Brenda Minton - Her Rancher Bodyguard

Her Texas Protector

Bodyguard Boone Wilder isn’t keen on his latest mission: watching over a pretty politician’s daughter. Boone is from quiet Texas Hill Country, and Kayla is a showy city gal. But once safely settled at the Wilder Ranch, Boone watches Kayla enjoy cooking with his family, caring for his relatives and bottle-feeding calves. There’s more to her than he ever knew. Still, the former soldier’s wounds are way too deep to let Kayla close. But when he discovers that someone wants to hurt Kayla, Boone must risk his heart to protect what he cares about most.

She hadn’t expected this.

Boone should be in the background, quietly observing. And yet here she sat with her bodyguard and his family, talking of cattle and fixing fences.

A hand settled on her back. She glanced at the man next to her; his dark eyes crinkled at the corners and his mouth quirked, revealing a dimple in his left cheek.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but a heavy knock on the front door interrupted. He pushed away from the table.

“I think I’ll get that.” His gaze landed on Kayla. “You stay right where you are until I say otherwise.”

“They wouldn’t come here,” she said.

“We don’t know what they would or wouldn’t do, because we don’t know who they are. Stay.” He walked away.

Kayla avoided looking at the people who still remained at the table. She knew they were looking at her. She knew that her life had invaded theirs.

And she knew that her bodyguard might seem like a relaxed cowboy, but he wasn’t. He was the man standing between her and the unknown.

BRENDA MINTON lives in the Ozarks with her husband, children, cats, dogs and strays. She is a pastor’s wife, Sunday school teacher, coffee addict and sleep-deprived. Not in that order. Her dream to be an author for Harlequin started somewhere in the pages of a romance novel about a young American woman stranded in a Spanish castle. Her dreams came true, and twenty-plus books later, she is an author hoping to inspire young girls to dream.

Her Rancher Bodyguard

Brenda Minton

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,

or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

—Romans 8:35

To those who persevere.

To my family and friends,

for the support and prayers.

And to Melissa and Giselle.

Without you, I’d be a mess.

Thank you for everything!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text Her Texas Protector Bodyguard Boone Wilder isn’t keen on his latest mission: watching over a pretty politician’s daughter. Boone is from quiet Texas Hill Country, and Kayla is a showy city gal. But once safely settled at the Wilder Ranch, Boone watches Kayla enjoy cooking with his family, caring for his relatives and bottle-feeding calves. There’s more to her than he ever knew. Still, the former soldier’s wounds are way too deep to let Kayla close. But when he discovers that someone wants to hurt Kayla, Boone must risk his heart to protect what he cares about most.

Introduction She hadn’t expected this. Boone should be in the background, quietly observing. And yet here she sat with her bodyguard and his family, talking of cattle and fixing fences. A hand settled on her back. She glanced at the man next to her; his dark eyes crinkled at the corners and his mouth quirked, revealing a dimple in his left cheek. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but a heavy knock on the front door interrupted. He pushed away from the table. “I think I’ll get that.” His gaze landed on Kayla. “You stay right where you are until I say otherwise.” “They wouldn’t come here,” she said. “We don’t know what they would or wouldn’t do, because we don’t know who they are. Stay.” He walked away. Kayla avoided looking at the people who still remained at the table. She knew they were looking at her. She knew that her life had invaded theirs. And she knew that her bodyguard might seem like a relaxed cowboy, but he wasn’t. He was the man standing between her and the unknown.

About the Author BRENDA MINTON lives in the Ozarks with her husband, children, cats, dogs and strays. She is a pastor’s wife, Sunday school teacher, coffee addict and sleep-deprived. Not in that order. Her dream to be an author for Harlequin started somewhere in the pages of a romance novel about a young American woman stranded in a Spanish castle. Her dreams came true, and twenty-plus books later, she is an author hoping to inspire young girls to dream.

Title Page Her Rancher Bodyguard Brenda Minton www.millsandboon.co.uk

Bible Verse Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? —Romans 8:35

Dedication To those who persevere. To my family and friends, for the support and prayers. And to Melissa and Giselle. Without you, I’d be a mess. Thank you for everything!

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

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

From bodyguard to babysitter. Boone Wilder leaned against the exterior brick wall of a closed boutique store in a pricey part of Austin, Texas. The sun had set more than an hour earlier and the temperature had cooled to a balmy eighty degrees. Not bad for early September. But he wished he was at home in Martin’s Crossing sipping iced tea on his front porch and not standing in front of a clothing store in Austin on a late-summer evening.

He should have argued a little more when his partner Daron McKay had asked him to take this case. Daron knew the subject and knew she wouldn’t listen to him. The third partner at MWP Bodyguard Services, Lucy Palermo, was Boone’s backup. Daron had joked that Lucy couldn’t take lead because Lucy would just shoot the client if she got on her nerves.

Lucy hadn’t found that statement as amusing as Boone and Daron.

At the moment his client was across the street in a trendy café, sipping coffee and oblivious to his presence. That was how her dad, William Stanford, wanted it. Boone’s job was to keep Kayla Stanford out of trouble, without her being aware. He’d been following her for a week now, close enough to keep her safe, far enough away that she didn’t have a clue.

He’d like to keep it that way, with her not knowing of his existence. He was supposed to interfere in Kayla’s life only if she appeared to be in danger, or if she appeared to be on the verge of creating a scandal. Those were her father’s directives. Boone had talked to Kayla’s half brother Brody Martin, who had assured him that she had a way of generating controversy.

A group of people were walking down the sidewalk. He stepped back, leaned against the wall and pulled his hat low. He touched the brim as they walked past, just to be gentlemanly. One of the women, a little older, and wearing too much makeup, winked and then grabbed the arm of a friend. They smiled and talked loudly about his jeans and cowboy boots, their voices echoing against the brick buildings on each side of the street.

As he watched for Kayla Stanford to leave the café, Boone planned what he’d say to Daron. Yeah, this was a good job and the big fat check they’d been paid was welcome. But this was not what Boone had signed on for when he, Daron and Lucy had started their bodyguard business a little over a year ago. So far they’d managed to build a decent business by protecting politicians and doing security at various functions. Those were the jobs they were trained for. The three of them had served together in Afghanistan and they’d formed a bond.