A Cowboy's Claim
A DIFFERENT KIND OF HEROEveryone knows Victor Vicario—he’s the scarred loner who’s on his way to the National Finals Rodeo in Vegas. But no one knows about the guilt that drives him. And until he achieves his goal, there’s no room in his life for attachments.So when Vic is given temporary custody of his young nephew, he is torn. He can’t turn his back on family, but how can he look after a kid when he’s travelling the rodeo circuit? Then he runs into feisty barrel racer Tanya McGee and makes her an offer. She helps him with Alex, and he’ll pay her rodeo expenses. The problem is their little “family” starts to feel all too real.
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A DIFFERENT KIND OF HERO
Everyone knows Victor Vicarioâheâs the scarred loner whoâs on his way to the National Finals Rodeo in Vegas. But no one knows about the guilt that drives him. And until he achieves his goal, thereâs no room in his life for attachments.
So when Vic is given temporary custody of his young nephew, he is torn. He canât turn his back on family, but how can he look after a kid when heâs traveling the rodeo circuit? Then he runs into feisty barrel racer Tanya McGee and makes her an offer. She helps him with Alex, and heâll pay her rodeo expenses. The problem is their little âfamilyâ starts to feel all too real.
âWhat are we going to do about this?â Tanya whispered.
âDo about what?â
She stood before himânot close enough that they touched but close enough that he could smell her. Feel her breath against his skin. He clenched his teeth.
âYou want me, donât you?â
âWe had an agreement. I pay your expenses on the road in exchange for your help with Alex. This wasnât part of the deal.â
She moved her fingers south, grazing the waistband of his boxers. âWhat if we redefine the boundaries?â
He swallowed hard. Vic wasnât sure how long he could let her touch him and not reciprocate.
âThis isnât part of the deal.â She nuzzled his ear. âItâs just...â She nipped his neck. âItâs whatever we want it to be.â
Vic spun, pressing Tanya against the door. Tanyaâs tongue slipped inside his mouth and he forgot all the reasons this was wrong.
Iâve been waiting to tell Victor Vicarioâs story for a long time, and I hope you enjoy the final installment of the Cowboys of the Rio Grande series. All of the heroes in this series have had to overcome tough childhoods, but Victorâs journey was perhaps the most difficult.
I love including children in my books, because little ones have a way of teaching adults life lessons that might otherwise pass us over. When Vic is called home to take responsibility for a nephew heâd never met before, he has no intention of caring for the boy long-term. And no one is more surprised than Vic when a little boy whoâs afraid to talk teaches him that letting go of the past is the only way forward.
I hope you enjoy Victorâs story, and if you missed the previous books in this series, A Cowboyâs Redemption (June 2015) and The Surgeonâs Christmas Baby (November 2015), you can find more information about these stories and other books Iâve written at marinthomas.com.
Happy reading,
Marin Thomas
MARIN THOMAS grew up in the Midwest, then attended college at the U of A in Tucson, Arizona, where she earned a BA in radio-TV and played basketball for the Lady Wildcats. Following graduation, she married her college sweetheart in the historic Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada. Recent empty nesters, Marin and her husband now live in Texas, where cattle is king, cowboys are plentiful and pickups rule the road. Visit her on the web at marinthomas.com.
To my furry pals Bandit and Rascal, who have kept watch over me and my writing for the past fourteen years. You were snoozing at my feet when I sold my first book and youâre snoozing now as I write this. Thank you for blessing our family with your devotion, cuteness and love.
Contents
The wipers were no match for the torrential downpour pummeling the windshield. Victor Vicario strained to see the road ten feet in front of his pickup. After competing in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, he was tired, but it was a good tired. Pocketing a check for twenty-five thousand dollars had a way of easing his aches and pain.
He glanced at the boot-shaped trophy resting on the passenger seat. Heâd find a UPS store tomorrow and mail the award to his former high school teacher Maria Alvarez Fitzgerald, whoâd helped him earn his GED. After heâd announced his intention to join the rodeo circuit, sheâd managed to keep a straight face when she volunteered to safeguard his trophies. No one, including himself, had believed heâd ever succeed in the sport. But over a decade later he was still chasing the one win that had eluded him.
The first few years on the circuit had been the worstâtrying to do it all on his own. When heâd finally admitted he needed help, former world-champion saddle bronc rider Riley Fitzgerald took him under his wing and had taught him how to keep his backside in the saddle and win. Then Vic had gone out on his own and made a name for himself. The past five years heâd won or placed in the top three of most major rodeosâexcept the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
He refused to hang up his spurs until he won a national title.
