Vicki Thompson: Say Yes To The Cowboy

From lone wolf to family man

When trick roper Zeke Rafferty sees Tess Irwin standing on his front porch, memories of two unforgettable days—and nights—come flooding back. But when the pretty schoolteacher reveals that one plus one will soon equal three, Zeke is stunned. Then he remembers his manners. And asks Tess to marry him.

If you turn down a handsome cowboy’s proposal, is it okay to still want to kiss him? Wait, no! Tess doesn’t want a husband. Besides, she’s holding out for love. A man has a right to know he fathered a child, but beyond that, Tess is raising this child alone. Zeke proved he can make a baby. But can he make the grade as a loving husband and dad?

Praise for Vicki Lewis Thompson

“It’s a wonderful sexy romance, with some very appealing and likable characters, and I’m definitely going to delve into more of the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood series.”

—HarlequinJunkie, Top Pick, on Cowboy Untamed

“The tongue-in-cheek, sweet yet sensual and comfortable family feel... remains until the last page. Cowboy After Dark is a story that will keep you smiling.”

—RT Book Reviews, Top Pick

“Thompson continues to do what she does best, tying together strong family values bound by blood and choice, interspersed with the more sizzling aspects of the relationship.”

—RT Book Reviews on Thunderstruck

“All the characters, background stories and character development are positively stellar; the warm family feeling is not saccharine-sweet, but heartfelt and genuine, and Lexi and Cade’s rekindled romance is believable from beginning to end, along with the classy, sexy and tender love scenes.”

—Fresh Fiction on Midnight Thunder

“Vicki Lewis Thompson has compiled a tale of this terrific family, along with their friends and employees, to keep you glued to the page and ending with that warm and loving feeling.”

—Fresh Fiction on Cowboys and Angels

Say Yes to the Cowboy

Vicki Lewis Thompson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

A passion for travel has taken New York Times bestselling author VICKI LEWIS THOMPSON to Europe, Great Britain, the Greek isles, Australia and New Zealand. She’s visited most of North America and has her eye on South America’s rain forests. Africa, India and China beckon. But her first love is her home state of Arizona, with its deserts, mountains, sunsets and—last but not least—cowboys! The wide-open spaces and heroes on horseback influence everything she writes. Connect with her at www.vickilewisthompson.com, Facebook.com/vickilewisthompsonand Twitter.com/vickilthompson.

To the many copy editors over the years who’ve tightened my prose and questioned my word choices.

We share the same geeky obsession with language, so it’s too bad we can’t all meet in the bar for a drink.

I know we’d get along!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Praise

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

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

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

When a truck drove up outside the ranch house, Zeke Rafferty put down the barbell and grabbed a towel to mop his face. The workout wasn’t that hard, but the pain in his shoulder made him sweat like a pig. As he pulled on a T-shirt, the soft cotton stuck to his skin.

He’d recently decided to let his beard grow, so he hoped his visitor was someone who wouldn’t mind the sweat or the scruff. Walking out onto the front porch helped cool him off. Maybe he should start doing his exercises there so he could catch the Wyoming evening breeze.

He was glad to see the Thunder Mountain Academy logo on the tan pickup in front of the house. Anyone driving that truck would be family. When he saw it was Rosie, his foster mom, he hurried over to open the door for her. His nose told him she’d baked him a rhubarb pie. Excellent.

“Came over to see how you’re doing.” She handed him the pie and then waved him off as he started to help her down. “Don’t put a strain on your shoulder, son.”

“I won’t.” He got a kick out of seeing her at the wheel of such a massive vehicle. The top of her fluffed-up blond hairdo barely reached his shoulder yet she drove that truck with authority. He transferred the pie to his other hand and used his good arm to steady her as she stepped on the running board and hopped down. “The pie smells great.”

“It’s still warm. Do you have any of that vanilla ice cream left?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then, if you’ll make me some decaf, I wouldn’t mind a slice before I head back. By the way, Herb said to say hello.”

“Thanks.” Zeke enjoyed these impromptu visits from his foster parents. He was fine with his own company, which made him the perfect caretaker for his foster brother Matt’s ranch, but he didn’t mind having someone to talk to now and then.

Maybe his nights seemed especially quiet because his days were filled with the sounds of hammering and sawing, sometimes punctuated with a baby’s squeals and laughter. His foster brother Damon Harrison and Damon’s wife, Philomena, were renovating the house for Matt, and they usually brought along their seven-month-old baby, Sophie. Zeke wasn’t much help with the renovation because of his shoulder, so he entertained Sophie when she was awake.

Rosie glanced at the sawhorses in the living room and the cartons of hardwood flooring. “Damon mentioned that they’d decided to replace the floors in all the bedrooms.”

“Yes, ma’am, and it’ll be beautiful when they’re done. Matt’s gonna love it.”

“He will. They do fabulous work. Speaking of Matt, have you heard from him recently?” Rosie headed for the kitchen.

“He called this morning.” Zeke started on the coffee. “Wanted to warn me that he’d ordered a kitchen table and chairs.” He gestured at the card table and folding chairs in the room now. “Should be here in a few days.” After landing a starring role in a Western being released in September, Matt was on track to become the most famous of the Thunder Mountain foster boys. With his improved finances, he’d bought this place, outside Sheridan and adjacent to Thunder Mountain Ranch. Matt’s timing had been perfect for Zeke. A torn rotator cuff from years of trick roping had forced him to leave the rodeo circuit for a few months. Keeping an eye on Matt’s property and overseeing renovations and furniture delivery had given him a spot to land until he healed.

“You’re going to the premiere, right?” Rosie put generous servings of pie on two plates and added a scoop of ice cream to each. Then she put them on the table along with napkins and forks. She’d helped Zeke organize the kitchen when he’d moved in, so she knew her way around.

“Planning on it.”

“How’s your shoulder?”

“Better.” It was his standard answer but progress was too damned slow. He worried that even after he was healed enough to get back to his routine, he’d need hours of practice before feeling confident he could dazzle the fans.

“I went online today and found a video of you performing at a rodeo in Vegas. Do you always wear sparkly clothes or was that a Vegas thing?”