New Release! Blue Moon Over Texas
Finally, the much anticipated sequel to Blame it on Texas is available on Amazon. Go check it out!
Book Two of the Lone Star Cowboys Series and the sequel to Blame it on Texas
Carol Tanner makes the decision to move home to Morris Springs, Texas, where everyone she loves now lives. And that everyone includes Jake Reilly, though she hasn't decided if she's going to forgive him. She and Jake were high school sweethearts, but he refused to understand why she'd had to leave Morris Springs--and him--in the first place. When Jake is injured and needs help, Carol makes the decision to move into his house to take care of him. In doing so, she puts both her reputation, and her life, in danger.
Jake Reilly is always ready to lend a helping hand to his neighbors, but he finds accepting help is a lot harder than giving it. Especially when that help comes from the Tanners. Carol had walked out on him twice--once right after high school and again two years ago. He wasn't too likely to give her a third chance to break his heart. He has to face his own shortcomings when Carol's life is threatened, because one thing every cowboy knows is that you have to protect what's yours.
Excerpt:
"Good Lord, ladies. I do believe I've died and gone to
cowboy heaven." Carol Tanner glanced around the decorated dance hall at
the local cowboys, decked out in their Saturday night best--tight-fitting,
starched blue jeans, brightly decorated shirts, hand-tooled leather belts, and
boots that probably cost them a week's pay. She deliberately skipped her gaze
over Jake Reilly, whose intense gaze hadn't wavered from her face since she
stepped into the building. Tonight she'd forget about Jake and enjoy herself,
or die trying.
But as hard as she tried to ignore him, she had to admit he
did look hot tonight. Pissed, but hot.
"Now that is one fine example of prime male
physique." Jean Sutherland sighed as a tall, muscular cowboy passed by.
"Just another reason to love this town," Nancy Phillips
drawled, with a wink aimed at the cowboy under discussion. "So why are we
just standing here? Let's go see what kind of trouble we can stir up."
Logan and Megan Tanner shook their heads and laughed as the
three single women headed into the crowd on the dance floor. Logan took baby
Charlie from Megan's arms and kissed his wife's cheek. "I'm glad I married
you before that bunch had a chance to corrupt you with their wild ways."
Megan grinned. "Who said I wasn't corrupted? I married
you, didn't I?"
"So you did." He turned to his daughter, Katie.
"Listen, you can go meet up with your friends, but do not go outside after dark, do you understand? Most of these cowboys
are harmless enough, but some are drifters that we know nothing about. And
check in with Megan or me every hour."
Katie sighed. "I'm not a kid, Dad. See you in an
hour." She hurried off, waving at a group of girls gathered around the
groaning buffet tables.
Logan watched her go, wishing she was still young enough
that he could keep her by his side. She'd grown into a beautiful young girl. No
longer a child, but not yet a woman. "Remind me again that she's still only
fourteen?"
"Fourteen going on twenty," Megan said. "It's
all uphill from here."
"Logan, Megan. Good to see you stepping out for a
change." Jake Reilly handed Logan a beer. "You want me to get you
something to drink, Megan?"
"I'd love a root beer, Jake. Thank you."
When he came back with the icy drink, his face was stormy.
"That sister of yours is asking for trouble," he told Logan.
"Why? What's Carol up to?"
"Out there on the dance floor, making eyes at those
range rabbits. Don't even recognize some of those men. Asking for trouble, I'm
telling you."
"She'll be okay. We'll keep an eye on her. Why don't
you go ask her to dance? You're the one she wants to be with, anyway, and you
know it."
Jake shook his head. "I'm going to sit this one
out."
For the next hour, Jake watched from the edge of the dance
floor as Carol two-stepped her way across the room with first one cowboy, and
then another. Every once in a while, he caught her glancing his way--whether to
see if he noticed her or hoping he'd ask her to dance, he didn't know. But he
noticed, all right. How could he help it? With her skin tight jeans outlining
her curves, the close-fitting sweater accentuating her breasts…
His hands clenched into fists as yet another man cut in and
swung her away, out of his sight.
"You'd better go get her, Jake, before you decide to
take out half the town with your fists." Logan leaned against the wall
with Charlie tucked against his chest. The baby was sound asleep despite the
loud music.
"What makes you think she'd dance with me? She hasn't
spoken to me in two years."
"You ready to tell me why?"
"No." Jake scowled at Logan. "It's none of
your business."
"Maybe, maybe not. She is my sister, so I expect anything that has to do with her
happiness is my business."
Megan moved between the two men. "Will you two just
stop it? Y'all are neighbors, friends. You work side by side nearly every day.
You can't afford to get into a pissing contest and risk that friendship."
Jake ducked his head and nodded. "I don't want to fight
with either of you over this. It's between me and Carol. If you want to know so
badly, ask her."
"Believe me, I have. She's not talking either,"
Megan said with a sigh.
Katie passed by, dancing with a young man. Logan scowled.
"What's she doing dancing with a boy? She's too young."
Megan laughed. "Would you rather she was dancing with a
girl? Relax. That's Dean Neiman. He's a good kid. He brings his horse Dancer
into the clinic every once in a while. If he treats Katie as well as he does
that horse, you have nothing to worry about."
"Why don't I know him? I know most of the Neiman
clan."
"Because he's only been here a few months, living with
his grandparents, Hugo and Leona. His parents are working in Abu Dubai for a
year."
"Hmmph. She's still too young for a boyfriend."
"Who said anything about a boyfriend?" Megan shook
her head. "It's just a dance, Logan. Don't make a big deal out of
it."
Jake smirked as he listened to them. "I can't wait
until she goes on her first car date. You planning to deck her first date like
you did me when I took Carol out?"
Logan shot him a warning look. "Watch it, Jake. I can
still take you down."
"I'd like to see you try." Though the banter was
joking, it still rankled that Logan had taken him down with one punch all those
years ago.
"No one is taking anyone down tonight." Megan
said. "Now, let's just enjoy the party, okay?"
Katie came back to join them. "Want me to hold Charlie
for a while? Y'all haven't danced even once since we got here."
Megan smiled her thanks at Katie, then ran a hand up Logan's
arm. "Ready to dance with me, cowboy?"
"Always." Logan passed the baby to Katie, then
swung Megan into his arms and they moved onto the crowded floor.
Jake watched them for a minute before his gaze strayed back
to Carol. She had a new partner now, one that seemed to be holding her awfully
close. He wanted to cut in, to stake his claim. But he had no claim. He didn't
even have the guts to tell her how he felt.
He'd tried, God knows, he'd tried. But he'd never been good
at discussing feelings. He'd been raised to keep them to himself, and he
couldn't recall a single time his father had expressed any feelings toward his
mother. But Carol was all about feelings. She used to ask him how he felt about
everything from a new calf to a summer breeze.
A calf was a calf, money on the hoof. Cute, maybe, but you
couldn't let yourself get attached because sooner or later you would have to
sell it or butcher it. As for a summer breeze, it kept your blood from boiling
under the unforgiving West Texas sun. But those weren't the answers she'd
wanted to hear.
So how did he explain the way his chest got all tight when
he saw her with someone else?
Katie moved away to sit in a chair, the baby's weight
obviously getting to be too much for her. He should offer to help, but he'd
never held a baby before. He'd probably wake the child and it would cry, and
then what would he do? Even a fourteen year old knew more about babies than he
did. He could handle delivering a calf, but he couldn't handle a small boy.
While Jake watched her pat the baby gently on the back, a
rough-looking young ranch hand sat beside her. He said something that made
Katie visibly uncomfortable, so Jake edged closer. When the man reached out to
touch Katie's hair, she jerked her head away and Jake moved in.
As soon as the man saw him, he started to leave. Jake
grabbed his arm. "Leave the girl alone."
"Hey, don't mean no trouble. Just wanted to see if she
wanted to dance."
Jake's brows drew together. "She's just a kid. Unless
you want to deal with me, I'd suggest you go find someone closer to your own
age."
The cowboy shrugged his hand off and wandered away after one
last look at Katie.
Jake sat beside her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, but he gave me the creeps. Thanks for making him
leave, Uncle Jake."
"Anytime, kid. Let me know if he causes any more
problems, okay? I'm going to go find your dad and let him know so he can keep
an eye out, too."
Katie gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."
He found Logan and Megan and as soon as he told them what
happened, they left the dance floor and returned to the children. Jake
continued across the floor, sidestepping when he nearly collided with Carol
dancing with the same piece of scum who'd bothered Katie. He had to exert all
his self-control to keep from yanking her out of the man's too-tight embrace.
He settled for another beer.
After twisting the top off the bottle, he leaned against the
wall and crossed one booted foot over the other. From this vantage point, he
could see most of the dance floor. If the cowboy got out of hand, he'd take
care of it.
Nancy two-stepped past him, hand in hand with a local
doctor. Jean was right behind her, laughing at something her dance partner had
just said. Jake thought he recognized the man, but he wasn't sure who he was.
Seemed like everyone was having a good time. Everyone but
him. Why had he even bothered to come?
He pushed away from the wall and headed outside. He needed
to clear his head, get some perspective. What right did he have to be jealous
because Carol was dancing with other men? He couldn't give her what she wanted,
what she needed, so he couldn't blame her for looking elsewhere. He had no idea
what she did and with whom back in Austin. He was just pissed because he knew most
of these men, and they knew Carol was his.
Or should be.
