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!
