Cathy McDavid - Rescuing the Cowboy

WRONGED MAN. RIGHT WOMAN?

After three years of wrongful imprisonment, Quinn Crenshaw is ready to rebuild his life and find the daughter he has never met. A job training horses at his cousin’s Arizona cattle ranch becomes something wonderful when Quinn meets Summer Goodwyn and her special-needs little boy. The single mother believes in him…and is raising this former rodeo champion’s spirits sky-high!

The equine therapy program is helping Summer’s young son connect with others—including one super-attractive rancher determined to be a father to his own little girl. Despite the obstacles in their path, can she make Quinn see they have a future worth fighting for?

Knowing it was wrong, he leaned in and lowered his head…

The temptation to inhale her subtle fragrance and hear the slight intake of her breath was too hard to resist.

“Quinn.” His name was a whisper on her lips. “I wish things were different.”

“I do, too.”

Kissing her would be a simple matter of capturing her mouth with his. He didn’t, though his gut told him she’d respond with an ardor she kept hidden.

“I…um…” She hesitated.

“Right.” Hadn’t he vowed mere minutes ago to avoid causing her trouble?

Quinn retreated a step, then walked away. Mistakes were easy to make, and he’d committed too many already in his life.

Rescuing the Cowboy

Cathy McDavid

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Since 2006, New York Times bestselling author CATHY McDAVID has been happily penning contemporary Westerns for Mills & Boon. Every day, she gets to write about handsome cowboys riding the range or busting a bronc. It’s a tough job, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice. Cathy shares her Arizona home with her own real-life sweetheart and a trio of odd pets. Her grown twins have left to embark on lives of their own, and she couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.

To Mike, as always.

What they say is true,

it only takes a moment.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text WRONGED MAN. RIGHT WOMAN? After three years of wrongful imprisonment, Quinn Crenshaw is ready to rebuild his life and find the daughter he has never met. A job training horses at his cousin’s Arizona cattle ranch becomes something wonderful when Quinn meets Summer Goodwyn and her special-needs little boy. The single mother believes in him…and is raising this former rodeo champion’s spirits sky-high! The equine therapy program is helping Summer’s young son connect with others—including one super-attractive rancher determined to be a father to his own little girl. Despite the obstacles in their path, can she make Quinn see they have a future worth fighting for?

Introduction Knowing it was wrong, he leaned in and lowered his head… The temptation to inhale her subtle fragrance and hear the slight intake of her breath was too hard to resist. “Quinn.” His name was a whisper on her lips. “I wish things were different.” “I do, too.” Kissing her would be a simple matter of capturing her mouth with his. He didn’t, though his gut told him she’d respond with an ardor she kept hidden. “I…um…” She hesitated. “Right.” Hadn’t he vowed mere minutes ago to avoid causing her trouble? Quinn retreated a step, then walked away. Mistakes were easy to make, and he’d committed too many already in his life.

Title Page Rescuing the Cowboy Cathy McDavid www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author Since 2006, New York Times bestselling author CATHY McDAVID has been happily penning contemporary Westerns for Mills & Boon. Every day, she gets to write about handsome cowboys riding the range or busting a bronc. It’s a tough job, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice. Cathy shares her Arizona home with her own real-life sweetheart and a trio of odd pets. Her grown twins have left to embark on lives of their own, and she couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.

Dedication To Mike, as always. What they say is true, it only takes a moment.

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

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Shopping in a small-town market shouldn’t be a nightmare. Four thousand square feet. Three aisles crammed with merchandise. A modest dairy and meat department. Fresh produce on Wednesdays: be sure and get there early before it’s all gone. A completely uneventful and uninteresting excursion for most people.

But not for Summer Goodwyn. Yet, what choice did she have? She’d promised to bring homemade oatmeal cookies—without raisins—to the party later today at Dos Estrellas Ranch. After a thorough search of her pantry had netted only half the necessary ingredients, a trip to the market couldn’t be avoided.

Oatmeal without raisins was the only kind of cookies her son, Teddy, ate. If she offered him something else, he might have a meltdown, and that would ruin the party.

She glanced down at him, sitting in the shopping cart basket, shoulders hunched. His rhythmic back and forth motion could be a good thing. He often rocked for hours to soothe himself. Or it could be a warning sign of things to come.

“I was thinking you might want to wear your new blue shirt today.” Blue was his favorite color.

Teddy didn’t answer. Rather, he stared at nothing in particular, his eyes barely visible beneath an unruly fringe of reddish-blond hair. Teddy hated going to the barber shop, although the elderly gentleman who cut his hair was very understanding.

Maybe she should call and beg off the party. On second thought, that wasn’t an option. The Dempseys were good to Summer. Really good. Without them, there’d be no equine therapy program for Teddy and other children like him. Plus, the party was special: a welcome to Mustang Valley for Josh and Cole’s cousin who’d arrived a few days ago. The brothers were excited to see their cousin again and hoped he’d stay, offering him a job at the ranch.

The party was also a celebration of sorts for the entire family. After months and months of financial and emotional struggle in the wake of former patriarch August Dempsey’s death, the ranch was finally on the road to recovery. Not to mention Cole and Violet’s recent elopement and Josh and Cara’s engagement. Gabe and Reese were likely headed for the altar as well, though no formal announcement had yet been made.

For those reasons and more, Summer felt obligated to attend. She briefly considered leaving Teddy at home with his regular sitter. The party was scheduled to start at six—she could leave by eight, no problem. But the Dempsey brothers, along with Gabe’s mother, Raquel, the family’s well-loved matriarch, had insisted Summer bring Teddy. Besides, Josh’s two children were also going to be there.

Summer had relented, of course, though other children at the party would make no difference. Teddy didn’t socialize. With anyone. Children or adults or even his own mother.

A man appeared behind Summer, materializing in her peripheral vision. She assessed him instantly, something she’d learned to do out of necessity. He was young, maybe early thirties. Possibly a ranch hand, given his clothes, though, he didn’t look familiar and Summer knew, or knew of, most everyone in their small community.

Whoever he was, he seemed concerned about nothing more than finding the correct aisle for whatever purchases he was making and promptly wandered off. Good thing, because Teddy had started humming, something he did to calm himself when he became nervous or agitated.