Publication Date: 5/25/2021
About the Book:
This cowboy is more than just a
perfect face...
Violet Ashwood arrives in Wildcat
Bluff County with one agenda: convince the hunky Mr. July from the Wildcat
Bluff Fire Rescue’s annual benefit calendar to be the face—and body—of her new
lonely hearts online dating service. She didn’t count on his firm refusal, nor
did she count on seeing him again. Until she discovers he’s her new landlord.
Kemp Lander, aka Mr. July, wants
nothing to do with Violet’s schemes to make him a model for her Cowboy Chat
Corral, particularly once he finds out she fudged the truth on her rental
contract by claiming she was a cowgirl. He’s got enough problems trying to keep
trespassers off his ranch and doesn’t need the distraction of his sexy renter.
All Violet and Kemp want is to
save their livelihoods and have their lifelong dreams realized. But it’ll take
joining forces and discovering they’re better together to finally meet their
goals.
Meet the Author:
Kim Redford is a bestselling author of contemporary Western romance novels.
She grew up in Texas with cowboys, cowgirls, horses, cattle, and rodeos. She’s
a rescue cat wrangler and horseback rider—when she takes a break from her
keyboard. Kim Redford currently divides her time between homes in Oklahoma and
Richardson, Texas.
Purchase
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Read an Excerpt:
“I need to get Heart-to-Heart
Corral up and running.” Violet Ashwood glanced at Kemp Lander where he sat
across from her at the dining table.
He sighed and leaned back in his
chair. “You haven’t given up on me representing your lonely hearts club, have
you?”
“No. Your photo in the Wet &
Wild Cowboy Firefighters calendar drew me here. That hasn’t changed one bit
since I got here. ”
He nodded, then pulled the plate
with his piece of pie close to him and dug in with a fork.
She followed his action, but she
didn’t feel hungry now.
He ate a couple of bites before
he set down his fork. He looked out the windows, then back at her. “Maybe we
can compromise.”
“What do you mean?” She felt her
taste come back with the advent of sudden hope.
“You’ve invested a lot of time
and effort in something you’re obviously passionate about.”
“I am. Everyone deserves true
love.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What about
you?”
“Me?”
“True love.”
“I’m looking for others…not
myself,” she said.
“Why not?”
“It’s just that I’ve never been
lucky in love.”
“I can’t imagine why not.”
“Let’s let it go at that.” She
forked a bite of pie into her mouth, but she’d lost her taste for it again.
“I don’t see how you can promote
something you don’t believe in.”
“I do believe in it.”
“Prove it.” He leaned toward her
with a challenging gleam in his green eyes.
“Prove it?” She didn’t trust that
gleam. “How?”
“Kiss me.”
She took a deep breath, wanting
that very thing and not wanting it at the same time. Mr. July was getting more
dangerous to her heart every moment she was in his company.
“You’re not willing to put
yourself on the line?”
“I didn’t think you were
interested in—”
“I’m not interested in posing for
your website, but I am interested in you.”
“Oh.” She felt her face flush at
his words as heat rushed through her entire body.
“I thought you might be
interested in an experiment, seeing as how you’ve come all this way from San
Antonio.”
“Experiment?”
He tossed his napkin on the
table, stood up, and held out his hand to her. “Let’s go out on the patio and
discuss our options.”
She gestured toward the dirty
plates and table full of dishes. “Shouldn’t we clean up?”
“It can wait. I can’t.”
She grasped his hand, palm to
palm, as she stood up. She could feel the roughness of his skin, see the
stubble of his beard, and smell the soap he’d used in his shower. It was all
heady stuff.
He led her into the sunroom,
turned on a lamp for soft illumination, and opened the back door so that pale
light spilled outside. The scent of roses in bloom filled the night air and
moonlight cast a silvery glow over the patio.
“Why don’t you sit on the glider
while I go back and get our wine?”
“Okay.” She really couldn’t say
more as she watched him go inside because she felt as if her heart were in her
throat.
When he returned, he handed her a
glass, clinked hers with his, and nodded as if he’d made a decision.
She took a sip and returned his
smile. She felt good, happy, contented. It was a mild, sweetscented spring
night with a handsome man by her side. If she could convey
this setting, this feeling, to
her lonely hearts club, she felt sure people would positively respond in
droves.
He leaned toward her. “Now, about
your lonely hearts club…”
She leaned toward him. “Yes?”
“Do you really need me?”
“I want you.” She immediately
wished she’d chosen different words.
“I want you, too.” He set down
his glass. “What are we going to do about it?”
“I meant—”
“I know what you meant, but can’t
you mean something more, something personal, something just between us?”
She felt her heart pick up speed.
She caught his gaze…and felt as if she’d always belonged here in this moment
with this man.
“Something special?” he asked.
She had to respond, but she
couldn’t find the words. If he looked at her with any more heat in his eyes,
she might spontaneously combust. “I…” And then she threw caution to the wind,
leaned forward, and kissed him. It was just a soft, fleeting, tender touch
before she moved back.
“I hope that was only an
appetizer.” He clasped her shoulders with both hands and gently tugged her
toward him.
She leaned into him, feeling his
heat, his strength, his power. She wanted it all. She didn’t want to
compromise. She raised her face, waiting for his kiss…waiting…waiting…
“I want you to know I don’t do
this lightly. I know you really only want me for your lonely hearts club. I
know you’ll go back to San Antonio when you get what you want here. I know all
that, and I still want to kiss you. I need to kiss you. I plan to kiss you.
It’s just that I’m a serious kind of guy.”
“Kemp, I swear if you say one
more word, I’m taking the pie and going home.”
He grinned, chuckling. “You’d
take the pie? That’s serious.”
“Yes, it is. And I’m serious,
too.” She put her palms on each side of his face. “Please, just kiss me.”
And he did…tender at first, then
with growing passion until he lifted her up, set her on his lap, leaned her
head back against his arm, and held her tightly.
She felt his heat and strength
and desire build as one kiss followed another and he delved deeply into her
mouth, hugged her closer and closer as if desperate to meld their bodies so
they could never be separate again.
Finally, he raised his head,
kissed the tip of her nose, gave her a slight smile. “And I thought that fire I
just fought was hot.”
***
Excerpted from Cowboy Fire by Kim Redford.
© 2021 by Kim Redford. Used with
permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks
Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.
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