Roxanne Rustand - Falling For The Rancher

The Cowboy’s New Family

All veterinarian Darcy Leighton wants is a good life for her daughter. But when the vet practice she hopes to inherit is bought out from under her by newcomer Logan Maxwell, she stands to lose her position completely. Recovering from a bad breakup, the handsome cowboy wants a fresh start—one that doesn’t include working with a woman he’s undeniably attracted to. No stranger to heartbreak, Darcy has reservations of her own, but she can’t walk away from this job. She’ll just have to convince Logan to take a chance on her…and believe that what they have together is strong enough to last.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to sell her.”

Logan chuckled. “Charlie and Duster will never be sold.”

“How about if I throw in my house? My car? Oh, wait. It doesn’t run. Just the house, then. I don’t have much else of value.”

“Sorry. Not even your house.” Laughing, he brushed an errant strand of hair away from Darcy’s face. “But you and Emma are welcome to come out anytime to ride them.”

“Tomorrow! Can we come tomorrow?” Emma begged. “Please?”

“Probably not, sweetie. But maybe another time.”

Emma didn’t speak a word on the way home and trudged silently from Logan’s truck to the front door.

“Looks like we’re going to have a quiet evening,” Darcy said as she watched Emma go to the house. “Thanks so much for the wonderful day.”

She impulsively gave him a quick hug and stepped back, suddenly feeling a little flustered and awkward at unexpectedly crossing that invisible line between friends and something more.

Yet how could she regret something that felt so right?

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for joining me in Aspen Creek once again! I’ve loved writing about this small town set in the beautiful river bluff country of western Wisconsin.

This book in the Aspen Creek Crossroads series was great fun to write, because I love small towns, country life and animals. My husband and I live in just such a place—an acreage out in the country with our three horses, two beloved dogs we adopted from an animal shelter, and five exceptionally friendly cats who like to wind around my ankles when I head down to the barn to do horse chores.

I love to hear from readers and can be contacted by snailmail at PO Box 2550, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401, or online at www.roxannerustand.com, www.facebook.com/Roxanne.Rustand, www.SweetRomanceReads.com, and www.pinterest.com/roxannerustand.

Wishing you abundant blessings,

A USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of over thirty-five novels, ROXANNE RUSTAND lives in the country with her husband and a menagerie of pets, including three horses, rescue dogs and cats. She has a master’s in nutrition and is a clinical dietitian. RT Book Reviews nominated her for a Career Achievement Award, two of her books won their annual Reviewers’ Choice Award and two others were nominees.

Falling for the Rancher

Roxanne Rustand

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

—1 Corinthians 13:4–8

With many thanks to my husband

and our children, for their unfailing support,

and also to the wonderful editors

at Love Inspired who make this all possible.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

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

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

After working at the Aspen Creek Veterinary Clinic for the past thirteen months, Dr. Darcy Leighton had encountered a lot of interesting situations. But walking into the clinic on Friday morning to find a tall, dark and muscular cowboy rifling through the file cabinets was certainly a surprise.

It wouldn’t be the first time someone had broken in, searching for drugs or money, but this guy looked like he’d never touched an illicit drug in his life. Why on earth was he here, and how had he disabled the new burglar alarm? She and the other staff had inadvertently set it off more times than she could count, to the point that now someone from the alarm company just called her cell to ask if they’d tripped it again.

But there’d been no such call on her cell phone today.

The intruder had tossed an ivory Resistol hat on the desk, and from his pewter fleece vest and long-sleeve shirt to his well-worn jeans and ostrich Western boots, he appeared more suited to a ranch out West than this little resort town in Wisconsin. Not at all like the jittery, tattoo-covered thief she’d inadvertently confronted late one night while returning to check on a surgery case.

“Excuse me,” she said sharply, pulling her cell phone from a jacket pocket. She took a single cautious step back and pressed the speed dial numeral for 911. “I think you’d better leave right now, mister. The sheriff will be here any second.”

He shot a brief glance at her over his shoulder, then frowned and gave her a much longer second look. With a dismissive shake of his head, he turned back to the files and continued thumbing through them. “Explaining this filing system would be useful. Are you the receptionist?”

Receptionist? Three months ago, the attorney handling Dr. Boyd’s estate had sent out a team of accountants who had pored over every last document and computer file for days, then recorded an inventory down to the last paperclip. But this guy sure wasn’t wearing a suit and shiny loafers.

“No, I’m not. How did you get in here?”

“A key and the alarm code.” He shoved the drawer shut and turned to face her with a sigh. “I’m serious about this filing. Someone here has just a passing acquaintance with the alphabet.”

Her gaze landed on the discreet veterinary caduceus logo on the front of his vest. Realization dawned as she stared at a man who had the potential to ruin completely the future she’d so carefully planned. “So...y-you are...”

“The new owner as of last week.” He reached forward to shake her hand. “Logan Maxwell.”

Still wary, she held back. “We haven’t been notified of any sale. Surely the attorney would have let us know.”