More Than a Cowboy. Cathy McDavid

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      LOVE OR FAMILY LOYALTY?

      Liberty Beckett was so used to watching longtime crush Deacon McCrea ride at her family’s Reckless, Arizona, arena, she nearly forgot the handsome cowboy was an attorney. But it won’t be hard to remember now that Deacon is representing her father in the legal battle dividing the Beckett clan and threatening the Easy Money Rodeo Arena.

      This case is Deacon’s chance to clear his name in Reckless. He didn’t anticipate the powerful effect Liberty would have on him. Their attraction is undeniable…and a huge conflict of interest. To save his career and Liberty’s relationship with her family, Deacon knows he needs to avoid Liberty. But what a man needs and what he wants are two very different things….

      “You don’t have to help me clear my name if you don’t want to,” Deacon said.

      “A bet’s a bet,” Liberty answered.

      “And I’ll help you, too. With Mercer and your mother.”

      “Seriously?” That cheered her.

      “It’s my job to make my client happy if I can, and reconciling with your mom will make Mercer happy.”

      “Thank you, thank you!” Without thinking, she laid her cheek on his chest and hugged him hard.

      It was wonderful. Deacon, all rock-hard muscles and impressive height, made her feel soft and small and utterly feminine. He hugged her back, too, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

      Friendly, chaste and as far as things should probably go. Liberty didn’t know much about attorney ethics. Kissing her surely violated one or two of them. Even if she wanted a kiss more than anything.

      She should stop this hug now. For Deacon’s sake. But when she tried to pull away, he held her fast.

      “Not yet,” he said, his voice suddenly husky as he dipped his head.

      Dear Reader,

      Welcome to Reckless, Arizona!

      I just love saying those words—or ones like them—because it means I’m launching a brand-new series and introducing my readers to a whole bunch of new characters. I feel kind of as if I’m taking my child to school for their very first day, or showing up for my first day of work at a new job. It’s a little scary and a lot exciting. Will they like me? Will I fit in? Will I do well?

      I often talk about where I live, in the foothills of the stunning McDowell Mountains. But there are so many other beautiful, fascinating and even quirky places in Arizona. This time, I chose to set my series in a fictional town near Roosevelt Lake, a stunningly beautiful and, frankly, wild area of the state. For such a place, I needed to create a town that was also a bit wild, then populate it with an interesting and complicated family to match.

      This first book about the Becketts is the story of Liberty and Deacon. She’s trying to piece together a family that’s been broken for years. He’s trying to clear his name and find out who really caused a terrible bull-goring accident years ago. The odds are stacked against them and against the attraction they feel for one another. In order for them to prevail and find true love, they’re going to have to learn some very hard lessons.

      I’m thrilled to bring you their story. And, as always, I love hearing from you.

      Warmest wishes,

      Cathy McDavid

       www.CathyMcDavid.com www.Facebook.com/CathyMcDavid www.Twitter.com/CathyMcDavid

      More Than

      a Cowboy

      Cathy McDavid

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      For the past eighteen years Cathy McDavid has been juggling a family, a job and writing, and doing pretty well at it, except for the housecleaning part. “Mostly” retired from the corporate business world, she writes full-time from her home in Scottsdale, Arizona, near the breathtaking McDowell Mountains. Her twins have “mostly” left home, returning every now and then to raid her refrigerators. On weekends, she heads to her cabin in the mountains, always taking her laptop with her. You can visit her website at www.cathymcdavid.com.

      Contents

      Dear Reader,

       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

       Extract

      Chapter One

      He wasn’t here.

      No surprise, really, thought Liberty Beckett. She’d arrived—a glance at the clock on the wall behind the long counter confirmed it—fifteen minutes early.

      Relief battled with worry for control of her emotions. Was he still coming? Had he changed his mind? A deep breath failed to quell the tension that had been her constant companion this past week.

      “You want a table or a booth, honey?”

      Liberty blinked. A plump waitress had appeared from nowhere, cradling a stack of oversize plastic menus in the crook of her arm.

      “Um, I’m not sure.” She took stock of the restaurant that was as familiar to her as the local market or corner gas station. She must have eaten here two, no, three hundred times. The lunch crowd had long departed, and the dinner crowd wasn’t due for another hour. A lone customer sat at the counter, nursing a cup of coffee.

      Really? In this heat?

      Liberty wiped her damp forehead. “I think I’ll wait until my...” Her what? Father? Technically, yes. “Until