Brenda Minton: The Rancher's Christmas Bride

A Cowboy for Christmas

After being jilted at the altar, all Marissa Walker wants for Christmas is to escape her life. Fleeing to Bluebonnet Springs and the ailing grandfather she’s never known seems like the perfect solution. But when her limo breaks down, neighboring rancher Alex Palermo comes to her rescue. With his ranch in jeopardy, Alex can’t afford any distractions right now—until he sees a bedraggled runaway bride on the side of the road. Alex can’t turn his back on the spunky city girl, and soon his priority becomes convincing her to stay. Because Christmas—and his future—would be much merrier with Marissa as his bride.

“I would marry you.”

Marissa looked half afraid. “That isn’t funny.”

“No one said I was joking.”

“You don’t even know my name.”

No, Alex guessed he didn’t. Nor did she know his. He’d been known to be impulsive, but it took a certain kind of brashness to propose to a woman when you didn’t even know her name.

But he said it again. “I would marry you.”

She laughed and got out of his truck. Well, maybe he’d been wrong. He was, after all, Alex Palermo. In his experience, women wanted to date him but they didn’t want to marry him. To the people in Bluebonnet Springs, he was a Palermo. On the bull-riding circuit he was a little bit wild, and not the guy anyone wanted to settle down with.

Not only that, but most women didn’t accept proposals from strangers who picked them up on the side of the road.

Besides, she was out of his league. She knew it. He knew it. But he couldn’t help but admire her.

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.

The Rancher’s Christmas Bride

Brenda Minton

www.millsandboon.co.uk

And we know that God causes everything

to work together for the good of those

who love God and are called according to

His purpose for them.

—Romans 8:28

To Josh and Brooke, for pitching in and making everything so much easier for me. I’m blessed to have such amazing kids. And to my editor, Melissa Endlich, because she’s awesome.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text A Cowboy for Christmas After being jilted at the altar, all Marissa Walker wants for Christmas is to escape her life. Fleeing to Bluebonnet Springs and the ailing grandfather she’s never known seems like the perfect solution. But when her limo breaks down, neighboring rancher Alex Palermo comes to her rescue. With his ranch in jeopardy, Alex can’t afford any distractions right now—until he sees a bedraggled runaway bride on the side of the road. Alex can’t turn his back on the spunky city girl, and soon his priority becomes convincing her to stay. Because Christmas—and his future—would be much merrier with Marissa as his bride.

Introduction “I would marry you.” Marissa looked half afraid. “That isn’t funny.” “No one said I was joking.” “You don’t even know my name.” No, Alex guessed he didn’t. Nor did she know his. He’d been known to be impulsive, but it took a certain kind of brashness to propose to a woman when you didn’t even know her name. But he said it again. “I would marry you.” She laughed and got out of his truck. Well, maybe he’d been wrong. He was, after all, Alex Palermo. In his experience, women wanted to date him but they didn’t want to marry him. To the people in Bluebonnet Springs, he was a Palermo. On the bull-riding circuit he was a little bit wild, and not the guy anyone wanted to settle down with. Not only that, but most women didn’t accept proposals from strangers who picked them up on the side of the road. Besides, she was out of his league. She knew it. He knew it. But he couldn’t help but admire her.

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 The Rancher’s Christmas Bride Brenda Minton www.millsandboon.co.uk

Bible Verse And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. —Romans 8:28

Dedication To Josh and Brooke, for pitching in and making everything so much easier for me. I’m blessed to have such amazing kids. And to my editor, Melissa Endlich, because she’s awesome.

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

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

When memories crashed in on Alex Palermo, he drove. He never thought about a destination. He only knew that if he rolled down his truck windows, played some cowboy country on the radio and prayed, the memories would fade and so would the guilt. The praying part happened to be a new addition to the process. Pastor Matthews of the Bluebonnet Community Church had insisted he try it.

They’d joked that real men can eat quiche. Real men can pray. They can even cry every once in a while. As long as it didn’t become habit. They’d fist-bumped and joked over that.

On a cool day in December, Texas Hill Country wasn’t at its warmest. But the breeze coming through the open windows of his truck helped to clear his mind. He’d been doing really well, but tonight, maybe because it was almost ten years to the day since he’d killed his father, the memories had resurfaced with a vengeance.

No, he hadn’t really killed his father. Deep down he knew that he hadn’t. But for years he’d told himself he was responsible for the death of Jesse Palermo. In reality, alcohol and a mean bull had killed Alex’s father.

Earlier, standing in the arena where his father had drawn a bull rope—and his last breath—Alex had been hard put to remember that it hadn’t been his fault his dad had gotten on that bull.

The tires of his truck hummed on the pavement. He took a deep breath and turned up the radio. As if he could outrun the pain.

A few miles out of Bluebonnet Springs, he hit the brakes. Because either he’d gone crazy, or ahead of him, on the shoulder of the road, was a woman in a wedding dress. The last thing he wanted was a bride, even someone else’s bride. His common sense told him to keep on driving.

Common sense told him that he had enough problems of his own without getting tied up in someone else’s hard times. He’d taken off driving in the hopes of outrunning some of those problems.

Unfortunately he’d never been good at listening. His twin, Marcus, always accused him of being the good twin. He didn’t know if he’d agree with that, but he supposed he must have a chivalrous side. He pulled to the shoulder just ahead and got out of his truck. The woman was definitely real. And wearing a wedding dress. As if on cue, it started to rain. Steady, big drops. The kind of rain that danced across the pavement and soaked a person’s clothing.