Rachel's Cowboy

J.D. rode up beside her as she neared the corral.

“You did a great job today with the herd.”

Rachel avoided his gaze. “You’re welcome.” Her legs hurt so much she doubted she could get off her horse. She was unaware of the tears rolling down her cheeks. But he saw them.

“Damn. I knew I was asking too much of you. Come on, honey, slide into my arms. I won’t let you go.”

His gentle tones persuaded her as much as his strong arms, and she gave herself over to him.

“It’s all right,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. He held her even closer as he carried her to the house.

She lay her head on his shoulder, a sigh of contentment escaping her lips. She was in a miserable state, so why did she feel as if she’d died and gone to heaven? Because being in J.D.’s arms was all she’d wanted. For days. For months. But it wasn’t enough….

Dear Reader,

I hope you will enjoy Rachel’s Cowboy. As the title implies, I’m returning to my favorite type of hero—the cowboy. I have to admit that I’m hopelessly drawn to them, especially Texas cowboys! And so is Rachel Barlow, the stylish heroine of this story.

My sweet spot for cowboys notwithstanding, the theme of this book is family. It is a theme that occurs in many of my books, because I think family is very important in all our lives. Whether it is the traditional family, or a family made up of friends or coworkers, it is the support and love one receives from family that enables each of us to face the world and conquer our fears.

In this book, Rachel has lost confidence in her adoptive mother and is alone in the world until she finds her birth sisters, Vanessa and Rebecca. But she expands her new family to include others, too. And of course, in the end, Rachel finds true happiness and is ready to start a family of her own.

I hope you celebrate your family every day for the warmth and joy and support they give you.

Judy Christenberry

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for more than nineteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. A former French teacher, Judy now devotes herself to writing full-time.

She hopes readers have as much fun with her stories as she does. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy lives in Texas.

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

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE, Rachel Barlow had time on her hands.

After working nonstop for the last six months, she stood in Vivian and Will Greenfield’s spacious house, trying to rest. She didn’t know how. Her constant worries and her hectic schedule had caused her to lose weight. Still, she couldn’t stop fretting about her future.

Thanks to her adoptive mother, who’d stolen all of Rachel’s savings and even borrowed money in Rachel’s name, she’d been forced to take on one modeling assignment after another, with the hope of repaying the debt and building a nest egg. But in the process, she was about to crack.

Her two sisters—Vanessa Shaw, Vivian’s adopted daughter, and Rebecca Jacobs, who was Rachel’s twin—were concerned about her. They’d persuaded her to move into Vivian’s home, where she could be taken care of.

Rachel looked around the lavish Highland Park home, which after six months she was still not used to. Not only was it strange to be living in such luxury, so was having a loving family.

When the doorbell chimed, she called out, “I’ll get it.” Knowing the housekeeper would be in the kitchen, she figured she’d save Betty the trip.

She swung open the door and stared at the one man she’d never wanted to see again.

J. D. Stanley.

Frozen with horror, she said nothing.

Neither did he.

Then, when he took a step toward her, cowboy hat in hand, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

At the same time he demanded, “What are you doing here?”

Neither of them answered.

After another awkward silence, J.D. asked, “Is this still Vivian Greenfield’s house?”

“Yes. Did you come to see her?”

He nodded.

“I’ll get her housekeeper,” Rachel said awkwardly, and backed away, leaving the door open.

She hurried to the kitchen. “Betty, J. D. Stanley is at the door. Do—do you know him? He wants to see Vivian.”

“Why, sure, we know J.D. Tell him to come in,” Betty said with a smile.

“I—I can’t. I have to go upstairs.” Rachel barely managed to blurt out the words before she scurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving Betty to welcome the guest.

Betty went to the door. “J.D., come in. Wait until I tell Peter you’ve come.” Her husband would be delighted to see the young man. She turned and headed for the kitchen, sure J.D. would follow. “I just put on a fresh pot of coffee. And I believe I have some chocolate-chip cookies left over. It’s not easy keeping cookies around here. Joey, Rebecca’s son, just loves them. And Peter, too.”