“No,” he snapped, louder than he’d intended. Then he modulated his voice. “No job hunt. Promise me you’ll come work for me. Hell, you can buy out half the practice over time so you don’t have to worry about relying on me for your livelihood. We’ll get a lawyer, do it all up however you want.” He stopped to kiss her, because he simply couldn’t wait another moment, and as their tongues tangled and their breathing came in gasps of pleasure, Hunter’s world finally fell into place. This—this partnership, of professions, of bodies, of hearts and minds—this is what he wanted, what he needed for the rest of his life.
“You haven’t said yes,” he finally gasped as her hand found the erection straining behind his zipper.
She giggled while his eyes nearly rolled back in his head.
“Jesus, woman,” he groaned.
She went up on her tiptoes and nibbled his earlobe before whispering, “Yes.”
And as Kit reached behind them and locked the exam room door, Hunter knew he’d be hearing a lot more “yes” from Kit in the future.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, clothes rearranged and hair smoothed, Kit led Hunter back out to the reception area.
“Are you sure he’s not going to try to have my license pulled?” Hunter whispered as Kit tugged him down the hallway and into the lobby.
She laughed, tossing him a sexy look over her shoulder and almost making him forget what he was about to do.
“I promise. Kent Cowie is a good guy, and he loves his one and only daughter. He’s not going to get your license pulled.”
Hunter tried to think positively and followed the only woman he’d ever loved. She stopped in front of a mild-looking man dressed in the same style of scrubs, holding a plastic cup of punch and chatting with a middle-aged woman with cornrows and horn-rimmed glasses.
“Daddy. Ramona,” Kit said. “I want to introduce you to someone.”
They both smiled politely, and Hunter’s gut swirled with anxiety.
“This is Dr. Hunter Beckett who supervised my residency. Hunter, this is my father Dr. Cowie, and Ramona, our front desk manager.”
Ramona looked pointedly at Kit’s and Hunter’s linked hands, a smirk on her face. “Well, I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Beckett.”
“Good to meet you, Beckett,” Dr. Cowie said, holding out his hand.
Hunter shook it as Kit added, “Ramona, if you don’t mind, we need to steal Daddy for just a minute.”
“Of course, darlin’,” Ramona answered, melting away into the party crowd.
“What’s up?” Dr. Cowie asked, his gaze flitting between Kit and Hunter. Kit reached down and took Hunter’s hand again. It helped anchor him, reminded him of everything he’d almost lost and what he had to protect from now on.
Before Kit could speak, Hunter put his fear aside and did what he knew to be the right thing.
“Dr. Cowie, I came here today to offer Kit a place—in my office, and in my life. She’s a wonderful vet and a wonderful person. I know it wasn’t the responsible thing to do, and that it was in violation of state board rules, but while she was my resident, I fell in love with your daughter, and I think she might feel the same way—” he looked at her and smiled. Kit’s eyes were wide, but so was her smile. “I, uh, I just wanted you to know that I have a great deal of respect for your daughter and I would never take advantage of her position as my resident. I hope you can forgive me for violating the code, and that you’ll support her in what she chooses to do next.”
Dr. Cowie looked at Hunter thoughtfully, and Hunter tried not to squirm. He hadn’t felt like this since he’d taken his first date to prom when he was seventeen.
Finally, Dr. Cowie looked at Kit. “And is this what you want, Kit Kat? To go back to Gopher Springs?”
“Yes, Daddy. It really is.”
Dr. Cowie smiled and shook his head. “Well, you really pulled this one out of nowhere. Your mom and I had no idea.”
“I know,” Kit answered. “It was sort of a surprise to me, too.”
“And me,” Hunter murmured.
Dr. Cowie laughed then. “Did Kit ever tell you how her mother and I met?” he asked.
“No, sir.”
“She was my front desk receptionist,” he said.
And that’s when Hunter knew everything was going to be okay.
“It really is a pleasure to meet you, son,” Dr. Cowie said, slapping Hunter on the shoulder. “Why don’t you come have some of my retirement cake, and you two can tell me about your practice in Gopher Springs. Then you can help me figure out how I’m going to find a new vet to take over this practice.”
Kit stood on her tiptoes and kissed Hunter on the cheek, and then, hand in hand, heads held high, they walked into the future—together.
Epilogue
One year later
Dinner at Bran’s ranch on Sunday evenings had become a family tradition. Bran, Hunter, and Scout still ate breakfast at the diner every Thursday, but the dinners were for everyone—Bran and Ava, Cam and his new baby sister Janelle, Hunter and Kit, and Scout, who sometimes brought one of his guys from the dairy farm, but mostly brought his shepherd, Deke, to play with the ranch dogs.
“Who’s your favorite Aunty? Who’s your favorite, princess?” Kit cooed as she held Janelle in Ava’s kitchen.
“Don’t you go trying to confuse that child,” Mary Beth said as she helped Ava plate the barbecue ribs for dinner. “She knows full well I’m her favorite. Don’t you, little miss?” Mary Beth reached over and chucked the smiling baby on the chin.
“Sorry, ladies,” Ava interjected. “But as long as these babies—” she pointed to her chest, “are providing the yummy, I’m the baby’s favorite, hands down.”
“That’s such an unfair advantage,” Kit complained, handing Janelle to her mama.
“Well, then maybe you need to go have one of your own,” Ava teased with a wink.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Hunter said from across the room where he leaned in the doorway, watching them.
All three women turned at his voice.
Kit felt a flush come to her cheeks. Leave it to Ava to say something embarrassing right as Hunter snuck in.
“Well, there you are!” Kit bustled over to plant a kiss on his cheek. “I was starting to worry Mr. Crenshaw’s pig was going to keep you out all evening.”
Hunter put a palm along her cheek and pulled her back in for a proper kiss on the lips. “No,” he said, his voice deep and sexy, the way it got when they were alone in bed. “Nothing could keep me away from you.”
Kit flushed more as she saw Mary Beth and Ava grinning at her.
“But I want to talk about what Ava was saying,” Hunter continued, leading Kit to a kitchen chair and pressing her into it.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, and then as he dropped to one knee in front of her, she gasped. Footsteps sounded around the kitchen, but she couldn’t look away, her gaze locked on Hunter’s, her heart nearly pounding out of her chest.
“So, I think Ava had the right idea,” Hunter told her, his love so big it shone right through his eyes. “I’m thinking a baby—you’ll be her favorite—maybe a bigger house, and a resident to fill in while you and I take turns on parental leave.” He opened the jewelry box, revealing a beautiful square cut diamond solitaire. “But first, I thought we’d have a wedding.”
Kit let out a tiny gasp. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Not half as beautiful as you are.”
He slipped the ring on her finger, then she took his face between her hands.
“I love you, Hunter Beckett. And I would be honored to be your wife, and to have babies with you. But I have one question.”
He looked surprised but nodded. “Anything you want, hon.”
“Do I still have to pay for the rest of the partnership?”
The entire room burst into laughter, and Hunter kissed her hard on the lips before he answered. “Babe, I’ve been keepin
g all that money in a fund for our kid’s college. You get half the practice, you get half the house…and you get all of my heart.”
And she loved and protected all of it, forever more.
End of Wrangling His Sexy Assistant
Beckett Brothers Book Two
Wrangling His Best Friend’s Sister, July 18 2019
Wrangling His Sexy Assistant, July 25 2019
Wrangling His Pregnant Cowgirl, August 1 2019
Want more sexy cowboys? Please keep reading for a preview from my next book Wrangling His Pregnant Cowgirl and The Cowboy’s Forgetful Bride.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for purchasing my book. It’s hard for me to put into words how much I appreciate my readers. If you enjoyed this book, please remember to leave a review. Reviews are crucial for an author’s success and I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to review the book. I love hearing from you!
You can leave a review at:
About Leslie
Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.
Find your next Leslie North book visit LeslieNorthBooks.com or choose:
PS: Want sneak peeks, giveaways, ARC offers, fun extras and plenty of pictures of bad boys? Join my Facebook group, Leslie’s Lovelies!
BLURB
Scout Beckett has always wanted to run a ranch, not just work it under the purview of his older sibling. He wants to do something different from his family’s horses and beef cattle: he wants to own a dairy farm. To this end, Scout has been working on one as a foreman, and his mentor had always promised it would be Scout’s after he passed. But when the owner dies, he wills it to his city-slicker granddaughter instead; leaving Scout in charge of a farm that will never be his.
Stella has worked for a nonprofit for years, helping to feed starving children in third-world countries. When she comes home for the funeral to say goodbye to her grandfather, the only stability she’s ever known, she finds herself falling into the arms of sexy cowboy Scout when shared loss and simple comfort turns to a night of passion before they each go their separate ways.
But three months later, Stella returns to the ranch, faced with the stipulations of her grandfather’s will: she must stay for the better part of the year, or lose the ranch to charity. Not only that, but she has to tell her one-night stand that he’s going to be a daddy. When the shock of her pregnancy wears off, Stella vows to ride out the will’s rule and get back to her old life as soon as possible.
But as Stella slowly remembers why she’s always loved the place she’s come back to, Scout has to decide if he’s okay with never owning the land he works. Is having a family enough? Or will he pass on love and passion for a farm of his own?
Wrangling His Pregnant Cowgirl
Available August 1 2019
LeslieNorthBooks.com
* * *
EXCERPT
Chapter One
“Are you sure you shouldn’t wait longer?”
“I’ve already waited over half an hour,” Scout hissed to his oldest brother, Bran. “Everyone’s here. We can’t stand out here forever.”
Bran eyed Hunter, Scout’s other older brother, and it took all of Scout’s patience not to tell them both to go to hell. He’d been managing everything on George’s farm for a very long time. It made sense that he’d end up having to manage George’s funeral as well. And if the old man’s only living relative couldn’t manage to show up on time? Well, he couldn’t fix that.
He leaned over to the pastor and whispered, “Let’s go ahead and begin.” Pastor Johnson nodded and called everyone back together.
They were gathered on a low bluff that ran along the edge of George’s property. Behind them lay acres of fields where the dairy cattle grazed during good weather. In front of them, they could see the Sulphur River as it ran west to east across North Texas.
“Friends,” the Pastor began. “We have come here today to lay to rest one of our own. George Steadman was a great man, a veteran, a member of our community for over eighty years…”
As the pastor continued, Scout’s gaze traveled over the heads of the circle of people who stood listening to the memorial service. Coming across the field was a tall redhead wearing a black dress that flowed behind her in the breeze. Her hair was in a twist of some sort, tendrils of curls drifting around her face. She wore a pair of black cowboy boots with silver embroidery, and a silver cuff bracelet on one slender wrist. Her flame-red hair and porcelain skin provided all the contrast the somber black needed. She was her own best embellishment.
“Let me guess,” Hunter murmured in Scout’s ear. “That’s the granddaughter.”
“Yeah,” Scout replied as the pastor said something about returning to God’s bosom. “That’s her—Stella.”
Hunter didn’t say anything else, but Scout kept his eyes on Stella as she speed-walked across the field. When she finally arrived, slipping in between Nadine Lewis and Bran’s wife, Ava, her cheeks were flushed, and Scout had nearly forgotten why they were all standing around here in the first place.
“And now, I’d like to ask Scout Beckett, George’s longtime foreman, to say a few words on behalf of the family.”
Texting back and forth with Stella about the arrangements, Scout had asked her if she wanted to speak at the service, but she’d said she didn’t, so he’d gone ahead and written something up himself. It was the least he could do for George, who had given him a job and a home for the last six years.
Scout felt Bran give him a reassuring pat on the back. He stepped forward to stand next to the pastor, who smiled encouragement. As he began to speak, he couldn’t help looking at Stella, who stood ramrod straight, tears gently rolling down her cheeks.
He gave her a small smile, and her gaze told him to go ahead.
“Thanks for coming, everyone,” he said. “I wasn’t even done with my Ag degree from A and M when I applied to be George’s new foreman.” Everyone laughed softly. “All I really knew was that I wanted to run a farming operation, and I didn’t want to go to work for my older brother—no offense, Bran.”
“None taken,” Bran replied cheerfully. The group laughed again.
“But George went and took a risk on me. He hired me right out of school, he spent way too much time teaching me what I needed to know, and then he stepped back and let me find my footing. And that was classic George. He was patient with his employees, with his family, and with the animals. He was always willing to teach, and to let you learn. Even when it cost him a pretty penny like I did that first year.” Scout saw Stella laugh that time, and it was like a weight coming off his chest.
“Toward the end,” Scout’s voice grew somber. “I spent time with George at his bedside. And he told me what he wanted most after he was gone—for people to know he had a good life, he loved what he did, and he loved who he did it for.” Scout paused, fixing his gaze on Stella. She smiled through her tears and nodded for him to continue. “And mostly, he was excited to see Betty and David again. He missed them for a very long time. So let us say goodbye to George, but most of all, let us say safe travels. We’ll see you again, old man.”
He reached over and took one of the silk satchels that held George’s cremains. He lifted it to the sky and said a quick prayer. Then he turned and opened it, letting the contents flow out into the breeze and down to the river below.
Pastor Johnson said “Amen” and then nodded to Stella to take her turn. Scout stayed by her side as she released more of the ashes into the wind, followed one by one by the others there. When everyone in attendance was done, Scout announced that there was a reception back at the house, and then he took Stella’s arm and walked her home.
* * *
Scout stood in the living room of the big Victorian farmhouse. The structure had served the Steadman
family for three generations, added onto and remodeled over and over again. Scout was hoping it would serve his family for another three. He knew Stella had no interest in owning the farm, and he had the money and the paperwork ready to make her an offer to buy. He watched as she greeted neighbors and townspeople, impressed with how many she knew even though she’d only spent summers with her granddad growing up.
“So do you know much about George’s granddaughter?” his sister-in-law Ava asked as she sipped on a glass of punch instead of beer or wine. She was still nursing her youngest, baby Janelle.
“I met her a few times,” he said, holding a beer that he suspected had gotten warm by now. “She does some kind of nonprofit work in foreign countries, so she’s not been around much. She’d come once every year or two, and George would be like a teenage girl getting ready to go to prom. He was crazy about her.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Ava replied.
“What’s so sweet?” Scout’s other sister-in-law, Kit asked as she arrived and handed the baby over to Ava.
Scout stared at Janelle, who smiled all gummy and drooling. He didn’t really get the whole appeal of babies, but he had to admit Janelle was pretty cute as far as babies went. She had his brother’s nose, and her mama’s eyes, and a bunch of curly wheat colored hair that made her look a little like a Muppet.
As Ava filled Kit in on the conversation, Scout studied Stella more carefully. He could see the strain around her mouth, and her skin was at least one shade paler than it had been when they’d first walked into the house.
Wrangling His Sexy Assistant: Beckett Brothers Book Two Page 10
