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A Cowboy For Christmas






    Preview:
          
             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.”
            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 lose 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.
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4 Cup Review:
A Cowboy for Christmas is a great romance for
the holidays or anytime you like.  A bit fun and flirty
read that will not disappoint.

    With the passing of her estranged brother,
    Missy is suddenly an unwanted co-owner to
    Ocean View Stables by Florence, Oregon.
    Missy wants to start over somewhere new
    after her old boss burned her. She's
    jobless and has a wrongly ruined
    reputation, so this works out perfectly . . .
    until she meets the cowboy running the
    place.

    Brent built his dream with determination
    and his two hands; he's responsible for
    everything that happens there. Secretly, he
    feels responsible that his former partner
    died. He also doesn't hide his belief that
    Missy won't stick around. Women tend to
    take off on him so why would she be any
    different?

    They both have a past that can ruin their
    future. Can he trust her to stay? Can she
    trust him with her heart?