The Cowboy's Autumn Fall (Grass Valley Cowboys Book 4)

by Shanna Hatfield

  Bailey felt Brice kiss her upper lip as tingling sensations started working their way up from her toes to her head.

  “Lesson three, always remember how much I love you, Bailey Bishop. Always, always remember that,” Brice said, kissing her square on the mouth. “Lesson four, never forget to practice your lessons. You have to diligently devote time to it every day.”

  Brice nuzzled her neck, trailed kisses up her jaw, and sent goose bumps skittering over her skin when he teased her ear with his lips.

  “Lesson five, and this one is very important, kisses should only be given if you really mean them.”

  Bailey surrendered to Brice when his lips met hers in a fiery kiss full of passion. As his arms wrapped tightly around her, she felt at home, cherished and loved, and knew here was where she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

  “What’s the next lesson?” Bailey whispered, her lips tantalizing Brice’s as they brushed his once, twice.

  “Lesson six, if you want to make me lose my mind, kisses should be long, slow and deep.”

  “Like this?” Bailey asked, locking her lips to Brice’s every bit as much as she was locking their hearts together.

  Working her hand inside his coat, Bailey rested it over his heart, loving the feel of the steady beat against her palm while Brice deepened their kiss. One strong hand cupped the back of her head while the other wrapped around her waist inside her coat. Lost in their love, in the wonderful sensations of their kisses, Bailey had never known such happiness and contentment.

  Touching his forehead to hers, Brice ran his thumb along her lip and smiled.

  “Why is it you think you need lessons?” Brice asked, trying to catch his breath. “You’ve made me nearly explode with your kisses more times than I can count.”

  “I have?” Bailey asked innocently, unaware of the effect she had on Brice.

  Brice released a choppy laugh. “More than once, you’ve driven me to the point of hanging on to my self-control by a frayed thread, my beautiful pumpkin-loving, analytical-thinking, dirt-digging girl. I love you, Bailey.”

  “I love you, Brice,” Bailey said without hesitation, kissing Brice’s cheek and chin. “I love you with all my heart, and if your offer still stands to catch me, I’m more than ready to fall.”

  “Sugar, you’ve already fallen,” Brice said, taking her lips captive with his as he breathed in her scent, basking in the warmth of her love. “We both fell the first time we laid eyes on each other. It’s just taken you this long to figure out I’ve caught you.”

  “In that case, hold me tight and don’t ever let me go,” Bailey said, gazing into Brice’s face, loving every single laugh line, scar, and most definitely the mole by his tempting bottom lip.

  “I’m not going to hold you tight, Bailey, it would stifle you,” Brice said, pulling her against his solid chest and rubbing his hand on her back as he held her close. “The next step is to learn how to fly. Together. I figure it’s going to take fifty or sixty years to master.”

  “At least,” Bailey said, thrilled at the way her hand fit perfectly in Brice’s. She was very much looking forward to a lifetime spent with the man she loved. Putting her hands on either side of his face, she was guiding Brice’s lips to hers when a loud shout startled them both.

  “Brice! Are you guys spooning again?” Cass yelled from the top of the hill. “Uncle Travis said to tell you to come up to the house before you wear out the bench down there. What are you doing? Are you kissing? Brice? Can you hear me?”

  Bailey grabbed Brice’s collar and gave him a teasing grin. “I’d like very much to continue our lessons later. I’ll bring the ChapStick.”

  “You’re on, sugar,” Brice said, kissing her soundly as they heard Cass and Ashley running down the hill. “We’ll start with lesson seven.”

  “What’s lesson seven?” Bailey asked as she got to her feet, handing Brice his crutches.

  “The proper way for a girl to kiss her future husband.”

  ###

  For detail about the John Day Fossil Beds, go to:

  http://www.nps.gov/joda/index.htm

  If you are ever in the area and have time to visit even one of the units,

  it is well worth your time.

  Pumpkin Trifle Mousse

  If you’re looking for an easy, delicious pumpkin recipe - this is it! It comes together in a hurry and tastes even better the next day when all the flavors blended.

  1 box of gingerbread mix, baked

  4 ounces cream cheese, softened

  1 small box instant cheesecake pudding

  2 cups milk

  1 cup pumpkin pie filling

  1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

  1 tbsp. cinnamon

  1/2 cup caramel sauce

  2 cups whipped cream

  Toffee bits for topping (optional)

  If you are making your own gingerbread, bake and let cool. You need about 2 cups of cake cubes. You can also use pound cake as a substitute.

  Mix pudding with two cups of milk. Add in softened cream cheese and blend. Then mix in pumpkin and spices. Blend well and set aside for about five minutes. Whip up whipped cream, set aside. Cut cake into cubes and start layering in a trifle bowl, large glass bowl or individual glasses. You are going to do three layers, so use everything in thirds (guess-timates work just fine).

  Top cake with pudding mixture then drizzle with caramel sauce. Spoon on a layer of whipped cream, then start again with a layer of cake. Finish with a layer of whipped cream. You can top with toffee bits and cinnamon or another drizzle of caramel and cake crumbs. Whatever strikes your fancy.

  Find more recipes at savvyentertaining.com

  Thank you for reading Brice and Bailey’s story.

  Now that you’ve finished the book, won’t you please consider writing a review?

  I would truly appreciate it.

  Reviews are the best way readers discover great new books.

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  It’s fast, easy, and only comes out when new books are released

  or extremely exciting news happens.

  Grass Valley Cowboys Series

  Meet the Thompson family of the Triple T Ranch in Grass Valley, Oregon.

  Three handsome brothers, their rowdy friends, and the women who fall for them are at the heart of this contemporary western romance series.

  Book 1 – The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan

  Book 2 – The Cowboy’s Spring Romance

  Book 3 – The Cowboy’s Summer Love

  Book 4 – The Cowboy’s Autumn Fall

  Book 5 – The Cowboy’s New Heart

  Book 6 - The Cowboy’s Last Goodbye

  The Cowboy’s New Heart - Years after her husband suddenly died, Denni Thompson can’t bear to think of giving her heart to anyone else.

  With three newly married sons, a grandchild on the way, and a busy life, Denni doesn’t give a thought to romance until she meets the handsome new owner of Grass Valley’s gas station.

  Former bull-rider Hart Hammond spent the last twenty years building a business empire while successfully avoiding love. He buried his heart the same day he made his last bull ride and has vowed to never make the mistake of loving a woman again. Then he meets Denni Thompson, the beautiful mother of the fun-loving Thompson tribe.

  Can a broken-hearted widow and a heartless cowboy find love?

  Turn the page for an excerpt from The Cowboy’s New Heart,

  Book 5 in the Grass Valley Cowboys series.

  Prologue

  “All that is worth cherishing begins in the heart.”

  Suzanne Chapin

  “He won’t bite.”

  Startled by the voice at his side, Drew Thompson looked down into a pair of twinkling ocean-blue eyes and let out the breath he was holding. Removing his hat, he ran tanned fingers through his thick brown hair, trying to calm his nerves.

  “Go on
in, Drew. He’s waiting for you,” Ester Nordon said, giving the young man a nudge as he stood outside the home office door of her husband, Graham. “I made him promise to be on his best behavior.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Drew said, mustering a half-hearted smile for the woman he thought of as a second mother. “Do you think…?”

  Putting a small hand to his broad back, Ester opened the door and gave Drew a push. “You’ll be fine.” The door clicked shut behind him.

  Not expecting Ester to shove him into the room, Drew quickly gathered his wits and looked to see Mr. Nordon sitting at his desk, studying a pile of papers. He could hear the neighbor’s lawn mower buzzing through the open window and the scent of lilacs drifted on the morning breeze.

  “Drew, right on time,” Graham said with a grin as the young man stood hesitantly by the door. “Come on in and have a seat.”

  Drew took a chair across the desk from the man who was either going to make him very happy or cause him to break a young girl’s heart.

  “So, you said you had something important to discuss with me,” Graham said, sitting back in his chair, waiting for Drew to get down to business. He knew exactly why the young cowboy was sitting across from him, nervously twirling his hat around and around in his capable hands.

  “Yes, sir,” Drew said, feeling like he’d swallowed sawdust as his parched throat refused to work properly and a tight knot tied itself in his stomach.

  “And?” Graham asked, frowning to hide his humor in Drew’s obvious case of nerves.

  Drew began jiggling his foot as he sat back in the chair and took a deep breath. He tried to speak but no words were forthcoming.

  “Let’s cut to the chase, shall we?” Graham asked, trying to hide his smile. He liked Drew. He’d done business with his father, Tim, for years at the bank he managed in The Dalles, Oregon. From what he knew, the Thompson family was known for their honest, loyal, hard-working approach to life. Graham thought young Drew was doing an admirable job of following in his father’s footsteps, learning to manage their ranch, the Triple T, located about an hour away in Grass Valley.

  The only fault Graham could find with the kid was that he had taken a shine to his youngest daughter. He couldn’t blame the boy for good taste, though.

  “Yes, sir,” Drew said, running his finger around the inside of his shirt collar, wondering if he’d fastened one too many buttons when he put it on before driving into town.

  “You’re here to talk about Denni, aren’t you?” Graham asked, knowing the answer by the look in Drew’s eye, as well as the fact that Ester had informed him the boy was planning to ask for permission to marry his impertinent, head-strong child.

  “Yes, sir,” Drew said, finally finding his tongue. “I know I have no right to ask and I know she seems so young…”

  “Darn right, she’s young. She’s only seventeen, Drew. Seventeen,” Graham said, shaking his head. His independent, stubborn daughter got it in her head when she was only twelve that she was smitten with Drew. She saw him at the movie theater one summer evening when she was there with her sisters and no amount of talking could convince her otherwise.

  It was easy to see why the girl was in love with the strapping young man. His wavy brown hair, warm blue eyes, chiseled jaw, and easy smile would turn any girl’s head. Not overly tall but well built, he wore an easy confidence some men could go their entire life without developing.

  To make matters worse, Drew struck up a friendship with Jack, Graham’s only son. He often dropped by the house when he was in town or home from college on break. It was when he graduated and came home to stay a year ago that Drew finally seemed to notice Denni was no longer a gangly child but a beautiful young woman.

  Graham and Ester watched the poor young man fight his attraction for their vibrant daughter, but once Denni set her mind on something, it was as good as done.

  The fact that Drew was sitting in utter misery across from Graham at this very moment confirmed her determination to have her way.

  “I’m well aware of her age, sir,” Drew said, straightening in his chair. Acting like a sniveling idiot wasn’t going to help his cause so he tamped down his fear and took another deep breath. “You, as well as anyone, know that despite her age she acts older. You also know once she makes up her mind, there isn’t any changing it.”

  “That’s for sure,” Graham muttered, thinking of all the times he had butted heads with his fractious child.

  “What you might not know is how much I love your daughter, sir,” Drew said, feeling heat climb up his neck. It was one thing to tell Denni he loved her, but something else entirely to have to share his feelings with her overprotective father. “If you take her age out of the equation, she and I are quite well suited for each other. We love each other deeply, and I’m ready and willing to commit to spending a lifetime making her happy.”

  “Hmm,” Graham said, considering Drew’s words. None of it was news to him. He knew Drew would take good care of his daughter, he just thought she should experience more of life before she settled down. He was more concerned about Denni being a fit wife for Drew than him being a good husband.

  Glancing outside while Denni’s father appeared to be contemplating his decision, Drew noticed movement at the edge of the window. Staring intently, he tried not to grin when he recognized Denni’s fingers curled around the edge of the window frame. The little imp was doing her best to eavesdrop.

  “On second thought, sir, perhaps I am acting hastily. She is really very young and quite often immature,” Drew said, suddenly. When Graham looked at him in surprise, Drew inclined his head toward the window.

  Realizing Denni was listening to them, Graham shook his head. He picked up his pen and scratched a note, handing it to Drew.

  Drew read it and smiled.

  “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses, son,” Graham said, raising the level of his voice to be sure it carried out the open window. “That daughter of mine is too young and flighty to be a wife. I wouldn’t even let you hire her to keep house. Why just last week her mother told me she set a pan of grease on fire and nearly torched the kitchen.”

  Drew heard a noise that sounded like a muffled “humph” and couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Graham was laughing aloud as he motioned Drew to the far side of the room where two chairs sat in the corner near a bookcase, away from the open window.

  “Honestly, sir, I’m not concerned about her cooking or housekeeping skills. I just want to cherish and love her,” Drew said quietly, as he and Graham sat down side by side.

  “I know, Drew. I know you’ll take good care of her and be a good husband to her. It’s not you I’m worried about. I can’t get past the fact that she is so young and innocent, with so much life ahead of her yet to be lived,” Graham said with a sigh. Leaning back in his chair, he tapped his fingers together and finally looked directly at Drew. “If I don’t give you permission to marry her, we both know she’s likely to do something crazy like knock you out and drag you to Winnemucca, so I will give you both my blessing on two conditions.”

  Drew’s head snapped up as he realized Denni’s father was giving them permission to wed. “Two conditions, sir?”

  “Yes. Two,” Graham said, studying Drew. The boy appeared calm and ready to listen, so Graham continued. “The first stipulation is that I want her educated. I realize if you two are married, she won’t be going off to college. There are, however, any number of schools that would allow her to take courses from home. I expect her to take a minimum of three classes per semester, with summers free of study.”

  “That sounds fair and reasonable,” Drew said, agreeing with Graham that Denni should continue her education.

  “I’m glad you agree, because I expect you to help with her classes as needed. You’re a college graduate, a bright young man, and she will be your sole responsibility,” Graham said, relieved to see Drew thoughtfully consider his statement. “Now, the other condition you aren’t going to want to hear, but I’m going to say i
t anyway. She’s too young to be a mother, yet, Drew. You’ll have a hard enough time adjusting to married life, especially with her so young, without throwing a baby in the mix too soon. Let her grow up before you start your family. Give her time to get a degree in something, travel to a few places, live life a little before you take that step. Once you do, there is no going back and life as you know it will never be the same.”

  When Drew sat looking at him, Graham wondered what the boy was thinking. “Do you have any questions?”

  “No, sir,” Drew said, realizing Graham had a good point. He hadn’t given any consideration to babies but Drew felt his neck warm at the thought of making them with the beautiful girl outside, hanging on the edge of the window.

  “One last thing, then,” Graham said, plastering a stern look on his face. “You will take good care of my baby girl, mule-headed as she is, or I will hunt you down and shoot you.”

  Drew grinned. “Yes, sir.”

  Standing from their chairs, Graham walked Drew to the office door and slapped his back.

  “Why don’t you go rescue her before she completely destroys the shrubbery,” Graham said, smiling at Drew.

  “Yes, sir,” Drew said, pumping the man’s hand in thanks and settling his Stetson back on his head.

  Walking out the front door, he crept quietly around the corner of the house and along the porch until he could see Denni balancing on one foot on the porch railing, trying to peek in her father’s office window.

  “Just what do you think you’re doing, Molly?” a deep voice rumbled so near to Denni Nordon, a frightened squeak escaped her lips and her tenuous grasp on the window frame began to slip.

  Turning her blond head, she glared into the laughing blue eyes of Drew as he caught her to his chest before she could fall into the lilac bush.