Cowboy for Keeps

He’s Just A Cowboy

Not by choice, Conner Durham has traded in his suit for jeans and cowboy boots. He’s grateful to find work training mustangs—after all, cowboying is in his blood. But for years he’s been pulling down six figures working as a systems analyst. Now he’s lost his job, his house and his whole way of life. The one good thing that has happened is meeting Dallas Sorrenson, a former flame, again.

Dallas has some surprising news—she’s pregnant. It’s not the coming baby that has Connor tied in knots, but his current position in the world. Can a successful photographer fall for a lowly cowboy? And what about Dallas’ ex—who just happens to be the man who ended Conner’s job? The situation couldn’t be more complicated…but maybe there’s no such thing as a bad time to fall in love.

“I won’t say I’m unhappy you’re single again.”

That was all it took. Desire hit Conner with the force of a head-on collision. He wanted her. Like no other woman before. Wanted her so desperately, he couldn’t be trusted alone with her a moment longer.

“It’s getting late.” He stood, his legs weak at the knees, and removed his jacket from the chair. “I should leave.”

“All right.” She walked with him to the living room. Before they reached the door, she stopped him with a hand on his arm and a soft “Wait.”

“Did I forget something?”

“Only this.” She lifted her lips to his and brushed them lightly across his mouth. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”

Fire exploded inside him. He dropped his jacket, grabbed her by the shoulders and held her in place against him. “If I kiss you back, I won’t stop there.”

Dear Reader,

Every story needs an ending, and if you’re a lover of romances like I am, you want that ending to be a happy one! I’m thrilled to bring you Cowboy for Keeps, the fourth installment in my Mustang Valley series. I realized once I’d finished the third book, Baby’s First Homecoming, that we still didn’t know the origin of Prince, the incredible wild mustang found roaming the McDowell Mountains of Arizona. Well, I just couldn’t let that happen.

My hero, Conner Durham, is a different breed of cowboy. Not only is he an incredible horse trainer, he holds two degrees. Brains and brawn. How great is that? Like others in this rough economy, Conner lost his management position due to company downsizing. Dallas Sorrenson, the girl who catches his eye, is on her way up in the world. If that weren’t tough enough to take, she’s pregnant with another man’s baby. Conner should walk away, but he can’t. And we wouldn’t want him to anyway, now, would we?

As in many of my books, I took inspiration from real life for this one. Last year I read a startling news article about an injured horse, and I couldn’t get that story out of my mind. I’ve used bits and pieces from that real-life horse’s terrible ordeal in Cowboy for Keeps, where Conner and Dallas help to save a badly injured mare and her young offspring.

I hope you enjoy this story. As always, I enjoy hearing from readers. You can contact me at www.cathymcdavid.com.

Warmest wishes,

Cathy McDavid

Cowboy for Keeps

Cathy McDavid

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cathy makes her home in Scottsdale, Arizona, near the breathtaking McDowell Mountains, where hawks fly overhead, javelina traipse across her front yard and mountain lions occasionally come calling. She embraced the country life at an early age, acquiring her first horse in eighth grade. Dozens of horses followed through the years, along with mules, an obscenely fat donkey, chickens, ducks, goats and a potbellied pig who had her own swimming pool. Nowadays, two spoiled dogs and two spoiled-er cats round out the McDavid pets. Cathy loves contemporary and historical ranch stories and often incorporates her own experiences into her books.

When not writing, Cathy and her family and friends spend as much time as they can at her cabin in the small town of Young. Of course, she takes her laptop with her on the chance inspiration strikes.

To Torno, my first and best horse. You will always run wild and free in my heart.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Excerpt

Chapter One

The tie choked worse than a pair of hands around his neck.

Conner Durham yanked at the knot, loosening the tie, and then ripped it off altogether. He flung the offensive garment onto the passenger seat beside him, where his rumpled suit jacket already lay. The interview, his third with this particular company, had been a complete and utter waste of time.

He wasn’t getting the job; the hiring manager had said as much before dismissing him with the dreaded “Thanks, we’ll be in touch.”

Turning his truck onto the long drive leading to Powell Ranch, Conner slowed his speed to the posted ten miles an hour. He’d have to find a different way to vent his frustration other than pressing his pedal to the metal.