TOO CLOSE TO HOME
Cassidy Beckett has a secret sheâs kept for six years: the identity of her sonâs father. She canât hide the truth much longer. The Easy Money Arenaâs new bull manager, Shane Westcott, also happens to be the boyâs handsome uncle. But Cassidy will do anything to protect her young son, even if it means steeling her heart against Shaneâs nearly irresistible charm.
It doesnât take Shane long to figure out two thingsâCassidyâs son is his nephew, and his feelings for the boyâs beautiful mother go way beyond friendship. As a single dad, Shane knows how important a father is to a child. He also knows the men in Cassidyâs life have let her down before. Can Shane convince Cassidy to face the truth without losing her trust...or his heart?
âAre you okay?â
âNever better.â Shane grinned. âThe bull barely nicked me.â
She studied him critically. âYouâre limping.â
He laughed, he couldnât help it, and lowered his voice. âI appreciate the concern, Cassidy. It means a lot to me.â
âOf course Iâm concerned. That was a close call.â
âIs that the only reason?â He leaned in. A mere fraction at first, then more.
She drew abruptly back. âI donât know what youâre implying.â
âThat youâre worried about me because you might like me a little.â
âWell, I donât.â
His grin widened. âCould have fooled me.â
âYou always did have a big ego.â
âMatched only by my...â He let the sentence drop.
âShane!â
âConfidence,â he finished with a chuckle.
âClearly youâre just fine. I donât know why I worried.â Cassidy spun on her heel and stalked away.
Try as he might, Shane couldnât stop staring as she walked.
Then again, he wasnât trying very hard.
Dear Reader,
I often write about blended families. I find the skill of balancing delicate relationships makes for challenging writing and compelling reading. And adding a secret that someone doesnât want revealed ups the stakes and results in an even more interesting story. I have all those things and more in this third installment of my Reckless, Arizona series, The Bull Riderâs Son.
While I hate to see a series end, I have to say I like this last book the best. Nothing scares a mother more than the fear of losing her child, even temporarily. Cassidy Beckett has good reason to live in dread. She never got over the heartache of her brotherâs abandonment when he left her to live with their father. When Shane Westcott, her sonâs uncle, shows up at the Easy Money Rodeo Arena, itâs all Cassidy can do to prevent history from repeating itself. She must keep the identity of her sonâs father a secret at all costs, something that would be infinitely easier if she werenât wildly attracted to Shane.
Yes, delicate relationships. Definitely challenging and fun, and why we read romance! As always, I hope you enjoy this book. And if youâre inclined to drop me a line, I always enjoy hearing from readers.
Warmest wishes,
Cathy McDavid
Facebook.com/CathyMcDavidBooks@CathyMcDavidCathyMcDavid.com
For the past eighteen years CATHY MCDAVID has been juggling a family, a job and writing, and doing pretty well at it, except for the housecleaning part. âMostlyâ retired from the corporate business world, she writes full-time from her home in Scottsdale, Arizona, near the breathtaking McDowell Mountains. Her twins have âmostlyâ left home, returning every now and then to raid her refrigerators. On weekends, she heads to her cabin in the mountains, always taking her laptop with her. You can visit her website at cathymcdavid.com.
To Mike and Friday nights.
Chapter One
Few people receive a second chance in life. Shane Westcott was one of themâthree times overâand he had no intention of squandering his good fortune. He was lucky to be alive, lucky to be gaining shared custody of his four-year-old daughter and lucky to have landed the job as bull manager at the Easy Money Rodeo Arena.
âKeep him moving,â he called to Kenny, the young wrangler in charge of herding Wasabi from the large, open main pen into one of the smaller adjoining holding pens. It was imperative they isolate the bull from the others. âDonât let him dawdle.â
The solid black Brahma-longhorn cross had other ideas and stepped slowly, almost daintily, through the gate. His actions were so far removed from his normal fiery temper, Shane hardly recognized the bull.
âHe donât want to move,â Kenny complained when Wasabi stopped completely.
âTickle him on the hocks.â
Kenny gawked at Shane as if heâd suggested hopping onto the bullâs back and taking him for a leisurely spin. âYou canât pay me enough to get in there with that monster.â