Saddle up!
There ainât a rider that canât be thrown. And large-animal veterinarian Regan OâConnelli was thrown hard when he discovered his fiancée with his best friend. Now heâs starting his life over at the Last Chance Ranch, run by the tightly knit Chance clan. But damned if his libido hasnât perked up over the spirited redhead who looks a lot like troubleâ¦.
Lily King is the queen of anti-structure. Turns out, that makes running a horse sanctuary a challenge. Reganâs help is exactly what Lily needsânot to mention the seriously sexy sparks that are flying between them. Now she just has to convince this fallen cowboy to dust himself off and get back in the saddleâ¦and into her bed!
What could be hotter than a cowboy in June?
How about a cowboy in July, August, and under the mistletoe, too!
New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson is back in the Mills & Boon Blaze lineup for 2014,
and this year sheâs offering her readers even moreâ¦.
Sons of Chance
Chance isnât just the last name of these rugged Wyoming cowboysâitâs their motto, too!
Saddle up with
RIDING HIGH
(June)
RIDING HARD
(July)
RIDING HOME
(August)
And the sexy conclusion to the Sons of Chance series,
A LAST CHANCE CHRISTMAS
(December)
Take a chanceâ¦on a Chance!
Dear Reader,
I support animal rescue organizations no matter what species theyâre rescuing. Although my favorite shelter these days is The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter in Tucson, Iâve also volunteered at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, where they take in almost any creature, including potbellied pigs!
I had an up close and personal experience with these adorable creatures, and yes, one of them was named Harley. The real Harley is way better behaved than the fictional one I created for this story, but how else was I going to arrange that first kiss between Regan and Lily without a misbehaving pig? And you know there will be lots of kissing andâ¦other stuff, because weâre starting a whole new summer of the Sons of Chance!
Iâve had such fun with this series, and apparently, so have you, so here we go again! Take one equine veterinarian who craves order, and one genius-level woman determined to save every animal on the planet and let them do whatever they choose, and you have a beautiful mess. Throw in the Chance family, who can be helpful or meddlesome, depending on the circumstances, and you have Riding High. I canât wait for you to read it! Youâre gonna love those pigs.
Charitably yours,
Vicki
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompsonâs love affair with cowboys started with the Lone Ranger, continued through Maverick and took a turn south of the border with Zorro. She views cowboys as the Western version of knights in shining armorârugged men who value honor, honesty and hard work. Fortunately for her, she lives in the Arizona desert, where broad-shouldered, lean-hipped cowboys abound. Blessed with such an abundance of inspiration, she only hopes that she can do them justice. Visit her website, www.vickilewisthompson.com.
To Mary Jo LaBeff, friend and colleague. Your feature article about an equine rescue organization near Tucson inspired me to write Lilyâs story. Thank you for that and dozens of great conversations about the writing life!
Prologue
June 10, 1990, Last Chance Ranch, from the diary of Eleanor Chance
THANKS TO MY grandson Nicholas, we have another orphaned puppy ensconced in the boysâ room upstairs. Nicky calls him Hercules, and heâs supposed to stay in his box because heâs not housetrained yet. The whining has stopped, so itâs a safe bet the little buggerâs in Nickyâs bed. Mark my words, weâll be washing sheets in the morning.
I know itâs foolish to imagine what profession a child will take up as an adult, but Iâm convinced that Nicky is going to be a vet. Yes, I realize heâs only eight and boys his age change their minds on a regular basis. One day they want to be a firefighter, and the next theyâd rather drive an eighteen-wheeler, or maybe fly a jet.
Nickyâs different. He brings home enough strays to start a shelter if we were so inclined. But thatâs not why I figure heâll end up running a veterinarian clinic when he grows up. Half the time the animals he rescues have some injury or other. This puppy has a torn ear and a limp, and instinctively, Nicky knows what to do. Itâs remarkable for a boy so young.
Henry Applegate, our large-animal vet from Jackson, makes regular visits to the Last Chance, and Nicky follows him around like a rock-star groupie. He watches every move that man makes and asks so many questions itâs a wonder Henry doesnât complain. I guess heâs flattered that Nicky idolizes him so.
Fortunately Jonathan and Sarah are encouraging this interest. Jonathan agrees that his middle son has a gift, and Jonathanâs already hoping that Nicky will one day take over the medical care of the Last Chance horses. Personally, Iâm glad thereâs at least one steady boy in the batch.