I have a new release tomorrow, October 26! Her Cowboy Christmas Hero is a sweet romance and the last book in my Return to the Keller Ranch series. To celebrate, I’m giving away two $15 Amazon gift cards.
But wait, there’s more! The first book in the series is free today, October 25, 2023! If you’d like to check it out, here’s the Amazon link to Christmas with the Cowboy. The book won’t be free for more than a day or two, so I hope you take advantage. (Quick caveat–this story is not exactly smoking, but it has a little more heat than my new release.)
Cade Keller is the youngest of four siblings and a twin to boot. He’s the quiet Keller–the kid who didn’t turn his parents’ hair gray, but that doesn’t mean he can’t hold his own. He’s recently returned home after quitting a job due to safety reasons and now he needs to figure out his future.
Alex Woodson grew up in a wealthy family. While things looked great from the outside, the truth was that Alex’s parents were cold people who had no idea how to raise a child. When her family goes bankrupt, Alex has to learn to fend for herself, which she does by moving into a ramshackle home and starting an interior painting business. When she’s hired to paint a house on the Keller Ranch, she reconnects with Cade, her secret high school crush. Cade is in no position to start a relationship, but he is drawn to independent Alex, who has changed dramatically since her high school golden girl days.
Here’s an excerpt. Alex has grudgingly agreed to spend Thanksgiving with Cade, because he’s alone for the holiday.
“Everyone had a hand in making your holiday dinner?” Alex repeated, as she tried to imagine cooking in a kitchen with four kids of varying ages. While she sensed there may have been an element of chaos, she was certain that it had also been a ton of fun. So very different than her Thanksgiving experiences as a kid, which involved travel to her paternal grandmother’s house and an elaborate restaurant meal. But cleanup was easy.
“Even Dad did his part,” Cade said. “He makes a great frozen pie.”
Alex laughed. “Something your dad and I have in common.”
“What kind of pie did you bring?”
“Cherry.”
“Good.” He seasoned his mixture with sage, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, took a taste, then tossed the teaspoon into the sink. “It’ll do.”
Alex was beginning to have her suspicions about Cade not cooking. “Why good?” she asked, wondering at the relief in his voice when she’d said “cherry.”
Cade gave a furtive, sideways look, as if checking for eavesdroppers, then said, “I hate pumpkin pie.”
Alex pulled her phone out of her pocket and unlocked the screen.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling the holiday police,” she said, stabbing a few buttons, then bringing the phone to her ear.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Cade said, making a playful grab for her wrist and catching it before she could move out of range. “I’m already on holiday probation and if another call gets made, then . . .” He made a slicing motion across his throat with his free hand. “Holiday jail for a few years.”
“Fine. But if I hear of another infraction . . .” She lifted her eyebrows in warning while her insides all but danced at the sensations his gentle grip on her wrist produced.
“I’ll be on my best behavior,” Cade promised, casually releasing his hold on her. Once free, Alex put her phone back into her pocket, still feeling the tingling warmth of Cade’s fingers on her skin. It’d been a long time since she played with someone, particularly a great-looking guy. Too long, perhaps?
Hard yes on that one.
She was still learning to walk the line between enjoying people’s company and getting sucked into situations where she became vulnerable. The line between knee-jerk fear of getting too close and faith in her ability to protect her heart.
“What temperature should the oven be at for the pie?”
Alex read the underside of the box, Cade set the temperature, and then started stirring dried bread cubes into the butter, celery, onion mixture.
“Um . . .”
Cade looked over his shoulder.
“Curious guest here . . . will there be turkey or some kind of protein? Because the oven is full of pie and nothing else.”
He gave her a crooked grin. “That’s the beauty of having another house with another oven. The bird is over there. This oven is for frozen pies and the stuffing.” After Cade transferred the stuffing from bowl to casserole dish, he put it in the fridge, and then picked up the wine Alex had poured.
“I’m glad you came. Holidays shouldn’t be spent alone.”
Alex’s lips curved in an ironic expression as she studied her wineglass.
“What?” Cade asked curiously.
“I’m going to tell you something that sounds bad, but isn’t.” She sucked air in between her teeth as if preparing for a doomsday announcement.
“Worse than being on holiday probation?”
“It’s in the same ballpark,” she said. “I haven’t spent Thanksgiving Day with anyone but myself for years.”
“What?”
“True story.”
“You spend the day alone?” He sounded as if he couldn’t fathom such an idea.
She gave a self-conscious shrug. “That’s what happens when you don’t have a ton of family.” And a healthy fear of abandonment. Maybe that was why she was laying this out like she was. Because, despite having fun, she felt herself pulling back. Getting scared. Ratcheting the numbers down on the DEFCON scale.
“I enjoyed my holidays alone.” Which was good, because she didn’t have anyone to share them with. She’d taken part in the occasional Friendsgiving and attended holiday parties, but A.B.—after Brant—she hadn’t had a significant other or a family with whom to spend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Oddly, that felt like a win.
Cade turned and leaned his backside against the cabinets, folding his arms over his chest. She’d give him this—he looked curious, but not judgmental. Why should he be judgmental? Lots of people spent solitary holidays. She happened to be one of them, and she’d done it by choice.
That gorgeous mouth of his tilted up at the corners. “Thank you for choosing to spend the day with me. I don’t usually spend Thanksgiving alone.”
“I know,” Alex said with a sigh. He had a big, boisterous family. “I don’t know why I confessed.”
“Really?” His tone suggested that he thought she’d done it for a very specific reason. She had.
“All right. I do. I just wanted you to know that I tend to keep to myself.” A subtle warning, but a warning all the same. “I’m glad to be here today”—because, otherwise, he would have spent the holiday by himself—“but there’s no need to worry about me in the future.” Like at Christmas. His mother had asked about her plans, and she wanted to make her wishes known.
“No mercy Christmas invitations?” he asked, getting the drift immediately.
“Such things would haunt me.”
To be eligible for one of the two $15 gift cards, tell me if you had a secret high school crush (I did) and, if you did, whether you think it would have worked out in the long run. (Mine probably would not have.)
I’ll post the winners on Saturday. Looking forward to your responses!
Jeannie Watt raises cattle in Montana and loves all things western. When she's not writing, Jeannie enjoys sewing, making mosaic mirrors, riding her horses and buying hay. Lots and lots of hay.
I did not. I just never did have a crush. No idea why.
I think you might be lucky, David. 🙂
I didn’t. None of the boyfriends were the one till I met my husband.
31 years married yesterday.
Major congratulations, Denise! That’s an accomplishment and obviously he was the one!
Thanks.
I did and no it would not have worked out.
I know the feeling, lol.
I had several and none would have worked out.
But wasn’t it fun to daydream? That was the best part for me.
I had several but I don’t think any of them would have worked out.
Having lots of crushes is a good way to figure out what you want in a partner, I think.
no
🙂
I did not. I had friends who were boys but no crushes.
I think that having guy friends was a great thing in high school.
Hey Jeannie! I did. It came in 9th grade. I didn’t like boys…at least not in very much like! LOL They were just friends. Until the moment my heart dropped to the floor at the first sight of him. I can say I have had that feeling of love at first sight and a love that grew. And I don’t think my crush would have worked out. We were two different people. However, I do think the love that grows through time is the one that lasts. This love has lasted over 44 years. That’s with my husband now.
Thanks for the free book Jeannie! It’s a treat to get to read one of yours! Since I have kindle unlimited and retired, I can’t read every author’s new release unless they contribute to kindle unlimited. I’m thankful for those that do since there is not too many days that go by that my head isn’t in one! LOL
Many blessings on your new book!
Thank you, Tracy. I’m glad you took advantage. Congratulations on 44 years! That’s fantastic.
since I married my HS crush, possibly one from grade school – it would not have worked out at all!
Way to go, Teresa!
It was more than a crush he was a friend and I fell in love with him30 years later I still love him
Idk if it would have worked
I’ll never know
That’s a poignant answer, Sabrina. It makes me want to write a story.
I had a secret crush and finally between junior and senior year asked her for a date. Would it have worked out. Well we’ve now been together for 57 years and still going strong. We’ve even become cowriters with five books published and a one coming in April.
That’s so cool, C.D.! Congratulations on both the amazing marriage and the cowriting! I hope you have many years and books in the future.
I never had a high school crush but I believe that kids are not mature enough.
You make a good point, Sharon.
I did. He married the girl he was dating in high school, he also died tragically young, early 40’s he was born with a hole in his heart. And thanks for the free book.
I’m sorry to hear about your crush, Naomi. You’re welcome for the book.
I had the same crush from middle school all the way through high school and beyond. We were friends for awhile and we went on a couple of actual dates, but I felt a lot more for him than he felt for me. In a way, I still have feelings for him, but at the same time, I don’t want to get burned, so I will stay far away! He’s been married and divorced three times, and I’ve been married and divorced once. I still talk to him occasionally if I run into him (we still live in the same town) and I actually have his youngest son in the class where I’m a long term substitute teacher right now, in the same middle school that he and I attended and where I first fell for him! It’s a small world!
It is a small world, Kim. I understand still having feelings, but from the sounds of things, he might be a bullet dodged.
I did have a secret high school crush. I doubt that it would have lasted, but it would have been nice to find out!
Indeed, Trudy. 🙂
No, I didn’t.
Good for you, Barbara. Life is less frustrating without a secret crush.
No never had a high school crush.
Like I told Barbara and David, that may be a blessing in disguise.
Not really. I had a steady boyfriend in 11th and 12th grades.
That’s cool, Kari Jean. I really wanted that back in the day.
I guess I was a bit more of a nerdy person, but my husband and I started dating as juniors in high school. So, that ended the story!
Good for you!
I had a high school crush but he passed away in our early 20s.
I’m sorry to hear that, Kathleen.
Yes I did and I think since we both had feelings for each other, despite that we wanted different things so probably not of worked out.
Star crossed lovers. sigh
Yes, I did. He was very handsome and in the same grade as me. He was the quiet type and took to driving his car down main street most every evening. I always watched for it to come over the tracks and around the turn, very slowly. However, nothing ever came of it as he was in love with one of the most popular girls in school, also in my class. Oh well, life goes on.
Another sigh. Yes, life does go on. And sometimes what we want isn’t what’s best for us. But I can relate to waiting and watching for his car…
Good morning, yes I had a high school crush and no it would not have worked out because he died young . He didn’t know that I liked him, he was just nice with me and he was kind of a bad boy and I guess I wasn’t his type, he like girls that were wild. We would just say Hi to each other and we would talk but that was about it. God had another person for me and we have been married for 47 years and I didn’t meet him until I was 20 , and when I met my husband he had just moved from Calif. to Texas where I was living, I saw him when he applied at the same place where I was working, and I liked him just like that. So I was very happy that he had gotten the job there.
I’m sorry to hear about your crush, Alicia. There is something about those bad boys. That said, congratulations on 47 years! That’s so cool!
Oh yeah! I sure did… he was gorgeous, but I later found out that he was involved with some pretty shady characters. It would never have worked out.
Probably best that it was just a secret crush, given the circumstances. 🙂
I did have a high school crush then found out he was dating one of the “mean” girls… my crush fizzled after that.
That sounds like good fodder for a story, Colleen. Mean girls…oy.
I did have a secret crush. It might have worked out, but I am quite happy with the man I ended up with.
That’s fantastic, Cheryl!
I did have a secret crush in high school but I don’t think it would have worked out.
I’m in the same club, Megan. 🙂
The boys in high school wanted me to help them with their homework (I was a nerd)
I love this so much, Becky. 🙂
I had crushes a couple of times in high school with boys I met through 4-H. They went to different schools so it was easy to keep it secret. Definitely would not have worked out but yes it was fun to dream.
So much fun to dream, Alice. 🙂
Hi, Jeannie! I never had a high school crush. Homeschooled. And always more interested in books 😉
Good for you, Tia!
Yes, I did. No, I am sure it would not have worked out. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
Thank you, Debbie!
Your new book sounds like a Awesome read. Yes, I did have a high school crush & he did take me to the Prom & we dated for awhile, however; he had so many young ladies after him, he was a very handsome young man. No, it wouldn’t have ever worked out for us. I lost track of him after we graduated & found out Years ago that he died from a drug overdose.
That’s so sad, Lois. I’m glad you were able to share the time you had in high school.
No, I did not. I went to an all-girl Catholic high school.
I can see the difficulty there, Cherie.
I did. And when he noticed me in sr year I was ecstatic. we even got engaged. but then he started to mistreat me. two of my three brothers saw this and literally beat him up and but the fear into him to never come back. turned out he was becoming a huge drunk and woman hater. he died about four years later.
Oh my, Lori! Thank goodness for your brothers. That was a bullet dodged!
I had a few crushes; none of which worked out, but was for the better because I met a wonderful man I eventually married
Yay, Lynn! It’s wonderful how things work out sometimes!
Yes I did and No I don’t think it would have worked out!
Then bullet dodged, eh? 🙂
No crush in high school, secret or otherwise. Not in college either. I was too interested in studying. I had guys that were friends, but that was as far as it went. I bumped into one of those friends 7 years after graduation and we were perfect for each other. Timing is everything.
Timing is everything! What a nice story, Patricia!