I have a new release! The Cowgirl’s Homecoming is the third book in my sweet western romance series The Cowgirls of Larkspur Valley. Here’s the official blurb:
Could the cowboy next door…
Be what her heart truly wants?
When Whitney Fox returns home after being downsized, she accidently offends rancher Tanner Hayes—her dad’s neighbor. To make amends, she agrees to help him rehabilitate his ranch and reputation, and soon finds there’s more to the crusty cowboy than she’d thought. But when another corporate opportunity comes along, she has a decision to make: follow her head, or follow her heart and stay with Tanner?
And here’s an excerpt:
Whit woke up with a headache, which she attributed to Tanner Hayes smashing her car the day before. The crash hadn’t hurt her physically, but it had taken a mental toll. She’d tried to put the matter aside and get some sleep, but had woken up time and again wondering how much of an effect it would have on the asking price of her Audi. She was going to lose money. That was a given.
She rolled onto her back and flopped an arm over her face trying to think of something besides her smashed up Audi and the cowboy who’d done the damage. Lying in bed, begrudging reality, wasn’t helping matters. She pushed back the covers just as her dad rapped on the door.
“Whit?”
“Yeah, Dad?”
“I’d like to talk to you before I head out for the day.”
“I’ll be down in a minute.” She heard his footsteps receding down the hall and wondered at his tone. It was his get-to-the-bottom-of-things tone, but there was nothing for him to get to the bottom of, unless he’d seen her car and was wondering what had happened.
That was it. Protective father mode was probably kicking in. She’d simply explain that she’d seen no reason to burden him with the mishap when she’d returned home the previous evening. He’d been sleeping in his chair, and she’d retired to her bedroom to do a lot of mental math instead of sleeping.
She headed to the bathroom, showered, changed into her jeans and T-shirt, braided her hair into a single plait that was a touch shorter than the one she’d worn in high school, then headed to the kitchen to explain to her dad how her car had gotten damaged.
When she walked into the room, her dad had two mugs and a carafe of coffee on the table. He always made coffee, then poured it into a vacuum jug to keep it from getting bitter during the day. He loved his coffee, but this morning, he was staring morosely into his mug.
“Dad?”
He looked up and Whit became cognizant of a sinking sensation in her midsection. Before she could ask, he said, “What happened yesterday evening?”
“I got rear-ended.”
She expected a look of paternal concern, but instead her father nodded, telling her that he not only knew what had happened, he’d probably already inspected the damage. “And did you happen to say some things to the guy who rear-ended you?”
“Maybe?”
Where on earth was this going?
Whit pulled out a chair and reached for a mug. She filled it to the brim and took a sip as she waited for her dad to explain.
Ben Fox blew out a breath. “I took coffee with the guys this morning at the café.”
A regular occurrence since she’d been a little girl. The ranch was only five miles from town, and it wasn’t unusual for her dad to meet with his fellow farmers and ranchers several mornings a week at an unearthly hour.
“And?”
“And I heard that you got rear-ended by Tanner Hayes.”
“I did.” She nodded to punctuate the admission.
“You told him a thing or two after it happened?”
“It was his fault, and he was trying to blame me. I defended myself.”
Ben stared at the table between them with a hard expression. “I was in the middle of making a deal with the guy for water rights. It’s a tricky negotiation. He’s teetering on the bubble between yes and no, and my only child tells the guy that he’s not going to buy his way out of the situation the way his dad bought his way out of things.” He fixed his daughter with a grim look. “Or so I heard.”
Whit’s stomach gave a sick twist. There had been a bit of a crowd, and whoever had reported to whoever reported to her dad was pretty accurate.
“I didn’t know you were negotiating.”
Ben brought his big hand down on the table. “Didn’t you want him to buy his way out of it? Fix your car and all?”
Whit pushed a few wisps of hair off her forehead as she tried to come up with the right words to explain herself. “Dad, what I wanted was for him to take responsibility for the accident so that my insurance rates wouldn’t go up. And—” her mouth tightened “—I was pretty mad. I was just about to list the car for sale, and he smashes into the back of it and pretends it’s my fault, like he expects to weenie out because of who he is. How was I supposed to let that ride?”
Her dad met her gaze in a way that told her that he really wished she had figured out a way.
“I would appreciate it if you would make it better.”
“How?”
“Apologize. I can’t afford to lose this water lease. If I do, then the expansion we’ve talked about is not going to happen.”
He gave her another long look and Whit swallowed. Her father had wanted to expand his fields to the west forever, had worked so hard to increase the value of the ranch after her mother had passed away, but had lacked the water to do so. Carl Hayes was too much of a megalomaniac to work with, but apparently, his son had been more amenable to a deal.
Of all the people who could have followed her too closely, thus making the accident his fault, it had to be him.
Drat.
I enjoyed bringing my hero and heroine together in The Cowgirl’s Homecoming. These two have big decisions to make by the end of the book. Will they follow their heads or follow their heart?
To qualify for a $10 Amazon gift card when faced with a decision, do you most often follow your head or your heart? Logic or instinct?
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.
Unfortunately, I usually follow my heart and that has gotten me into many scrapes over the years.
I know the feeling, Ami. 😉
Most of the time with my head, but sometimes the heart.
Great excerpt.
Thank you, Denise!
Hi, Jeannie,
The book sounds like one I’d enjoy reading; thanks for holding the promotion.
I’m three quarters Irish and am not only quick tempered, I make snap judgments, too. Since deep thought and logic aren’t involved, it must be my heart making choices.
You sound like a heart girl to me, Mary. 🙂
A mix of both..if it’s a hard one I pray on it
Prayer is a helpful addition to decision making. Thanks for mentioning that.
Maybe a little bit of both. I like to rely on prayer, especially if it’s an important decision in life. God always knows better than I do!
Your new book sounds fun!
Thank you, Lori. And yes. prayer helps!
Most of the time it is both. Other times, I listen to that small voice whispering in my ear.
That wee voice can be so helpful!
I would hope that I allow God to lead me. Sometimes my heart overrides my logic and vice versa, but I can’t go wrong when I am trusting God for decisions to be made.
Excellent approach, Danielle!
I tend to go with my gut! Thanks!
I love listening to my gut, Teresa. As I get older, I do it more and more.
Interesting question! To some degree it depends on the type of problem or plan or goal. I probably lean more to the head . For major life altering decisions, such as possible relocation, I write down pros and cons. I think the act of writing helps.
I agree about writing things down, Catherine. I think it activates a different part of the brain. And yes, the type of issue does determine approach. 🙂
I always use my head to make any decisions. Using my heart has led to many a bad outcome when I was young.
I think we all might have a few stories about following one’s heart when young. The head might not be as fun, but it’s often safer.
Logic but with a heart in mind. The heart serves as vice president and votes on main case of ties.
What an excellent way to put things, David. I love it!
I try to make logical thoughtful decisions…sometimes I just go with my gut.
The gut is there for a reason. I like your approach, Kate.
The Cowgirl’s Homecoming sounds very good. head and instinct. Thank you for the chance.
You are very welcome, Emma!
I try to look at the decision in a few different ways and come up with the best answer.
Great strategy, Connie Lee.
I mostly look at decisions with my head as the bible states that the heart can be deceived, that and much prayer is how I come to make my decisions 🙂
Excellent point, Laura!
A little of both. The book sounds great!
Thank you, Barbara!
Usually I follow my heart, but then I think what my options are and say, “Lord what should I do?”
Great way to handle things, Kari Jean.
I guess I usually follow my head although sometimes I do follow my gut.
It’s good to listen to your gut sometimes. 🙂
I have always decided with my head. Perhaps because of my upbringing and understanding of human nature.
Understanding human nature is a huge advantage, Anne.
I will be honest. I do both. But over the years I have learned to either take a very long breath to think about it or to say “I need to get back to you please” and then sometimes it just pops out of my mouth. sigh. still in the process. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
Learning to take that breath, then actually doing is huge. I’m still working on it. 🙂
I follow my head. I generally pray about it if it’s a major decision.
Always a good course of action, Naomi.
My head and my intuition have not been wrong.
Excellent, Ellie.
I take awhile to make decisions because I want to think about it. Usually use my instincts so i guess that would be with my head.
I’ve learned to listen to instinct, too. Sometimes there are things we sense but can’t bring to the front of our thoughts.
I usually try to follow my gut instinct which I feel is my heart telling me what God wants me to do.
Excellent.
I have generally followed my heart at well, both in jobs and in relationships. Now a days, I seek GOD for a decision. I ask HIM to lead me to the right answer. The problem is waiting for the answer and not trying to make the decision for HIM.
I hear you. Sometimes it is hard to wait.
I take my time to make a decision… really think things through… but there are times when I follow a gut feeling…
Taking time is the best course. I’m still working on my patience in that department.
First my thoughts, then my heart and then I stop and try to figure which is right. Doesn’t always work out whichever path I pick.
If only there were guarantees, right? 🙂
It’s kind of a mix for me. Most of the time I follow my head, but occasionally my heart takes over.
It’s good to be open to both.
Sometimes I follow my head and sometimes I follow my heart. It depends on the situation.
Some situations are definitely better handled by the head and others by the heart.
i would say a little of both. I way my options and then make a decision based on the facts, some time by listening to my heart and sometimes listening to my head.
Good strategy. Some people are afraid to listen to their hearts.
Usually my head
Logic is a great tool when tackling life.
Hi Jeannie, your book sounds like a great read , I am definitely adding it to my TBR, I love the book cover also. Thank you for sharing the excerpt , I am really looking forward to reading it. Well , I tend to do both depending on the situation . Have a great day and a great rest of the week.
Thank you, Alicia! 🙂
Hey Jeannie: a mix of both and a heapin helpin of prayer!!!
Love that heapin helpin!
Maybe a little of both but hopefully with God’s guidance.
Yes!
I was a Library Director and I often had to make quick decisions. I learned the the Lord was always there to help me. If I didn’t depend upon him and make decisions upon how I felt, it would more often lead to bad results.
What a beautiful way to handle things, Becky.
I usually try to make decisions using logic, but sometimes a gut instinct is strong enough you have to go with it.
I agree, Megan. Do not ignore the gut.
When I was younger my heart but as I have gotten older my head.
Funny how that happens we gain life experience.
It is funny but I use all of them.
That makes you flexible! 🙂
Suppose it really does
I try to be logical about my decisions and tend to over think things most of the time. In the end, it is what I have thought through plus my intuition of what will be best.
Excellent process, Patricia. Taking time can really help.
I would like to say that I first pray about it. It all depends on the issue. Sometimes, I follow my head other times my logic. Thank you so much for sharing. Congratulations on your new book release. God bless you.
Thank you so much, Debbie!
I definitely make decisions with my head using logic. Thanks for the chance to win a prize.
You’re welcome, Vickie!
head
I try to always use my head but occasionally my heart has interfered.