Loree Lough - Sweet Mountain Rancher

He can say no to everything but her...

Nate Marshall used to be a yes-man...until being so agreeable cost him dearly. But Eden Quinn has a way of getting him to reconsider his “just say no” policy. Which is how a bunch of troubled teens end up at his ranch for the weekend. The boys in Eden’s care are a handful, and Nate can’t help but be attracted to the feisty, independent woman who keeps them in line. This cowboy knows Eden’s no damsel in distress, yet it’s clear hers isn’t a one-woman job. If she’s determined to do everything on her own, how can he help her...let alone get her to fall for him?

Nate slid the envelope over to Eden.

“I don’t know what to say.”

He lifted her chin. “Say okay. And that you’ll find a safe place to keep it until you need it for a contractor, new appliances and whatnot.”

“A safe place?” Eden sighed. “Is there such a thing these days?”

“Would you feel more comfortable if I held on to the money? Say the word and name the amount you need, and I’ll be right over to deliver it.” He grinned. “Probably at mealtime.”

“Thank you doesn’t begin to cover what I feel.” Eden focused on something beyond his left shoulder. Nate couldn’t pinpoint the change in her expression. Anger? Fear? Disgust?

“No thanks necessary. I like those kids.” And I like you. “I’m glad I can help out a little.”

“A little?” Eden laughed. “I took a writing class a few years ago,” she said, “and the instructor stressed two things over and over.”

“Oh?”

“One—don’t undervalue your contributions.”

She leaned in close, real close.

“And what’s number two?”

“Show,” she whispered, “don’t tell.”

Eden pressed her lips to his, a lingering, heart-pounding kiss that left him breathless, wanting more.

When it ended, he looked into those striking storm-gray eyes and found a word to describe the subtle shift in her mood, and it hurt like a roundhouse punch to the gut: obligated.

Dear Reader,

At one time or another, we’ve all recited the adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover” and the ol’ Will Rogers quote, “You’ll never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Put the two together and we’d sound a little like my secondary character Shamus Magee: “You’ll never get a second chance to judge a book by its cover.” Not even Eden Quinn, who relies on his grandfatherly insights, knows if Shamus’s mixed metaphors are deliberate or just a facet of his quirky personality. She has a surrogate mom of sorts, too: Cora Michaels, who teaches Eden that sometimes even the best mothers raise not-so-good kids. It’s a particularly tough lesson for Eden, whose life and career are dedicated to helping troubled teen boys...

Surrounded by a loving, tight-knit family, Nate Marshall doesn’t need surrogate relatives. His raised-as-brothers cousins, Sam and Zach, know when things aren’t right and have no trouble doling out much-needed advice—whether Nate thinks he needs it or not!

As an avid reader, you’ve no doubt figured out that secondary characters are integral to a story’s design...and the main characters’ development. Secondaries serve as sounding boards, advisors, even comic relief, and their interactions with the main characters allow readers to see deep into the minds and hearts of a book’s stars, too.

After you’ve finished reading Sweet Mountain Rancher, I’d love to hear which secondaries were your favorites!

Meanwhile, here’s hoping your life is filled with caring, helpful “secondaries”!

Wishing you only the best,

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LOREE LOUGHonce sang for her supper. Traveling by way of bus and train, she entertained folks in pubs and lounges across the USA and Canada. Her favorite memories of “days on the road” are the hours spent singing to soldiers recovering from battle wounds in VA hospitals. Now and then she polishes up her Yamaha guitar to croon a tune or two, but mostly she writes. Her past Mills & Boon Heartwarming novel, Saving Alyssa, brought the total number of Loree’s books-in-print to one hundred (fifteen bearing the Mills & Boon logo). Loree’s work has earned numerous industry accolades, movie options and four- and five-star reviews, but what she treasures most are her Readers’ Choice awards.

Loree and her real-life hero split their time between Baltimore’s suburbs and a cabin in the Allegheny Mountains, where she continues to perfect her “identify the critter tracks” skills. A writer who believes in giving back, Loree donates a generous portion of her annual income to charity (see the Giving Back page of her website, loreelough.com, for details). She loves hearing from her readers and answers every letter personally. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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This story is dedicated to all the good-hearted people who see to the needs of helpless kids when their loved ones can’t...or won’t. There’s a special place in heaven for all of you!

Acknowledgments

A huge and heartfelt thank-you to those of you who took time from your busy schedules to answer my lengthy list of questions involving the foster care system, halfway houses and shelters that provide for kids in need. I admire the dedication that pushes you far, far above and beyond the bounds of your assigned duties—even when facing seemingly insurmountable odds. Though I respect and understand that in order to protect the kids in your care you must remain anonymous, I will remember your names and your deeds with fondness and gratitude!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

NATE RESTED GLOVED hands on the gatepost and watched the long green van pull up to the barn. Over the past few days, he’d spoken several times with Eden Quinn, who’d called to ask if she could bring the teen boys in her care to the Double M for a weekend of communing with nature.

Right off the bat, he translated “boys in her care” to mean juvenile delinquents, and issued a matter-of-fact no . If they weren’t trouble, they’d be home with their parents or guardians instead of some county-run facility. Nate had to hand it to her, though, because after she repeated her spiel three different ways, he gave in. It was Memorial Day weekend, after all, and the ranch hands had scattered to the four winds, leaving him and Carl to hold down the fort. Once he’d taken the boys’ measure, he’d decide whether or not he could trust them alone in the bunkhouse. But no need to worry about that just yet, since it wasn’t likely they’d last until dark. In his experience, city folk shied away from work—the good old-fashioned hard work that involved powerful animals and manure.