A bigger challenge than she expected!
Shae McArthur once had it all. Perfect job, perfect fiancé. And when she lost everything, it was her own fault. Now sheâs starting from scratch with one last projectâturning the Bryan Ranch around. If she succeeds, maybe she can pick up the pieces of her former life.
The only problem is the ranchâs stubbornâand captivatingâowner, Jordan Bryan. Heâs fighting Shae on every change. What gives? True, his scars prove Shaeâs not the only one starting over. Still, shouldnât he, of all people, be able to see beyond the surface? Because she thinks maybe they could be each otherâs perfect new beginningâ¦.
Jordan stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her
No. Way.
The rodeo queen? Something else heâd held in his brain without realizing it. The memory of high and mighty Shae McArthurâs faceâliving proof that beauty was only skin deep. Thereâd never been one thing about her that heâd liked during the years theyâd been on the rodeo team togetherâ¦except for maybe that time sheâd come on to him. Heâd enjoyed her utterly shocked expression when he turned her down cold. Sheâd needed to be knocked off her high horse and heâd been glad to do the job. Literally, in fact.
âWhat are you doing here?â he demanded.
Shae blinked as he spoke, letting her hands drop a few inches. He could see when recognition kicked in, followed almost immediately by a look of horror. Of course. Beauty and the Beast. Face-to-face. As he recalled, Shae wasnât too fond of the imperfect. Nothing but the best for her.
âGood to see you, too, Jordan,â she said huskily.
Dear Reader,
In the first installment of The Montana Way series, Once a Champion (Mills & Boon Superromance, June 2013), I created a monsterâa Bridezilla, to be exact. In that book, Shae McArthur was an overachiever whoâd been spoiled by her widowed father and stepmother. She was utterly self-absorbed and clueless as to the effect her actions had on other people.
I must be honestâitâs a lot of fun writing clueless and self-absorbed people, and I had a ball creating Shae. The only problem was that Bridezilla Shae was to be the heroine of the third book in the seriesâthis bookâso I had to figure out a way to redeem her. The best course of action seemed to be to destroy her world as she knows it (sorry, Shae, but itâs for your own good) and to force her to take a long, hard look at herself. So in a blink of an eye, Shae no longer has a fiancé or a job. Sheâs struggling to pay wedding bills and fighting to convince her boss to hire her back. Things are no longer coming easily to Shae, and itâs an eye opener.
Enter the hero. Jordan Bryan just wants to be left alone to heal. The survivor of a bombing while serving in the military, heâs dealing with physical and emotional scars. He retreats to the Montana ranch he inherited during his convalescence, only to discover perfection-loving Shae McArthur working there. Well, heâs not so perfect anymore, but neither is Shae, and he starts to feel a connection with the woman heâd written off as beautiful but superficial years agoâ¦and heâs not certain what to do about that.
I like writing characters with issues, and Shae and Jordan gave me a lot to work with. These two have ended up being some of my favorite characters ever. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. For more information about me and my books, or to contact me, please visit my website at www.jeanniewatt.com.
Take care and happy reading,
Jeannie Watt
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeannie Watt lives in rural Nevada with her husband, horses and ponies, and she teaches high school in a small combined school close to the Nevada-Oregon border. When sheâs not teaching or writing, Jeannie enjoys sewing retro fashions and reports on her new projects regularly in her blog, Retro Sewing Romance Writer. She also makes mosaic mirrors, ignores housework as much as possible and is thrilled to be married to a man who cooks.
To my editor, Piya Campana.
I liked The Montana Way stories when I turned them in. I loved them after you shared your insights and helped me tweak, edit and overhaul. Thank you so very much!
CHAPTER ONE
WAS THERE ANY way she could wear sunglasses all day?
Shae McArthur tipped the dark glasses down and tilted the rearview mirror so she could see her eyes. Dreadful. As if sheâd been crying all night. More like crying for a week, to the point that even if she wanted to cry again, sheâd have no tears left. The last registry had been canceled, the last deposit surrendered, all the many details involved in calling off a wedding dealt withâto a degree. There was still the matter of informing friends and extended family.