Spotlight: Forever Her Cowboy by Peyton Banks
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(Silver Creek Ranch)
Publication date: September 22nd 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
He came to Silver Creek Ranch planning to drift on.
A fearless diner owner gave him a reason to stay forever.
Trent Lawson has spent years drifting from one job to the next.
Since leaving the Army, staying in one place has never felt possible… until he discovered the Silver Creek Ranch, a healing ranch for military veterans.
Then he met Frankie Carpenter.
The beautiful diner owner with the tempting curves, a stubborn streak a mile wide, and a smile that will make a hardened soldier start thinking about things he hasn’t allowed himself to want in years.
But when wealthy developers start pressuring her to sell the diner that’s the heart of the town, things quickly turn dangerous.
Frankie refuses to back down.
And Trent refuses to let her stand alone.
Protecting Frankie was never part of his plan but the more time he spends with her, the more he realizes Ironhaven might finally be the place to put down roots.
Because some things are worth fighting for.
Forever Her Cowboy is a steamy small-town romance featuring a protective cowboy, a fierce heroine, and a love worth fighting for at Silver Creek Ranch.
Excerpt
She loved what she did.
Even when she was tired.
Even when her feet throbbed and she desperately wished she had someone to rub them when she was at home.
She loved knowing people chose her place to start their day.
“Order up for table nine!” Chris called out.
She grabbed Trent’s plate before Tabby could. She didn’t know why. Maybe she did. She carried it out carefully and set it in front of him.
“Now this should keep you going,” she said. She rested her hands on her hips and smiled at Trent. “Or are you planning to nap in the barn after this?”
The corner of his lips lifted. “Depends. You offering to tuck me in?”
She blinked.
The laugh that erupted from her came from the gut. She hadn’t expected such a response.
“Well, now. A big strong man like you needs help?” she asked.
His shoulders relaxed. His eyes crinkled in the corner as he reached for his fork.
“Figured I’d try something new.” He shrugged.
Her pulse skipped a beat.
Try something new.
Was he talking about her? It had been a long time since she’d been in the dating pool. She bit her lip and leaned slightly closer to him. She watched him take his first bite of the biscuit and gravy.
“I’m sure you’ll be okay. The food will give you energy you need. Buck’s been running y’all hard this week.”
His eyebrows rose as he chewed. He swallowed and motioned to her.
“Keeping tabs on me, are we?” he asked.
“Maybe,” she said softly.
The air between them shifted.
This was dangerous and exciting.
She’d dated here and there since moving back, but nothing serious. Most of the men in Ironhaven were either married, uninterested, or too eager in ways that made her wary.
Trent was different.
He appeared to be a good guy. The others from the Silver Creek Ranch spoke highly of him. Melah, one of the female hands, had been in the other day, and from what she’d said, Trent was single.
Not that she’d asked.
Okay, she had. She was just curious. She knew he wasn’t from Ironhaven and she didn’t know if he commuted back and forth since Ironhaven had ample ranches and farms that needed good workers.
She couldn’t remember the last time a man’s gaze took her breath away. That happened almost every time Trent looked her way.
“Dinner tonight,” she heard herself say before she lost her nerve. “The special is chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and honey butter rolls.”
His eyes widened. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. You should come back.” She tilted her head.
There was something about watching a man enjoy a good meal. Trent was steadily packing away the food that was on his plate. She couldn’t tell where it all went. He was solid muscle and fit.
Her? All of the food went to her hips.
“Unless you are scared of a food coma,” she teased.
“I can handle it.” He huffed a laugh.
She just about fell over at the sound of it. She knew he smiled, but it wasn’t often she heard him laugh when he was here eating.
“I’ll even throw in a slice of cheesecake, on the house.” She lowered her voice just a bit.
He stared at her like he wasn’t sure if she was serious. Her stomach flipped. Was she really flirting this openly?
Apparently, yes.
Was she failing at it?
“Hard to turn down free cheesecake,” he said.
“Good.” She straightened to her full height. “Don’t forget we close early on Mondays. I’ll be expecting you around six.”
He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded.
“I’ll be here at six.”
Her heart slammed into her ribs. Behind her, Libby called her name. The place was filled to capacity. She stepped back and, before she could stop herself, she winked at him.
“Don’t be late.”
She turned and walked away so she couldn’t see his reaction. The second she reached the counter, she sucked in a deep breath.
What on earth had she just done?
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About the Author
USA Today best selling author, Peyton Banks, is the alter ego of a city girl who is a romantic at heart. Her mornings consist of coffee and daydreaming up the next steamy romance book ideas. She loves spinning romantic tales of hot alpha males and the women they love. She currently resides with her husband and children in Cleveland, Ohio.
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