RaeAnne Thayne - Outlaw Hartes

New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne brings us two fan-favorite stories from her Outlaw Hartes series. These couples may not be looking for love, but they are about to find it!

The Valentine Two-Step

He had been bamboozled by women before, but for rancher and single father Matt Harte, this is the last straw! Because of his daughter’s shenanigans, he’s been roped into planning the annual Valentine’s Day dance. And who’s his partner on the committee? Beautiful big-city vet and recent Salt River transplant Ellie Webster, the woman he can’t take his eyes off—though not for lack of trying!

Cassidy Harte and The Comeback Kid

Ten years ago, Cassidy Harte stood at the altar waiting for Zach Slater, but he never showed. So she did the only thing she could—held her head up high and swore off men. Now suddenly Zach’s back with an “I’m sorry” on his lips, an explanation she refuses to hear and the vow to make her his once again. And it seems this is one vow he’s determined to keep…

Praise for New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne

“Thayne, once again, delivers a heartfelt story of a caring community and a caring romance between adults who have triumphed over tragedies.”

— Booklist on Woodrose Mountain

“A sometimes heartbreaking tale of love and relationships in a small Colorado town….Poignant and sweet, this tale of second chances will appeal to fans of military-flavored sweet romance.”

— Publishers Weekly on Christmas in Snowflake Canyon

“Once again, Thayne proves she has a knack for capturing those emotions that come from the heart….Crisp storytelling and many amusing moments make for a delightful read.”

— RT Book Reviews on Willowleaf Lane

“Thayne pens another winner by combining her huge, boisterous cast of familiar, lovable characters with a beautiful setting and a wonderful story. Her main characters are strong and three-dimensional, with enough heat between them to burn the pages.”

— RT Book Reviews on Currant Creek Valley

“Thayne’s series starter introduces the Colorado town of Hope’s Crossing in what can be described as a cozy romance… [A] gentle, easy read.”

— Publishers Weekly on Blackberry Summer

“Thayne’s depiction of a small Colorado mountain town is subtle but evocative. Readers who love romance but not explicit sexual details will delight in this heartfelt tale of healing and hope.”

— Booklist on Blackberry Summer

Outlaw Hartes

The Valentine Two-Step

Cassidy Harte and the Comeback Kid

RaeAnne Thayne

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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THE VALENTINE TWO-STEP The Valentine Two-Step RaeAnne Thayne

CASSIDY HARTE AND THE COMEBACK KID

RaeAnne Thayne

To Lyndsey Thomas, for saving my life

and my sanity more times than I can count!

Special thanks to Dr. Ronald Hamm, DVM, animal healer extraordinaire,

for sharing so generously of his expertise.

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

“It’s absolutely perfect.” Dylan Webster held her hands out imploringly to her best friend, Lucy Harte. “Don’t you see? It’s the only way!”

Lucy frowned in that serious way of hers, her gray eyes troubled. In the dim, dusty light inside their secret place—a hollowed-out hideaway behind the stacked hay bales of the Diamond Harte barn loft—her forehead looked all wrinkly. Kind of like a shar-pei puppy Dylan had seen once at her mom’s office back in California.

“I don’t know…” she began.

“Come on, Luce. You said it yourself. We should have been sisters, not just best friends. We were born on exactly the same day, we both love horses and despise long division and we both want to be vets like my mom when we grow up, right?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“If my mom married your dad, we really would be sisters. It would be like having a sleepover all the time. I could ride the school bus with you and everything, and I just know my mom would let me have my own horse if we lived out here on the ranch.”

Lucy nibbled her lip. “But, Dylan…”

“You want a mom of your own as much as I want a dad, don’t you? Even though you have your aunt Cassie to look after you, it’s not the same. You know it’s not.”

It was exactly the right button to push, and she knew it. Before her very eyes, Lucy sighed, and her expression went all dreamy. Dylan felt a little pinch of guilt at using her best friend’s most cherished dream to her own advantage, but she worked hard to ignore it.

Her plan would never work if she couldn’t convince Lucy how brilliant it was. Both of them had to be one-hundred-percent behind it. “We’d be sisters, Luce,” she said. “Sisters for real. Wouldn’t it be awesome?”

“Sisters.” Lucy burrowed deeper into the hay, her gray eyes closed as if, like Dylan, she was imagining family vacations and noisy Christmas mornings and never again having to miss a daddy-daughter party at school. Or in Lucy’s case, a mother-daughter party.

“It would be awesome.” That shar-pei look suddenly came back to her forehead, and she sat up. “But Dylan, why would they ever get married? I don’t think they even like each other very much.”

“Who?”

“My dad and your mom.”

Doubt came galloping back like one of Lucy’s dad’s horses after a stray dogie. Lucy was absolutely right. They didn’t like each other much. Just the other day, she heard her mom tell SueAnn that Matt Harte was a stubborn old man in a younger man’s body.

“But what a body it is,” her mom’s assistant at the clinic had replied, with a rumbly laugh like grown-ups make when they’re talking about sexy stuff. “Matt Harte and his brother have always been the most gorgeous men in town.”

Her mom had laughed, too, and she’d even turned a little bit pink, like a strawberry shake. “Shame on you. You’re a happily married woman, Sue.”

“Married doesn’t mean dead. Or crazy, for that matter.”

Her mom had scrunched up her face. “Even if he is…attractive…in a macho kind of way, a great body doesn’t make up for having the personality of an ornery bull.”

Dylan winced, remembering. Okay, so Lucy’s dad and her mom hadn’t exactly gotten along since the Websters moved to Star Valley. Still, her mom thought he was good-looking and had a great body. That had to count for something.

Dylan gave Lucy what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “They just haven’t had a chance to get to know each other.”