Sarah M. Anderson - One Rodeo Season

When his past collides with her present, only true love can survive the wild ride...

Bullfighter Ian Tall Chief is determined to get off the reservation and onto the pro circuit. After a wild youth, and some big mistakes, he’s found his focus. The only person who can break his concentration? Lacy Evans, owner of the Straight Arrow Ranch.

But the beautiful cowgirl is dealing with problems of her own. She’s running the ranch alone, after her parents’ deaths. The macho rodeo world is not ready for a female stock contractor. And she’s discovered her parents were keeping secrets from her—ones that rock the very foundation of her identity. Can she trust Ian to be the good man he claims to be?

“I know how this goes.”

Lacy paused before adding, “There are two kinds of men here. The first doesn’t think a woman like me should be anywhere near a bull because we might do better than them and that would obviously be the end of the world. The second thinks I’m nothing but a one-night stand that hasn’t happened yet.” She pointed a finger at him. “Guess which one you are.”

His lips...nice lips, rounded and full and—no, stop it, Lacy. She was not going to start thinking about his lips! All they were doing were twisting off to the side, as if he was thinking about laughing at her but trying not to.

Unfortunately, in trying so hard not to stare at his mouth, her gaze drifted back down to his chest. The wet T-shirt left nothing to the imagination. Pecs, nipples!

She snapped her gaze to the front windshield of the truck. She wouldn’t look at him. That was the best solution.

“Have you considered,” Ian Tall Chief said in an amused drawl, “that there might be another kind of man here?”

Dear Reader,

Welcome back to the rodeo, where dreams are made—and broken—in eight seconds in the arena on the back of a two-ton bull.

Ian Tall Chief has something to prove. He’s got a secret, one he guards with his life: he’s got a son he gave up for adoption. It’s been six years and he wants to be someone his son can be proud of, which is why he’s determined to make it to the rodeo finals as a bullfighter.

But his path is blocked by one very stubborn woman. Lacy Evans. She’s the owner of the Straight Arrow Ranch and her bulls have been giving Ian nothing but trouble. Lacy is as tough as nails, yet there’s something vulnerable about her that makes Ian want to protect her.

When Lacy’s hidden past comes to light and collides head-on with Ian’s, will these two make it out of the arena?

One Rodeo Season is a sensual story about accepting your past and fighting for your future—and falling in love. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it! Be sure to stop by sarahmanderson.comand sign up for my newsletter at eepurl.com/nv39bto join me as I say, Long Live Cowboys!

Sarah

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SARAH M. ANDERSON may live east of the Mississippi River, but her heart lies out West on the Great Plains. Sarah’s book A Man of Privilege won an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award in 2012.

Sarah spends her days having conversations with imaginary cowboys and American Indians. Find out more about Sarah’s love of cowboys and Indians at sarahmanderson.comand sign up for the new-release newsletter at eepurl.com/nv39b.

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To Hannah and Willa and to parents everywhere who love the children they gave up and the children they adopted.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

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

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

“COME ON, COME ON.” Ian Tall Chief bounced on the balls of his feet, adrenaline dumping into his system. The bull rider in the chute apparently couldn’t get his grip and kept resetting. The bull kept trying to rear up and Ian couldn’t blame the animal. This was taking forever. This was the last ride of the long goes, the opening round of the rodeo. “Come on, Randy.”

Ian had met Randy on the Total Championship Bulls Ranger circuit—the minor leagues of the TCB Challenger circuit—last year. He was friends with most of the riders. They were little more than kids, but hell, he wasn’t that much older. Bull riders were a good time on a Saturday night.

If they made it that far. Randy was in no hurry to get on with his eight-second rush. At this rate, they would be in this arena in Hays, Kansas, all night long.

From behind him, he heard his partner, Black Jack Johnson, snort. Later, Ian knew, Black Jack would give Ian crap about his impatience. A good bullfighter waited. A good bullfighter did not rush in early. Bad bullfighters rushed in and spooked a bull. That got a bullfighter or a bull rider or even a bull hurt.

Ian’s job was to stand back and wait until a bull rider dismounted. Or was bucked off. Didn’t matter. All riders had to get off a bull one way or another, and when they did, Ian and Jack were on the ground, ready to make sure no one got gored or crushed to death.

Hadn’t happened yet. That wasn’t to say no one had gotten trampled or tossed on Ian’s watch—they had. Ian and Jack had kept things from getting worse. That was their job. But the fact that things could go bad kept Ian on high alert.

Finally, Randy nodded and the chute gate swung open. About damn time, Ian thought as the bull roared out, its hind legs flailing up and out with incredible speed. It was a monster of an animal—a mottled brown beast that was probably close to two-thousand pounds. Ian danced out of the path he thought the bull would take, barely clearing the back hooves. That bull had one hell of a kick.

A fact Randy was not prepared to deal with. The kid went sailing through the air after only a few seconds, landing in a heap behind Ian—which was a good enough place to fall.

But tell that to the bull. This was one mean—and fast—sucker that kept on coming. Jack jumped at the side of the bull, waving his hands to distract the bull from charging at where Randy was having a little trouble getting up, but all Jack got was knocked over for his troubles.

Oh, crap, Ian thought as he watched his partner literally bite the dust. Ian was on his own. He could get out of the way fast enough, but Randy couldn’t and Ian got the feeling this bull wasn’t going to quit anytime soon.

Ian had two choices. He could try to grab Randy and spin the two of them out of the way and hope like hell that Jack could get back on his feet or...

No time. Ian stood his ground in front of Randy and did the only thing he could.