A Reunion For The Rancher
The Cowboy's Second ChanceAs president of the Lone Star Cowboy League, rancher Carson Thorn is committed to serving his community of Little Horn. But when high school sweetheart Ruby Donovan returns, his steadfast pledge is tested. Ruby left town twelve years ago—stealing money from his father and breaking Carson's heart in her wake. Now she's asking for his trust—just as her brother becomes Carson's prime suspect in the rash of recent ranch thefts. Carson is torn. His town is depending on him for justice, but one look in Ruby's eyes has him questioning everything he thought he knew—about truth, about love and about the wisdom of second chances…
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The Cowboyâs Second Chance
As president of the Lone Star Cowboy League, rancher Carson Thorn is committed to serving his community of Little Horn. But when high school sweetheart Ruby Donovan returns, his steadfast pledge is tested. Ruby left town twelve years agoâstealing money from his father and breaking Carsonâs heart in her wake. Now sheâs asking for his trustâjust as her brother becomes Carsonâs prime suspect in the rash of recent ranch thefts. Carson is torn. His town is depending on him for justice, but one look in Rubyâs eyes has him questioning everything he thought he knewâabout truth, about love and about the wisdom of second chancesâ¦
âCarson, this isnât going to happen.â
âA ride isnât going to happen? Or dinner?â
âNo, this,â she said, pointing from him to herself and back to him. âWe are not going to happen.â
âRight, of course we arenât.â He walked around her horse and was suddenly at her side. âIâm asking you to go for a ride. An hour or two of relaxation, not worrying about all the stuff piling up on us. I could use that break.â
She closed her eyes and prayed for strength. âCarson.â
When she opened her eyes he was still in front of her, his smile a little bit sweet and a little bit rakish. âYes?â
âWhy are you doing this?â
âSimple. We have unfinished business, Ruby. You left and Iâve spent a lot of years wondering why.â
âBecause I wasnât good for you,â she whispered. âWe were young and making decisions that would haveâ¦â
âChanged everything?â he asked. âBecause Iâve thought about that a lot over the years. My life would have been different if youâd been in it.â
âMine, too,â she admitted.
* * *
Lone Star Cowboy League:
Bighearted ranchers in small-town Texas
A Reunion for the Rancher by Brenda Minton, October 2015
A Doctor for the Nanny by Leigh Bale, November 2015 A Ranger for the Holidays by Allie Pleiter, December 2015 A Family for the Soldier by Carolyne Aarsen, January 2016 A Daddy for Her Triplets by Deb Kastner, February 2016 A Baby for the Rancher by Margaret Daley, March 2016
BRENDA MINTON lives in the Ozarks with her husband, children, cats, dogs and strays. She is a pastorâs wife, Sunday school teacher, coffee addict and sleep-deprived. Not in that order. Her dream to be an author for Mills & Boon started somewhere in the pages of a romance novel about a young American woman stranded in a Spanish castle. Her dreams came true, and twenty-plus books later, she is an author hoping to inspire young girls to dream.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
âJeremiah 29:11
To my kids
To Josh and Brooke,
for the love you share now and the love that will continue to grow between you. I love you both.
Luke, I love you and Iâm dedicating a book to you.
Hanna, you are beautiful and talented and I love you.
Special thanks and acknowledgment to Brenda Minton for her contribution to the Lone Star Cowboy League miniseries.
Contents
Carson Thorn parked his truck in front of the rock-sided building that housed offices of the Little Horn, Texas, chapter of the Lone Star Cowboy League. As distracted as he was, he couldnât help but think about the history of the century-old group. It had started as a service organization, serving communities and ranchers across the state. Today it felt more like the last line of defense for ranchers who were being hit hard by thieves. The cattle rustling had started a month ago and showed no signs of letting up.
At todayâs meeting the other members were expecting answers. They wanted him to come up with solutions. He wished he had some. And he wished he was anywhere else on a Thursday in October than in town at this meeting.
He grabbed his briefcase and locked his truck. As he did, he noticed a white sedan pull into another parking space. He didnât stop to see who it might be. He had paperwork to hand over to the league secretary, and Byron McKay, one of the biggest ranchers in the state, was waiting to talk to him. That wasnât a conversation Carson looked forward to. He never looked forward to talking to Byron. Knowing that Byronâs ranch had recently been hit by the thieves, Carson knew the conversation wouldnât be pleasant. This was one of those days when he wished he could live in a community and not be involved.
Someone must have been looking out for him, giving him one thing to be thankful for. Ingrid Edwards, the league secretary, wasnât at her desk. He sighed with relief. One bullet dodged. Now he just had to face Byron. The older man was already seated in the boardroom, a stack of papers in front of him.
