Spotlight: Highland Defender by Kathryn Le Veque

Gladiator meets Fight Club in the Scottish Highlands in a new series from USA Today bestselling author Kathryn Le Veque

Ashamed of a decision he made in battle that cost good men their lives, Bane Morgan escapes to Edinburgh to forget his past. But the more time he spends away from his Highland home, the more he’s filled with regret and despair.

Lucia Symington knows something about despair. Forced to work off a family debt for a clan with little moral compass and a particular hatred for her, Lucia loses herself a little more each day. When a chance meeting with Bane gives them both a glimpse of what their future together could be, Bane pledges himself to the Ludus Caledonia, the warrior training club where he can reconnect to the fire for justice that still burns within him. The Highland Defender has returned…only to discover that his quest to free his lady could cost them both everything…

Excerpt

Oh, but there was a storm churning inside of Lucia, and the lightning she’d come to associate with Bane was flying in all directions. His close proximity had started a firestorm, and she was struggling to stay on an even keel. 

Gazing up at him, she could feel his hot breath in her face as his right arm went up, casually bracing himself against the support beam of the stall over her head as he looked down upon her. The closer he loomed, the more the lightning sparked. 

“I…I dunna hear it often.” 

“From the men around here?” 

“Never from them.” 

“Then they’re fools.” 

“Or mayhap they know their place.” 

A grin spread across his lips. “I’ve never been accused of knowing my place,” he said huskily. “Even if I did, in yer case, I’d ignore it.” 

God, he was so close. Lucia was having difficulty breathing and she turned her head, looking away from him because she was thrilled and intimidated at the same time. Looking at him made her feel as if she were losing control of herself. She could see him in her periphery as he leaned in, taking a long, deep smell of her hair. 

It was enough to turn her bones to jelly. 

“Bane…” she said breathlessly. 

“Shush,” he murmured. “Let me smell ye. I want tae know what an angel smells like.” 

It wasn’t just her hair he was smelling, but her skin. He sniffed her neck, moving to her shoulder and smelling that as well. All the while, he didn’t touch her. He didn’t make a move to make contact. But his face, his nose, was close enough that Lucia could feel him brushing against her. His heated breath spilled over her skin, blowing against her like the bellows of a smithy’s forge. 

It was intoxicating. 

“What does an angel smell like?” she managed to ask. 

He moved so his face was next to hers. He was looking at her profile at close range as she looked away. 

“Beauty,” he muttered. “Strength. Honor. It smells like everything a man needs in life.” 

She sighed in utter delight as his words filled her ears. When his lips gently kissed her cheek, her jelly bones gave way and she slumped back against the wall. Bane swiftly moved forward, slipping his arms beneath hers and bracing her against the stall so she wouldn’t fall. As she turned to him, opening her mouth to speak, his mouth slanted over hers in a deliciously tender kiss. 

The lightning exploded. 

Lucia could hear little gasps as he kissed her, hardly aware they were her own. For all of Bane’s size and strength, his kisses were so very gentle, like the touch of a bird’s wings, something so delightful yet something that filled her with awe and wonder. She’d never been kissed before. 

Not even close. 

It was as if the sun suddenly burst out from behind the clouds. 

Her arms went around his neck, holding him firmly against her as she responded to his heated kiss. Enfolded in his embrace, she was vastly aware of his body pressed against hers, the heat from his big frame filling her with a comfort she’d never known before. She could hardly breathe, but she didn’t care. She welcomed the giddiness. He was overwhelming her with the virile masculinity that had been buried beneath that street filth. 

His scent filled her nostrils, too. 

Glorious. 

And then it was abruptly over. 

***

Excerpted from Highland Defender by Kathryn Le Veque. © 2021 by Kathryn Le Veque. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

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About the Author

With over one hundred published novels, KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a critically acclaimed USA Today bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance. She lives in California.

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Spotlight: Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler

A grouchy mountaineer, a Hollywood starlet

And miles of untamed wilderness…

What could possibly go wrong?

Former Hollywood darling River Lane’s acting career is tanking fast. Determined to start fresh behind the camera, she agrees to film a documentary about the picturesque small town of Moose Springs, Alaska. The assignment should have been easy, but the quirky locals want nothing to do with River. Well, too bad: River’s going to make this film and prove herself, no matter what it takes.

Or what (literal) mountain she has to climb.

Easton Lockett may be a gentle giant, but he knows a thing or two about survival. If he can keep everyone in line, he should be able to get River and her crew up and down Mount Veil in one piece. Turns out that’s a big if. The wildlife’s wilder than usual, the camera crew’s determined to wander off a cliff, and the gorgeous actress is fearless. Falling for River only makes Easton’s job tougher, but there’s only so long he can hold out against her brilliant smile. When bad weather strikes, putting everyone at risk, it’ll take all of Easton’s skill to get them back home safely…and convince River she should stay in his arms for good.

Excerpt

He’d just been trying to be nice. In the future, Easton was going to stick with aloof, unapproachable, and downright surly. 

Nice was a pain in the ass. Nice earned him a redhead with a permanent marker and a mischievous look on her face. 

Don’t stop, River had written on her makeshift sign. Filming movie. 

Which was how Easton Lockett, one of the most respected men in Moose Springs, found himself standing on the side of the road with a pizza box sign, telling everyone not to stop for the woman walking down the road. 

If only he’d made the same choice for himself. 

The absolute last person Easton wanted to see coming down the road at this moment turned around the bend, the heavy off-road tires of her sleek black Jeep slapping the pavement. There was nowhere to hide. And knowing his sister, there was nowhere he could hide to keep her from finding him in a pride-compromising position. 

With a groan of dismay, Easton waggled the sign at her as she slowed down, then pulled off the side of the road behind his truck. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

“I’ve been thinking the same thing for the last hour,” Easton replied, bemused. 

Ashtyn Lockett had been a thorn in Easton’s side since the day she was born fifteen seconds before him. At some point since he’d seen her yesterday, she’d decided to dye her pixie cut a vibrant aquamarine with pink tips. Next week, it would be something different but equally bold. 

She must’ve been taking the day off by the water, because only half of the piercings she normally sported jewelry in were filled. Her nose piercing and eyebrow were adorned, but the multiple holes in her ears were piercing free. Unlike River, his twin was dressed for the weather. A ribbed tank top showing the extensive and expensive tattoos on her arms. Shorts and sandals with bright nail polish from her morning pedicure. Even brighter colors on her fingernails. 

Easton had spent a lot of his life glaring over his sister’s head at the guys who were interested in her, but there really was no need. Ash had never needed anyone to protect her. She was perfectly capable of handling her business all on her own. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Brown eyes the exact same color as Easton’s eyes widened. 

Sighing, Easton lifted his pizza box up in the air, turning it toward the oncoming traffic. 

“I’m being a Good Samaritan.” 

“Are you? Because it kind of looks like you’re making an idiot out of yourself for some tourists.” 

“They’re not tourists.” Deep denial was as good a coping mechanism as any. “They’re filming some sort of movie around the bend. And before you grill me, I don’t know anything about it. I saw a woman walking down the road, and I stopped to see if she needed help. She nearly skinned me alive for interrupting her shot.” 

Ash rolled her eyes. “Why would they pick here to film? Don’t they know everyone’s going to slow down and see what’s wrong?” 

“That’s what I said, but she’s…well…determined.” 

Gorgeous. Fiery. Way more trouble than he needed on any given day. 

“How long are you planning on standing here?” 

Easton didn’t know, but he’d been out there for long enough; even his arms were starting to get sore. Finally, a familiar SUV drove past and performed a highly illegal U-turn, pulling right next to Easton. River stuck her head out from the passenger seat, her face lighting up as she took in him and his sign. 

“No wonder no one stopped,” she said. “You look like you want to kill someone.” 

“That’s resting Easton face.” Ash smirked at him. “He’s normally worse.” 

He wasn’t speaking to either of them. Nope. Not a word. 

“Hey, thanks for the help. Sorry we forgot to tell you we got the shot. Here, dinner is on us.” Leaning out the window, River tucked a twenty-dollar bill in his shirt collar, not giving Easton a chance to refuse before Bree, the driver, pulled away. 

Ash lost it, leaning back against her Jeep, laughing so hard, her mascara started to run. 

“If you could see your face,” she all but cried. 

“I feel dirty,” he murmured, taking the twenty and stuffing it into his pocket. 

“You are dirty.” Gasping for breath, she wiped her eyes. “I think I love her, whoever she is.” 

The feeling wasn’t mutual. 

With an annoyed grunt, Easton tossed the pizza box in the back of Ash’s Jeep. “Compost this, please.” 

Since his services were no longer needed, Easton decided there was no reason to stand there any longer, giving his sister ammunition. 

“You never saw this,” he warned her. 

“Oh, everyone saw this.” 

Which was so true. In a place like Moose Springs, memories were long. The town would never—ever—let Easton live this down. 

“Destroy the evidence, Ash. If you love me, destroy the evidence.” 

“Don’t get your hopes up,” his twin teased. As he headed for his truck, she called after him. “I might frame it instead!” 

***

Excerpted from Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler. © 2021 by Sarah Morgenthaler. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

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About the Author

Geologist and lifelong science nerd, SARAH MORGENTHALER is a passionate supporter of chocolate chip cookies, geeking out over rocks, and playing with her rescue pit bull, Sammy. When not writing romantic comedy and contemporary romance set in far-off places, Sarah can be found travelling with her husband, hiking national parks, and enjoying her own happily ever after. Sarah is a two-time Golden Heart Finalist and winner of the NOLA STARS Suzannah award.

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Spotlight: Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Snyder

They call him a monster. More wolf than man—more dangerous than any predator.

They have no idea.

Joe Peluso has blood on his hands. He took out the mobsters responsible for killing his foster brother, and that one act of vigilante justice has earned him countless enemies in New York's supernatural-controlled underworld. He knows that shifters like him deserve the worst. Darkness. Pain. Solitude. But meeting Neha makes him feel human for the first time in forever.

Lawyer and psychologist Neha Ahluwalia knows Joe is guilty, but she’s determined to help him craft a solid defense...even if she can't defend her own obsession. Just one look from the wolf shifter makes her skin burn hot and her pulse race. When a payback hit goes wrong, Neha’s forced to make a choice: help Joe escape or leave him to his fate. Before long they're on the run―from the monsters who want him dead, from their own traitorous hearts, and from an attraction that threatens to destroy them.

Excerpt

The man who sat across from her looked like he wanted to eat her, and Neha Ahluwalia had no doubt that he could. In great big bites. Laying her to waste with swipes of his claws. 

Would it be kinder than what he’d done to land himself behind bars? That she had no inkling of. But she did know he was guilty. Guilty and a killer. One was a legal distinction, the other largely genetic, but they were both equally true. It wasn’t just the look in his eyes. Not just speculation or suspicion or her overactive imagination. It was the facts. Spelled out in fine print, looped in strands of altered DNA. Joe Peluso was the monster in the closet, the creature you were warned about in fairy tales…and still, somehow, not the scariest white man Neha had encountered while doing her job. What passed for humanity these days terrified her far more than the things that went bump in the night. 

His first trial had dominated the headlines for months. “Unknown Sniper Spurs Gangland Chaos.” “Brutal Killer Caught!” “I Did It: Queens-Born Shooter Confesses.” You couldn’t walk by a newsstand or flip past the local news without seeing Peluso’s face. His police mug shot. Broad features spattered with cuts and bruises. Ears that stuck out in almost comical contrast. He looked dangerous. He still looked dangerous. Like someone who would absolutely cut down four members of a Russian drug ring while they were eating dinner—leaving them facedown in their borscht—and then stab another two guys in close combat in the parking lot. 

“Yeah, I fuckin’ did it! Is that what you want me to say?” he’d shouted in court, according to the transcripts. “Let’s just get this bullshit over with!” 

What the transcripts hadn’t said was that he’d almost transformed while raging on the witness stand. It wasn’t that much of a surprise to people in law enforcement, like her—all kinds of new species had inched their way into the light since the Darkest Day in 2016, and she had more than a few in her own family—but the ripple of fur across his body, the fangs, had been enough to throw the court into a tailspin. Pun fully intended. That he’d shot people, stabbed people, but hadn’t turned berserker—hadn’t devoured his victims—had put a whole different spin on his case. Instant mistrial. Instant cover-up…at least as far as the press and the public were concerned. 

Neha should’ve been terrified at the prospect of this new client and of the reality of him sitting across from her right now. And, sure, maybe she’d freaked out a little that morning at the firm. She’d spilled coffee on her second-best blazer and asked her favorite senior partner to repeat himself. “I want you to sit in, Neha,” Nate had obliged. “I think you could learn a lot on this one…and I think we could learn a lot from your take. I want your profiling skills on full display.” 

As a junior associate, she was practically begging to log some more billable hours and hack away at her law-school debt. But the Peluso case? Not one she’d been expecting to have land on her plate. Not high on her list, since it wasn’t exactly going to help pay the bills. But she’d said yes anyway. Because how did you turn something like this down? A vigilante shape-shifter in a Sanctuary City? It was the kind of opportunity that could make or break her career…even if it didn’t break the bank in the process. 

Now here they were at the table. Her, Nate Feinberg—the first chair on the case—and his second chair and partner in defending crime, Dustin Taylor. With Joe Peluso himself staring back at them. His bruises were fresh. Probably from a recent tussle in jail as he waited for the new trial date. But everything else was the same as in his picture. His dark-brown hair chopped short in a blunt cut. A harsh-featured face only a mother could love. Those ears. And his dark, cold eyes. Meeting them, acknowledging his blatant perusal, Neha knew without a doubt that he was capable of taking lives. Professional. Efficient. Ruthless. But there was something else there, too. Not vulnerability. Not softness. Nothing like that. Just…depth? A hint of something below that chilly surface, something charismatic or compelling. A mystery waiting to be solved. Was it the monster? Or was it the man? Either way, Neha couldn’t—wouldn’t—take her eyes off him. 

***

Excerpted from Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Snyder. © 2021 by Suleikha Snyder. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

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About the Author

SULEIKHA SNYDER is a best-selling and award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romance, whose works have been showcased in Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, The Times of India, and NPR. An editor, writer, American desi and lifelong geek, she is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusivity in media of all kinds. She currently lives in Chicago. Visit her website at www.suleikhasnyder.com and follow her on Twitter @suleikhasnyder.

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Spotlight: Overland by Ramcy Diek

Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: November 10th 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller

Skyla Overland is proud to work for Overland Insurance, the company founded by her grandfather. She enjoys sharing an apartment with her best friend, Pauline, and is in love with Edmond. Besides one nerve-wracking insurance fraud case in the past, her sheltered life is uneventful and just the way she likes it.

Until one day, everything changes…

Skyla and Troy, the manager at Overland Insurance, are the last ones to leave the office. In the empty parking lot, Troy takes her in his arms. Why would he ruin their easy-going friendship by kissing her, especially since he knows she’s dating Edmond?

Left alone, Skyla hurries to her car, puts on her seatbelt, and glances in her rearview mirror.

The face of a stranger grins at her from the backseat. “How nice to see you again,” he hisses close to her ear.

Regaining consciousness, Skyla finds herself on the backseat of her own car, with her hands tied behind her back.

Is she getting kidnapped? Who is he? And where is he taking her?

Excerpt

SKYLA HAD NO IDEA how long she’d been unconscious. When she woke up, immediate panic constricted her throat. She was lying on the backseat of her own moving car. She was being kidnapped. 

The car’s heater ran at full blast, the air suffocating. Despite the heat, she shivered convulsively. Her teeth chattered as horrible images of her discarded mutilated body, raped and beaten, flooded her mind. Drenched in cold sweat, her long hair half covered her face and blocked her vision. She wiggled her arms. They were numb, bound behind her back at the wrists.

She lowered her legs to the floor of the car. A sharp pain shot through her right temple as she tried to push herself up into a sitting position. Overcome by a wave of nausea, she gasped and almost burst into tears. With her eyes squeezed tightly, she waited until her dizziness subsided. Don’t panic, keep your head together, she ordered herself. As long as your heart is beating, you’ll have a chance. You can do this.

She reopened her eyes and caught a glimpse of the man behind the steering wheel. He was wearing a baseball cap and a dark coat, and his hair was shoulder length. She couldn’t see much else and had no idea who he was. She shifted her gaze to look outside. The windshield wipers swished back and forth, and all she could detect was that he was driving in complete darkness. Other than the raindrops in the beams of the headlights, she couldn’t see anything. Realizing every second brought her further away from home, she moved her attention to her tied wrists. He’d used thin rope. If she could get her hands free, perhaps she could find something to hit him over the head with? 

The man shifted position and glanced over his shoulder. “Did sleeping beauty wake up?”

She half-leaned against the backdoor, her attention more focused on the rope than on him. As long as he was behind the wheel, he wouldn’t be able to see what she did. This was her best chance.

“Who are you?” she spat at him, trying to free one of her hands, but the harder she pulled the deeper the rope cut into her skin.  “What do you want from me?”

He emitted a harsh bark of laughter. “I’m the prince who’s rescuing the princess.”

Was this guy crazy? What the hell was he talking about? “Where are you taking me?” she demanded.

He laughed even louder. “I’m taking you to your new home. Isn’t that what happens in fairy tales? Prince Charming and his white horse taking the princess to her castle.” 

She tried to make sense out of what he was saying. This wasn’t a fairy tale. It was a nightmare.

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About the Author

A long time ago, I fell in love with the United States while traveling around in an Oldsmobile station-wagon with my husband. We are both born and raised in the Netherlands.
Together, we eventually found our way to the Pacific Northwest, built up a business, and raised our two boys into amazing young adults with their own careers. During this time, I also made a slow transition from reader to writer of many different stories.

My multiple award winning debut novel "Storm at Keizer Manor" sets the bar high for my second novel, Eagles in Flight.
All my books are stand alone novels in different genres. You might be in for a surprise, or a disappointment.

Connect:

https://www.ramcydiek.com/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ramcy-diek

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/c0f3o0

https://www.facebook.com/RamcyDiek/

https://twitter.com/RamcyDiekAuthor

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16967126.Ramcy_Diek

Spotlight: My Kind of Love by Nikki Ash

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Micaela

Once upon a time, a boy and a girl met and fell in love…

That’s the way my love story began, but unlike the fairy tale, it ended with me standing in the cemetery, watching my prince get lowered into the ground, along with all our dreams.

Now he’s gone and I’m lost.

Until an impromptu trip to my family’s beach house has me spending time with Ryan.

With his help, I’m learning to live again and make plans for the future.

The only problem is, we both know they can’t include him.

So, when our time is up, we do the only thing we can do—go our separate ways.

Ryan

My entire life, I’ve felt like the waves in a raging sea—crashing and breaking, never settling.

Until Micaela stormed in like a hurricane, colliding into my life and my heart.

I thought she’d be my destruction, but instead she turned out to be my calm.

The more time we spend together, the more life she breathes into both of us.

But all too quickly, our time is up and she’s ready to face her future—one I can’t be a part of.

So, I do the impossible and walk away.

But life is crazy, and love knows no bounds. You might’ve thought this is where our story ends, but the truth is… it’s only the beginning.  

Exclusive Excerpt 

“I can’t believe you’re graduating tomorrow.” Lexi, my best friend and pseudo cousin, takes a hit off the joint she brought with her as a graduation gift and passes it to me.

I take a small hit, since I’m not usually one to get high, and nod. “This will be you next year.”

I pass the joint to Georgia, my other pseudo cousin and best friend. “Both of you, right?”

“Yep,” Lexi says, speaking for her younger sister like she often does. “Georgia took extra classes and we’ll be walking across the stage together. We’ll both be free from educational hell in twelve months.”

Without taking a hit, Georgia passes the joint to Lexi. “I’d hardly call it hell. We go to a private school that costs more a year than most pay for their house.” She rolls her eyes playfully. “Our lunch is catered and includes items like sushi and Thai, and we have a Starbucks… an actual Starbucks in the quad.”

I laugh at that, but don’t argue. She’s not wrong. Lexi and Georgia live in Los Angeles and attend one of the most prestigious private schools on the West Coast. Similar to the one I attend here in Las Vegas… well, did attend.

As of tomorrow at ten o’clock I will officially be a high school graduate. And come August I’ll be a freshman at the University of Las Vegas.

“Semantics.” Lexi takes another hit. “I can’t wait to be done with high school. It’s such a waste. I don’t need a diploma to do what I want to do.”

“You need one to go to college,” Georgia points out.

Lexi rolls her eyes. “Maybe I won’t go.” She shrugs, making Georgia and me laugh.

We all know Lexi is all talk. She’s a daddy’s girl through and through, and Tristan Scott has made it clear a college education is important, which means Lexi Scott will be getting one, whether she likes it or not.

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About Nikki Ash

Nikki Ash resides in South Florida where she is an English teacher and mom by day and a writer by night. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand. From the Boxcar Children to Wuthering Heights to the latest Single Parent Romance, she has lived and breathed every type of book.

Reading is like breathing in, writing is like breathing out. – Pam Ally

While reading and writing are her passions, her two children are her entire world. You can probably find them at a Disney park before you would find them at home on the

weekends!

Connect with Nikki: Facebook | Bookbub | Amazon | Instagram | Goodreads | Reader Group

Spotlight: Forever My Cowboy by June Faver

The Garrett family have been ranchers for generations—they love the land, and the joy of family and children.

Cade Garrett’s orderly life is upended when his sister and her husband are killed in a plane crash. He's ready to step in and take care of their two young children, but he’s thrown for a loop when the children’s aunt is named their guardian and plans to take the children with her to Dallas.

Unexpected sparks fly when he meets Jennifer LaChance. Can Cade and Jenn band together for the good of the children—or that create all kinds of opportunities for friction?

Excerpt

Tyler Garrett climbed out of his big double dually truck and rounded the cab to open the door for his lovely wife. He took the containers out of her hands and helped her slip down to the ground.

“Is he expecting us?” she asked.

Ty shook his head. “You know Cade doesn’t stand on ceremony. Cade is all about family.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Poor man,” she said. “I haven’t really accepted the fact that Sara is gone. I can’t imagine how he feels.”

Ty gestured toward the house. “Sara was a little brat when we were young, always tagging along…but she was sweet. Turned out to be really smart in school. When she and Jason LaChance got married, it was what everyone expected. She fell in love with the flyboy as soon as she set eyes on him.” He shook his head. “Great couple. I guess I never thought anything could happen to them. I haven’t really kept up with them lately, but they always looked so happy together when I saw them in church.”

Leah made a scoffing noise. “You’ve been so wrapped up in your music, it’s a wonder you keep up with anything.”

He leaned against the doorbell. “I just try to keep up with you.”

The door opened and Cade Garrett stood inside, appearing to be exhausted. He had always been a big, good-looking man, but sorrow was etched deeply on his face. Without speaking, he stepped back and gestured them inside.

“It’s just me and Leah,” Ty said, ushering her inside.

She took in Cade’s appearance, obviously sympathetic. “Um, we brought you a little something.”

“Hey, Leah. That’s very kind.” He shook his head. “I’m just overwhelmed at the moment.”

“We’re all just devastated about Sara and Jason.” Ty reached out to Cade, wrapping his arms around him and holding him for a long moment. He felt a tremor ripple through Cade’s body.

Cade drew back, his eyes lowered and lips pressed together. “Thanks, Ty. Let’s go back to the kitchen.” He led the way but turned and put his finger to his mouth. “The kids are here.”

Ty and Leah followed Cade as quietly as possible. Ty set the container on top of the counter and Leah placed a paper bag next to it.

The kitchen occupied one end of a sizable combination family room and casual dining area. A large television was mounted above the fireplace mantel, and a big yellow SpongeBob image cavorted across the screen. On Cade’s sofa, a tiny, diapered girl slept on her stomach, drooling. Fortunately, there was a small blanket under her.

Leah smiled. “Aw, Lissy’s so pretty.”

Leo had wedged himself under the coffee table, lying on his side with his knees folded up. He gazed at them with large blue eyes…as sad as Cade’s own.

“That’s where Leo has holed up,” Cade said. “He’s pretty confused right now.” He shrugged his wide shoulders. “I guess I am too.”

Ty felt his cousin’s aching grief. “Dad wanted us to tell you, he’s got your back. Anything you need.” He spread his hands. “He figured you didn’t need the entire Garrett clan to cluster around you right now, but we’re all here for you.”

“Thanks, Ty. Did you draw the short straw?” A wry smile lifted one corner of his mouth.

Ty grinned in return. “No, asshole. I got to come because you and I were in the same grade all the way through school. We’re more than cousins, bro.”

“I know, bud. Just giving you a hard time. What did you do with your kids, Ty?”

Ty removed his Stetson and tossed it on a side table. “Leah’s grandmother is taking care of the kids. Gracie is helping.” He had to smile when he thought about how much Gracie loved her brand-new baby brother. “She loves playing big sister.”

Cade nodded, seemingly wrapped in emotion. “I hope I can be good enough to raise Sara’s kids without screwing them up. That’s my biggest fear.”

Ty gave him a slap on the shoulder. “Oh, get over yourself. I’ve never known you to lack confidence about anything. In school you did okay, and you were a leader in sports.”

Cade raked his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “I know, but this is different. More important.”

“You can always lean on your family if you need a break. I know Leah and I can keep the kids for you.”

Leah nodded, adding her support.

Cade took a wide stance and hooked his thumbs through his belt loops. “Thanks, man. That means a lot…but I think, right now, I need to keep them as close as possible. They need to know I’m doing what Sara would want me to do. I’m going to raise her children as she would want them to be brought up.”

Ty realized Cade was just speaking through his grief. “You and the children are going to need all the family you can get. The Garrett clan is a formidable force around here.” He turned to see his beautiful wife doing what Leah would always be doing: leading with her heart.

Leah was sitting on the floor, her back against the sofa. Leo had crawled out from under the coffee table and was plastered against her like a baby monkey clinging to his mom.

Ty swallowed hard, while Cade stared at her, openmouthed. “It’s okay. She has that effect on kids… Heck! She has that effect on everyone.”

***

Excerpted from Forever My Cowboy by June Faver. © 2021 by June Faver. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

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About the Author

JUNE FAVER loves Texas, from the Gulf coast to the panhandle, from the Mexican border to the Piney Woods. Her novels embrace the heart and soul of the state and the larger-than-life Texans who romp across her pages. A former teacher and healthcare professional, she lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country.

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