Her Colorado Cowboy. Mindy Obenhaus

Mindy

      Weeping may endure for a night,

      but joy cometh in the morning.

      —Psalms 30:5

      For Your glory, Lord.

       Acknowledgments

      Thank you, Allison Wilson, for helping me brainstorm this story and find the outcome it deserved.

      Many thanks to Steve Wicke for sharing your roping expertise.

      Betty Wolfe, you’re one of my favorite residents of Ouray. Thank you for all your help.

      To my loving husband, Richard, where would I be without you?

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

       About the Author

       Booklist

       Title Page

       Copyright

       Introduction

       Dear Readers

       Bible Verse

       Dedication

       Acknowledgments

       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

       Chapter Seventeen

       Chapter Eighteen

       Extract

       About the Publisher

       Chapter One

      Lily Davis had lost her mind.

      She loathed horses. Yet, somehow, she’d allowed her children to talk her into taking them horseback riding. What was she thinking?

      Knuckles white, she guided her luxury SUV across the cattle guard of Abundant Blessings Ranch and Trail Rides, her gaze darting from the majestic mountains that backdropped the picturesque setting to the menacing red-and-white metal building that sat a short distance from the road.

      She swallowed hard. Any other time she would have put her foot down, but she was desperate. They’d only been in Ouray for three days, and already her kids were begging to go back to their friends and electronic devices in Denver.

      Okay, so it was her ten-year-old son, Colton, who did most of the complaining. He thought everything was boring. On the contrary, her seven-year-old daughter, Piper, had proclaimed Ouray, Colorado, the most beautiful place ever. Which was good, because returning to Denver before the end of the summer was not an option. Not if she wanted to save her son from following in his father’s footsteps.

      She eyed her firstborn in the rearview mirror. With his sandy brown hair and green eyes, he favored her, though his blatant lies were a hallmark of his father. Something Lily found increasingly disconcerting. But learning of how he’d bullied another boy at school had spurred her into action. Because despite what Wade Davis might believe, the fact that they had money did not make them better than anyone else.

      He’d agreed to let her take the kids away for the entire summer, instead of splitting the time the way they usually did. Whatever deal he was working must be big. She could only pray he wouldn’t change his mind before August 15, the date they’d agreed upon for the kids’ return.

      Easing to a stop between another SUV and a sedan, she shifted into Park. Why couldn’t they have just gone on another Jeep tour?

      The kids were out of the vehicle before Lily even turned off the engine.

      “Hurry up, Mommy.” Piper’s excitement had her blonder-than-blond ponytail swishing to and fro. The perpetually cheerful child had always been eager to try new things. A trait Lily usually admired. Until she suggested horseback riding.

      Too bad Lily hadn’t had the guts to say no.

      Setting her booted feet onto the gravel, she rubbed her arms, eyeing the two chestnut-colored horses staring at her from the adjacent paddock. Did they know? Were they able to sense that another horse had once gotten the best of her?

      “Aww...” Piper noted the pair. “Aren’t they cute?”

      Lily cleared her