www.millsandboon.co.uk

       Prologue

      RACHEL MCALLISTER STARED at the Sundance Ranch website she’d created, feeling more helpless and overwhelmed than she cared to admit. Three months ago she’d taken the first reservation, her fingers crossed, prayers murmured in earnest that opening a dude ranch would help pull her family out of the hole. Now they were so swamped with business she didn’t know which end was up. It would’ve all been good except they didn’t have the room.

      Sure, the ranch spread out over three thousand acres, but they raised cattle first and foremost, and she’d promised her brothers she’d keep the guests separate and under control. So much for that. The women had gone nuts over Cole, Jesse and Trace, and the other young cowboys who worked and lived at the Sundance.

      Now, after the first few waves of visitors had sampled life under the clear blue Montana skies, they were writing fantastic reviews. Cole’s new girlfriend, a former guest, was a popular travel blogger and she’d talked up the Sundance on her site.

      All of it was terrific for business but brutal on Rachel’s stress level. Already she’d oversold one weekend and pissed off two women. They had nobly offered to take up residence in the bunkhouse with the hands for the two overlapping days, but that would’ve pissed off everyone else on the ranch.

      Rachel clicked on the latest batch of reviews, skimmed down and smiled when she repeatedly saw Noah Calder’s name. The sheriff was Cole and Jesse’s best friend and like another brother to her. He wasn’t going to be happy about his fifteen minutes of fame—especially if women started swarming his office.

      Well, that would be his problem. Rachel had enough on her plate. She hoped she wouldn’t regret accepting guests until three weeks before Christmas. Initially they were going to close from the first of November until the first of May. But it was just too damn hard to turn away the business.

      Naturally, she’d have to come up with other activities to offer the guests. Summer was easy, with hiking and camping trips, white-water rafting, cattle drives, fishing, rodeos. Early fall could include some of those things, at least before the first snow, but up here in Blackfoot Falls, Montana, almost two hundred miles from the Canadian border, the temperatures dropped early.

      Her computer dinged with the receipt of an email, and she was surprised to find a last-minute cancellation. Well, that worked out great. She had just been about to turn someone down for a week’s stay starting tomorrow night. Quickly, she did the paperwork, and feeling magnanimous, returned the deposit, then booked the new guest. And that was it for the night. She was exhausted.

      Before she turned off her computer, two more reviews caught her eye. More Noah fan club members.

      Review by: Tammy from Chicago

      **** 4 out of 5 stars

      I spent a week at the Sundance in August. Sheer heaven. Never thought I’d like going to the Wild West but could’ve easily stayed a month. My friend dragged me. I totally owe her flowers. Beautiful scenery. The food was way too good. Best of all, the cowboys were smokin’ hot, and not just the brothers on the website, who were even better-looking in person. Lots of cute wranglers, and if you go, get a load of the sheriff, a man who knows how to fill out a uniform. I’m saving up to go back next year. I would’ve given the place five stars if someone had hooked me up with that hunk wearing the badge.

      Review by: Miranda from San FranciscoM

      ***** 5 out of 5 stars

      OMG I just had the best vacation ever! I like horseback riding and hiking and I’m basically an outdoors kind of gal. All the activities the Sundance offers are super fun, and the best part—Trace, the McAllister brother with the tan Stetson in the home page photo, was totally hands-on and yes, he’s as gorgeous as he looks in the pic. But don’t overlook Sheriff Noah Calder. Make a point of visiting Blackfoot Falls, about half an hour away. There’s a quaint bar there called The Watering Hole. And did I mention the sheriff?

      Rachel grinned. Trace ate up the attention, but poor Noah. He was going to head for the hills.

       1

      ALANA RICHARDSON HAD PRECISELY one hour to vacate her office. She kicked off her new Christian Louboutins, swung her stockinged feet onto her desk and stared out the large glass windows at her perfect view of Madison Avenue and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. The autumn sky was more gray than blue, but the trees compensated for the drabness with their orange and yellow brilliance. Normally October was her favorite month. But not this year, not with the move from Midtown to Tribeca, with which she was in total disagreement.

      She was the newly appointed vice president of marketing for an ad agency that had laughed in the face of recession.