The Cowboy's Pride. Charlene Sands

       “So I was thinking, how about I bring over dinner later tonight?”

      “Clay, it’s not a good idea.”

      “I thought I had good ideas. You said so yourself about a dozen times last night.”

      His ideas had given her a night she’d never forget, but morning brought her sanity back. “Last night was incredible,” she said honestly. “I’m not sorry, it’s something we both wanted and needed, but we can’t—”

      “Why not? Why can’t we?”

      “Because it’s pointless.”

      He hesitated for a moment. “Don’t analyze it, Trish. We’re still married.”

      For the next few weeks. “Well, I can’t separate the two in my head. I can’t make love with you and pretend we’re not split up. I can’t do that to myself or to Meggie. She’s already lost so much.”

      “What is she going to lose if I come over for dinner?”

      “It won’t end there and you know it. While I’m here, I’m going to focus on the fundraiser. I won’t have a lot of time for anything else.”

      Dubious, his eyes lit like sparks on the Fourth of July. “Count on me to change your mind.”

      Dear Reader,

      Welcome back to glorious Red Ridge, Arizona, for Clayton Worth and Trisha Fontaine’s story!

      I’m thrilled to have The Cowboy’s Pride be a part of Desire this month. I promise you, not only will you fall in love with Clay, the sexy, one-time country music superstar now running Worth Ranch, but I’m pretty sure adorable, blond-haired, blue-eyed baby Meggie will steal your heart as well. She’s a cutie!

      I guess you could say, babies are my business, my other business. For the past twenty-five years, I’ve taught childbirth and baby-care classes to expectant parents. It’s been a great honor and joy in my life. Creating Trish Fontaine’s character, a new mommy who is learning parenting skills by the seat of her pants, has been truly fun.

      Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about the third Worth brother. Jackson’s story is coming soon, too!

      Happy reading!

       Charlene Sands

      About the Author

      Award-winning author CHARLENE SANDS writes bold, passionate, heart-stopping heroes and always … really good men! She’s a lover of all things romantic, having married her high-school sweetheart, Don. A member of the Romance Writers of America, she is the proud recipient of a Readers’ Choice Award and double recipient of a Booksellers’ Best Award, having written more than thirty romances to date.

      When not writing, she loves movie dates with her hubby, playing cards with her children, reading romance, great coffee, Pacific beaches, country music and anything chocolate. She also loves to hear from her readers. You can reach Charlene at www.charlenesands.com or PO Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308, USA. You can find her on the Harlequin Desire Authors Blog, and on Facebook, too!

      The Cowboy’s

       Pride

      Charlene Sands

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      This story is dedicated to

       all the sweet little babies in the world!

       And to one very special baby girl, our first grandchild:

       At the time of writing this dedication, you haven’t

       come out to greet us yet, but you are precious

       and loved already!

      One

      The Arizona sky over Worth Ranch was cloudless blue, the air clear enough to view a distant yellow cab ambling up the road that led to the main house. A small cloud of crimson dust billowed up in the taxi’s wake, before scattering to earth again.

      “Looks like your wife’s finally here,” Wes said.

      Clayton Worth followed the direction of his ranch foreman’s gaze and gave a curt nod. He didn’t have to tell him that Trisha Fontaine wasn’t going to be his wife much longer. Everyone in Red Ridge knew their marriage was over.

      “Cover your ears, Wes.” Clay pulled off his leather work gloves and drew oxygen into his lungs. He shouldn’t care so damn much that Trish was late getting here—by three days—he hadn’t seen her for almost a year. “The fireworks are about to begin.”

      Wes Malloy sent him a halfhearted smile. “Breaking things off ain’t ever easy, Clay.”

      His foreman had worked the ranch with Clay’s father way back when, helping Rory Worth build his massive cattle empire. Nothing had mattered more to Rory than the family and the ranch. The two went hand in hand. Rory’s dying plea had been for Clay to take over the reins at Worth Ranch and provide heirs to keep the family legacy strong.

      But Clay hadn’t been able to keep that vow to his father.

      Not only had Trish refused him children, but she’d suspected him of betraying his marriage vows. Her accusation cut deep and when she’d walked out on him, it had been the last straw. If he’d had any doubts about the divorce, it vanished when he’d gotten Trish’s voice mail message three days ago that something important had come up and she couldn’t make the Penny’s Song opening.

      Something important was always coming up.

      She should have been here. Despite their yearlong separation, the charity she helped him develop on Worth land for children recovering from illness should have meant more to her than that. He never thought she’d blow it off.

      He’d been wrong.

      Clay jammed his gloves into the back pockets of his Wranglers and took slow deliberate steps as he made his approach to the idling cab. He watched Trish get out of the backseat, stretching out her legs as she rose to her full height. Chest tight, Clay’s breath caught and he recalled the first time he’d met her, the first time he’d seen those beautiful mile-high legs, backstage at a black-tie function in Nashville. Clay’s country music superstardom had always brought big donors to charity events.

      He’d bumped into her by accident—his big frame no match for her slender body. She toppled and he lunged for her just before she collided with the ground. He’d heard a rip from her too-tight dress and witnessed the gown split along the seam clear up to her thigh. Under the dim lights, her exposed skin glowed soft and creamy and something powerful happened to Clay then. Before he’d gotten her to a standing position, he asked her out to dinner. She’d refused him flat, but with a smile, and handed him her business card so he could make arrangements to pay for her ruined dress.

      Hell, he never could resist a challenge and a beautiful woman.

      But that was then.

      “Trish.” He stood a few feet from her.

      “Hello, Clay,” she said softly.

      Unnerved by the breathy sound of her voice, he braced himself. It surprised him that she still could affect him that way. Trish’s sighs and little gasps poured fire into his veins. That much hadn’t changed. With a practiced eye, he skimmed over her body.

      Half of her white blouse was out of the waistband of her pinstriped skirt. It hung along the side of her hip, haphazardly bunched. The tailored button-down blouse itself was travel-wrinkled, as she would say, stained by some mystery food and looking like it had seen better days. Long strands of her honey-blond hair stuck out of a cockeyed velvet bow in a bad attempt at a ponytail. Smudges of deep cherry-red lipstick colored the lower part of her