The Man of Her Dreams
Julie Shaw is up to her ears in parade preparationsâ¦and cowboys! As the mayorâs daughter, she needs to make sure the centennial celebrations for her beloved hometown of Jasper Gulch, Montana, go off without a hitch. Surely thatâs why sheâs feeling so flustered. It couldnât have anything to do with the handsome Ryan Travers. Of course sheâd noticed the visiting rodeo star with the sparkle in his eye. But Julie is way too sensible to fall for his obvious appeal. As the town gossips about a century-old mystery, Julieâs thoughts keep drifting to the charming cowboy. Despite her fatherâs objections, she may soon find herself roped inâ¦by love.
Big Sky Centennial: A small town rich in historyâ¦and love.
Mayor Jackson Shaw,
the Jasper Gulch Centennial Committee, and the Good Citizens of Jasper Gulch, Montana, Cordially Invite You to the Grand Opening Ceremonies of the Jasper Gulch Centennial. Featuring the Jasper Gulch Centennial Rodeo and the Official Unveiling of the Jasper Gulch Time Capsule
Happy birthday, America! Happy birthday, Jasper Gulch! As the tiny all-American town prepares to celebrate its one hundredth anniversary, folks are expecting pomp, circumstance and hometown pride. What they arenât expecting is a six-month whirlwind of romantic surprises. Opposites will attract, sweethearts will reunite, secrets will be revealed and mysteries unraveled. It all begins when debonair rodeo rider Ryan Travers ambles down Main Street and steals off with small-town girl Julie Shawâs heartâ¦.
* * *
Big Sky Centennial:
A small town rich in historyâ¦and love.
VALERIE HANSEN
was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. In the years that followed, she worked with young children, both in church and secular environments. She also raised a family of her own and played foster mother to a wide assortment of furred and feathered critters.
Married to her high school sweetheart for many years, she lives in an old farmhouse they renovated with their own hands. She loves to hike the wooded hills behind the house and reflect on the marvelous life sheâs been given. Not only is she privileged to reside among the loving, accepting folks in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, she also gets to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart in Love Inspired Books.
Life doesnât get much better than that!
Chapter One
The glorious day! Finally!
âHere they come!â Julie Shaw jumped up and down, clapped her hands, whistled and shouted with the rest of the spectators lining the parade route.
After months of preparation and thousands of volunteer hours, the Jasper Gulch centennial celebration was finally kicking off with their Fourth of July parade.
Proud beyond words, Julie placed her hand over her heart to honor the American flag as the mounted color guard rode beneath one of the vibrant banners spanning the street and passed the reviewing stand filled with local dignitaries. Seeing the entire two-block stretch of old-town Main Street decked out in red, white and blue, with myriad flags flying, brought tears to her eyes. What a country. What a town. And what a beautiful state Montana was.
Her eldest brother, Cord, was one of the riders chosen to carry the fluttering Stars and Stripes and open the festivities, following a short speech from their father, Mayor Jackson Shaw, and a prayer by the new pastor, Ethan Johnson.
Feeling blessed, Julie watched the passage of the various homemade floats bearing veterans, the Little League team, 4-H members and many others. Her happy heart was beating in time with the drums of the Jasper Gulch Bobcat Band as it marched by. Those kids might not have fancy, matching uniforms, but they were all dressed in their best Western wear, as was she, and their enthusiasm was contagious.
Following the float bearing Miss Jasper Gulch came a mounted group of rodeo participants, led by the clowns, who much preferred to be referred to as bullfighters. Of all the events scheduled for the six-month-long celebration, it was the rodeo Julie loved best.
Her sister, Faith, elbowed her in the ribs. âHey, look.â
âI know. Iâm looking.â Julie blushed and fanned herself with her straw Stetson to exaggerate her reaction. âWow!â
âAnd you said there were no handsome men in Jasper Gulch.â
âNot exactly. What I said was, thereâs nobody around here Iâd consider marrying, no matter what Dad wants.â