by Terry Spear
Even today with everyone getting ready to have a big barbecue between Halloween and Thanksgiving, he was out there chasing the kids around, pretending to lasso them. When he wasn't doing that, he was teaching the other ones how to lasso a post, just to get the hang of it. She loved watching him having fun with the kids.
She loved riding with him too, and Hal and Tracey were giving her Celestina, the beautiful chestnut appaloosa she’d fallen in love with since the first day Ted had taken her for a ride on her.
The trial for Jeffrey Sims and his hunting buddies was scheduled for three months from now and Ted, Larry, Tracey, Kolby, and Bill, who would be flying in to take part, would be eyewitnesses for the prosecution. Three months after that, their home would be finished, and she and Ted couldn't wait to furnish it and move in.
The wedding was scheduled for two weeks after Christmas, and everyone wanted to come! She had learned that being a white cougar here, meant she was no longer a pariah. And she was glad for that. Thankfully, the new ranch hands and Kolby loved her cooking when she made meals for all the cowboys, and she loved Ted and Kolby's cooking too. They told her often enough, they would miss her when she moved with Ted to their home overlooking the river, but she knew Kolby was looking forward to taking over the master bedroom. She noted that the two new ranch hands hadn't said the same about Ted, though they all liked him, because he was also their boss and she figured they would feel freer to do what they wanted without him keeping an eye on them at the bunkhouse. But Ted had already told Kolby he had the job of keeping them in line if he needed to—since he was now the old hand. And Kolby was glad for the leadership role and helping Ted train the new guys.
She and Ted went out daily to check on the house too.
She loved working for Larry Pierce. He was like a father to her, treating her like family, not just an employee, which she hadn't expected. She would have made the worst mistake in her life if she hadn't come here and joined him. He was always full of praise for her.
Ted joined her after he let Kolby take over for him and pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "You're okay with going home to see my family for Thanksgiving, aren't you?"
"Yeah, you know it. I can't wait to see your sister and the rest of the family. I hope your sister is fine with me coming there."
"Are you kidding?" Ted wrapped his arms around her waist, her back to him and rested his hands on her belly. "Sooner or later, we'll be telling her we're having children of our own and she will want to spoil them rotten too. My sister will adore you. I have to say she was thrilled when my nephew, Scott, mated a fellow army officer, Nicole, and now she has a newfound friend to visit with when they come from Fort Hood for family gatherings. They will bring you into the fold and you'll have a great time."
Stella smiled, placing her hands on his. "That will be so nice. I haven't had a female cougar friend in forever, and I'm on the outs with my biological mother for siding with my father against me for being an oddity. And of course I don’t have anything to do with my adoptive parents either. It's so nice to feel like part of a family again."
He leaned over her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "You will have a lot of family, including all of the townsfolk of Yuma Town. I was afraid when I first met you, before you even shifted, that you might be a lone cougar. I've met a couple in my lifetime, and they felt safer living on their own, surrounded by humans, and running as cougars when they had time to—but alone. They believed it was sounder to do that, like cougars do, except for mothers with their offspring."
"Except one time there was a news report where a daddy cougar was staying in the den with the mother and her little ones. It had given me a lift to read the heartwarming article. There are exceptions to every rule. And maybe more males do that, but it's just not recorded."
"True. All I know is I'll be there for you when it happens."
She loved Ted for being who he was: genuine, kind, caring, and totally fun to be with.
Ted was eager to take Stella home with him, and his sister, Josephine, and niece, Janice, and her boys, Roy and Shawn, were excited to meet her. He knew they had all been exchanging texts and Instagram posts, the boys showing the drawings they had made, his sister showing Stella pictures of the stores she wanted to take her to, her mother making sure she knew just what Stella loved to eat and do before she came for Thanksgiving. And his sister had already bought tickets to see “Texas” at the Palo Duro outdoor theater in Canyon, Texas.
They were going for two weeks, and he had never spent that much time away from the Haverton's ranch, but he needed to do this for his family and for his new mate, and the Havertons were thrilled for him.
Kolby was most of all because he said he would be the foreman while Ted was gone, which had amused Ted.
Ted hugged Stella tighter.
"Hey, we'll still be here for Christmas and last year Kolby and I won the best Christmas tree contest—western themed. So we'll have to be working on that after Thanksgiving when we return home. Though we've got the wedding coming up after that."
"You probably wouldn't win the contest for another western-themed tree though. Maybe we'll have to come up with something different with the other guys. Or, we can just do it since we love western themed anyway."
"We can come up with ideas and put it to a vote," Ted said, glad she was game.
He loved taking Stella on daily rides to see their home built on the river. It would be built by spring, if the holidays and weather didn’t cause too much trouble. As much as he loved the newly renovated bunkhouse, it was time to have a home of his own with his mate, and someday, his children. He would still be the foreman for the ranch, though Kolby was eager to move into the master bedroom at the bunkhouse, elevating his living quarter's status, with the additional role of watching out for the new ranch hands.
"Hey, while everyone's busy playing, do you want to sneak away to the bunkhouse?" Ted asked.
"For some more loving? You bet, Cowboy. Whisk me away."
And he did just that, grabbed her up and hauled her off to the bunkhouse to make love to his beautiful and extraordinary mate. He loved her with all his heart.
Acknowledgments
Thanks so much to Donna Fournier and Darla Taylor for reading over the book and suggesting changes. Darla and I live in Texas, so thinking fall can be hard to do. That's why we need a Minnesota girl to help us see the cold and fall and winter. And that makes it all the more fun. Thanks, Donna, for keeping me straight on more northern climates when I'm writing about locations other than the south! And brainstorming when I need it!!!
You all help to make the books so much better!
Author Bio
USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over eighty paranormal and medieval Highland romances. In 2008, Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. She has received a PNR Top Pick, a Best Book of the Month nomination by Long and Short Reviews, numerous Night Owl Romance Top Picks, and 2 Paranormal Excellence Awards for Romantic Literature (Finalist & Honorable Mention). In 2016, Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing was an RT Book Reviews Top Pick. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world, helps out with her granddaughter, and soon a grandson, and she is raising two Havanese puppies. She lives in Spring, Texas.
Also by Terry Spear
Heart of the Cougar Series:
Cougar’s Mate, Book 1
Call of the Cougar, Book 2
Taming the Wild Cougar, Book 3
Covert Cougar Christmas (Novella)
Double Cougar Trouble, Book 4
Cougar Undercover, Book 5
Cougar Magic, Book 6
Cougar Halloween Mischief (Novella)
Falling for the Cougar, Book 7
Catch the Cougar (A Halloween Novella)
Cougar Christmas Calamity Book 8
You Had Me at Cougar, Book 9
Saving the White Cougar, Book 10
Heart of the Bear Series
Loving the White Bear, Book 1
Claiming the White Bear, Book 2
The Highlanders Series:Winning the Highlander's Heart, The Accidental Highland Hero, Highland Rake, Taming the Wild Highlander, The Highlander, Her Highland Hero, The Viking’s Highland Lass, His Wild Highland Lass (novella), Vexing the Highlander (novella), My Highlander
Other historical romances: Lady Caroline & the Egotistical Earl, A Ghost of a Chance at Love
Heart of the Wolf Series: Heart of the Wolf, Destiny of the Wolf, To Tempt the Wolf, Legend of the White Wolf, Seduced by the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Heart of the Highland Wolf, Dreaming of the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, A SEAL Wolf Christmas, Silence of the Wolf, Hero of a Highland Wolf, A Highland Wolf Christmas, A SEAL Wolf Hunting; A Silver Wolf Christmas, A SEAL Wolf in Too Deep, Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply, Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, SEAL Wolf Undercover, Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas, Flight of the White Wolf, All’s Fair in Love and Wolf, A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas, SEAL Wolf Surrender (2019), Silver Town Wolf: Home for the Holidays (2019), Wolff Brothers: You Had Me at Wolf, Night of the Billionaire Wolf, Joy to the Wolves (Red Wolf), The Wolf Wore Plaid, Jingle Bell Wolf, Best of Both Wolves
SEAL Wolves: To Tempt the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing, A SEAL Wolf Christmas, A SEAL Wolf Hunting, A SEAL Wolf in Too Deep, SEAL Wolf Undercover, SEAL Wolf Surrender (2019)
Silver Bros Wolves: Destiny of the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Dreaming of the Wolf, Silence of the Wolf, A Silver Wolf Christmas, Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, All’s Fair in Love and Wolf, Silver Town Wolf: Home for the Holidays (2019)
Wolff Brothers of Silver Town
Billionaire Wolves: Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing, A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas, Night of the Billionaire Wolf
Highland Wolves: Heart of the Highland Wolf, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, Hero of a Highland Wolf, A Highland Wolf Christmas, Wolf Wore Plaid
Red Wolf Series: Seduced by the Wolf, Joy to the Wolves
Heart of the Jaguar Series: Savage Hunger, Jaguar Fever, Jaguar Hunt, Jaguar Pride, A Very Jaguar Christmas, You Had Me at Jaguar (2019)
Novella: The Witch and the Jaguar (2018)
Romantic Suspense: Deadly Fortunes, In the Dead of the Night, Relative Danger, Bound by Danger
Vampire romances: Killing the Bloodlust, Deadly Liaisons, Huntress for Hire, Forbidden Love, Vampire Redemption, Primal Desire
Vampire Novellas: Vampiric Calling, The Siren’s Lure, Seducing the Huntress
Other Romance: Exchanging Grooms, Marriage, Las Vegas Style
Science Fiction Romance: Galaxy Warrior
Teen/Young Adult/Fantasy Books
The World of Fae:
The Dark Fae, Book 1
The Deadly Fae, Book 2
The Winged Fae, Book 3
The Ancient Fae, Book 4
Dragon Fae, Book 5
Hawk Fae, Book 6
Phantom Fae, Book 7
Golden Fae, Book 8
Falcon Fae, Book 9
Woodland Fae, Book 10
Angel Fae, Book 11 (TBD)
The World of Elf:
The Shadow Elf
Darkland Elf
Blood Moon Series:
Kiss of the Vampire
The Vampire…In My Dreams
Demon Guardian Series:
The Trouble with Demons
Demon Trouble, Too
Demon Hunter
Non-Series for Now:
Ghostly Liaisons
The Beast Within
Courtly Masquerade
Deidre's Secret
The Magic of Inherian:
The Scepter of Salvation
The Mage of Monrovia
Emerald Isle of Mists (TBA)
