Valerie Hansen - Her Montana Cowboy

The Man of Her Dreams

Julie Shaw is up to her ears in parade preparations…and cowboys! As the mayor’s daughter, she needs to make sure the centennial celebrations for her beloved hometown of Jasper Gulch, Montana, go off without a hitch. Surely that’s why she’s feeling so flustered. It couldn’t have anything to do with the handsome Ryan Travers. Of course she’d noticed the visiting rodeo star with the sparkle in his eye. But Julie is way too sensible to fall for his obvious appeal. As the town gossips about a century-old mystery, Julie’s thoughts keep drifting to the charming cowboy. Despite her father’s objections, she may soon find herself roped in…by love.

Big Sky Centennial: A small town rich in history…and love.

Mayor Jackson Shaw,

the Jasper Gulch Centennial Committee,

and the Good Citizens of Jasper Gulch, Montana,

Cordially Invite You

to the Grand Opening Ceremonies

of the Jasper Gulch Centennial.

Featuring the Jasper Gulch Centennial Rodeo

and the Official Unveiling of the

Jasper Gulch Time Capsule

Happy birthday, America! Happy birthday, Jasper Gulch! As the tiny all-American town prepares to celebrate its one hundredth anniversary, folks are expecting pomp, circumstance and hometown pride. What they aren’t expecting is a six-month whirlwind of romantic surprises. Opposites will attract, sweethearts will reunite, secrets will be revealed and mysteries unraveled. It all begins when debonair rodeo rider Ryan Travers ambles down Main Street and steals off with small-town girl Julie Shaw’s heart….

* * *

Big Sky Centennial:

A small town rich in history…and love.

VALERIE HANSEN

was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. In the years that followed, she worked with young children, both in church and secular environments. She also raised a family of her own and played foster mother to a wide assortment of furred and feathered critters.

Married to her high school sweetheart for many years, she lives in an old farmhouse they renovated with their own hands. She loves to hike the wooded hills behind the house and reflect on the marvelous life she’s been given. Not only is she privileged to reside among the loving, accepting folks in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, she also gets to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart in Love Inspired Books.

Life doesn’t get much better than that!

Her Montana Cowboy

Valerie Hansen

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.

—Psalms 95:7

To my Joe, who is with me in spirit, looking over my shoulder and offering moral support as I write. He always will be.

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 Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Dear Reader,

Extract

Chapter One

The glorious day! Finally!

“Here they come!” Julie Shaw jumped up and down, clapped her hands, whistled and shouted with the rest of the spectators lining the parade route.

After months of preparation and thousands of volunteer hours, the Jasper Gulch centennial celebration was finally kicking off with their Fourth of July parade.

Proud beyond words, Julie placed her hand over her heart to honor the American flag as the mounted color guard rode beneath one of the vibrant banners spanning the street and passed the reviewing stand filled with local dignitaries. Seeing the entire two-block stretch of old-town Main Street decked out in red, white and blue, with myriad flags flying, brought tears to her eyes. What a country. What a town. And what a beautiful state Montana was.

Her eldest brother, Cord, was one of the riders chosen to carry the fluttering Stars and Stripes and open the festivities, following a short speech from their father, Mayor Jackson Shaw, and a prayer by the new pastor, Ethan Johnson.

Feeling blessed, Julie watched the passage of the various homemade floats bearing veterans, the Little League team, 4-H members and many others. Her happy heart was beating in time with the drums of the Jasper Gulch Bobcat Band as it marched by. Those kids might not have fancy, matching uniforms, but they were all dressed in their best Western wear, as was she, and their enthusiasm was contagious.

Following the float bearing Miss Jasper Gulch came a mounted group of rodeo participants, led by the clowns, who much preferred to be referred to as bullfighters. Of all the events scheduled for the six-month-long celebration, it was the rodeo Julie loved best.

Her sister, Faith, elbowed her in the ribs. “Hey, look.”

“I know. I’m looking.” Julie blushed and fanned herself with her straw Stetson to exaggerate her reaction. “Wow!”

“And you said there were no handsome men in Jasper Gulch.”

“Not exactly. What I said was, there’s nobody around here I’d consider marrying, no matter what Dad wants.”

“It’s the same thing.”

Julie shook her head. “No, it isn’t.” She would have continued to spar with her older sister if her attention had not become focused on one passing cowboy in particular.

She couldn’t decide what it was about the man that had caught and was holding her attention. It had simply happened. There was something so special, so compelling about him she could not tear her gaze away.

He sat comfortably in the saddle with his hat pulled low enough to shade his dark eyes. Fringes of dark hair were visible at his nape, leaving the rest of his hair to her imagination.

It would be thick and wavy, she told herself. And it would feel—

Another poke in the ribs startled Julie. She jumped.

“Whoa,” Faith said, giggling. “Earth to Julie. Where was your mind just now?”

“I’m not telling.” The warmth of her flushed cheeks did the talking for her and caused her sister to laugh louder. Julie tried to quiet her. “Shh. You’re making a scene.”

“Not me, baby sister. You should see your face. It’s almost as red as your hair.”

“We have auburn hair, not red,” Julie countered. “I just wish I didn’t blush so easily.”

“Comes with our blue eyes,” Faith told her. “That, and freckles, which I could do without.”

“Don’t be silly. You have beautiful skin.”

“Speaking of beautiful, take a gander at the barrel racer your cowboy is riding with.”

“He’s not with…” She’d been going to finish with “anybody,” until she looked back at the procession. The good-looking rodeo rider who had caught her eye did seem to be in the company of another woman. Not only that, the horses they were riding sported similar tack. They certainly looked as though they were a couple.

Nevertheless, Julie shaded her eyes with one hand and boldly studied the man. She hadn’t met nearly all the rodeo contestants because many had arrived in Jasper Gulch very recently. Their normal schedule would have had them competing here for two or three days, then packing up and moving on to the next PRCA—Professional Rodeo Cowboys’ Association—sanctioned rodeo. There were plenty to choose from and she was doubly thankful that so many talented contestants had opted to honor her town with their presence.