Callie Endicott - The Rancher's Prospect

Digging a little deeper

Running his family’s ranch has always been Josh McGregor’s dream. Dealing with his feisty grandfather, however, is not. Josh is struggling to maintain control, and ranch manager Tara Livingston doesn’t help. The only thing they agree on is ignoring the attraction between them.

Tara has a special bond with his grandfather, but she won’t stay in Montana forever. Yet her bold nature challenges Josh, making him question his goals. When Tara takes his grandfather on a treasure-hunting trip to the mountains, Josh has no choice but to go along. They may not find jewels, but they could come back with something even more valuable...

Heat crept up Josh’s neck.

“What kind of person do you think I am?”

Tara shrugged. The gesture was elegant, and he couldn’t help thinking that she’d look more at home at a French château than in Montana. “All I know is what I’ve seen between you and Walt, and the way you acted at the clinic,” she said. “Oh, and the way you’ve done your level best to get rid of me. It hasn’t been impressive.”

She had a point. He’d never expected things to turn out this way. Sometimes he didn’t recognize himself when he was arguing with Walt or pulling his hair out over a cowhand quitting.

As for Tara?

On one matter they totally agreed—they didn’t care for each other. That was okay, although he was fighting an undeniable attraction to her, a response that was purely chemical.

Dear Reader,

I have always been interested in geology, but lately the variety and beauty of this planet’s stones have been a particular passion. It may sound funny, but in many ways, rocks are like people. Some are harder, some softer, and each have their own particular beauty. Of course, as with people, it may also take a little work to discover the beauty inside. One of my favorite rocks is moldavite, a glass-like stone that was created when a meteor hit the earth. Love can be like that. It lands with unexpected force and creates something new.

My hero and heroine in The Rancher’s Prospect are both strong, stubborn, independent people who’ve set a course for their lives that isn’t necessarily the best for them. A world traveler, Tara has developed a cool outer shell to protect herself, but she isn’t nearly as tough as she appears, while Josh is working single-mindedly to achieve his dream of raising organic beef cattle on his own ranch.

It was interesting to pit these two very different people against each other, with the beautiful state of Montana as the backdrop to their story. Montana, by the way, has some very interesting geologic history, some of which naturally found its way into Tara and Josh’s story.

I enjoy hearing from readers and can be contacted c/o Harlequin Books, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON M3B 3K9, Canada.

Callie Endicott

The Rancher’s Prospect

Callie Endicott

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CALLIE ENDICOTT’s life refuses to slow down, but lately she’s taken a small amount of time to indulge her interest in rock hunting...in various rock shops. She still doesn’t have enough hours to do everything she wants, but Callie figures life is a juggling act and practice makes perfect. She’s interested in everything, but her particular passions include history and nature, which fits perfectly with her love for writing, reading, hiking and walking on a beach. Between her cats, her guy and everything else, boredom is never a problem.

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To Carol, and in loving memory of Joe

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Extract

Copyright

PROLOGUE

JOSH MCGREGOR REINED in his horse when his satellite phone rang. He pulled it from his saddlebag and saw his parents’ phone number on the display.

“Hey, what’s up?” he answered.

“Josh, can you get to Montana right away?” asked his mother in a trembling voice.

Alarm went through him. Mom would never sound so shaky unless something terrible had happened.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s...your...” She stopped and he could hear her crying and saying something about how she’d thought she could handle it.

His stomach twisted.

A moment later his father came on the line. “Josh, there’s been a car accident. Grandpa Walt and Grandma Evelyn. A drunk driver...”

Gripping the phone so hard his fingers hurt, Josh tried to sound calm. “How bad?” He couldn’t bring himself to ask if they were still alive.

“Bad. They were airlifted to the hospital in Helena and are both in surgery. You should get here as soon as possible...just in case.” The last words were very soft, as if that would keep them from reminding his wife that her parents could be dying.

“I’ll be there, whatever it takes,” Josh promised, his throat tightening unbearably. He loved both his grandparents, but he had a special bond with Grandma Evelyn.

“Just get here safely,” said his father. “Hear me?”

“I hear. Don’t let Mom worry.”

“All right. We love you, son.”

Josh urged his stallion into a gallop and they quickly covered the three miles back to the large barns of the Texas ranch where he worked. He tossed the reins to a ranch hand. “Take care of Lightfoot for me, will you? I’ve got a family emergency.”

“Sure, boss.”

He stopped at the ranch house to let the Gordons know he was leaving, and also to phone Mark Eisley, his second in command. A call to the airline got him on the next flight leaving for Montana.

* * *

A FEW HOURS LATER Josh charged into the reception area of the hospital.

“Josh,” a soft voice exclaimed. Emily, his new sister-in-law, jumped up from one of the seats and gave him a fierce hug. “Come on,” she said. “They’re in intensive care. It’s this way.”

Grateful, he followed her through the hallways.

“How are they?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No change in their conditions in the last couple of hours. They’re still critical. I get updates now and then, but I told Trent to stay with your mother while I waited for you. She needs all the support she can get right now.”

Until Trent had gotten together with Emily, Josh wasn’t sure his brother’s presence would have been much comfort. She’d softened his edges in ways no one else had been able to do.

The rest of the family was in the intensive care waiting room. Mom was leaning against Dad, and Trent was on the other side, holding her hand. His sister, Madison, who lived in Seattle now, was already there, as well. There was a pained stillness around the room. Even DeeDee, his brother Jackson’s lively stepdaughter, was unnaturally solemn.