format.

  BRENDA JACKSON

  is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she believes in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her real-life love story, Brenda and her husband of more than forty years live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.

  A New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy-five romance titles, Brenda is a recent retiree who now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald. You may write Brenda at P.O. Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, email her at [email protected] or visit her website at www.brendajackson.net.

  To my husband, the love of my life and my best friend, Gerald Jackson, Sr.

  To the members of the Brenda Jackson Support Team, this one is for you!

  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

  —Proverbs 17:22

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  One

  Canyon Westmoreland was tempted to get out of the parked car and stretch his legs, but decided against it. The one thing he’d learned from watching cop shows was that when you were on a stakeout, you did nothing to give yourself away. You remained as inconspicuous as possible. And as far as he was concerned, he was on a stakeout, determined to find out once and for all why Keisha Ashford refused to give him the time of day.

  He was very much aware that she hated his guts because she believed he had betrayed her with another woman. And he knew that assumption was the reason she’d left town three years ago, cutting all ties with him, and was also the reason why she felt that, upon returning to Denver, she had every right to act as if he didn’t exist.

  However, he had put up with it long enough.

  They were both corporate attorneys, a profession which had brought them together initially, and a profession that still placed them together on a number of occasions. Since she’d returned to Denver ten months ago, they’d sat across from each other at the negotiating table for more than one business deal. And it bothered him when she acted as if they d
idn’t share a past.

  A number of times he had approached her about straightening things out between them, if for no other reason than so they could have closure, but she always turned him down.

  Well, he’d had enough. He refused to allow another day to go by with her thinking he had betrayed her.

  So here he was, parked outside the law firm where she worked. Canyon planned to follow her home and confront her. They would finally have that discussion she’d been refusing to give him.

  His brothers Stern and Riley had warned him that she had the right to call the police if she felt harassed. But he hoped she wouldn’t feel that way. He wasn’t trying to harass her. He only wanted to talk to her.

  He glanced at his watch. Since he wasn’t sure what time she got off work, he’d been parked here for more than an hour now, leaving early from his job at his family’s company—Blue Ridge Land Management—to make sure he didn’t miss her.

  He’d moved to switch channels on the radio when his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned when he saw it was his brother. He clicked the phone on.

  “What do you want, Stern?”

  “Just calling to see if you’ve been arrested yet.”

  Canyon rolled his eyes. “I won’t be getting arrested.”

  “Don’t be too sure of that. No woman likes being stalked.”

  Canyon’s hand tightened on the steering wheel. “I’m not stalking her.”

  Stern chuckled. “So what do you call your plan of waiting in front of her office with the intention of following her home?”

  Canyon adjusted his tall frame in the seat to find a more comfortable position. “I wouldn’t have to follow her if she’d told me where she lives.”

  “There’s a chance the reason she didn’t tell you is because she doesn’t want you to know,” Stern said. “Her house is her territory, and you’re forcing yourself into her space. She might not like that.”

  Canyon was about to tell his brother that at this point he couldn’t care less about what she liked when he saw Keisha and another woman walk out of the building together. They were conversing and smiling, headed to their cars. Both were nice-looking women, but his gaze was focused solely on Keisha. He thought the same thing now that he’d thought the first time he’d met her. She was an incredibly beautiful woman.

  She still had creamy brown skin that highlighted dark brown eyes, a perky nose and high cheekbones. And she still wore her silky black hair straight and parted in the center. It brushed against her shoulders. Just looking at her full lips made him remember how they tasted, which in turn made him hungry for them. He wished he didn’t recall the many times he’d spent devouring her mouth.

  But there was something different about her shapely body in that navy A-line skirt and pretty blue blouse. Was it his imagination, or did her hips really appear curvier and her breasts slightly larger than what he remembered?

  Regardless of whether his memory was playing tricks on him or not, Keisha Ashford looked good.

  He shifted in his seat again, thinking some things didn’t change, even his desire for a woman who couldn’t stand him.

  But he had no problem remembering a time when she could stand him. Those had been the best times of his life. He’d never thought he would be ready to settle down with a woman before his thirty-fifth birthday, but he had fallen for Keisha quickly and had been ready to pop the question—before a lie had torn them apart.

  He released a deep sigh as his gaze continued to soak her in, every single detail, especially those legs, which could wrap so firmly around a man’s waist—

  “Canyon, are you still there?”

  He blinked upon remembering he still had Stern on the phone. “Yes, I’m here. But I have to go. Keisha just walked out and I need to follow her.”

  “Be careful, bro. It’s been a long time since a Westmoreland was put in jail. I’m sure you remember those days.”

  He drew in a deep breath. How could he forget? There was only one Westmoreland with a jail record. As a teen, his baby brother Brisbane—known around Denver as Badass Bane—had gotten into enough trouble for all of them. Now Bane was serving his country as a kicking-the-enemy-ass navy SEAL.

  “It won’t get that far, Stern. I’m no threat to Keisha. I just want to talk to her.”

  “You weren’t a threat to her before, but that didn’t stop her from almost slapping a restraining order on you. Look, Canyon, it’s your business but—”

  “I know, I know, Stern. You don’t want me to do anything to bring shame on the family.”

  Keisha and the woman had parted ways, and Keisha was now walking alone toward her car. She still had that walk that he thought was as sexy as hell. Although she moved like a model, she had the look of a cool professional in her four-inch pumps with her briefcase in hand.

  “Canyon!”

  He jumped. “Look, Stern. I’ll call you later.”

  Without giving his brother a chance to say anything else, Canyon clicked off the phone. He watched as Keisha sized up her surroundings before opening her car and getting inside. Although she had glanced in his direction she hadn’t seen him. He was parked behind a couple of cars.

  He gave her time to start her car and pull out of her parking spot. Then, just as he was about to pull out of his own parking spot, a car darted out in front of him.

  “What the hell,” Canyon muttered, hitting his brakes. “What damn fire is he rushing off to?”

  Not wanting to lose Keisha, he pulled in behind the black sedan, keeping her vehicle within his vision. After tailing her for a few blocks, he became uneasy. It seemed the car in front of him—the black sedan—was tailing her, as well.

  As an attorney, Canyon was aware there were times when clients of the opposing council didn’t like a court’s decision and wanted to make that dislike known. That could be what was happening here. He didn’t want to think of other possibilities, like a carjacking. They’d had a number of those lately around the city.

  Canyon’s protective instincts kicked in when Keisha turned a corner to head away from town and the driver of the black sedan did, too. He couldn’t tell if the person driving the car in front of him was male or female because the windows were tinted. But he could make out the license plate number.

  He pushed the phone button on his steering wheel. “Yes, Mr. Westmoreland, may I help you?”

  “Yes, Samuel. Please connect me with Pete Higgins.”

  Pete was best friends with his cousin Derringer and was a deputy with Denver’s police department.

  “Please hold on for the connection.”

  It didn’t take long for Pete to come on the line. “Deputy Higgins.”

  “Pete. This is Canyon. I need you to check out a license plate number.”

  “Why?”

  Although Canyon knew Pete had every right to ask that question, he couldn’t keep his irritation from escalating. “A woman is being followed.”

  “And you know this how?”

  Canyon bit his lip to keep from cursing. His patience was stretched to the limit. “I know because I’m following her, as well.”

  “Oh. And why are you following her?”

  Canyon had always admired Pete’s easy, laid-back manner. Until now. “Now look, Pete.”

  “No, you look, Canyon. No one should be following a woman, not you or anybody else. That’s harassment and I can bring you both in for stalking. What’s the license plate number?”

  A mad-as-hell Canyon rattled off the number while wondering why Keisha hadn’t noticed she was being followed by not one, but two vehicles.

  “Um, this is interesting,” Pete said.

  “What?” Canyon asked, annoyed.

  “That license plate was stolen.”

  “Stolen?”

  The d
river in the sedan was smart enough not to follow behind Keisha too closely. But evidently he wasn’t smart enough to pick up on the fact that he or she was being followed by Canyon. Maybe the driver was so busy keeping up with Keisha that he hadn’t noticed what was going on behind him.

  “Yes. According to our system, that license plate was reported stolen earlier today. Where are you?”

  “Right now I’m going through the intersection of Firestone Road and Tinsel, and heading toward Purcell Park Road.”

  “You’re way on the other side of town,” Pete noted.

  “Yeah.” Canyon wondered if Keisha had deliberately chosen to live on the opposite side of Denver from where the Westmorelands lived.

  “Is she driving a nice car?” Pete asked.

  “Yes, looks like a pretty new Bimmer. Why?”

  “I’m thinking that you might be looking at a possible carjacking. I’m on my way. Don’t do anything stupid until I get there.”

  Canyon rolled his eyes. Did that mean he could do something stupid after Pete got there?

  The thought of someone stalking Keisha angered him, and he quickly pushed to the back of his mind the thought that he was doing basically the same thing. The big difference was that Canyon didn’t intend to hurt one single hair on Keisha’s head. He couldn’t say the same for the bozo in front of him.

  The last thing the other driver needed to know was where she lived. If she was heading home, he didn’t have time to wait for Pete. Pete’s office was on the other side of town. There was no telling how long it would take him to get here. At that moment, Canyon made a decision.

  He would handle the situation himself.

  * * *

  Keisha swayed her body to the music blaring out of her car radio. She loved satellite stations with continuous commercial-free music, and she especially liked this channel, which played her favorite hits nonstop. And today she needed to hear them.

  It had been one of those kinds of days.

  It had started at ten, in court. She’d barely had time to grab lunch before rushing back to the courthouse for another case at one. Around three, she had returned to her office only to be pulled into a meeting she’d forgotten about. She was glad to have left work to start what would be a busy weekend.