Arlene James - Winning The Rancher's Heart

A tragedy she can’t forget...

The truth waits at Three Brothers Ranch.

With the circumstances of her brother’s death still shrouded in secrets, barrel racer Jeri Bogman needs answers—and handsome rancher Ryder Smith is the key to finding them. But Jeri can’t ever let Ryder know who she really is. Because the closer she gets to the truth, the more Jeri risks losing the cowboy she’s falling for...and the home where she really belongs.

ARLENE JAMES has been publishing steadily for nearly four decades and is a charter member of RWA. She is married to an acclaimed artist, and together they have traveled extensively. After growing up in Oklahoma, Arlene lived thirty-four years in Texas and now abides in beautiful northwest Arkansas, near two of the world’s three loveliest, smartest, most talented granddaughters. She is heavily involved in her family, church and community.

Also By Arlene James

Three Brothers Ranch

The Rancher’s Answered Prayer

Rancher to the Rescue

Winning the Rancher’s Heart

The Prodigal Ranch

The Rancher’s Homecoming

Her Single Dad Hero

Her Cowboy Boss

Chatam House

Building a Perfect Match

His Ideal Match

The Bachelor Meets His Match

The Doctor’s Perfect Match

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Winning the Rancher’s Heart

Arlene James

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09668-3

WINNING THE RANCHER’S HEART

© 2019 Deborah Rather

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“And you, what are you called to?”

Ryder shook his head. “I don’t know. I used to think...” He passed a hand over his heart. “Well, I’ve been wondering if it should be about raising and training horses. Maybe what I should really be thinking about is rescuing.”

Blinking, Jeri gasped, “Rescuing horses?”

He nodded. “I hate the idea of any animal being put down because no one can be bothered with it anymore.”

When the time for Dovie to retire had approached, Jeri had begun dreaming about a way to keep the mare. She’d reasoned that if she could raise and train just one superior horse, she’d gain enough of a reputation to expand.

What if she could actually make it happen, though? And what if she could do it without buying land? Loco Man Ranch was enormous. There ought to be a part of it that could be set aside for horses.

Then she and Ryder could...

She shook her head. Even imagining a partnership with Ryder Smith was ludicrous. Insane.

Dangerous.

Dear Reader,

God can bless us even through tragedy.

When I first experienced the tragic death of a young person, just being told that God could and would bless those who suffered that loss infuriated me. More than forty years later, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the same God Who allows tragedy can and will bless His children in and through that same tragedy. Sometimes we’re too broken to realize we’ve been blessed. Sometimes we’re too angry. Sometimes we haven’t forgiven, and sometimes that includes not forgiving ourselves. That’s exactly the predicament Ryder and Jeri are in at the beginning of this story.

I’m so happy to be able to give Ryder and Jeri the blessings of forgiveness, peace and love, but I realize that many others touched by tragedy, like Jeri’s mother, are unable to receive the blessings granted to them. My prayers are with them—and with you, my readers.

God bless. Always,

Arlene James

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

—Mark 11:25

My thanks to Tyree Rather Brown for her help with the research on this book.

Any mistakes are my own and not a result of her counsel.

Keep that cowgirl life going, Tyree. We love you.

DAR

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

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

Extract

About the Publisher

Folding up the collar of his insulated, sherpa-lined denim coat, Ryder pulled the door of the big barn shut and lifted his shoulders in an attempt to close the gap between the brim of his black felt hat and the edge of his woolly collar. It was the cowboy’s lot to freeze his ears in winter and burn his skin in summer, but neither the summers he and his brothers had spent at Loco Man Ranch nor a childhood in his native Houston had prepared Ryder Smith for an Oklahoma winter. An impending ice storm to bring in the new year was just one of the unusual weather events he’d experienced since he and his brothers had taken up permanent residence on the two-thousand-acre ranch they’d inherited from their late uncle. Still, in the past nine months, Ryder had found ranch life more to his liking than he’d expected, especially when it came to the horses.