Roz Denny Fox - The Maverick Returns

She Once Loved A Cowboy...

When Tate Walker was killed in a barroom brawl, he left his widow with a small run-down ranch in south Texas and a daughter he falsely claimed wasn’t his. Willow had accepted Tate’s proposal because Cooper Drummond, the love of her life, refused to put aside his rodeo plans, despite her fears for his safety.

A year later, a cowboy appears out of nowhere, looking for work. He’d heard about a widow who could use some help. To Willow’s shock, it’s Cooper Drummond. And to Coop’s shock, the widow is his onetime fiancée, now the mother of a little girl who’s been diagnosed with a troubling condition.

She Still Loves That Cowboy...

And that cowboy’s never forgotten her. Can the two of them—the three of them—become a family? Can Coop love her daughter as his own?

Coop saw the house first

In the fading sunlight it looked more than weathered. The clapboard was badly in need of paint and the barn appeared to be in even worse condition. He also saw that several head of cattle had strayed through a broken section of wire fencing.

He slammed on his brakes. In the distance he noticed a skinny woman, a blonde, who had a small child hanging on to her jacket, attempting to shoo the animals back.

“Hold on,” Coop yelled after he set his brake and rolled down one window. “I’ll come give you a hand.”

The woman’s head jerked around in surprise, as if she hadn’t heard his engine and had no idea anyone was on the road.

Cooper swept up the straw cowboy hat he wore when working out in the sun and leaped down from the cab. He began turning the closest cattle back into the would-be enclosure.

At last the final stubborn rangy steer in the group of two dozen or so crossed over the squashed wire. Facing the woman, who stood closer to him now, Coop dragged his shirtsleeve across his brow. When he opened his eyes, shock traveled from his suddenly tight jaw straight to his toes.

Though a great deal thinner, and her sky-blue eyes far more lackluster than when he’d last seen her, the much-talked-about widow was none other than Cooper’s first love, Willow Courtland. Willow, who’d married his arch enemy, Tate Walker.

Dear Reader,

I’ve often considered writing a story in which either the hero or heroine has a child with autism. I discovered how difficult such a story is to write. I have a grandson on the autism spectrum and I’ve learned that it’s a disorder with so many variables it’s impossible to fit them all into one fictional child.

The reality for the parent of an autistic child is that finding appropriate programs can be a problem—although there are more available now than there once were. Still, if you’re from a rural area as my heroine is, the task can seem insurmountable. And if, like Willow, you’re also trying to run a ranch and raise a child on your own, life is—to put it mildly—not easy.

That’s why I searched for a hero like Cooper Drummond. A man who, while not without his faults, has a heart big enough to love a woman out of his past and her autistic child.

I hope you enjoy Willow, Lilybelle and Cooper’s story. I love hearing from all my readers. You can contact me by email at rdfox@cox.net.

Or by letter at Roz Denny Fox, 7739 E. Broadway Blvd #101, Tucson, AZ 85710-3941.

Sincerely,

Roz

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Roz saw her first book, Red Hot Pepper, published by Harlequin Books in February 1990. She's written for several Harlequin series, as well as online serials and special projects. Besides being a writer, Roz has worked as a medical secretary and as an administrative assistant in both an elementary school and a community college. Part of her love for writing came from moving around with her husband during his tenure in the Marine Corps and as a telephone engineer. The richness of settings and the diversity of friendships she experienced continue to make their way into her stories. Roz enjoys corresponding with readers either via email, rdfox@cox.net, or by mail (7739 E. Broadway Blvd #101, Tucson, AZ 85710-3941). You can also check her website www.Korynna.com/RozFox.

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This book is for Paula Eykelhof, who has supported and encouraged me in my writing for as long as I’ve been dreaming up stories. Also Cooper and Willow’s story is for Kathleen Scheibling, who found a place in American Romance for one more good-looking, lovable Texas cowboy.

Contents

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 One

It was Saturday night, and Cooper Drummond, five-time national bronc-riding champion, sat in a Hondo, Texas, bar, nursing his second beer. The barmaid flirted with him, as did rodeo fans who were trying to get his attention. They eventually gave up and turned to someone else when Coop didn’t flirt back. He had a lot on his mind. It had begun to bother him that he had very little to show for five years of earning good money on the circuit. He owned a top-of-the-line Dodge Ram and a color-coordinated two-horse trailer. He had a suitcase full of flashy buckles, more than one man would ever wear. He’d lost count of his broken bones. Thank heaven they’d all healed. With luck he wouldn’t have any more, now that—six months ago—he’d quit rodeo. He’d been working for Jud Rayburn on the Rocking R Ranch because he didn’t want to go home to the Tripe D, which his older brother ran with an iron fist—just like he tried to run Coop’s life. Tonight ought to be a typical Saturday night off from chasing rogue steers through dusty, cactus-littered arroyos. As a rule Coop would hit town with a group of other cowboys, and they all partied hard and two-stepped the night away with hangers-on from the rodeo days. But tonight, for some reason, his interest in dancing had disappeared. Some of his pals were playing pool in an adjacent room, but he wasn’t moved to take part in that either.

On the jukebox, Reba belted out a song called “The Bridge You Burn.” Her words, wrapped in upbeat music, bounced off the rafters and left Coop thinking about how many bridges he’d burned. A lot of them, for sure.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder, interrupting Coop’s self-analysis. He turned on the bar stool, expecting to see one of the guys from the Rocking R. He didn’t expect to see his older brother, Sullivan. Nor was Coop in any mood to have Sully pull out the adjacent stool and plant his butt there. The brothers had been at odds over almost everything since their dad died and Sully had nominated himself to fill his shoes.

Coop lifted his long-neck bottle and took a deep draw. “What brings you slumming tonight, big brother?”