High Country Hideout
Last hope or second chance?Ranching was Angus Ketchum’s first love—until his last tour of duty shattered that dream. The wounded ex-soldier gets his second chance when he’s recruited to go undercover to protect a widowed ranch owner. But from the moment he meets Reggie Davis, Angus can tell holding on to her land and keeping her young son safe is taking its toll. Especially when someone threatens her livelihood and her life. As the attacks escalate, Angus must rely on his combat skills to keep Reggie and her boy alive. And he must rely on his commitment to the mission to keep their powerful attraction in check.
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âGive me your hand.â
Taking a deep breath, Reggie reached out to take Angusâs hand.
âI need you to turn and wrap your legs around me.â
âNope. Not happening,â she said, holding on to the tree with one arm, while squeezing his hand, his grip reassuring.
âCome on, I know youâre tougher than that. Youâre a one-woman ranch owner, determined to make this ranch work.â
âIâm tired. I canât do this anymore.â
âSure you can. You have a terrific kid who needs you.â Angus tugged her hand, gently guiding her to him. âAll you have to do is wrap your arms around me and hold on. Think of it as a great big hug. Come on. I know youâve been wanting to.â
Despite the desperate fear of falling to her death, Reggie couldnât resist the warmth of Angusâs voice. God, she wanted to hug him right then and hold on to him for dear life.
ELLE JAMES, a New York Times bestselling author, started writing when her sister challenged her to write a romance novel. She has managed a full-time job and raised three wonderful children and she and her husband even tried ranching exotic birds (ostriches, emus and rheas). Ask her and sheâll tell you what itâs like to go toe-to-toe with an angry three-hundred-and-fifty-pound bird! Elle loves to hear from fans at [email protected] or www.ellejames.com.
This book is dedicated to all the Army Special Forces soldiers whoâve dedicated their lives and sacrificed so much to protecting our freedom.
Contents
âAlmost there, Ranger.â Angus Ketchum shifted the truck into low gear and glanced across the seat at the German shepherd.
The animal sat patiently in the passenger seat as they bumped across the curving gravel road. Ranger stared out the window, taking it all in without comment. Angus envied the animalâs calm. The fresh air and wide-open spaces would be good for the dog and hopefully for a washed-up soldier.
Before his last deployment heâd dreamed of owning or working on a place just like this. Heâd loved fishing, hunting and working in the outdoors. Having grown up as a foremanâs son, ranching was part of the cowboy he used to be.
Hard work, sweat, cattle and horses were what made his heart sing. He couldnât think of anything he liked better than riding the range; the quiet sounds of nature were all the music he needed.
When his father had retired from ranching at the ripe old age of fifty-five, Angus had been eighteen and on his way to Texas A&M University on a football scholarship. In the back of his mind, he knew heâd eventually come back to ranching when he could afford to buy his own spread.
His lips twisted as he applied the brake with his left foot. Heâd joined the Corps of Cadets at A&M, graduated with a degree in engineering and joined the army as a brand-new second lieutenant.
Eight years and four tours to the Middle East later, his world had changed.
Gone was his goal of making a career out of the military and retiring to his own ranch. Gone was the dream of holding a decent job where he could pit his strength and intelligence against any challenge.
When heâd been discharged from the army, he had no idea what he would do, where he would go or how he would survive. Six months of surgery and rehab and he was out on his own.
If not for an old army buddy heâd met on his fourth tour to Afghanistan, he probably would have ended up drowning in a bottle of booze. He didnât feel as if he fit in the ârealâ world anymore. Things had changed. He had changed.
Chuck Bolton had given Angusâs name to his boss with a recommendation to hire him.
Angus had laughed, telling Chuck he was a fool. But his friend had been insistent, and here Angus was, the newest member of Covert Cowboys Inc., for what it was worth.
What good was a broken-down cowboy to a ranch owner in Colorado? Ranching in Texas was hard enough, with drought, disease and rustlers. The hills and mountains of Colorado provided a whole different set of challenges for a cowboy, especially one with a bum leg.
His boss, Hank Derringer, must have seen something in him that he couldnât see himself. Heâd hired him on the spot, without putting him through a thorough interview or physical evaluation. Heâd gone on Chuckâs word and Angusâs military record, nothing else. Heâd been a damned good soldier until his last tour, when everything had gone to hell. Now that he was out of the army, with no other job offers on his plate, Angus hadnât had any other option but to accept Hankâs offer.
Before the warmth of their handshake had faded, Hank had given Angus his first assignment. Drive out to Foolâs Fortune, Colorado, and go to work as a ranch hand for Reggie Davis on the Last Chance Ranch.
