True-Blue Cowboy

by Sara Richardson

  “Hey, Jessa.”

  The gruffness of the quiet voice, aged by years of good cigars, snapped up her head. She turned.

  Luis Cortez stood behind her, hunched in his bowlegged stance. Clad in worn jeans and sporting his pro rodeo belt buckle, he looked like he’d just stepped off the set of an old western, face tanned and leathery, white hair tufted after a long ride on his trusty steed.

  “Hi there, Luis,” she mumbled, trying to hold her head high. Luis was her lone volunteer at the shelter, and he just might be the only one in town who loved animals as much as she did. He’d also been her dad’s best friend and since she’d come back to town last year to settle her father’s estate, she’d spent a lot of time with the man.

  Maybe that was part of her problem with finding the love of her life. She spent most of her free time with a sixty-seven-year-old man…

  “You all right?” Luis asked, gimping to the stool next to her. Seeing as how he was a retired bull-riding legend, it was a wonder he could walk at all.

  “Uh.” That was a complicated question. “Yes.” She cleared the tremble out of her voice. “I’m fine. Great.” She would be, anyway. As soon as the sting wore off.

  “Thought you and Cam had a date tonight.” Luis shifted with a wince, as though his arthritis was flaring again. “Where is he anyway? I was hopin’ I could talk him into puttin’ in his donation early this month. We gotta replace half the roof before the snow comes.”

  Cam. That name was her newest curse word. Cam him! Cam it! Feeling the burn of humiliation pulse across her cheeks, she turned on her phone and pushed it over to him so he could read the text. “Cam broke up with me.” Luis had obviously missed the little announcement she’d made earlier.

  He held up the phone and squinted, mouthing the words as he read. The older man looked as outraged as she was, bless him. “Man wasn’t good enough for you, anyways, Jess. He’s a damn fool.”

  “I have a knack for picking the fools.” Just ask her mother. Every time she went through one of these breakups, Carla Roth, DO, would remind her of how bad the odds were for finding true love. Her mother had never married her father. She didn’t believe in monogamy. One person out of six billion? she’d ask. That is highly unlikely, Jessa.

  It might be unlikely, but the odds weren’t enough to kill the dream. Not for her. Neither was the lack of any significant relationship in her mother’s life. Jessa had grown up being shuffled back and forth—summers and Christmas in Topaz Falls with her father and the rest of the year with her college professor mother who didn’t believe in love, secretly watching old romantic classics and movies like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail with wistful tears stinging in her eyes.

  “Don’t worry, Jess,” Luis said in his kind way. “You’ll find someone.”

  Big Man snorted.

  Before she could backhand him, Luis gave her shoulder a pat. “My boys ain’t married yet,” he reminded her, as if she would ever be able to forget the Cortez brothers. Every woman’s fantasy.

  Lance, the oldest, had followed in his father’s footsteps, though rumor had it this would be his last season on the circuit. He trained nonstop and had little time for anything else in his life, considering he left the ranch only about once a month. The thought of him married almost made her laugh. Over the years, he’d built quite the reputation with women, though she had no personal experience. Even with her father being one of his father’s best friends, Lance had said maybe five words to her in all the years she’d known him. He seemed to prefer a woman who’d let him off the hook easily, and God knew there were plenty of them following those cowboys around.

  Then there was Levi. Oh, hallelujah, Levi. One of God’s greatest gifts to women. She’d had a fling with him the summer of their sophomore year, but after that he’d left home to train with some big-shot rodeo mentor and rarely came home.

  There was a third Cortez brother, but Luis didn’t talk about him. Lucas, the middle child, had been sent to prison for arson when he was seventeen.

  “Sure wish I’d see more of Levi,” Luis said wistfully. “He ain’t been home in a long time.”

  Her eyebrows lifted with interest. “So, um…” She pretended to examine a broken nail to prove she didn’t care too much. “How is Levi, anyway?”

  “That boy needs to get his head out of his ass. He’s reckless. He’s gonna get himself killed out there.”

  Jessa doubted that. Levi Cortez was making a name for himself in the rodeo world.

  “Lance, now, he’s the only one of my boys who’s got his head on straight,” Luis went on. “He always was a smart kid.”

  From what she’d seen, the oldest Cortez brother had never been a kid, but she didn’t say so. After their mom ditched the family, Lance took over a more parental role. Not that she had any right to analyze him. “He’s handsome, too,” she offered, because every time she did happen to run into him, his luscious eyes had completely tied up her tongue. Yes, indeedy, Lance happened to be a looker. Though it was in a much different way than his cocky brother. “He looks the most like you,” she said with a wink.

  Luis’s lips puckered in that crotchety, don’t-want-to-smile-but-can’t-help-it grin she loved to see. Her dad used to have one like that, too.

  “Anyway…,” the man said, obviously trying to change the subject. “What’re we gonna do with Cam gone? I assume he didn’t leave any money behind for the shelter.”

  “Not that I know of.” Apparently, he hadn’t left anything. Not even the toothbrush she’d kept at his house, Cam it.

  “You got any other donors yet?”

  “Not yet.” She’d been so preoccupied with the most recent love—infatuation—of her life that she hadn’t exactly made time to go trolling for other interested parties. Her dad had a big heart, but he’d always hated to ask for money, so when she’d come to take over, the list of benefactors had been…well…nonexistent. In one year, she’d already used most of what little money he’d left her to purchase supplies and complete the critical repairs. She could live off her savings for a couple more months, and at least keep up with the payroll, but after that things didn’t look too promising. She’d probably have to lay off her night shift guy.

  With Cam’s generosity, she hadn’t been too worried. Until now, of course.

  “Don’t you worry, Jess. Somethin’ll work out.” Luis’s confidence almost made her believe it. “You’re doin’ okay. You know that? Buzz would be proud.”

  She smiled a little. Yes, her father definitely would’ve been proud to see his old place cleaned up. When she’d finished veterinary school and started on her MBA, he’d been so excited. He’d owned the rescue for thirty years but had never taken one business class. Which meant the place never made any money. He’d barely had enough to live on.

  She had planned to change all of that. They’d planned it together. While she worked her way through business school, they’d talked on the phone twice a week, discussing how they could expand the place. Then, a month before she finished school, her father had a heart attack. He’d been out on a hike with Luis. Maybe that was why the man felt the need to take care of her, check in on her, help her fix things up around the house.

  Familiar tears burned. She’d never blame Luis, though. That was exactly the way her dad would’ve chosen to go. Out on the side of a mountain, doing something he loved.

  “We’ll find a way, Jess.” Pure determination turned the man’s face statuelike, making him look as pensive as his eldest son. “All we need is some inspiration.” Which he always insisted you couldn’t find while stuck indoors. “I’m headin’ up the mountain tomorrow. You wanna come?”

  She brushed a grateful pat across the man’s gnarled hand. “I can’t, Luis. Thank you.”

  As much as she’d like to spend the day on the mountain, drowning her sorrows about Cam and the rescue’s current financial situation in the fresh mountain air, she had things to do. This breakup had to be the dawn of a new era for her. She was tired of
being passed over like yesterday’s pastries. To hell with relationships. With romance. She didn’t have time for it anyway. She had walls to paint and supplies to purchase and animals to rescue. Which meant she also had generous donors to find.

  She shot a quick glance down at her attire. Might be a good idea to invest in herself first. Typically, she used her Visa only for emergencies, but this could be considered disaster prevention, right? She needed a new wardrobe. Something more professional. How could she schmooze potential stakeholders looking like she’d just come from a half-price sale at the New Life Secondhand Store?

  “You sure you don’t want to come?” Luis prompted.

  “I’d love to but I have to go shopping.” Right after their book club meeting, she’d enlist her friends to help her reinvent herself so she could reinvent her nonprofit.

  By the time she was done, the Helping Paws Animal Rescue and Shelter would be everything her father dreamed it would be.

  It would keep the memory of his love alive.

  ACCLAIM FOR

  SARA RICHARDSON’S PREVIOUS NOVELS

  RENEGADE COWBOY

  “A beautifully honest and heartwarming tale about forgiveness and growing up that will win the hearts of fans and newcomers alike.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “Top Pick! An amazing story about finding a second chance to be with the one that you love.”

  —HarlequinJunkie.com

  COMEBACK COWBOY

  “Richardson’s empathy for her protagonists shines through every page of her second Rocky Mountain Riders novel, making their long-awaited reunion into a sweet tale that will easily win readers’ hearts.”

  —RTBookReviews.com

  HOMETOWN COWBOY

  “Filled with humor, heart, and love, this page-turner is one wild ride.”

  —Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author

  “An emotional ride with characters that come alive on every single page. Sara brings real feelings to every scene she writes.”

  —Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author

  “This will satisfy Richardson’s fans while welcoming new readers to a sweeping land of mountains, cowboys, and romance.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  MORE THAN A FEELING

  “Ruby is the kind of heroine you can’t help but love and root for. Fans of Robyn Carr will undoubtedly enjoy the Heart of the Rockies series.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  SOMETHING LIKE LOVE

  “The author’s compassion shines through her beautifully flawed and earnest characters and takes readers on an emotionally wrenching journey to the elusive goal of love.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “4½ stars! Second in Richardson’s Heart of the Rockies series is a delight.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “Sizzles with sexual tension on every page. The ending was a perfect, lovely, and sigh-worthy happy-ever-after.”

  —USA Today’s “Happily Ever After” blog

  NO BETTER MAN

  “Charming, witty, and fun. There’s no better read. I enjoyed every word!”

  —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  “Fresh, fun, well-written, a dazzling debut.”

  —Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author

  “Richardson’s debut packs a powerful emotional punch. [Her] deft characterization creates a hero and heroine who will elicit laughs in some places and tears in others.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  About the Author

  Sara Richardson grew up chasing adventure in Colorado’s rugged mountains. She’s climbed to the top of a 14,000-foot peak at midnight, swum through Class IV rapids, completed her wilderness first-aid certification, and spent seven days at a time tromping through the wilderness with a thirty-pound backpack strapped to her shoulders.

  Eventually Sara did the responsible thing and got an education in writing and journalism. After a brief stint in the corporate writing world, she stopped ignoring the voices in her head and started writing fiction. Now she uses her experience as a mountain adventure guide to write stories that incorporate adventure with romance. Sara lives and plays in Colorado, where she still indulges her adventurous spirit, with her saint of a husband and two young sons.

  You can learn more at:

  SaraRichardson.net

  Twitter @SaraR_Books

  Facebook.com/SaraRichardsonBooks

  Instagram @Sarar_Books

  Also by Sara Richardson

  Heart of the Rockies Series

  No Better Man

  Something Like Love

  One Christmas Wish (short story)

  More Than a Feeling

  Rocky Mountain Riders Series

  Hometown Cowboy

  Comeback Cowboy

  Renegade Cowboy

  Rocky Mountain Cowboy (short story)

  Saved by the Cowboy

  A.J. Pine

  New York Boston

  Chapter One

  Sheriff Cash Hawkins sat comfortably in his police-issue Chevy Tahoe. There was a beef brisket sandwich from BBQ on the Bluff cooling in the bag on the passenger seat. He’d just cued up a new audiobook on his phone and connected the Bluetooth. His German shepherd, Dixie, chewed on her rawhide in the back.

  A pretty perfect Saturday night if he did say so himself. Well—except for the thick, calligraphied square envelope sticking out from the passenger seat visor. Still unopened.

  He unrolled the top of the take-out bag and breathed in the savory aroma of homemade barbecue sauce and locally sourced beef.

  “Damn, that Lily Green can cook. Can’t she, Dixie girl?” he called back to his companion. But then he remembered that Lily and Tucker Green—the husband and wife duo who’d opened the restaurant together—had just split, Tucker having bought out her portion of the business.

  “Still her sauce recipe, right?” he asked aloud. “Tucker wouldn’t be fool enough to let the woman go without getting all her secret recipes.” And yes, he knew he was talking to the dog. He and Dixie had some of their best conversations on quiet Saturday nights doing traffic patrol. It was why he always insisted on taking the shift, even though as sheriff he sure as hell didn’t have to. He liked it. Not that he’d let any of the other officers at the station know.

  First he set up the radar and positioned it in the direction of oncoming traffic, though he knew there’d be none. There never was. He pressed play on the audiobook, then started removing the foil wrapper from the sandwich, readying himself for that long anticipated first bite, when his teeth sank into the warm, toasted roll and all the good stuff in between.

  Except something in the distance caught his eye—a car barreling down the opposite side of the street way too fast for comfort. He didn’t need an official readout to tell him it was well over the limit. Still, he sighed, laid the sandwich on top of the bag in the passenger seat, and readied his finger on the trigger of the radar gun.

  “Speeding down my street when I’m about to eat some damn good barbecue,” he mumbled.

  Dixie’s ears perked up.

  “Sorry, girl,” he said. “No tasting the goods until I take care of Speed Racer out there.”

  He nodded toward the windshield just as a canary yellow Volkswagen Bug zipped by.

  “Seventy-two miles per hour?” he said, shaking his head. Then he flipped on the lights, pulled into the all but empty street, and sped off after it.

  It didn’t take the car long to stop. In fact, as soon as the siren made its first wail, the driver hit the brakes, and he was pulling up behind the offender in a matter of seconds.

  Dixie howled. She wasn’t used to this much police action on a Saturday night. In the three years since he’d been elected sheriff of Oak Bluff, Cash could count on one hand the number of traffic violations for which he’d written actual tickets, and none of them happened on his Saturday night watch. Not much happened in the way of criminal activity, period, and he was plann
ing on keeping it that way.

  He hopped out of the truck and strode toward the yellow Bug but stopped before reaching the window. His brows drew together. Half of some sort of ball gown was hanging out the driver’s side door. It was torn and tattered, like it had been dragged along at seventy-two miles per hour for the better part of the afternoon and early evening.

  Cash shook his head and approached the window, which was still closed. He rapped on it with his knuckles.

  It lowered.

  Yep, that was a ball gown, all right. A purple one. And inside the gown was a knockout brunette with soft curls tumbling over her bare shoulders…A knockout brunette who’d just broken the law.

  He lowered his aviators down the bridge of his nose.

  She gasped. “Wow,” she said. “I thought that just happened in the movies.”

  “Excuse me, ma’am?”

  “That!” she said, grinning and nodding toward his glasses, her bright blue eyes glowing in the setting sun. “The whole shades-down-the-nose thing, the instant intimidation. It’s so amazingly small town. I love it!”

  Cash cleared his throat, trying to ignore how her smile lit up her face or how soft her pink lips looked. He wasn’t having a ton of success. “Ma’am, do you have any idea how fast you were driving?”

  Her smile fell. “Do I really look like a ‘ma’am’ to you? I know some people think ‘miss’ is a little degrading, but I’m all for it. Call me ‘miss’ ’til I’m gray and old—not that I’ll go gray gracefully.” She laughed.