Turning to the first page, he began reading the story while he set the chair into a slow and steady rocking motion. “Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a beautiful princess…” He was only on the fourth page when he heard Cass’ breathing deepen and looked down to see her fast asleep.
Quietly setting aside the book, he picked Cass up and carried her to her room, tucking her under the quilt on her bed and partially shutting the door.
Trent hurried to the office and worked on inputting data in the logs they kept for their herd of cattle then spent some time researching bull sales in their area. He and his brothers discussed getting two new bulls this spring and he wanted to make sure they got the best bloodlines for their investment.
Trent narrowed down their wish list to a half-dozen prospects and he hoped to be able to make a final decision when Trey returned from the honeymoon trip.
Although he felt like he should be doing something more productive outside, he knew someone needed to stay in the house with Cass. He just hoped he and Travis would take turns in this role of temporary parent.
The patter of Cass’ feet along with her calling, “Uncle Trent?” brought him out of his search for a few prime bulls on a breeder’s website.
“In the office, goofball,” Trent called, knowing she’d hear him. She ran into the room and climbed onto the office chair with him.
“Did you have a good nap?” he asked, attempting to smooth down her wild hair, springing every direction. He quickly gave up, letting her curls fly.
“Yep, I did.” Cass looked at the picture of the bull on the computer screen. “Are you going to buy him?”
“Maybe. Your dad and Uncle Travis and I are looking for just the right bull,” Trent said, half listening to her chatter while he read the details included with the photo.
A tiny finger soon blocked the words as Cass pointed to the bull. “How come the bull gots that? The cows don’t. What’s it do? Is that how you milk him?”
Trent felt his face grow exceedingly warm and quickly closed the window on the computer. “Cows and bulls are just different, that’s all. Like boys and girls are different.”
“Oh,” Cass said, turning in his lap so she faced him. She sat quietly for a moment before rubbing a hand on his cheek over the stubble that had grown in since his morning shave. “Like how you have scratchy cheeks, but me and Mama don’t?”
“That is exactly right,” Trent said in relief, hoping to derail this conversation before it went any further. He wondered how Cady and Trey handled all her questions. That morning it was honeymoons, this afternoon the anatomy of bulls. What was next?
One thing was for darn sure and certain - Travis better get home soon to help in the babysitting department. Trent was about at his wits end.
In an act of desperation, he asked Cass if she wanted to look at anything online.
“My friend Ashley said she gets to play fairies. She said you go to…” How a five-year-old could remember the exact web address of one of the most horrendous websites ever created, Trent didn’t know, but Cass did.
An hour later, he was sure he had already died a slow and painful death as he helped Cass create a fairy named Snowy Sparkles and set up an account so she could buzz around with other little fairies in their make-believe online world.
A squeal that nearly pierced his eardrum made him almost crush the computer mouse in his grip.
Cass excitedly pointed to a purple fairy. “That’s Ashley’s fairy right there. She told me her name. Quick, Uncle Trent, we have to let her know who I am! Hurry!”
Although he didn’t possess the same sense of urgency in introducing Snowy Sparkles to Paulina Purple, he helped Cass send a message to her friend.
“I can’t wait to see Ashley tomorrow so we can put fairies on our agenda for after naptime,” Cass said, bouncing on his lap.
Trent immediately regretted teaching Cass the word agenda as well as helping her locate the fairy website. Admittedly, it was keeping her distracted from asking questions he didn’t want to answer.
“I wonder where Uncle Travis could be?” Trent ground out, ready to give Travis more than a piece or two of his mind when he did bother to show up.
He’d make sure Travis got more than his share of babysitting time with Cass tomorrow…
The Christmas Cowboy (Rodeo Romance, Book 1)- Flying from city to city in her job as a busy corporate trainer for a successful direct sales company, Kenzie Beckett doesn’t have time for a man. And most certainly not for the handsome cowboy she keeps running into at the airport. Burned twice, she doesn’t trust anyone wearing boots and Wranglers, especially someone as charming and handsome as Tate Morgan.
Among the top saddle bronc riders in the rodeo circuit, easy-going Tate Morgan can handle the toughest horse out there, but trying to handle the beautiful Kenzie Beckett is a completely different story. As the holiday season approaches, this Christmas Cowboy is going to need more than a little mistletoe to win her heart.
Wrestlin’ Christmas (Rodeo Romance, Book 2) - Sidelined with a major injury, steer wrestler Cort McGraw struggles to come to terms with the end of his career. Shanghaied by his sister and best friend, he finds himself on a run-down ranch with a worrisome, albeit gorgeous widow, and her silent, solemn son.
Five minutes after Cort McGraw lands on her doorstep, K.C. Peters fights to keep a promise she made to herself to stay away from single, eligible men. When her neighbor said he knew just the person to help work her ranch for the winter, she never expected the handsome, brawny former rodeo star to fill the position.
Ready to send him packing, her little boy has other plans...
The Christmas Bargain (Hardman Holidays, Book 1) - As owner and manager of the Hardman bank, Luke Granger is a man of responsibility and integrity in the small 1890s Eastern Oregon town. Calling in a long overdue loan, Luke finds himself reluctantly accepting a bargain in lieu of payment from the shiftless farmer who barters his daughter to settle his debt.
Philamena Booth is both mortified and relieved when her father sends her off with the banker as payment of his debt. Held captive on the farm by her father since the death of her mother more than a decade earlier, Philamena is grateful to leave. If only it had been someone other than the handsome and charismatic Luke Granger riding in to rescue her. Ready to hold up her end of the bargain as Luke’s cook and housekeeper, Philamena is prepared for the hard work ahead. What she isn’t prepared for is being forced to marry Luke as part of this crazy Christmas bargain.
The Christmas Token (Hardman Holidays, Book 2) - Desperate to escape an unwelcome suitor, Ginny Granger flees to her brother’s home in Eastern Oregon for the holiday season. Returning to the community where she spent her childhood years, she plans to relax and enjoy a peaceful visit. Not expecting to encounter the boy she once loved, her exile is proving to be anything but restful.
A talented carpenter, Blake Stratton enjoys a simple existence in the small western town of Hardman. With honest work and good friends, his life is nearly perfect, at least until the day Ginny Granger arrives, setting him on his ear and turning his world upside down. Infuriated by her meddling presence, he’s further exasperated to discover she kept a Christmas token he gave her along with his heart the day she left town many years ago.
The Christmas Calamity (Hardman Holidays Book 3) - Dependable and solid, Arlan Guthry relishes his orderly life as a banker’s assistant in Hardman, Oregon. His tidy world spins off kilter when the beautiful and enigmatic prestidigitator Alexandra Janowski arrives in town, spinning magic and trouble in her wake.
Learnin The Ropes - Out of work mechanic Ty Lewis is out of options. Homeless and desperate to find work he accepts a job in the tiny community of Riley, Oregon. Leaving behind everything he’s ever known in Portland, he resolves himself to this new adventure with an elusive boss, Lex Ryan, someone he has yet to speak with or meet.
Lexi Ryan, known to her ranch hands and neighbors as Lex Jr., leaves a successful corporate career to ke
ep the Rockin’ R Ranch running smoothly after the untimely death of her father. It doesn’t take long to discover her father did many crazy things during the last few months before he died, like hiding half a million dollars that Lexi can’t find.
Ty and Lexi are both in for a few surprises as he arrives at the ranch and begins learnin’ the ropes.
Pendleton Petticoats Series
Set in the western town of Pendleton, Oregon, right at the turn of the 20th century, each book in this series bears the name of the heroine, all brave yet very different.
Aundy (Book 1) Aundy Thorsen, a stubborn mail-order bride, finds the courage to carry on when she's widowed before ever truly becoming a wife, but opening her heart to love again may be more than she can bear.
Caterina (Book 2) - Running from a man intent on marrying her, Caterina Campanelli starts a new life in Pendleton, completely unprepared for the passionate feelings stirred in her by the town's incredibly handsome deputy sheriff.
Ilsa (Book 3) - Desperate to escape her wicked aunt and an unthinkable future, Ilsa Thorsen finds herself on her sister's ranch in Pendleton. Not only are the dust and smells more than she can bear, but Tony Campanelli seems bent on making her his special project.
Marnie (Book 4) - Beyond all hope for a happy future, Marnie Jones struggles to deal with her roiling emotions when U.S. Marshal Lars Thorsen rides into town, tearing down the walls she’s erected around her heart.
Love at the 20-Yard Line - Haven Haggarty is woefully inept when it comes to men and matters of the heart. Successful in her job as an image consultant with an up-and-coming company, Haven wishes she could enjoy as much triumph in her dating efforts. Falling for the local arena team's handsome wide receiver, Haven realizes she needs to tackle her fears or miss the opportunity to experience once-in-a-lifetime love.
Brody Jackson lives and breathes football. As a wide receiver for a popular arena team, he's determined to make it back to the NFL. Cocky and confident, he doesn't have the time or energy to be bothered with a serious relationship. Brody is blindsided by the girl who captures his attention during the first game of the season and breaks through his defenses. He has to decide if he'll let go of his dreams or fumble his chance to win Haven's heart.
QR Code Killer - Murder. Mayhem. Suspense. Romance.
Zeus is a crazed killer who uses QR Codes to taunt the cop hot on his trail.
Mad Dog Weber, a tough-as-nails member of the Seattle police force, is willing to do whatever it takes to bring Zeus down. Despite her best intentions, Maddie (Mad Dog) falls in love with her dad's hired hand, putting them both in danger.
Erik Moore is running from his past and trying to avoid the future when he finds himself falling in love with his employer’s daughter. Unknowingly, he puts himself right in the path of the QR Code Killer as he struggles to keep Maddie safe.
From the waterfront of Seattle to the rolling hills of wheat and vineyards of the Walla Walla Valley, suspense and romance fly around every twist and turn.
The Coffee Girl - Former barista Brenna Smith dreams of opening a bistro where she can bake her specialty pastries and serve delicious coffee. Envisioning a rich, aromatic life full of savory moments, she instead lives at home with her parents, making a long commute each day to work for a boss who doesn't know beans about his job. If it wasn't for the hunky guy she sees each morning at the coffee shop, her bland existence would be unbearable.
Charming, smart, and good-looking, Brock McCrae is a man comfortable in his own skin. Owner of a successful construction company, he decides to move to the small town where his business is located and immerse himself in the community. Brock doesn't count on his new client being the cute and quirky woman he knows only as the Coffee Girl from his daily stop for coffee.
The Women of Tenacity Series
Welcome to Tenacity!
Tenacious, sassy women tangle with the wild, rugged men who love them in this contemporary western romance series.
The paperback version offers a short story introduction, A Prelude, followed by the three full-length novels set in the fictional town of Tenacity, Oregon.
Book 1 – Heart of Clay
Book 2 – Country Boy vs. City Girl
Book 3 – Not His Type
Farm Girl - What happens when a farmer who’s been wishing for a boy ends up with a girlie-girl?
Come along on the humorous and sometimes agonizing adventures from a childhood spent on a farm in the Eastern Oregon desert where one family raised hay, wheat, cattle and a farm girl.
“The day by day adventures of a young lady growing up on a farm left me laughing at the predicaments Shanna found herself in or got herself into. The way the stories are written will make you feel like you are her sidekick in all the mayhem. Loved this book!”
Amazon Reviewer
Fifty Dates with Captain Cavedweller - What happens when a hopeless romantic with a bit of a sarcastic attitude falls in love with an introvert who dreams of living in a man cave?
They wed, of course, and plan to live happily ever after. The only problem is that life seems to get in the way.
Waking up one day to discover they’d gone from perpetual honeymooners to a boring, predictable couple, author Shanna Hatfield and her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller, set out on a yearlong adventure to add a little zing to their relationship.
This G-rated journey through fifty of their dates provides an insightful, humorous look at the effort they made to infuse their marriage with laughter, love, and gratitude while reconnecting on a new, heartfelt level.
Savvy Entertaining Series
Discover seasonal ideas for decorating, entertaining, party themes, home décor, recipes and more from Savvy Entertaining’s blogger!
Books by Shanna Hatfield
FICTION
HISTORICAL
Pendleton Petticoats Series
Aundy
Caterina
Ilsa
Marnie
Baker City Brides
Crumpets and Cowpies
Hardman Holidays Series
The Christmas Bargain
The Christmas Token
The Christmas Calamity
CONTEMPORARY
Love at the 20-Yard Line
The Coffee Girl
Learnin’ the Ropes
QR Code Killer
Rodeo Romance Series
The Christmas Cowboy
Wrestlin’ Christmas
Grass Valley Cowboys Series
The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan
The Cowboy’s Spring Romance
The Cowboy’s Summer Love
The Cowboy’s Autumn Fall
The Cowboy’s New Heart
The Women of Tenacity Series
Heart of Clay
Country Boy vs. City Girl
Not His Type
NON-FICTION
Fifty Dates with Captain Cavedweller
Farm Girl
Savvy Entertaining Series
Savvy Holiday Entertaining
Savvy Spring Entertaining
Savvy Summer Entertaining
Savvy Autumn Entertaining
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SHANNA HATFIELD spent ten years as a newspaper journalist before moving into the field of marketing and public relations. Self-publishing the romantic stories she dreams up in her head is a perfect outlet for her lifelong love of writing, reading, and creativity. She and her husband, lovingly referred to as Captain Cavedweller, reside in the Pacific Northwest.
Shanna loves to hear from readers.
Connect with her online:
Blog: shannahatfield.com
Facebook: Shanna Hatfield’s Page
Pinterest: Shanna Hatfield
Email: [email protected]
If you’d like to know more about the characters in any of her books,
visit the Book Characters page on her website
or check out her Book Boards on Pinterest.
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Shanna Hatfield, The Cowboy's Christmas Plan
The Cowboy's Christmas Plan Page 32
