Should've Been A Cowboy & Cowboy Up: Should've Been a Cowboy / Cowboy Up. Vicki Thompson Lewis

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       New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson brings us two fan-favorite stories set at the Last Chance Ranch that prove there’s nothing better than the love of a cowboy!

       Should’ve Been A Cowboy

      Tyler O’Connelli is a busy career girl, and Alex Keller is a cowboy. They may be worlds apart, but their hot chemistry more than makes up for their differences. They both know this thing between them isn’t long-term, but why not have fun now? Problem is, Alex is one wrangler Tyler might want to tie down—and tie up—indefinitely!

       Cowboy Up

      Never fall in love with a cowboy. These words were drilled into Emily Sterling’s head since her parents divorced more than twenty years ago. But now Emily has returned to her father’s ranch only to find herself face-to-face with jaw-dropping hot rancher Clay Whitaker. Suddenly Emily’s beginning to see just what a cowboy has to offer.

      Ten months ago Tyler had been a hottie who’d tempted her into one night of wild sex.

      She’d tried to convince herself it had been about superficial pleasure, but there was nothing superficial about the feelings flooding through her now.

      And God, did he look good. The dark blond hair he’d worn short and preppy now touched his collar. His face was leaner, his gray eyes more piercing, his body more ripped than she remembered. In ten months he’d gone from hottie to hero.

      And what they’d shared had definitely been more than just sex. This man had made wonderful love to her, and she wanted him to do it again. Her skin warmed and her heartbeat quickened at the memory of his caress, his kiss, his gentle words.

      “Tyler, you remember Alex.”

      Dear Reader,

      We hope you enjoy the Western stories Should’ve Been a Cowboy and Cowboy Up by New York Times bestselling Harlequin Blaze author Vicki Lewis Thompson.

      Harlequin Blaze books sizzle with strong heroines and irresistible heroes playing the game of modern love and lust. They’re fun, sexy and always steamy.

      And don’t miss an excerpt of Lying in Your Arms by Harlequin Blaze author Leslie Kelly at the back of this volume. Look for Lying in Your Arms, available October 2013.

      Happy reading,

      The Harlequin Blaze Editors

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson’s love affair with cowboys started with the Lone Ranger, continued through Maverick and took a turn south of the border with Zorro. She views cowboys as the Western version of knights in shining armor—rugged men who value honor, honesty and hard work. Fortunately for her, she lives in the Arizona desert, where broad-shouldered, lean-hipped cowboys abound. Blessed with such an abundance of inspiration, she only hopes that she can do them justice. Visit her website, www.vickilewisthompson.com.

      Should’ve Been a Cowboy & Cowboy Up

      Vicki Lewis Thompson

      

www.millsandboon.co.uk

      CONTENTS

       Should’ve Been a Cowboy

       Cowboy Up

      Should’ve Been a Cowboy

      Vicki Lewis Thompson

      For my editor, Brenda Chin, who gave me the opportunity to create a multibook series about my favorite subject—cowboys. A tip of the Stetson to you, Brenda!

      Contents

       Prologue

       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

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

      Prologue

      May 14, 1956, from the diary of Eleanor Chance

      I love giving birthday parties. And when your only child turns ten, well, today was a big day at the Last Chance Ranch. We had unseasonably warm weather in Jackson Hole, and after the kids left, tummies full of birthday cake and ice cream, Archie went to the barn and brought out Johnny’s big present.

      She’s a beautiful little filly who looks exactly like the horse that the Lone Ranger’s sidekick, Tonto, rides—white with bay patches. While most kids would want an all-white horse like the Lone Ranger’s, Johnny loves Tonto’s horse, Scout.

      And so this filly will be named Scout, even though she’s a girl. Everyone around here calls Scout a pinto, which is what Tonto’s horse is, but she’s actually a registered paint. That means she has pinto coloring, but she also has papers and can be bred later on.

      She cost us a fair bit, but the money went to a good cause. One of our neighbors needed to sell this filly so he could pay for his wife’s back operation. The operation was Ginny’s last chance to avoid living in a wheelchair, and I’m happy to say the surgery was a success.

      That’s what this ranch is about, giving people and animals one last chance. So everyone came out ahead on this deal. Besides, Archie says Scout is an investment as well as a birthday present for Johnny. Cattle ranching has been good to us, especially during the war when the army needed beef, but Archie thinks we should diversify, and for years he’s dreamed of raising horses.

      Scout’s a dream come true for Johnny, who’s begged us for a pinto from the moment he saw his first episode of The Lone Ranger. But Scout could be the beginning of Archie’s dream, too. I sure hope so, because spending all that money on a registered paint was a gamble, even if it was for a good cause.

      I keep reminding myself that Archie won the