A SMALL TOWN. A BIG SURPRISE.
Handsome, strange men are not on Violet Summerâs radarâespecially ones sitting in her diner in too-new cowboy gear. Sheâll eat an old boot if Sam Michaels is a real cowboy. Nope, thereâs a reason Mr. Phony Cowboy and his teenage daughter are here in Rodeo, Montana...and sheâll find out the truth.
Sam just wants to get back to New York. He doesnât need complications, like the gorgeous diner owner who irritates and intrigues him at the same time. Or a simmering attraction that results in one unforgettable nightâand an unexpected bun in the oven! Now heâs torn between his big-city life...and becoming a real cowboy for good.
âNow, Miss Retro Diner Owner, are you going to laugh at my riding skills again?â
Vy stalked to the edge of the stream, hot and bothered and struggling to get herself under control.
She felt Samâs heat behind her.
âNow that weâve acknowledged our attraction to each other, do you want to tell me why you hate me so much?â
âYouâre a phony,â she said. âYouâre no more a cowboy than I am.â
âConsidering how obvious it is that I canât even fake it well, yes. I am a phony. I have my reasons.â
She rounded on him. Big mistake. His nearness, his height, his insightful gray eyes disconcerted her.
Damn. She wasnât used to being out of control. She was the one people came to for her cool head under pressure.
What was this man doing to her?
Dear Reader,
I have so much fun writing about the cowboys and children in my stories, and in particular, about those in the small town of fictitious Rodeo, Montana.
As I moved along in this series, I wondered how the townspeople would react to a man who comes to town pretending to be a cowboy when itâs painfully obvious that he isnât one!
How would a certain diner owner, whoâs been hurt by a phony in her past, be affected?
Sam and Violetâs story blossomed out of that idea and raised so many questions. Why on earth would a normally intelligent city man decide it was a good idea to pretend to be a cowboy? How did he think he could possibly pull it off?
The answer to the second question is that he doesnât. He is found out immediately.
The answer to the first question is the strongest motivator of allâlove for a very dear grandfather. All of his ill-fated decisions were made to protect a man he adores.
Samâs biggest mistake is in thinking that the six women, including Violet, who are reviving the local rodeo and amusement park to save their small town, could possibly be dishonest and cheating his grandfather. Itâs a huge assumption that takes Sam most of the story to realize is all wrong, but along the way he falls for spirited, opinionated Violet.
I hope you enjoy their story.
Mary Sullivan
MARY SULLIVAN has a fondness for cowboys and ranch settings, even though she grew up in the city. She found her motherâs stories about growing up in rural Canada fascinating. Her passions outside of writing include time spent with friends, great conversation, exploring her city, cooking, walking, traveling (including her latest trip to Paris!), reading, meeting readers and doing endless crossword puzzles.
She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at marysullivanbooks.com, or via her Facebook author page, Facebook.com/marysullivanauthor
To Susan, who has become a very dear friend.
Chapter One
The second Violet Summer laid eyes on the stranger, an unreasonable swell of sexual awareness bloomed.
The man wasnât even her type, yet here she stood stunned, and bothered, with Lester Voileâs coffee and Mamaâs Best Meat Loaf cooling in her hands.
Rats.
Rodeo, and the Summertime Diner, rarely saw anyone like the stranger sliding into the second booth from the front doorâsuave, urbane...and dressed like a cowboy?
If heâd ever ridden out on the range, Vy would eat an old boot.
He looked like a movie star acting the role of a cowboy but not playing him well.
She chronicled every detail, including the neatly ironed jeans. What cowboy worth his salt ironed his jeans? How many decades had it been since anyone ironed jeans?
Vy started toward his booth.
He set his cowboy hat, sweat-free and spotless, on the table in front of him. Sunlight streaming through the window shot rays through his golden hair. His strong, clean-shaven jaw sent shivers through her.
Even knowing he was too slick and polished to be a real cowboy, she found him attractive, deep in her gut where reaction came before thought.
No, he was not her type, but good grief, just what she neededâan instant attraction to an imitation cowboy. As if she didnât have enough to worry about these days.
Irritated, she plunked Lester Voileâs meal on his table.