Preview:
Chapter One
If her name meant anything to the tall cowboy who leaned against the porch rail, he didn’t react. Instead, he
appraised her with sky blue eyes while the afternoon light slanted against him. She’d pulled up to the house and
introduced herself, and now waited for his name or a hello.
“The name ain’t ringing a bell,” he said quietly, then looked her up and down. “And believe me, I’d remember
your face.”
Would you now? It sounded like a compliment, but he didn’t smile with it. Missy wasn’t sure what to make of
him.
His voice carried like a gentle breeze. The man, however, looked rough as the landscape around them. Hard
stance, set jaw, arms folded. His long, lean body might be perfect for pressing against a woman, but his eyes
were distrusting.
The sign clearly said Ocean View Stables, so she knew she had the right place.
“Melissa Nelson,” she repeated. This was awkward. “Ben may have called me Missy.” Come on, nothing? She
rubbed her arms through her jacket, chilled from the cool Oregon weather and this overly warm welcome. “I’m
Ben’s sister. Aren’t you Mr. Hatcher?”
“Nope.” He tilted his head and stared some more, like he’d never seen a woman before. The daylight darkened.
Raindrops plopped on her while she waited for some kind of answer. Any kind of answer would be nice. “Ben’s
lawyer called you,” he added, “And you came right over. I see.”
He wore a tan Stetson on his head, a rich blue shirt with sleeves rolled up, snug Wranglers, and boots. He’d
make a great bedroom poster, something to ogle on lonely nights, but his too sexy look only distracted her.
Did she really lose her train of thought while checking him out? “I flew in from Nevada . . . He asked me to
come.” She almost added that Mr. Hatcher was supposed to meet her here. Wouldn’t this guy know that?
“Come on in, then.” Without introducing himself, he turned to the front door and led the way in. Inside, she
fought off a shiver. It wasn’t the cold this time, but a reaction to his nearness. His eyes were so intent on her,
she could scarcely breathe.
Scents of leather and pine met her inside his home. A man’s home, for sure. “How did you know Ben?” she
asked.
He opened a closet door and gestured to her coat. She wanted an answer, but decided to shrug out of her coat,
since it was thin and wet anyway.
With his brows creased at her, he took it. “We went in fifty-fifty on this place.”
Oh, no. She hadn’t considered there would be other investors. That explained why he was here. “So you live
here?”
“Yup.” He faced her and rested his hands on his hips in a lazy manner. Irritated, she turned and glanced around
at the open floor plan.
She spotted a kitchen nook off to her left. What kind of man had a kitchen nook? To her right, a fire smoldered
in the large brick fireplace in the living room. What she could see of that room gave an impression of comfort,
where a family could gather.
His house was beautiful, but it looked more like a family home than a bachelor’s place. Well, it could be with
some personal touches. At least it was warm and dry, unlike the misty weather outside.
Since he blocked her way, she couldn’t ignore him any longer. “What?” The words burst out, and sounded
desperate to her own ears.
“You look like him.”
Well, he knew her late brother, but she didn’t know enough about Ben’s life to guess who this guy could be. She
asked, “Were you close to my brother?”
“Friends, business partners,” he said with a shrug as if it didn’t matter.
He moved toward the kitchen, but turned back around and looked her over again. “Ben never talked about any
sister.”
Ouch. “Well . . . We weren’t raised together. We didn’t even know about each other until our father died three
years ago.” Since she could loose herself in the hurtful past, she tried to ignore it.
“Missed the funeral, you know.” Arms folded, he leaned back against the counter. She couldn’t pinpoint anything
about him that would make a shiver race up her back, though one did.
“Ben’s lawyer didn’t get a hold of me until yesterday,” she explained. He walked around the counter and into the
kitchen, a tidy space decorated only with a lone marble horse statue on the counter.
Sighing, she rubbed her temples while his back was turned. He couldn’t know she was jobless, with an uncertain
future, and had spent a pretty penny on the airfare to come out.
She’d withdrawn some of her savings to make the trip. The lawyer wouldn’t have asked her to come unless there
was something here for her. Now she wondered if it would be worth it.
“I get it.” He faced her, planted both hands on the counter, and leaned toward her. “You hoped to make out with
some dough. Too bad you didn’t know about me.” He ignored her gasp and pulled several things from the
refrigerator, then started lunch on the opposite counter, with his back to her.
“What kind of person says something like that? You don’t know me!” Who cared if it might be true? He had no
right to be so rude, not when he didn’t know why she hadn’t been able to get better acquainted with her brother.
“Exactly.” He didn’t turn around to speak. It appeared like he wanted her to leave. He added, “I don’t know you. I
knew Ben, and you never came to visit.”
How could she have known they were out of time? “Listen, I don’t have to explain myself to you. I was asked to
come here, remember?”
No answer. Figures. She tapped the toe of her shoe as she sought another angle to try. “So who are you?”
His face, when he glanced back at her, had softened. Those blue eyes could melt a woman’s will, but she
doubted he'd use them on her. All the better, because she didn’t need another man using her and then tossing
her away.
“Brent Williams. Ben and I started this place together.”
Brent meant the ranch, the hills and paths she’d seen when she drove in. The horses that grazed and ran in the
pastures. Maybe she'd get somewhere now. “Is the lawyer coming?”
“He’s on his way over.” He turned around and pushed a plate across the counter. “Might as well join me for
lunch.”
“Lunch?” At the word, her stomach growled. After the flight into Oregon and the drive west to Florence, she felt
starved. She’d been too distracted to eat as she thought about the past and worried about her future. “Umm,
thanks.”
“You look like you need some good food in you.” He poured her a glass of milk to go with it, then came around
the counter with a stool for her to sit on. She didn’t know what to make of the sudden hospitality from the cold
cowboy, but once she bit into the sandwich, she didn’t care. “Wow.”
He sat on a stool on the opposite side. They ate without discussion, and the passing minutes grew more tense.
When she couldn’t take the silence, she asked, “How did Ben die? The lawyer didn’t tell me.”
Brent’s gaze dropped down to the counter. “You can ask him when he gets here.”
Chapter One
If her name meant anything to the tall cowboy who leaned against the porch rail, he didn’t react. Instead, he
appraised her with sky blue eyes while the afternoon light slanted against him. She’d pulled up to the house and
introduced herself, and now waited for his name or a hello.
“The name ain’t ringing a bell,” he said quietly, then looked her up and down. “And believe me, I’d remember
your face.”
Would you now? It sounded like a compliment, but he didn’t smile with it. Missy wasn’t sure what to make of
him.
His voice carried like a gentle breeze. The man, however, looked rough as the landscape around them. Hard
stance, set jaw, arms folded. His long, lean body might be perfect for pressing against a woman, but his eyes
were distrusting.
The sign clearly said Ocean View Stables, so she knew she had the right place.
“Melissa Nelson,” she repeated. This was awkward. “Ben may have called me Missy.” Come on, nothing? She
rubbed her arms through her jacket, chilled from the cool Oregon weather and this overly warm welcome. “I’m
Ben’s sister. Aren’t you Mr. Hatcher?”
“Nope.” He tilted his head and stared some more, like he’d never seen a woman before. The daylight darkened.
Raindrops plopped on her while she waited for some kind of answer. Any kind of answer would be nice. “Ben’s
lawyer called you,” he added, “And you came right over. I see.”
He wore a tan Stetson on his head, a rich blue shirt with sleeves rolled up, snug Wranglers, and boots. He’d
make a great bedroom poster, something to ogle on lonely nights, but his too sexy look only distracted her.
Did she really lose her train of thought while checking him out? “I flew in from Nevada . . . He asked me to
come.” She almost added that Mr. Hatcher was supposed to meet her here. Wouldn’t this guy know that?
“Come on in, then.” Without introducing himself, he turned to the front door and led the way in. Inside, she
fought off a shiver. It wasn’t the cold this time, but a reaction to his nearness. His eyes were so intent on her,
she could scarcely breathe.
Scents of leather and pine met her inside his home. A man’s home, for sure. “How did you know Ben?” she
asked.
He opened a closet door and gestured to her coat. She wanted an answer, but decided to shrug out of her coat,
since it was thin and wet anyway.
With his brows creased at her, he took it. “We went in fifty-fifty on this place.”
Oh, no. She hadn’t considered there would be other investors. That explained why he was here. “So you live
here?”
“Yup.” He faced her and rested his hands on his hips in a lazy manner. Irritated, she turned and glanced around
at the open floor plan.
She spotted a kitchen nook off to her left. What kind of man had a kitchen nook? To her right, a fire smoldered
in the large brick fireplace in the living room. What she could see of that room gave an impression of comfort,
where a family could gather.
His house was beautiful, but it looked more like a family home than a bachelor’s place. Well, it could be with
some personal touches. At least it was warm and dry, unlike the misty weather outside.
Since he blocked her way, she couldn’t ignore him any longer. “What?” The words burst out, and sounded
desperate to her own ears.
“You look like him.”
Well, he knew her late brother, but she didn’t know enough about Ben’s life to guess who this guy could be. She
asked, “Were you close to my brother?”
“Friends, business partners,” he said with a shrug as if it didn’t matter.
He moved toward the kitchen, but turned back around and looked her over again. “Ben never talked about any
sister.”
Ouch. “Well . . . We weren’t raised together. We didn’t even know about each other until our father died three
years ago.” Since she could loose herself in the hurtful past, she tried to ignore it.
“Missed the funeral, you know.” Arms folded, he leaned back against the counter. She couldn’t pinpoint anything
about him that would make a shiver race up her back, though one did.
“Ben’s lawyer didn’t get a hold of me until yesterday,” she explained. He walked around the counter and into the
kitchen, a tidy space decorated only with a lone marble horse statue on the counter.
Sighing, she rubbed her temples while his back was turned. He couldn’t know she was jobless, with an uncertain
future, and had spent a pretty penny on the airfare to come out.
She’d withdrawn some of her savings to make the trip. The lawyer wouldn’t have asked her to come unless there
was something here for her. Now she wondered if it would be worth it.
“I get it.” He faced her, planted both hands on the counter, and leaned toward her. “You hoped to make out with
some dough. Too bad you didn’t know about me.” He ignored her gasp and pulled several things from the
refrigerator, then started lunch on the opposite counter, with his back to her.
“What kind of person says something like that? You don’t know me!” Who cared if it might be true? He had no
right to be so rude, not when he didn’t know why she hadn’t been able to get better acquainted with her brother.
“Exactly.” He didn’t turn around to speak. It appeared like he wanted her to leave. He added, “I don’t know you. I
knew Ben, and you never came to visit.”
How could she have known they were out of time? “Listen, I don’t have to explain myself to you. I was asked to
come here, remember?”
No answer. Figures. She tapped the toe of her shoe as she sought another angle to try. “So who are you?”
His face, when he glanced back at her, had softened. Those blue eyes could melt a woman’s will, but she
doubted he'd use them on her. All the better, because she didn’t need another man using her and then tossing
her away.
“Brent Williams. Ben and I started this place together.”
Brent meant the ranch, the hills and paths she’d seen when she drove in. The horses that grazed and ran in the
pastures. Maybe she'd get somewhere now. “Is the lawyer coming?”
“He’s on his way over.” He turned around and pushed a plate across the counter. “Might as well join me for
lunch.”
“Lunch?” At the word, her stomach growled. After the flight into Oregon and the drive west to Florence, she felt
starved. She’d been too distracted to eat as she thought about the past and worried about her future. “Umm,
thanks.”
“You look like you need some good food in you.” He poured her a glass of milk to go with it, then came around
the counter with a stool for her to sit on. She didn’t know what to make of the sudden hospitality from the cold
cowboy, but once she bit into the sandwich, she didn’t care. “Wow.”
He sat on a stool on the opposite side. They ate without discussion, and the passing minutes grew more tense.
When she couldn’t take the silence, she asked, “How did Ben die? The lawyer didn’t tell me.”
Brent’s gaze dropped down to the counter. “You can ask him when he gets here.”
A Midnight Showcase release
Just in time for the holidays!
A Cowboy For Christmas
When her estranged brother passes, Missy
becomes a co-owner to Ocean View
Stables by the Oregon coast. Her new
partner, Brent, isn't happy about having a
woman around. Before long, the sparks are
flying, but they have to learn to work together.
He won't trust women because they tend to
take off on him. She's been betrayed and
hurt by her male boss. So she knows better
than to get involved with someone she works
with. The stables aren't financially stable so
their feelings put their livelihood in danger.
They could fall in love...if they both didn't
have a past that could ruin their future.
6X9 118 Pages
Just in time for the holidays!
A Cowboy For Christmas
When her estranged brother passes, Missy
becomes a co-owner to Ocean View
Stables by the Oregon coast. Her new
partner, Brent, isn't happy about having a
woman around. Before long, the sparks are
flying, but they have to learn to work together.
He won't trust women because they tend to
take off on him. She's been betrayed and
hurt by her male boss. So she knows better
than to get involved with someone she works
with. The stables aren't financially stable so
their feelings put their livelihood in danger.
They could fall in love...if they both didn't
have a past that could ruin their future.
6X9 118 Pages
Click cover to visit Midnight Showcase
Offers downloads in different formats
and print copies through Lulu.com
Offers downloads in different formats
and print copies through Lulu.com
A Cowboy For Christmas
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