www.millsandboon.co.uk

      STELLA BAGWELL

      began writing romance novels over twenty years ago. Now, more than sixty books later, she likens her job to childbirth. The pain is great, but the rewards are too sweet to measure.

      Over thirty-five years ago Stella married her high school sweetheart, and now the two live on the south Texas coast where the climate is tropical and the lifestyle blessedly slow. When Stella isn’t at her desk, spinning out tales of love, she’s usually working outdoors on their little ranch, 6 Pines, helping her husband care for a herd of very spoiled horses.

      They have a son, who is a high school math teacher and athletic coach.

      To my husband, Harrell, who has been

       my own cowboy for nearly thirty-six years.

       We’ll ride the trail together and always.

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      Matt Sanchez hated weddings. In his opinion, the sentimental ceremonies were only a reminder of everything that could go wrong in a person’s life and normally he made a point to steer clear of any social function with a white dress, tossed rice and weeping women. But the wedding of Raine Ketchum and Neil Rankin was one he couldn’t avoid. The bride was his cousin and he loved her. Even if he would have preferred to saddle up his favorite horse and ride to the far end of the Sandbur Ranch, he couldn’t miss the most important day of her life.

      Thankfully, the exchange of vows had taken place more than an hour ago and now the Saddler house, the original ranch house on the Sandbur, was brimming with guests and relatives, some of whom had traveled all the way from New Mexico. Wedding cake was still being served and champagne, beer and punch were flowing like the San Antonio River after a spring flood.

      In the great room, the rugs had been rolled back and the wooden floor sprinkled with cornmeal to make boots slide gracefully as couples danced to a four-piece band. Music, laughter and loud conversations collided, then ricocheted off the wood-beamed ceilings before they filled every nook and corner of the house.

      At any other time, the reception would have been held outside, beneath the live oaks that graced the backyard. But February weather in South Texas could be fickle. Normally it was splendid with bright sunshine and temperatures just mild enough to make a person forget the long, blistering heat of the past seven months. Even so, there were occasions that northerners blew through and Matt’s Aunt Geraldine, who’d helped Raine with all the wedding plans, hadn’t wanted to brave the chance of having cold or wet guests.

      As for Matt, he’d be happy just to find some quiet, out-of-the-way space to park his boots until all the whooping and hollering died down and he could go back to being the general manager of the Sandbur.

      “What’s the matter, Matt? You look like you’re ready to bolt for higher ground!”

      The question came from his cousin Lex who’d just strolled off the dance floor after a fast twirl with an energetic redhead. Of all his family members, Lex was probably the most sociable. With his tall blond looks, women flocked to him like snow geese flocked to South Texas in winter.

      “It’s getting too loud in here,” Matt replied in a raised voice so that Lex could hear. “Our new cousins from New Mexico are going to think we’re a raucous bunch.”

      The other man laughed. “We are a bunch of loud Texans, cuz. And from what I can see, our new family members are thoroughly enjoying themselves.”

      Not more than a month had passed since he’d learned that Raine’s mother, Darla, had actually been married to a member of the Ketchum family from New Mexico. Everyone here on the ranch had been shocked to learn they had a boatload of cousins they’d never known about, and for the past few days they had all been getting acquainted. Matt was happy about his new relatives, yet he’d be even happier, he realized, once this shindig was over and quiet returned to the Sandbur.

      With a short snort, Matt dug at the tie knotted at his throat. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d worn a suit and if he had his way it was going to be a hell of a lot longer before he wore another one. He felt like a green horse that was cinched tight and left to paw with frustration at the saddling post.

      “Well, I must be getting old,” he commented gruffly. “All this merrymaking is getting on my nerves.”

      The other man rolled his eyes. “Hell’s bells, you’re only thirty-nine, Matt. You should be dancing with some of these beautiful women here this afternoon. Who knows, you might get lucky and one of them will seduce you. God knows you’d never take the initiative.”

      If anyone else had said such a thing to him, he’d give him a mouthful of knuckles. But Lex was like a brother, so he simply glowered at the other man.

      “I don’t need a woman to dance with—or anything else.”