Rebecca Winters: A Valentine For The Cowboy

THIS COWBOY’S PRECIOUS JEWEL…

After a painful divorce that left him the sole parent of his sweet baby girl, Eli Clayton shut the door on relationships. Hard. Then he walks into his ranching family’s small-town gem shop and sees his daughter in the arms of a stunning woman whose eyes are the color of Montana blue sapphires. And he melts.

Brianna Frost can’t deny the serious attraction between her and the hunky cowboy dad, or the bond she has with his little girl. Still, Brianna can’t quite shake the feeling that Eli’s ex is still in his life—and in his heart. Would falling for this Clayton cowboy mean loving a family who could never be hers?

“Would you let me hold her so you can eat?”

“You’re sure?” The blue of Eli’s eyes darkened with emotion. “Even though you said goodbye to me?”

“I was upset that night,” Brianna answered honestly. “Your daughter is so precious, Eli. Of course I want to hold her, but I’ll try not to wake her.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He walked over and placed Libby in her arms.

The motion caused her eyelids to flutter open. Her blue eyes were so much like her father’s.

“Hi, darling. Do you remember me? I’m Brianna.”

The little girl put her arms around her neck and clung to her. Brianna held her against her heart and felt her breathe. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better.” She rocked her back and forth, loving the feel of those arms holding on to her.

Though he sported a slight beard and looked exhausted, Eli stood there watching them with a sweet expression on his rugged face. “I do believe you’re the reason she’s suddenly acting normal.”

Brianna smiled up at him. “Her daddy is all the medicine she needs.”

A Valentine for the Cowboy

Rebecca Winters

www.millsandboon.co.uk

REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favorite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels, because writing is her passion, along with her family and church.

Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website, www.cleanromances.com.

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Dedicated to my fantastic parents, who somehow managed that I would be born on Valentine’s Day. They made that birthday special for me all the years that they were alive. What a blessing!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text THIS COWBOY’S PRECIOUS JEWEL… After a painful divorce that left him the sole parent of his sweet baby girl, Eli Clayton shut the door on relationships. Hard. Then he walks into his ranching family’s small-town gem shop and sees his daughter in the arms of a stunning woman whose eyes are the color of Montana blue sapphires. And he melts. Brianna Frost can’t deny the serious attraction between her and the hunky cowboy dad, or the bond she has with his little girl. Still, Brianna can’t quite shake the feeling that Eli’s ex is still in his life—and in his heart. Would falling for this Clayton cowboy mean loving a family who could never be hers?

Introduction “Would you let me hold her so you can eat?” “You’re sure?” The blue of Eli’s eyes darkened with emotion. “Even though you said goodbye to me?” “I was upset that night,” Brianna answered honestly. “Your daughter is so precious, Eli. Of course I want to hold her, but I’ll try not to wake her.” “Don’t worry about it.” He walked over and placed Libby in her arms. The motion caused her eyelids to flutter open. Her blue eyes were so much like her father’s. “Hi, darling. Do you remember me? I’m Brianna.” The little girl put her arms around her neck and clung to her. Brianna held her against her heart and felt her breathe. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better.” She rocked her back and forth, loving the feel of those arms holding on to her. Though he sported a slight beard and looked exhausted, Eli stood there watching them with a sweet expression on his rugged face. “I do believe you’re the reason she’s suddenly acting normal.” Brianna smiled up at him. “Her daddy is all the medicine she needs.”

Title Page A Valentine for the Cowboy Rebecca Winters www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favorite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels, because writing is her passion, along with her family and church. Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website, www.cleanromances.com .

Dedication Dedicated to my fantastic parents, who somehow managed that I would be born on Valentine’s Day. They made that birthday special for me all the years that they were alive. What a blessing!

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

“Hey, Brianna—I keep telling you I wish you’d come home. You could never be in the way. When you said you wanted to stay with Aunt Joanne and Uncle Clark in Montana, I thought you’d only be gone a few weeks. It’s now been six months!”

“I know.” She looked at the Cattlemen’s Association calendar on the wall. It was already the twenty-seventh of December. “But I’ve been doing well here working for them. I like being busy and was afraid if I came home for the holidays, I’d be overwhelmed with memories and I can’t deal with that yet.”

The car crash that had killed her beloved parents seven months ago had been so devastating that Brianna was amazed she’d survived this long.

“I hear you,” he said in a mournful voice, “but I want you to realize that Carol and I miss you more than anything.”

“I feel the same way.” But Doug, her elder brother, who was as blond as she was and sounded like their father, had only been married to his longtime girlfriend a few months before their parents had been killed. They were now running their parents’ fruit farm in Marysville, California, and making a success of it. This early in their marriage they shouldn’t have to worry about Brianna. Not when they’d had so much responsibility thrust on them.

The aunt and uncle she adored and who’d been so close to their family had never been able to have children. They’d begged her to come and live with them for a while.

“If you stay away any longer, you’ll probably forget you have an older brother.” He was twenty-seven to her twenty-three.