Louise Gouge - A Family For The Rancher

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Discover Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years from Love Inspired® Historical! This sampler includes 3 excerpts that will give you a glimpse of bighearted ranchers in small-town Texas. 9 recipes from the authors are also inside!

STAND-IN RANCHER DADDY

Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years

by Renee Ryan

CJ Thorn’s unprepared to raise his twin nieces. But when his brother abandons them to his care, he has to learn quickly. And with the help of Molly Carson—their late mother’s best friend—he might just become the stand-in father the little girls need.

A FAMILY FOR THE RANCHER

Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years

by Louise M. Gouge

With her uncle trying to claim her ranch, widow Lula May Barlow has no time to worry about romance. But as Edmund McKay—the handsome cowboy next door—helps her fight for her land, her children are determined to make sure Edmund becomes their new daddy.

A RANCHER OF CONVENIENCE

Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years

by Regina Scott

In jeopardy of losing her ranch to the bank, pregnant widow Nancy Bennett must prove she can run it on her own—or find a husband. And a marriage of convenience to her foreman, Hank Snowden, might just be the solution.

Table of Contents

Cover

Back Cover Copy Discover Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years from Love Inspired® Historical! This sampler includes 3 excerpts that will give you a glimpse of bighearted ranchers in small-town Texas. 9 recipes from the authors are also inside! STAND-IN RANCHER DADDY Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years by Renee Ryan CJ Thorn’s unprepared to raise his twin nieces. But when his brother abandons them to his care, he has to learn quickly. And with the help of Molly Carson—their late mother’s best friend—he might just become the stand-in father the little girls need. A FAMILY FOR THE RANCHER Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years by Louise M. Gouge With her uncle trying to claim her ranch, widow Lula May Barlow has no time to worry about romance. But as Edmund McKay—the handsome cowboy next door—helps her fight for her land, her children are determined to make sure Edmund becomes their new daddy. A RANCHER OF CONVENIENCE Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years by Regina Scott In jeopardy of losing her ranch to the bank, pregnant widow Nancy Bennett must prove she can run it on her own—or find a husband. And a marriage of convenience to her foreman, Hank Snowden, might just be the solution.

Title Page Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years Stand-in Rancher Daddy Renee Ryan A Family for the Rancher Louise M. Gouge A Rancher of Convenience Regina Scott www.millsandboon.co.uk

Stand-in Rancher Daddy

STAND-IN RANCHER DADDY Excerpt

STAND-IN RANCHER DADDY Recipe 1

STAND-IN RANCHER DADDY Recipe 2

STAND-IN RANCHER DADDY Recipe 3

A Family for the Rancher

A FAMILY FOR THE RANCHER Excerpt

A FAMILY FOR THE RANCHER Recipe 1

A FAMILY FOR THE RANCHER Recipe 2

A FAMILY FOR THE RANCHER Recipe 3

A Rancher of Convenience

A RANCHER OF CONVENIENCE Excerpt

A RANCHER OF CONVENIENCE Recipe 1

A RANCHER OF CONVENIENCE Recipe 2

A RANCHER OF CONVENIENCE Recipe 3

Copyright Page

CHAPTER ONE

Little Horn, Texas, June 1895

A full hour before the sun peeked over the horizon, Molly Carson Langley slid out of bed. Ranch work started early in Texas Hill Country. If she wished to make her morning journey before the sun rose, she must hurry.

With fast, measured steps, she padded through the room. The hardwood floor was polished to a smooth patina and felt warm beneath her bare feet. A muffled sigh slipped past her lips. After three years of marriage and successfully managing her own household, she didn’t belong in her childhood home anymore.

She wasn’t sure where she belonged. Until she figured it out, a pair of motherless four-year-olds needed her. That mattered. It had to matter. Of course it mattered.

Jaw set at a determined angle, Molly stuffed her feet inside a pair of ankle boots and put on her favorite calico dress with the lavender floral print. She wound her blond hair in a loose braid down her back, then packed a small bag with personal items from her dresser. A hairbrush, a rack of pins, several ribbons in colors she hoped the girls would like, and her worn Bible with the pages crinkled at the edges.

One glance out the window told her the morning sky was shifting from black to deep purple. Dawn was drawing near.

Hurry, Molly .

She made her way toward the door. The other occupant in the room slept peacefully, her soft, feminine snoring the only sound cutting through the still, humid air.

Without breaking stride, Molly smiled down at her sister. At sixteen, the dreams of youth were still fresh and untarnished in Daisy’s young mind. Seven years older, Molly could hardly relate to the girl. The death of her husband eleven months ago made it all the more difficult.

Her feet grew heavy as stone and, for a brief moment, despair filled Molly’s heart. She’d lost more than her husband. So. Much. More .

No. She would not feel sorry for herself. If he were here, George would tell her that the good Lord had a plan for her life. No matter how dark it seemed right now, the particulars were already worked out. She just needed to have faith.

Molly wasn’t as faithful as her preacher husband had been. Not anymore. Perhaps she never had been.

At least she’d had somewhere to go after George’s death. Molly would concentrate on being grateful her family had welcomed her home.

Her future might look bleak, but she was still young, still vital, still necessary to a family facing their own tragedy. When she’d returned home, she’d never expected her best friend to die suddenly and leave behind twin daughters. Molly would take care of Penelope’s children until she was no longer needed.

Resolve firmly in place, she slung the satchel over her shoulder and tiptoed into the empty hallway. She entered the kitchen, took two full steps and froze.

A pang of guilt whispered through her.

“Good morning, Mama.” Molly adopted what she hoped was an airy tone. “You’re up early.”

“I was going to say the same about you.” The soft, musical lilt was in stark contrast to the concern in her mother’s eyes.

Even after birthing five children, Helen Carson remained a beautiful woman. Her blond hair, streaked with silver strands, was pulled back in a serviceable bun that revealed a face nearly identical to her two daughters. Save for a few lines and wrinkles, the high cheekbones were the same, as were the straight nose, pale blue eyes and stubborn set of her chin.

“Well, I’m off to the Thorn ranch.” Molly attempted to shift around her mother.

“I’d like a word with you before you leave.”

Molly tried not to sigh. This was the reason she’d woken early: to avoid a difficult conversation with her mother.

Helen Carson was fiercely protective of all her children, and that included her oldest daughter. What she refused to understand was that Molly was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. “There is nothing you can say that will change my mind.”