FROM PLAYBOY COWBOY TO...DADDY?
Bronc rider Gunner Hardell never plans past the next stop on the rodeo. When heâs home in Stampede, Texas, heâs part-time manager of the run-down Moonlight Motel, to get his crotchety grandpa off his back. Then he meets interior designer Lydia Canterâhired to renovate the motelâand suddenly the gig gets a whole lot more appealing...
Lydia is looking for love, but thereâs nothing wrong with some Mr. Right Now while she waits for Mr. Right. But one steamy night with Gunner has unexpected consequences. And she would rather raise their baby alone than give the good-time cowboy a chance to break her heart. When Gunner learns heâs going to be a daddy, heâs determined to prove to Lydia he really is her Mr. Right!
âThe right man for you isnât on a dating site.â
âHow do you know?â Lydia retorted.
âI know because...â The tender expression in Gunnerâs eyes rocked her back on her heels. âYouâre a special lady in a category all by herself.â
After all the teasing and mocking, Lydia wasnât sure she believed him.
âAnd,â he continued, âif you open yourself up to new experiences, you might discover that what you thought you wanted in a man isnât what you want after all.â
âWhat kinds of new experiences are you talking about?â
âEver had a fling?â
She sucked in a quick breath. âNo.â
The air sizzled between them. Gunner Hardell wasnât her typeâwasnât even close to the guys sheâd been paired with on savvymatch.comâbut there was no denying they were attracted to each other.
His gaze warmed and he tilted his head to the side so the brim of his cowboy hat didnât bump her in the face.
âThis isnât a good idea,â she said, hoping like crazy that he hadnât heard her.
Dear Reader,
Iâve never tried an online dating site but I have friends and relatives whoâve joined them and found their perfect match. Those who didnât... Well, their dating stories would make great fodder for a book! As humans, we are always searching for perfection, for that one person who possesses characteristics and qualities we believe are a perfect match for us.
Needless to say, Gunner Hardell doesnât come close to the perfect match Lydia Canter is looking for in a husband. And Lydiaâs not the kind of woman laid-back cowboy Gunner is looking to have a long-term relationship with. Lydia and Gunner have their lives all mapped out until a night of fun leaves them grappling with an unplanned pregnancy.
I hope you enjoy watching Lydia and Gunner struggle to do what they believe is in the best interests of their child, only to discover that what they think they want isnât what they really need.
For more information on me and my books, I invite you to visit marinthomas.com. You can keep up-to-date on my current releases and promotional giveaways by signing up for my newsletter at bit.ly/marinthomasupdates.
Happy reading,
Marin
MARIN THOMAS grew up in the Midwest, then attended college at the U of A in Tucson, Arizona, where she earned a BA in radio-TV and played basketball for the Lady Wildcats. Following graduation, she married her college sweetheart in the historic Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada. Recent empty-nesters Marin and her husband now live in Texas, where cattle is king, cowboys are plentiful and pickups rule the road. Visit her on the web at marinthomas.com.
To all of my readers *waves* who canât get enough of my cowboy stories, which is a good thing since I really like writing them.
#Stampede #Texas #CowboysofStampedeTexas #LongLiveCowboys #Cowgirl #Cowboy #Boots #CountryMusic #Rodeo #BroncBusting #BullRiding #Romance #HappyEverAfter
Chapter One
âYou ever seen a cowboy ride a bull, sweetheart?â Gunner Hardell winked at the sassy redhead he was flirting with Saturday afternoon in the Gold Buckle Barâthe best cowboy saloon in Mesquite, Texas.
âNo.â Eyes as big as the Lone Star State and brown as the muddy Rio Grande blinked at Gunner.
âWell, Pa...â Dang, what was her name? Patricia... Patsy... Pamela? âYouâre in for a real treat becauseââ
âHardell, I got ten bucks that says you wonât make it to eight.â
The redhead forgotten, Gunner spun and grinned at the cowboy striding his way. âWatch and weep, Johnson.â He crossed the squishy mat and made a big production of circling Diablo, the infamous bucking machine. The bar had purchased the mechanical bull a while ago, but Gunner had yet to test it out.
âBe careful!â Redhead whatever-her-name-was called out.
Johnson mimicked the buckle bunny and male chuckles erupted, but Gunner paid no mind. His competition was just jealous that the prettiest, sexiest girls gravitated toward him. While his buddies practiced their macho swaggering walks and sulky expressions, Gunner smiled and treated the barflies like ladies, endearing himself to the opposite sex. The young women competed to be Gunnerâs one and only, but none had convinced him to trade in his bachelorhood for a pair of matching wedding bands.