Emma Cane returns to the amazing and romantic town for the latest installment in her sparkling series. When and ex-Rodeo star falls in love with the agoraphobic B&B owner, he must pull out all the stops to get her out of her shell.
The Silver Creek Rodeo is in full swing and everyone’s talking about the rancher who came to town…
Bed & Breakfast owner Amanda Cramer wants nothing more than a quiet, private life. Well, she wants guests too, but after her share of unwanted notoriety she’s gotten comfortable hiding out in her inn…perhaps a little too comfortable. When her newest guest arrives, tall, dark and breathtaking…Amanda begins to question her self-imposed exile.
Ex-rodeo star Mason Lopez knows all about the limelight. He’d avoid it if he could, but since one last ride could mean saving his family’s ranch, he’ll go all in. When he gets to Valentine Valley for the Silver Creek Rodeo, Mason checks into Connections B&B and finds himself immediately drawn to the beautiful, reserved woman who owns it.
Mason only has three days in town…can he convince Amanda to open her heart to him and welcome the world back in?
(Set up: Mason Lopez has come to Valentine Valley to participate in the Silver Creek Rodeo. He stays at Connections B&B, owned by Amanda Cramer, who’s retreated to Valentine to put a Washington DC scandal behind her.)
When she returned to the dining room fifteen minutes later, Mason was still there, reading the Valentine Gazette, which she’d left out for guests.
“There’s a big article on the Wild West Weekend, along with the rodeo,” he said. “You still going to give it a try?”
“Yep, I’m calling the Widows’ Boardinghouse after breakfast.”
“Good for you. Does that include the rodeo, too?”
When unease stirred inside her like scurrying mice, she brushed it aside. “Yes, I’m coming. I won’t let last night affect my recovery. But I do have to work first.”
He gestured to the paper. “Take a look at the schedule. I ride late in the morning.”
She came to look over his shoulder and saw the bull-riding schedule, but soon the warmth of his broad back so close to her chest distracted her too much to read.
He glanced sideways at her, which brought his face inches from hers. She turned her head to face him, knowing she should straighten up, back away. But…she couldn’t. It was like she was frozen in place, desire overwhelming good sense. It had been years since a man had made her feel this way, daring and reckless, and she was caught off guard.
He leaned toward her, his movements slow and easy, giving her plenty of time to back away. But she didn’t, only waited in anticipation for the brush of his lips on hers. And it was a gentle brush, as if her lips had been the delicate petals of flowers that would bend in the slightest wind.
But she wasn’t delicate, she told herself, and leaned into the kiss, parting her lips to taste him, to explore the fullness of his lower lip.
With a groan, he turned, and before she knew it, she was lying across his lap and he was holding her tightly against him. His mouth slanted across hers, hot and inviting and arousing. When their tongues met, it was her turn to moan her welcome. She plunged her hand into his hair, feeling the silkiness of dark curls, while her other arm slid up his back. She could feel the tension in his muscles as he held her, while she felt positively urgent with passion and need, as if she couldn’t get close enough.
At last he lifted his head and looked down at her, breathing hard. Wide-eyed, she stared back at him, her wet lips parted.
“I hope you don’t need an apology for that,” he said huskily.
“You better not apologize” was her fierce response.
About the Author:
Emma Cane grew up reading and soon discovered that she liked to write passionate stories of teenagers in space. Her love of “passionate stories” has never gone away, although today she concentrates on the heartwarming characters of Valentine, her fictional small town in the Colorado Rockies.
Now that her three children are grown, Emma loves spending time crocheting and singing (although not necessarily at the same time), and hiking and snowshoeing alongside her husband Jim and two rambunctious dogs Apollo and Uma.
Jennifer’s Review of When The Rancher Came To Town
Review (4.25 Stars): Such a sweet romance about two characters looking to forget their past but find their future instead. Amanda Cramer is the owner of the B&B in Valentine Valley and wants nothing more than to run her business and keep to herself. She is haunted by her past and doesn’t want her small town neighbors to know that she was once involved in a political scandal. Mason Lopez wants to save his father’s ranch and the only way to do that is compete in the Silver Creek Rodeo to gain the attention of investors for his ranch. When Mason meets Amanda, he is instantly attracted to this beautiful woman and finds himself wanting to spend more time in her company. Amanda feels the same way about Mason, but is afraid that her past will scare him away but can’t deny the attraction that is slowly developing between them.
I liked Amanda from the very beginning. She made a very difficult choice coming forward and testifying in a sexual harassment lawsuit. She lost everything because people didn’t believe her until her claims were substantiated months later. It was sad to see that she was basically hiding at the B&B, trying to forget that time in her life, when the town would have accepted her and stood by her, no matter what. Having Mason walk into her life was a blessing because he brought her out of her shell and showed her that love was waiting for her, if she took the chance. He was kind, caring and patient, which was exactly what Amanda needed to take the first step. When The Rancher Came To Town was a delightful small-town romance that will leave you smiling and believing that love can conquer all.
Yes, I like the character of Mason very much, judging from this excerpt and the review. I like a man who is alpha when action calls for it, but very gentle and kind with his love. Just what Amanda needs! Thanks for the post. I sure am looking forward to another Valentine story. 🙂
Thank you for hosting today!
Thanks so much for the great review!