Mary Sullivan - Rodeo Family

About the Author MARY SULLIVAN has a fondness for cowboys and ranch settings. She grew up in the city, but found her mother’s stories about growing up in rural Canada fascinating. Her passions include time spent with friends, great conversation, exploring her city, cooking, walking, traveling (including her latest trip to Paris!), reading, meeting readers and doing endless crossword puzzles. She has been told that her writing touches the heart. Mary loves to hear from readers! To keep up with her releases, sign up for her newsletter on her website, marysullivanbooks.com , or follow her on Facebook: Facebook.com/marysullivanauthor .

Booklist Also By Mary Sullivan Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Extract About the Publisher Rodeo, Montana Rodeo Father Rodeo Rancher Rodeo Baby Rodeo Sheriff Cody’s Come Home Safe in Noah’s Arms No Ordinary Home Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Title Page Rodeo Family Mary Sullivan www.millsandboon.co.uk

Copyright ISBN: 978-1-474-08474-1 RODEO FAMILY © 2018 Mary Sullivan Published in Great Britain 2018 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. By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher. ® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries. www.millsandboon.co.uk Version: 2020-03-02

Introduction “Don’t you get it, Nadine? I like you.” She couldn’t breathe. How tall was this mountain? Was it high altitude or something? What had happened to all of the oxygen in the air? “And this.” Zach kissed her, his mouth meeting hers before she could turn away, hard and soft, cool and hot. Or maybe she didn’t want to turn away. She sank into him, curled into his arms, delved into his mouth with her tongue and savored him in this private little cocoon of theirs. Nadine had wanted this. For a long time, she had wanted this. How had she not realized that she’d wanted him? A tendril of reason, the finest filigree of common sense, tickled her judgment, and she pulled her lips away from Zach’s beautiful, ravenous mouth. No, ravenous wasn’t right. He hadn’t demanded. He hadn’t lost control. He had savored and adored her lips. She traced his finely sculpted mouth with her finger, met his passion-hazed gaze and said, “No.”

Dear Reader Dear Reader Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Extract About the Publisher , More and more, with each new story I set in Rodeo, Montana, this miniseries becomes my favorite. I delight in the characters and the caring women who want to bring their town back to life with the revival of their local fair and rodeo. If along the way they find love...even better! In New York City, Nadine Campbell had a busy career as a journalist and no time for love. Recently, her career suffered a harrowing setback and she has come home to lick her wounds. Zach Brandt has appeared throughout this series as a landscape artist. His paintings grace many of the establishments in and around Rodeo. First and foremost, though, he is a rancher. His love of the land moves him to create his artwork and sustains him through hard times. In high school, he had a crush on Nadine Campbell and is happy that she is back in town. Could he have a second chance with her? She has come home a changed woman. A divorced father of seven-year-old twin sons, Zach uses their cute antics to his advantage to get Nadine out onto his ranch as often as he can. He shows her all of his love and compassion to help her to heal and to win her heart. Of course, the road to a happy ending is never smooth! I hope you enjoy this latest story about Rodeo. Mary Sullivan

Dedication To Jennifer Hayward and Stefanie London, thank you for your friendship, your brainstorming and our fabulous weekly walks and talks!

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Zachary Brandt wasn’t a coward.

Not usually.

He hovered behind a curtain at the picture window that looked out onto his front yard as Nadine Campbell drove her sporty little black car onto his ranch.

In rural Montana on the outskirts of small-town Rodeo, home of dusty, domestic, practical pickup trucks, Nadine scooted around the countryside in her spotless, foreign car.

He should be out on his porch in full view to greet her, not hiding here inside, building up his resolve.

She parked, adjusted her rearview mirror and fiddled with her makeup, the gesture speaking of insecurity he’d noted in the past.

Even way back in high school, before she’d left town for those eight or so years, she’d been self-conscious about her looks. Zach couldn’t imagine why, or what she was doing to makeup that was never less than perfect.

She smoothed her long, red hair, as glossy as glass. Nadine belonged in Rodeo about as much as a racehorse might, an elegant, refined filly among a bunch of stolid workhorses.

“Whatcha doin’, Dad?”

Zach startled. No wonder. He’d just been caught spying on a visitor rather than stepping outside to welcome her. He glanced over his shoulder. His twin sons stood in the living room doorway. They weren’t the only ones who’d caught him; Zach’s father had, too.

Dad raised an eyebrow. Ryan and Aiden watched him with Maria’s deep brown eyes and wide, full-lipped mouths. She might not have left Zach with much, but she’d given him these two treasures and for that he would always be grateful.

They stepped forward and crowded him at the window. Staring out at Nadine, Aiden whispered, “Pretty.”

Understatement. Nadine could give lessons in pretty to the Montana countryside, and Zach thought that was damned stunning.