Series & Title: Wrangler's Creek, Book 6: The Last Rodeo
Author: Delores Fossen
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Bookbub | Instagram | Pinterest
Publisher: HQN Books
Release Date: June 26, 2018
Genre: Contemporary, Western, Romance
Hosted By: TLC Book Tours
The most important two words for this Wrangler’s Creek rodeo cowboy? I do...
Lucian Granger isn’t winning any Mr. Cowboy Congeniality awards. Known in his small Texas town as “Lucifer” thanks to his surly nature and knack for scaring people away from getting too close, the handsome rancher has no trouble ignoring the gossip. But when he’s in danger of losing the land he’s put his blood, sweat and tears into maintaining, Lucian sets out to prove he’s a changed man—by claiming he’s about to settle down with his invaluable assistant, Karlee O’Malley.
Their pending nuptials may be just for show, but from the moment they kiss, the proverbial fireworks start going off in his head—and in his heart. Before long, the man who’s usually as emotional as a brick wall is tired of pretending and wants to share a real future with Karlee. With his world suddenly turned upside down, Lucian will risk losing the business and the ranch if it means holding on to the one woman worth becoming a better man for.
Excerpt:
“When you get back from this trip,” she went on, “I’ve arranged for some more interviews for my replacement. This time, I want you to actually interview them and not dismiss them because you don’t like something superficial about them.”
It wasn’t superficial if he got a bad vibe about them. And he’d gotten bad vibes about all six that Karlee had lined up to do the impossible—take her place.
When they went into his office, Lucian immediately saw the blinking lights on his landline, indicating there were multiple calls that had come through in the half hour he’d been out in the corral. He also checked his cell that he’d left on his desk for his ill-fated ride, and he saw the string of missed calls there, too.
“What’s all of this about?” Lucian asked, tipping his head to the lights. He got a reminder that head tipping hurt as much as head shaking. Shrugs were probably out, too. “This isn’t still about that city council stuff, is it?”
Karlee looked at the message screen of the landline. “Yes. It’s still about that stuff. Two of them, though, are from your mother.”
His mom had also left a voice mail on his cell. That didn’t necessarily mean there’d been an emergency. Regina had once left him six messages to ask if he remembered how much salt went into Aunt Kitty’s potato bread recipe. His mom had assumed he would know the answer because once when he’d been about ten or so, Aunt Kitty had baked some while visiting the ranch.
“I’m sure some of the calls on your cell will be from the city council, as well.” Karlee took out some ibuprofen from his desk and went to the bar to get him a bottle of water. “Along with the mayor, the historical society and the garden guild, you’ve managed to rile every single person in any position of authority in Wrangler’s Creek with that demand you sent them.”
“That was yesterday.” Except for the garden guild. He hadn’t known about that. “And I requested that they approve the new road I want. It wasn’t a demand.”
Karlee gave him the flattest look in the history of flat looks. “You told the city council if they didn’t rule in your favor by the end of the week that you’d pull the funding you’d pledged for a new park. A park,” she emphasized. “What’s next? Taking candy from little kids?”
Lucian scowled at her. “I didn’t pledge that funding. Dylan did.” Though it had been a good idea. “And the city council’s been farting around for over a month on my request. I want that road so it’ll be easier for me to get cattle in and out of those back pastures. Hell, I even said I’d pay for it. All they have to do is sign the papers to approve it.”
“Lord, love a duck,” she grumbled.
It was one of her favorite sayings when she was frustrated, but like business formal, Lucian didn’t have a clue what it meant.
USA Today bestselling author, Delores Fossen, has sold over 70 novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She’s received the Booksellers’ Best Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and was a finalist for the prestigious Rita ®. In addition, she’s had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines.
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