The Cowboy's Second-Chance Family
Finding love twice in a lifetime! When Lucy Brooks lost her husband, her dreams of a family went with him. Now her life is a busy balance of friends, work and the demands of her small ranch. When she meets handsome, brooding Noah Spencer, she recognises grief in his penetrating eyes. And yet she can't deny the feelings – and hope – that he reawakens within her.All widower Noah has in life is his little daughter and a fresh start as Stonerock's newest police officer. Right now he needs to keep his life simple and his heart guarded. Yet he can't resist the instant pull of sweet, selfless Lucy. This could be a second chance at living happily-ever-after…
Читать The Cowboy's Second-Chance Family онлайн беплатно
Finding love twice in a lifetime
When Lucy Brooks lost her husband, her dreams of a family went with him. Now her life is a busy balance of friends, work and the demands of her small ranch. When she meets handsome, brooding Noah Spencer, she recognizes the grief in his penetrating eyes. And yet she canât deny the feelingsâand hopeâthat he has reawakened within her.
All widower Noah has in life is his little daughter and a fresh start as Stonerockâs newest police officer. Right now this cowboy needs to keep his life simple and his heart guarded. Yet he canât resist the instant pull of sweet, selfless Lucy. This could be a second chance at happily-ever-after...if they can both let go of the past.
His eyes darted away for a brief second before returning to her.
âThatâs great, what youâre doing. Itâs just...not for me.â
Nodding, Lucy knew when not to push. âWell, weâre here every Monday. If you change your mind, youâre welcome to come back.â
She turned to go, and dropped her head as the rain started to pick up intensity.
âI lost my wife six months ago.â
His low tone was nearly drowned out by the rain, but Lucy froze, knowing full well sheâd heard correctly. Shoving her damp hair off her forehead, she turned back around.
âMy husband has been gone for two years,â she replied, wanting him to know they already had something in common and he wasnât alone. Still, saying the words never got any easier; it was just an ugly fact sheâd learned to live with. âIâm available to talk one-on-one, too, if you prefer.â
He stared at her a bit longer as if he was trying to process what move to make next. That internal struggle was real, and it was something he had to battle himself. She waited for his reply, not caring how wet she was getting, how her hair was clinging to her cheeks or her shirt had plastered itself to her skin.
With a tip of his hat, he nodded toward the church. âYouâd best get inside. Stormâs cominâ.â
* * *
Return to Stonerock: In this small Tennessee town, neighbors find the warmth of home... and love.
National bestselling author JULES BENNETT has penned over forty contemporary romance novels. She lives in the Midwest with her high-school-sweetheart husband and their two kids. Jules can often be found on Twitter chatting with readers, and you can also connect with her via her website, www.julesbennett.com.
To all the readers who requested more
books set in Stonerock: here you go! I also threw in a cowboy. Youâre welcome :)
Contents
The mysterious man sitting in the back of the room didnât want to be seen. Too bad, because Lucy Brooks had spotted him the second heâd tried to slip in unnoticed twenty minutes ago.
A sexy man with broad shoulders, perfectly tanned skin, denim worn out in all the proper places, and clutching a black cowboy hat could not simply blend in. That square, stubbled jaw alone would grab any womanâs attention. Not that Lucy wanted to be grabbed.
She tried to focus as one of the regular attendees discussed her one positive experience from the past week. The Helping Hands support group Lucy had started with her best friends Tara and Kate was a way to encourage others struggling with grief. Everyone brought something different to the meetings because everyone handled the loss of a loved one differently. And nobody had the same story to tell.
Which brought her gaze back to the cowboy in the back. Stonerock, Tennessee, had its fair share of ranchers, but sheâd never seen this man before. The fact he was new explained the jumbled nerves in her belly. She refused to believe they were caused by the dark stare he was returning in her direction.
âDoes anyone else have anything theyâd like to share?â Tara asked, pulling Lucy back to the moment. When nobody stepped forward, Tara went on. âRemember, we will be changing the starting time next week. Weâll be switching to seven instead of six. Have a great week, everybody.â
All in attendance tonight were regulars, save for the cowboy. Theyâd all had a positive week and tonightâs meeting had mostly been smiles and laughterâthe whole reason for forming this group nearly two years ago.
Lucy excused herself from her friends and headed toward the back of the church where the new guy was trying to sneak out as quickly and quietly as heâd snuck in.
Lucy wasnât having any part of that. She made her way through the aisles, smiling and nodding to familiar faces. But when she reached the back, the stranger was gone. Jogging out the open doors, she spotted him striding toward a big black truck. What else would a mysterious cowboy drive?
