Laney started to reach for Sam, but Caleb stopped her.

      “I’ve got this,” he said, lifting Sam easily and holding him against his shoulder.

      Her little boy sighed and snuggled his face against Caleb’s throat.

      A look flashed across Caleb’s face that Laney couldn’t quite decipher. It was a combination of surprise and tenderness and something else she’d never seen there before. Joy, maybe?

      Carrying Sam, Caleb turned away, heading for the barn. She followed slowly, watching the way Caleb adjusted his gait to compensate for the additional thirty-five pounds he was carrying. He held Sam tightly, and she knew that if he was in danger of stumbling, he would fall on his wounded leg before he would let Sam hit the ground.

      She realized that if she wasn’t very careful, she could fall in love with him.

Dear Reader,

      Sweetsilver, Arizona, is the home of Delaney Reynolds and her son, Sam, an adventurous four-year-old who is crazy about all things cowboy. Laney is a high school teacher and, in summer, a wildland firefighter. She and Sam have recently moved into their new home, which is right next to reclusive rancher, Caleb Ransom. Laney’s biggest challenge is keeping her son off Caleb’s property.

      Caleb chose this ranch in the Sonoran Desert to raise cattle and horses and to heal from the physical and emotional wounds he’d received while deployed as a soldier. He simply wants to be left alone.

      Sam has other ideas. The curious boy is unable to resist visiting Caleb and his animals, especially his dog, Bertie, who becomes Sam’s instant best friend. Whenever Sam shows up, his attractive mother is never far behind, making it impossible for Caleb to have the solitary existence he desires.

      Like most Americans, I love the cowboy mystique. There’s something so appealing about a rugged outdoorsman who spends much of his time alone, or with his animals, honing skills such as roping, which most of us will never master. I thought about that continually as I was writing Her Lone Cowboy and I tried to do justice to the cattlemen who helped shape our country.

      I hope you enjoy Caleb and Laney’s story, my first Mills & Boon Heartwarming book, and will visit my website, patriciaforsythebooks.com, to see what else I’ve written. Also, drop by heartwarmingauthors.blogspot.com to meet other Mills & Boon Heartwarming authors.

      Happy reading,

      Patricia

      Her Lone Cowboy

      Patricia Forsythe

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      If it hadn’t been for a seventh-grade teacher who told PATRICIA FORSYTHE that her story characters were, well, crazy, she probably would never have become a writer. She didn’t think that was such a bad thing. After all, she has a large, extended family of decidedly interesting and unusual people who provide ideas and inspiration for her books. In Patricia’s opinion, that only makes them more lovable and worthy of a place in literature.

      A native Arizonan, Patricia has no concept of what a real winter is like, but she is very familiar with summer. She has held a number of jobs, including teaching school, working as a librarian and as a secretary, and operating a care home for developmentally disabled children. Her favorite occupation, though, is writing novels in which the characters get into challenging situations and then work their way out. Each situation and set of characters is different, so sometimes the finished book is as much a surprise to her as it is to the readers. She is the author of many romance novels for Harlequin and Kensington Books and currently also self-publishes ebooks. She is thrilled to see the publication of Her Lone Cowboy, her first Harlequin Heartwarming novel.

      Visit the Author Profile page at www.millsandboon.com for more titles.

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      This book is dedicated to Roz Denny Fox and Vicki Lewis Thompson, my good friends, who have been such a source of encouragement, friendship and joy that words can’t express my gratitude.

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

       Introduction

Dear Reader

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

       CHAPTER FOUR

       CHAPTER FIVE

       CHAPTER SIX

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       CHAPTER NINE

       CHAPTER TEN

      

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