Victoria Pade - Cowboy's Caress

Though scattered by years and tears, they share mile-deep roots in one Wyoming ranch—and a singular talent for lassoing the unlikeliest hearts!

Bax said in a soft voice.

Carly realized only then that his hands were no longer massaging her foot, but caressing it….

Bax held her eyes with his, and even if Carly had wanted to break away she didn’t think she could have. Something about the depth of his gaze kept her hypnotized, enthralled, enchanted.

Why did he have to be so great looking? she wondered. So great smelling? So great all around…?

He reached one hand around to the back of her neck to guide her forward, nearer to him, as he leaned to the side to meet her.

There was no question that he was going to kiss her, and Carly’s pulse went into overdrive, beating hard and fast with anticipation. With excitement. With wanting…

Dear Reader,

With spring just around the corner, Silhouette’s yearlong 20th Anniversary celebration marches on as we continue to bring you the best and brightest stars and the most compelling stories ever in Special Edition!

Top author Sherryl Woods kicks off the month with Dylan and the Baby Doctor, a riveting secret baby story in the next installment of AND BABY MAKES THREE: THE DELACOURTS OF TEXAS.

From beloved author Marie Ferrarella, you’ll love Found: His Perfect Wife, an emotional story in which a man loses his memory and gains a temporary spouse…. And reader favorite Victoria Pade continues her popular cowboy series A RANCHING FAMILY with Cowboy’s Caress, a heartwarming story about a woman who’s ready to travel the world—until love comes to town!

Millionaire’s Instant Baby is rising star Allison Leigh’s must-read contribution to the series SO MANY BABIES. In this provocative story, a dashing tycoon gets more than he bargained for when he hires a single mom as his pretend wife in order to close a business deal.

THE BLACKWELL BROTHERS continue to capture hearts in the next book of Sharon De Vita’s cross-line series. In The Marriage Promise, a Blackwell brother is determined to woo and win the forbidden love of a beautiful Amish virgin. And you won’t want to miss Good Morning, Stranger, Laurie Campbell’s dramatically poignant story about a woman, a child and a handsome, mysterious stranger who uncover secrets that bring together a meant-to-be family.

It’s a month chock-full of great reading and terrific variety, and we hope you enjoy all the stories!

All the best,

Karen Taylor Richman

Senior Editor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Books by Victoria Pade

Silhouette Special Edition

Breaking Every Rule #402

Divine Decadence #473

Shades and Shadows #502

Shelter from the Storm #527

Twice Shy #558

Something Special #600

Out on a Limb #629

The Right Time #689

Over Easy #710

Amazing Gracie #752

Hello Again #778

Unmarried with Children #852

*Cowboy’s Kin #923

*Baby My Baby #946

*Cowboy’s Kiss #970

Mom for Hire #1057

*Cowboy’s Lady #1106

*Cowboy’s Love #1159

*The Cowboy’s Ideal Wife #1185

*Baby Love #1249

*Cowboy’s Caress #1311

Silhouette Books

World’s Most Eligible Bachelors

Wyoming Wrangler

VICTORIA PADE

is a bestselling author of both historical and contemporary romance fiction, and mother of two energetic daughters, Cori and Erin. Although she enjoys her chosen career as a novelist, she occasionally laments that she has never traveled farther from her Colorado home than Disneyland, instead spending all her spare time plugging away at her computer. She takes breaks from writing by indulging in her favorite hobby—eating chocolate.

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

“What’s that saying? Life is what happens when you have other plans? I guess that applies to you, Carly.”

“No doubt about it,” Carly Winters agreed from the back seat of her best friend’s car where she sat sideways so her foot could be elevated.

But Deana’s comment from behind the wheel was a whole lot more lighthearted than Carly’s dejected confirmation. Deana had never been happy about Carly’s plans to travel so any interference was welcome to her.

“This hasn’t canceled my trip, though. It’s just postponed it a little,” Carly felt inclined to clarify so her friend didn’t think otherwise. “The doctors at the emergency room said I’d be as good as new in a few weeks. And then I’m off like a rocket.”

Deana didn’t say anything to that. She just turned up the radio and made it seem as if she were paying attention to her driving, as if she had confidence in more of life happening to thwart Carly’s plans.

Carly sighed away the feeling of frustration that those thwarted plans left her with—a feeling she was more familiar with than she wanted to be—and laid her head against the seat.

The sun was just rising on the June day she’d been certain would finally be her swan song to Elk Creek, the small Wyoming town where she’d been born, raised and lived almost all of her thirty-two years. Most of which she’d spent thinking—dreaming—about being somewhere else.

But she wasn’t headed away from Elk Creek. She was headed back to it after spending the night in a Cheyenne hospital emergency room, having her ankle X-rayed.

Luckily she hadn’t broken any bones. That could have cost her six weeks in a cast. As it was, her ankle was sprained, the tendons and ligaments were torn, but it was wrapped in an Ace bandage and she’d be able to get around on crutches. And even though it hurt like crazy, she was sure it would heal quicker than a broken ankle would have. Which meant all the sooner that she’d be able to go off on her grand adventure.

Better late than never.

She still couldn’t believe it had happened, though. At her going-away party, no less.

The whole thing had been a comedy of errors. There she was, saying goodbye to friends, neighbors and relatives, ready to go home to bed for the last time in Elk Creek, when her sister, Hope, had gone into sudden, hard labor. Their mother had gotten so flustered that in her hurry to reach Hope she’d caught her heel in the hem of her dress. Carly had seen her mother’s predicament, dived to catch her and fallen herself, twisting her own ankle to an unhealthy angle while her mother had barely stumbled.

The end result was that Hope had been taken to the medical facility where Tallie Shanahan—the town nurse and midwife—had delivered a healthy baby boy to go with Hope’s other three sons, and Deana had taken Carly to the hospital in Cheyenne. Not only had Tallie had her hands full, but she’d been afraid the ankle was broken, requiring the care of a physician—a commodity Elk Creek had been without for some time.