Hometown Reunion
After years away serving his country, Cole Bishop finally returns homeâwith a newborn baby in tow. As a single dad, Cole needs help. But the last thing he expects to encounter at his new job is his high school sweetheartâall grown up and more beautiful than ever. Tessa Applewhite might have broken Coleâs heart years before, but sheâs never forgotten him. And he can wrangle her heart like no one else ever has. But Tessa rejected him when the stakes werenât nearly as high. Can Cole trust her againâand in the process, form a forever family?
âCole.â
Ice filled Coleâs chest. His lungs. His veins.
It would have frozen his heart if heâd had oneâbut the woman into whose enormous emerald eyes he was staring had stolen it from him long ago and ripped it to shreds.
âTessa.â Cole clenched his jaw and both fists. What kind of nightmare had he just stepped into?
âIâuhââ Tessa stammered, her wide-eyed, questioning gaze flashing from Cole to Alexis and then back to Cole again. âWhat are you doing here?â
That was exactly the question he wanted to ask her. But sheâd asked him first. Her eyebrows rose as she waited for his answer.
âWorkinâ,â he answered reluctantly, tapping his hat against his blue jeans.
âHere?â Her voice, which Cole remembered as soft and lilting, sounded scratchy and strained, much as he imagined his own voice did. âAlexis? Wh-whatââ
âWeâve just hired Cole on as a wrangler now that heâs moved back to town,â Alexis explained, her tone overly bright. âSurprise!â
DEB KASTNER is an award-winning author who lives and writes in beautiful Colorado. Since her daughters have grown into adulthood and her nest is almost empty, she is excited to be able to discover new adventures, challenges and blessings, the biggest of which are her sweet grandchildren. She enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music, singing in the church choir, and attending concerts and musicals.
And the King will answer and say to them,
âAssuredly, I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, You did it to Me.â
âMatthew 25:40
To my wonderful sister Amy for all her help in giving the horses in my book their unique names and personalities. Your animal sanctuary makes a real difference in the world!
Those interested in Amyâs animal rescue program can find out more about
Happy Haven Farm & Sanctuary on Facebook or at her website, happyhavenfarm.org.
Chapter One
Cole Bishop didnât know whoâd originally coined the phrase âHome is where the heart is,â but whoever it was, she should have been shot. Home was where the heartbreak was, and if it wasnât for the fact that his whole world was in an uproar, Cole would happily have never set foot in his hometown again for as long as he lived. Except maybe to visit his family, and there were ways to get around that obstacle.
Serendipity, Texas, was too small even to warrant a dot on the map, and its residents had minds like elephants and considered gossip a national pastime. He must be out of his mind for returning. His worst memories would be dredged up, and fast.
A manâs got to do what heâs got to do. For his son.
Truth was, he had nowhere else to go.
âMuch obliged for the job.â Cole nodded to Alexis Haddon of Redemption Ranch and curled the brim of his hat in his fist, tapping the dark brown Stetson against his thigh. He and Alexis had grown up together. When sheâd heard he was back in town, sheâd immediately contacted him to see if he wanted to work for her. And he was grateful. Now that he had a son, he needed steady employment more than ever, and wrangling sounded mighty good after years serving on an aircraft carrier in the navy. Less structure, more open space.
Alexis leaned her hip against the corner of her neatly organized desk and beamed at him with happy eyes and a white-toothed smile. Her husband, Griff, kicked back in the desk chair, lacing his fingers behind his head and admiring his wife.
âThatâs my Alexis. Always thinking of others.â
Alexis laughed and waved him away. âDonât be silly.â She turned her blue eyes on Cole and used the same hand to flick her long blond hair off her shoulders. âItâs a privilege. As soon as I heard you were out of the navy and moving back to Serendipity, I knew I had to snatch you up before some other ranch manager did.â
It wasnât so much what Alexis had said, but something about the way she said it sent a ripple of forewarning down Coleâs spine. He might have been imagining the feeling, except for the brief, surprised jerk of Griffâs left eyebrow.
Cole swallowed hard. Something was brewing in Alexisâs crafty female brain. He could see it in her eyes.