by Hebby Roman
“Oh, no! I like being here.”
“Good, because now might be time to have that discussion we’ve been putting off.”
“You start. What were all those thoughts running through your head when you were incommunicado.”
He winced at the memory and put his arm around her. “I had some stuff to work through. When Val had her emergency, it sort of reminded me who I am. I had to think about how much I desired you versus how much I deserved you. Could I ever be the man to hold on to you?”
She sighed in exasperation. “You should keep those thoughts out of your head. When I was stuck out on that ledge, I thought about a man who ran away when things got tough. Then I thought about a man who takes on responsibility without flinching—that would be you. Justin is the other one. When I’m with you I feel such peace. Finding you is a gift.”
He grazed her cheek with his fingers. “I feel the same way. Right from the start. But you know me. Always expecting to have things taken away, but I thought about you and decided I have to try. You’re just like Dog.”
“Well, thanks! I’m sure there’s a compliment in there somewhere.”
“Hear me out. When you landed that dog on me, I looked at him and thought ‘I might have this dog for an hour, or I might end up with him for the rest of his life.’ But Dog needed to eat so I had to decide, do I buy the small bag of food in case his owner shows up, or do I buy the biggest bag—which is cheaper in the long run. Do I keep running to the store to buy small bag after small bag wondering if it’s the last time I’d need to do that? I figured I’d go for the big bag and take the long view, and if his owner did show up I’d hand over the bag of food along with the dog, leaving them both a little better off. Turns out I’m his forever home.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I wasn’t sure if your heart belonged to me. There was this other guy out there. I worried you left your heart with him, and I was only a temporary keeper. When he showed up, it was my worst fears come true.”
She picked at his sleeve. “I sent that other guy packing, though, didn’t I?”
He put his hand on the top of her head and drew her to him. “So, I’ve been thinking. It’s nice having you here,” he whispered against her hairline.
She fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. “There’s only one thing I don’t like.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“I don’t like that all my things are in a different place.”
“That’s easy to remedy. Will you move in with me?”
“If you didn’t ask I was going to gradually move my stuff in until you noticed I was permanently installed.”
“Harper, there’s something else that’s been on my mind lately.”
“Uh, oh. Spill it.”
His eyes went serious. “Do you think this could be your forever home?”
She played with his sleeve. “Well, I don’t know….”
“You’re right. We should see how we fit together first before—”
“I mean, I found my forever man. As long as he stays in this house, I guess I did find my forever home.” She snuggled closer to him. “And, Frank Flynn, you know exactly how we fit.”
“I love you, Harper Donovan.”
“I love you too. Don’t you ever doubt that.” She tilted her head back, inviting a kiss.
He lowered his face to hers and took in a deep breath before capturing her in a kiss passionate enough to get her heart racing. She ran her hands through his soft curls and pulled him deeper.
He broke away abruptly. “Before we get too busy here, there’s an errand I want to run.”
She ran the back of her nails across the stubble on his jawline. “What’s that?”
“I need to start working on the outside of the forever house, and I want my forever woman to come with me and help pick out the paint since she’ll have to live with it a long while.”
“All right, but after that there’s something I need to set right.” He raised his eyebrows. “I want to go see my sister Mary. Will you take me there? I have an apology to make and...well, that’s a start.”
He stood up and helped her to her feet. “It is nice when folks get along. Let’s get a move on, Hop-along.”
Before he could step away, Harper threw her arms around him. She closed her eyes and thanked her lucky stars as she felt his strong arms tighten around her. She took a minute to relish the feel of his body, the scent of her man.
When she opened her eyes, she scanned the view. The sky so clear and blue with the ancient mountains in the distance and the desert stretching out for miles.
This is where I belong.
Thank you for reading Phoenix Heat by Amazon bestselling author Patti Sherry-Crews. If you’d like to read more of Patti’s books, you can find them here on Amazon and on her website.
Thank you for reading A Cowboy to Keep. We hope you enjoyed the boxed set, and we authors would love to have your help so other readers can enjoy it, too. By reviewing and recommending our boxed set, you will help other readers discover A Cowboy to Keep.
Please review our collection and tell readers why you liked our stories. The best way readers can show their support is to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. And recommend our boxed set to your friends and book discussion groups, too.
Thank you again and happy reading from the authors of A Cowboy to Keep:
Carra Copelin
Andrea Downing
Kristy McCaffrey
Devon McKay
Hildie McQueen
Hebby Roman
Patti Sherry Crews
About the Authors
Carra Copelin
Carra Copelin is an award winning and Amazon Best Selling Author in contemporary and historical romances but, unlike so many other authors, didn't write from childhood or read long into the night beneath the covers with a flashlight. She found romance novels as an adult. After reading about a million, she discovered numerous people residing in her head, all looking for a way onto the printed page.
She's a member of Romance Writers of America and Past President of Yellow Rose Romance Writers, plus she regularly contributes to romance blog, Smart Girls Read Romance. She is a member of The Daughters of the American Revolution and The Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
Carra and her hero live in North Central Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex where they enjoy family and their three beautiful grandchildren. In addition to writing and researching with her fabulous critique partners, she enjoys playing Bridge, working on crochet projects, and tracking down relatives through genealogy.
You can find Carra Copelin at the following sites:
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Andrea Downing
A native New Yorker who has spent most of her life living in the U.K., Andrea Downing now divides her time between the canyons of city streets and the wide-open spaces of Wyoming. Her background in publishing and English Language teaching has transferred into fiction writing, and her love of horses, ranches, and rodeo is reflected in award-winning historical and contemporary western romances.
You can find Andrea Downing at the following sites:
Amazon Page
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Website
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Kristy McCaffrey
As a child, Kristy McCaffrey frequently narrated to herself. It soon became apparent that she had an affinity for this writing thing. Educated as an engineer, she swiftly gave that up to be a stay-at-home mom and aspiring author. She has published several historical western romances, including her award-winning 5-book Wings of the West series, and plans to branch out into contemporary adventure romance in late 2017 with the release of DEEP BLUE, featuring a female marine biologist studying great white sharks.
Kristy and her husband live in Arizona, where their four children are in v
arying stages of flying the nest. She believes life should be lived with curiosity, compassion, and gratitude, and one should never be far from the enthusiasm of a dog. When not writing or researching her next book, she enjoys runs in the desert, movie nights with her husband, and reading on her kindle late into the night.
You can find Kristy McCaffrey at the following sites:
Amazon Page
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Website
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Devon McKay
Devon McKay writes contemporary romance with a western flair. If she's not writing, she's busy with chores on her small ranch, working on a stained glass project, or walking one of her three dogs through the woods. Her greatest joy is putting a smile on a readers face and hearing from fans.
You can find Devon McKay at the following sites:
Amazon Page
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Website
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Hildie McQueen
USA Today Bestselling author Hildie McQueen loves unusual situations and getting into interesting adventures, which is what her characters do as well. She writes romance because she is in love with love! Author of Romance in Highland historical, Western Historical and contemporary, she writes something every reader can enjoy.
Most days she can be found in her pajamas hiding from deliverymen while drinking tea from her David Gandy coffee mug. In the afternoons she browses the Internet for semi-nude men to post on Facebook.
Hildie's favorite past-times are romance conventions, traveling, shopping and reading.
She resides in beautiful small town Georgia with her super-hero husband Kurt, an unruly boy Chihuahua Pepito and a spoiled rotten girl Chiweenie named Lola.
You can find Hildie McQueen at the following sites:
Amazon Page
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Website
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Hebby Roman
Hebby Roman is a New York traditionally published, small-press published, and Indie published #1 Amazon best-selling author of both historical and contemporary romances. Her first contemporary romance, SUMMER DREAMS, was the launch title for Encanto, a print line featuring Latino romances. And her re-published e-book, SUMMER DREAMS, was #1 in Amazon fiction and romance. Her medieval historical romance, THE PRINCESS AND THE TEMPLAR, was selected for the Amazon Encore program and was #1 in medieval fiction. She was selected for the Romantic Times "Texas Author" award, and she won a national Harlequin contest. Her book, BORDER HEAT, was a Los Angeles Times Book Festival selection. Her contemporary romance, TO DANCE AGAIN, was a 2016 RONE Finalist.
You can find Hebby Roman at the following sites:
Amazon Page
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Patti Sherry-Crews
Patti Sherry-Crews lives in Evanston, IL with her husband and two children. She studied anthropology and archaeology at Grinnell College and the University of North Wales, UK. She owned an Irish and British import store for 15 years, which was just an excuse to spend the day reading books and hopping over the pond on occasional buying trips.
She writes historical western and medieval romances, some of which are published by Prairie Rose Publications. When she’s not playing with her cowboys and knights in shining armor, she writes contemporary romances.
You can find Patti Sherry-Crews at the following sites:
Amazon Page
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Website
