Cindy Kirk: A Sweetheart for Jude Fortune

MEET THE FORTUNES!

Fortune of the Month: Jude Fortune Jones

Age: 30

Vital Statistics: Broad rancher’s shoulders, blue eyes and oh—those muscles!

Claim to Fame: Falls in love as often as he changes his socks

Romantic Prospects: Excellent. Who can resist his sexy drawl and heartfelt ways?

“I know my reputation. But this time it’s different. From the moment I laid eyes on Gabi Mendoza, I knew I had found my One True Love. I guess it’s true that opposites attract. She’s Miami and I’m Texas. She’s all serious and I’m—well, I’m Jude. But you know what happens when a Fortune and a Mendoza get together? Magic! And I’m not about to let that kind of magic slip away without a fight!”

* * *

The Fortunes of Texas:

Welcome to Horseback Hollow!

A Sweetheart for Jude Fortune

Cindy Kirk

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Cindy Kirkhas loved to read for as long as she can remember. In first grade she received an award for reading one hundred books. As she grew up, summers were her favorite time of year. Nothing beat going to the library, then coming home and curling up in front of the window air conditioner with a good book. Often the novels she read would spur ideas, and she’d make up her own story (always with a happy ending). When she’d go to bed at night, instead of counting sheep she’d make up more stories in her head. Since selling her first story to Mills & Boon in 1999, Cindy has been forced to juggle her love of reading with her passion for creating stories of her own…but she doesn’t mind. Writing for the Mills & Boon® Cherish™ series is a dream come true. She only hopes you have as much fun reading her books as she has writing them!

Cindy invites you to visit her website, www.cindykirk.com.

To my longtime friend,

author Nancy Robards Thompson.

Here’s to many, many more years of friendship!!

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

Excerpt

Chapter One

Standing on the sidewalk outside the Horseback Hollow Superette on a bright Friday morning, Gabriella Mendoza paused to read a text from her father, sent from his room in a rehabilitation center in Lubbock.

Bath@9. DON’T come b4 10.

Gabi sighed. Since it was barely eight-thirty, even if she chugged down the highway at the speed of a slug, she’d easily make the one-hour drive into the city before ten. This meant she needed to use this stop at the local convenience store to not only grab coffee, but kill time.

OK C U after 10, she texted back, then started toward the store known for carrying a little bit of everything. She was mentally calculating how much time she needed to waste when her phone pinged.

Gabi smiled. Though Orlando Mendoza had recently celebrated his sixtieth birthday, he texted with a fervor normally reserved for teenagers. She’d barely glanced at the incoming message when her forward progress came to a jarring halt.

“Whoa.” The masculine voice held a hint of laughter. Large hands reached out to steady her when she stumbled.

Startled, Gabi jerked her head up and the unsteadiness returned full force. Even if his eyes hadn’t been the color of the Texas sky, the blond-haired Adonis in worn Wranglers and a black Stetson would have caused any red-blooded woman’s heart to race.

“Whoa,” Gabi repeated.

He lifted his hands from her forearms, but the searing heat from his touch lingered. “Are you okay? I plowed right into you.”

“Actually, I think it was me plowing into you.” She flashed a quick, apologetic smile. “I’m one of the rare few who can’t walk and read a text at the same time.”

“Let’s call it a draw.” The cowboy offered up a lazy smile and rocked back on his heels. He made no move to step aside or walk away. It was as if he had all the time in the world to stand in the bright sunlight of this unseasonably warm day in late January and chat with a stranger.

And Gabi was a stranger, not only to him but to most of the two thousand residents living in this small North Texas town. Though she’d been living in her father’s house in Horseback Hollow for the past couple weeks, she had yet to meet his neighbors. Since she’d arrived from her home in Miami, any free time had been spent at the hospital.

When she’d been notified the small plane her father had been flying had crashed, Gabi had hopped the first flight to Texas. With her mother dead and her brothers unable to make the trip for various reasons, she’d come alone.

Gabi hadn’t minded the sacrifice. Her father had always been there for her. All she wanted was him to be independent once again. His transfer from the hospital to rehab yesterday had been a positive first step.

Hopefully with her father doing better, she’d have the opportunity to meet a few people in town. Like now, she could spend a few minutes flirting—er, becoming acquainted with—the handsome hunk who stood before her, without feeling she was neglecting her dad.

Unfortunately, before Gabi could formulate something smart and witty to say, his phone rang. The cowboy glanced at the screen, grimaced and answered.

“Have a fabulous day,” she said softly, regretfully, wiggling her fingers goodbye.

He shot her a wink. Even as he listened intently, phone pressed to his ear, those clear blue eyes remained fixed on her. The scrutiny made her glad she’d taken a few extra minutes this morning to dab on some makeup and curl her hair instead of pulling it back like she’d been doing all week.

As Gabi entered the Superette, she almost called back that it had been nice to meet him. She stopped herself just in time.

They hadn’t met, not really. They’d merely run into each other—literally—and exchanged a handful of words. She didn’t even know his name. Of course, that didn’t mean she hadn’t liked what she’d seen, and it certainly didn’t stop her from hoping he’d be there when she came out.

But, by the time she returned with a twenty-ounce cup of decaf in hand, he was gone. Heaving a sigh of regret, Gabi slid behind the wheel of her father’s boat-of-a-Buick and turned toward the highway leading to Lubbock.

The car obediently settled into a smooth cruise, allowing her brain to shift to autopilot. She’d made this trip to see her father more times in the past few weeks than she could count.

When the landing gear on the plane he’d been flying had failed to engage, the experienced aviator had been forced to belly-land. Most of his injuries had been incurred when the plane broke apart on impact. She’d seen pictures of what was left of the Cessna.

What had the doctor said? It was a miracle he’d survived.

Gabi rolled up the window all the way, suddenly chilled to the bone. But she reminded herself that was the past. Today was her father’s first full day in the rehabilitation center and a cause for celebration.

By the time Gabi pulled into the parking lot of the facility, her mood was as sunny as the cloudless sky. She headed toward the front door of the facility with a bounce in her step.

Once inside, she quickly located the stairs. Seizing opportunities to exercise came so naturally Gabi never considered taking an elevator. She jogged up the steps two at a time, pleased her heart rate remained steady and her breath even.