Susan Mallery: Cowgirl Bride

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery, a fan-favorite story about love, returning home and second chances

Cowgirl Sierra Conroy doesn’t need anyone. She’s tough, independent and more than capable of holding her own on the ranch, despite all the grief the cowboys give her about being a woman. Sierra certainly doesn’t need love. She gave up on that the day Dylan McLaine broke her heart and left town.

Dylan knows he did wrong by Sierra, and he hasn’t been able to forget her, even after all these years. And now that his marriage is over, he’s bought a ranch in his hometown and he needs Sierra’s help to run it. But will the woman whose heart he broke give him another chance?

Susan Mallery

“Mallery’s prose is luscious and provocative.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Susan Mallery’s gift for writing humor and

tenderness make all her books true gems.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Romance novels don’t get much better than

Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance,

humor and superb storytelling.”

—Booklist

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Cover

Back Cover Text From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery, a fan-favorite story about love, returning home and second chances Cowgirl Sierra Conroy doesn’t need anyone. She’s tough, independent and more than capable of holding her own on the ranch, despite all the grief the cowboys give her about being a woman. Sierra certainly doesn’t need love. She gave up on that the day Dylan McLaine broke her heart and left town. Dylan knows he did wrong by Sierra, and he hasn’t been able to forget her, even after all these years. And now that his marriage is over, he’s bought a ranch in his hometown and he needs Sierra’s help to run it. But will the woman whose heart he broke give him another chance?

Praise Praise for New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling Author Praise Title Page About the Author CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN EPILOGUE Extract Copyright Susan Mallery “Mallery’s prose is luscious and provocative.” —Publishers Weekly “Susan Mallery’s gift for writing humor and tenderness make all her books true gems.” —RT Book Reviews “Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.” —Booklist

Title Page Cowgirl Bride Susan Mallery www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author SUSAN MALLERY is a New York Times bestselling author known for emotionally complex stories told with charm and wit. Susan has lived all over the United States, including a childhood in the suburbs of Los Angeles, graduate school in the hills of Pennsylvania and several years in Texas. These days, she makes her home in Seattle, Washington. She’s there for the coffee, not the weather. Find Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com . She’s also very active on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads, and has been known to invite her fans to help her name characters and brainstorm aspects of her books.

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

is a New York Times bestselling author known for emotionally complex stories told with charm and wit. Susan has lived all over the United States, including a childhood in the suburbs of Los Angeles, graduate school in the hills of Pennsylvania and several years in Texas. These days, she makes her home in Seattle, Washington. She’s there for the coffee, not the weather.

Find Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com. She’s also very active on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads, and has been known to invite her fans to help her name characters and brainstorm aspects of her books.

Sierra Conroy wasn’t sure if it was the sharp cry or the flash of movement that caught her attention and she didn’t much care. Before her mind finished registering what had happened, she’d already grabbed the rope hooked to her saddle and started racing toward the corral. The milling steers spelled trouble as clearly as a neon sign.

With an instinct honed by years spent on a ranch and in the rodeo, she dived into the melee of sharp horns and hooves. Someone called frantically from outside the corral, but she ignored that voice. Weaving between the annoyed animals, she searched until she saw something other than muscular shoulders, flashing tails and dust-covered hides. Her brief glimpse of jean-clad legs was enough to send her in that direction. She pushed her way through the corral.

“Steady,” she said, speaking in a low voice designed to calm. Unfortunately whoever was in the pen with her wasn’t equally at home with the restless steers. She felt the animals’ growing tension.

Something flat and powerful butted her in the center of her back. She stumbled forward and bumped into a steer that bellowed in protest.

“Stay still!” Sierra called out. “I can’t find you if you keep moving around.”

More animals lowed in annoyance.

“Help me!” Terror laced the cry.

Sierra swore under breath. The steer next to her lowered its horned head to charge. She quickly ducked to the left, around another animal and saw a young boy being pushed and shoved by the unsettled herd.

“It’s all right,” she told him, reminding herself to smile, even as she felt the danger grow. “You’re going to be just fine.”

By God, that had better be true. She’d spent her entire life around big, ill-tempered animals and she refused to be trampled in a corral. The cowboys gave her enough grief about being a woman. When she received the bouquet at her brother’s wedding a few weeks back, the men had tormented her for weeks. She wouldn’t allow them the satisfaction of smirking at her funeral. Of course if she was dead would their attitudes really matter?

Before she could work that problem out, several of the steers shifted, giving her a clear path to the boy. She jogged to his side and wrapped her arms around him.

“Let’s get going, kid,” she said.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an arc of movement. Instinct again took over. She turned, shielding the child’s slight body with her own. Pain exploded against her upper arm, sending both her and the child staggering. She ignored the bone-jarring jolt, the sick feeling in her stomach and the instant wet heat that told her she was bleeding. Steers had kicked her before, although it had been a long time. She’d nearly forgotten how badly it hurt. Of course the stitches wouldn’t be much better. Why on earth had she thought this job would be fun?