Do you need a cowboy fix?
New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson returns to Mills & Boon>® Blaze>® in 2012 with more
Sons of Chance
Chance isnât just the last name of these rugged
Wyoming cowboysâitâs their motto, too!
Saddle up with
Long Road Home
Lead Me Home
Feels Like Home
Take a chance ⦠on a Chance!
Dear Reader,
Iâm no gourmet cook. In fact, not long ago while cooking for friends, I attempted to make green beans with almonds in a baking dish with a glass lid. As I lifted the lid to check the doneness (thatâs a technical term known only to experienced chefs), I dropped the lid, which shattered into the beans. My dear guests ate the beans while picking out bits of glass.
Therefore, when I wrote about Aurelia Imogene Smith working away in the Last Chance Ranch kitchen preparing fancy French dishes with ingredients I couldnât pronounce, you know I was living in a fantasy world. But whatâs a fantasy without a cowboy, I ask you? So I brought Matthew Tredway, master horse trainer, right into that ranch kitchen to meet Aurelia.
Weâve all been told that the way to a manâs heart is through his stomach. Must be true, because in no time Aurelia finds her way into Matthewâs heart, but she also manages to lure the rest of him, too. And I have to say, in the interest of full disclosure, that food isnât the only thing Matthew is interested in.
If youâve been a faithful reader of the SONS OF CHANCE seriesâand I hope you have!âyou may wonder what Aureliaâs doing in a kitchen normally dominated by ranch cook Mary Lou Simms. Turns out that Mary Lou and Watkins, the ranch hand who was sweet on her, finally decided to tie the knot and are off on their honeymoon.
If thatâs news to you, you need to come on out to the Last Chance, sip a cup of coffee on the porch, and catch up on the doings there. I know you wouldnât want to miss a single thing!
Lipsmackingly yours,
Vicki
New York Times bestselling author VICKI LEWIS THOMPSONâS love affair with cowboys started with the Lone Ranger, continued through Maverick and took a turn south of the border with Zorro. She views cowboys as the Western version of knights in shining armorârugged men who value honor, honesty and hard work. Fortunately for her, she lives in the Arizona desert, where broad-shouldered, lean-hipped cowboys abound. Blessed with such an abundance of inspiration, she only hopes that she can do them justice. Visit her website at www.vickilewisthompson.com.
To all the fabulous cooks Iâve known who have fed me terrific food that had the perfect mix of spices, wasnât either burned or raw, and never had bits of glass in it. I have committed all those sins and more, and suspect it may be time to hang up my potholders and abandon the field.
July 14, 1980, Last Chance Ranch
AFTER FORTY-FIVE YEARS of marriage to Nelsie, Archie Chance knew timing was everything, especially when dealing with a touchy subject like food preparation. Nelsie was possessive about her kitchen, always had been. Sheâd rejected every suggestion to hire some help, but this time, Archie was determined to convince her.
He waited until theyâd settled on the front porch for their usual after-dinner cup of coffee accompanied by a look-see at the mountains. Then he pretended his next move was an afterthought. âYou know what? Iâm gonna get that bottle of Baileyâs and add a little to my coffee.â Setting his mug on the small wooden table between their rockers, he stood.
Nelsie glanced up at him with a smile. âWhat are you plotting now, Archibald?â
He should have known sheâd suspect him of having ulterior motives, but he pretended innocence. âNot a thing. I just like a little taste of Baileyâs in my coffee now and again.â
She didnât look convinced. âIf you say so.â
âBe right back.â He walked inside and grabbed the bottle out of a cabinet heâd built years ago. From upstairs came the familiar sound of his son Jonathan and his daughter-in-law Diana having a row. Little Jack was crying, which any toddler would do if his parents yelled at each other like they had no sense.
Archie considered going up there and fetching Jack, but about that time the arguing stopped and Jonathan headed down the curved staircase holding his son.
âTaking Jack for a little ride.â Jonathan avoided his fatherâs gaze. âWonât be gone long.â
âOkay.â Archie watched Jonathan stride out of the house, his back rigid with anger. The marriage was not going well, but Archie wasnât surprised. Although Jonathan had made an effort because of the baby, heâd never been in love with that woman, and Diana wasnât easy to love, anyhow. Archie didnât know how to fix a problem like that.
So he decided to concentrate on the problem he could fix, or at least try to. Carrying the Baileyâs, he walked back out to the porch, unscrewed the cap and held the bottle toward Nelsie. âWant some?â
âThink I will, after all.â She held up her mug and he poured about a jiggerâs worth into it. She sighed heavily. âI hate it when they fight.â