Texas Trouble Series by Becky McGraw

Cassie Bellamy thought she'd left Bowie, Texas and Luke Matthews behind for good. She'd been gone for ten years and in that time had built a successful real estate business, had a new fiancé, and had all but forgotten about the Texas bad boy who'd sent her running to Phoenix in the first place. She wouldn't be going back now, but her daddy needed her at the Double B... moreCassie Bellamy thought she'd left Bowie, Texas and Luke Matthews behind for good. She'd been gone for ten years and in that time had built a successful real estate business, had a new fiancé, and had all but forgotten about the Texas bad boy who'd sent her running to Phoenix in the first place. She wouldn't be going back now, but her daddy needed her at the Double B. Driving her old pickup truck "Bessie" back to Bowie had seemed like a good idea when she'd left Phoenix, but it didn't seem so good when she was broken down on the side of the road in ninety plus Texas weather in between Bowie and her daddy's farm. And it seemed an even worse idea when her knight in brown khaki turned out to be none other than the bad boy himself, a Sheriff now, and still as hot as the Texas sun. Cassie does her best to ignore Luke and remember her fiancé back in Phoenix, but Luke seems determined to make her remember his kisses and their nights of stargazing by the lake instead. And she definitely still has stars in her eyes when she looks at the delectable Sheriff. Luke Matthews had worked damned hard to change the way people thought of him. He wasn't know as the bad boy son of the town's drunk anymore, they called him Sheriff now. For ten years, Luke had been living on the right side of the law, and had forgotten about Cassie Bellamy, the woman who'd left him dangling on a limb ten years ago. All that changes when he plays good Samaritan and stops to rescue a woman stranded on the side of the road. He finds out the fine behind and illegally long legs sticking out from under the hood of the beat up old truck belong to Cassie Bellamy. She was back in Bowie and just as sassy and stubborn as always...looking better than ever. Luke is determined to get answers as to why she left like she did, and she's just as determined to keep him at arm's length. Taking the choice away from her, Luke takes a vacation from his job, and hires on at the Double B as a ranch hand to help out while her daddy's down. The heat and the close proximity work in his favor and soon Luke has her cornered like a stray calf...but what was he going to do with her now? He had a few ideas, and all of them involved a king-sized bed and his lasso. She might be trouble, but Cassie Bellamy had always been his kind of trouble...and if it took hog-tying to get her to believe that, he was definitely game. less

Sabrina Roberts has become a reclusive workaholic, since her husband Kenny, an adrenaline junky cop, was killed in the line of duty eighteen months ago. Determined not to let the same thing happen to her after his death, Sabrina makes her job as a detective with the Phoenix Police Department her life. In lieu of a social life, Sabrina focuses on researching her cases, working out to make herself stronger and staying at the gun range to make sure she is on top of her game... moreSabrina Roberts has become a reclusive workaholic, since her husband Kenny, an adrenaline junky cop, was killed in the line of duty eighteen months ago. Determined not to let the same thing happen to her after his death, Sabrina makes her job as a detective with the Phoenix Police Department her life. In lieu of a social life, Sabrina focuses on researching her cases, working out to make herself stronger and staying at the gun range to make sure she is on top of her game. She knows the life she is living is no life, but doesn't know how to change it. Since Kenny's death, she doesn't even know who she is anymore. The only thing she did know was she was never dating a cop again. When her new friend, Cassie Bellamy, calls Sabrina from Bowie, Texas to ask her to be maid of honor in her wedding, and to help with her horse ranch while she's on her honeymoon, Sabrina jumps on the opportunity to reevaluate her life and decompress in the sedate small town. Almost from the first minute her feet touch Bowie soil though, Sabrina realizes the small town is far from sedate, and certainly not a place she is going to be able to decompress. Between the infuriatingly sexist, but oh so sexy, Sheriff Cole Jackson, who treats her like she's incompetent, and the hair raising events at the wedding, then a surprising call for help from the older brother she hasn't spoken to in eighteen months, Sabrina has more action in Bowie than she ever had back in Phoenix. After a while, Sabrina starts hoping that action will include some personal action with the handsome Sheriff, who lights fires inside of her that have been banked for a long time. Cole Jackson has enough on his hands taking over as Sheriff of his hometown after his friend resigns, without having to deal with the trouble sexy Sabrina Roberts dumps in his lap. Suddenly, his peaceful little town, where the most he had to look forward to was the rollover of a chicken truck on the highway, becomes a hotbed of trouble, and it seems like the beautiful detective he'd met in Phoenix a month ago, is at the heart of it all. She and her brother are magnets for trouble, it seems. To protect his best friend and his new wife, Cole invites Sabrina and her brother to stay at his house, and welcomes more than trouble into his life. He finds out the gorgeous policewoman has depths he can't wait to uncover...and she can cook better than his mama! The heat she stirs inside of him is definitely more than the heat in the kitchen though, and soon Cole wants to sample everything on her menu. But first, Cole has to rescue her from the bad guys chasing her brother...and then from herself. He's determined to convince Sabrina that even though he's a cop, he's not the risk-taker her late husband was, and that he's worth taking a risk on. less

Professional rodeo team roper, Karlie Upton, is done with arrogant testosterone-soaked cowboys, and she's done with the rodeo. Worn out from traveling and battling with the abusive bull rider she'd just broken up with, Karlie heads for Bowie, Texas to see if her old friend Cassie Bellamy needs help with her new horse operation... moreProfessional rodeo team roper, Karlie Upton, is done with arrogant testosterone-soaked cowboys, and she's done with the rodeo. Worn out from traveling and battling with the abusive bull rider she'd just broken up with, Karlie heads for Bowie, Texas to see if her old friend Cassie Bellamy needs help with her new horse operation. Her identical twin sister, and roping partner isn't happy about Karlie leaving her high and dry, but Karlie can't stay, and she can't tell her sister why she's leaving. Karlie knows her ex will probably come looking for her, because not only did she leave, she took his meal ticket with her, a fifty-pound slack-jawed bulldog named Sarge, who he got five-thousand dollars a month to care for from his crazy grandpa's estate. When she reaches the city limits of Bowie, Karlie receives a welcome she didn't expect. Not paying attention to her speed, Karlie had let 'Freddie', the hot rod Lincoln she'd had since she was sixteen, have his head, and he didn't like to go slow. He liked to blow the stripes off of the road, since she'd souped him up in automotive class in high school. So, the first person she met in Bowie, wasn't the one she went there to see, but he was easy on the eyes nonetheless. The handsome deputy gave her a lecture and a ticket that would empty her pocketbook. Then after she tried to bargain her way out of the ticket, he arrested her and threatened to send Sarge to the pound! Karlie knew she would have enjoyed the frisking, but when the hot lawman took her dog into custody, he crossed the line, and Karlie showed him she wasn't known as the 'Wild Child' in the pro rodeo circuit for nothing! Her impulsive nature yet again lands her in a heap of trouble, but it also gives her a reason to see the good looking lawman again, when she cuts a community service deal to fix his police car. Karlie's not looking for a relationship with any man, her ex may have soured her for life on those, but she sure could go for a little romp in the hayloft with the tall, dark and handsome deputy sheriff. But then she finds out he has issues, deep dark issues, which meant he was a 'fixer-upper'. Karlie knew she was in trouble then, because if there was one thing she had a problem avoiding, it was projects. From cars to men, the more they needed fixing, the more they interested her. Bowie's Chief Deputy, Gabe Kelley, had never encountered a woman like the red hot redhead he stopped for speeding, while filling in for his patrolman on traffic duty. Sitting at the city limit sign, minding his own business, almost dozing off, because he was so bored, Gabe was jolted out of his lethargy when a black Lincoln went past him doing at least one ten. When he finally caught up to the sassy redhead, she gave him lip, then he gave her a hefty ticket, and a stern warning about driving through his town recklessly. He never expected the beautiful cowgirl to proposition him to get out of the ticket! He was so shocked, he arrested her, then called the dog pound to come get her ugly dog. The next thing Gabe knew, he was laying on his stomach on the hot Texas roadway, hogtied, and mad as hell, watching the hotheaded woman drive off leaving him there. He was going to get untied, and when he did, there would be hell to pay, and the one paying it would be Miss Karlie Upton. It might take him a while to find her, but he would, if it was the last thing he ever did. One way or another, Gabe was going to teach the bratty woman he wasn't a man to be messed with...if it took spanking her shapely ass to drive that point home. Gabe would have to be careful though, because, although he liked his women with a little edge, he knew this beautiful redhead had enough of it to cut his throat. Her ex is after her, and the only thing standing between the rough bull rider and her is Gabe, and this guy is playing for keeps, but then so is Gabe. less

Country singer, Jess Sparks, is finally watching her star rise, after shedding the weight of a thieving manager and boyfriend three years ago. Jess has worked her butt off since to recover from it, and it's finally paying off, because she's on the verge of signing a big recording contract. Someone from Bowie, Texas calls and asks her to sing at a wedding reception, and she agrees to do it as a final hoorah... moreCountry singer, Jess Sparks, is finally watching her star rise, after shedding the weight of a thieving manager and boyfriend three years ago. Jess has worked her butt off since to recover from it, and it's finally paying off, because she's on the verge of signing a big recording contract. Someone from Bowie, Texas calls and asks her to sing at a wedding reception, and she agrees to do it as a final hoorah. While she's performing, Jess notices a good looking cowboy in the crowd staring her down and can't take her eyes off of him either. Her best friend, and band mate, thinks Jess needs to loosen up and have some fun, so she issues a dare that Jess can't refuse...make him her 'Angel' for the night. Back in Dallas, Jess discovers that her fun pays off a little too well, when the stick with the pink plus sign tells her she's a member of the elite 'less than two percent club' they warn about on the back of condom boxes. She's pregnant, and doesn't have a clue what the cowboy's name is, because honey, baby or sugar worked just fine for them that night. After the baby is born, she gets another call from the client in Bowie for an encore performance at the couple's one-year anniversary party. Although Jess is hesitant to accept, because she's scared she'll run into the cowboy again, who would do nothing but complicate her life, she accepts, because she needs the money. Once she gets to Bowie, Jess realizes her luck is still running--in the wrong direction. Not only is the cowboy there, he's the manager of the ranch, and she's going to be seeing a lot of him, because she and the band get stuck there. Although she didn't intend on telling him about her little angel, he finds out, and wants to be a daddy. After Jess gets to know him better, she discovers she wants the sexy cowboy to be a lot more than that. Professional rodeo rider, Wade Roberts never expected his career to end with a fall from a wild horse he pulled in his last rodeo, but that's exactly what happened. Luck was on his side though, when he found out the manager of the Double B Ranch in Bowie, Texas was retiring, and they hired him as a replacement. When the beautiful country singer he'd had one night of wild passion with a year ago after a wedding, shows up at the ranch to play a command performance for the anniversary party, Wade is surprised. She was supposed to be in the big leagues now, so he wonders what she's doing back in Bowie. When Jess Sparks gives him the cold shoulder, Wade is confused, because to his knowledge, they'd both been blown away by their time together, and had been on the same page the next morning, when they parted without exchanging phone numbers. The reason for her attitude becomes clear to Wade though, when he sees a car seat and toys in the back of the van she arrived in. He has a daughter, and Jess doesn't want him to be a part of her life. That's not okay with Wade, and he is determined to convince the beautiful songbird, that he will be a part of his daughter's life and take care of them both. Fate appears to give him time to convince her, when Jess gets hurt and the band's van burns up, but then her ex-boyfriend shows up in town, representing a record company that wants to sign her. Now, if she wants a contract, she's going to have to deal with the man who robbed her blind, while he managed her career. Then her ex incites Wade into a fight at the bar, which lands him in jail. Using the charges against Wade as leverage, the guy coerces Jess into signing with him to get Wade out of his legal trouble. Determined to make up for the mess he'd made, and get Jess out of the contract, Wade enters a charity rodeo competition, with a big purse, because he knows he can win it, even though it might change his life forever, if he gets injured again. Wade isn't looking for trouble, but if he wants to keep the two angels in his life permanently, he knows he's going to have to face a hell of a lot of it to make that happen. less

Professional rodeo team roper, Katie Upton, is tired of being called the "Mild Child" in relation to her less inhibited twin sister. She's spent a lifetime cleaning up her sister's messes, the last of which landed her working for the handsome, but standoffish, owner of the Rockin' D ranch in Amarillo. Katie whips the ranch and ranch hands into shape in no time, and tries to help Tommy corral his spoiled little princess of a daughter, Dixie, too... moreProfessional rodeo team roper, Katie Upton, is tired of being called the "Mild Child" in relation to her less inhibited twin sister. She's spent a lifetime cleaning up her sister's messes, the last of which landed her working for the handsome, but standoffish, owner of the Rockin' D ranch in Amarillo. Katie whips the ranch and ranch hands into shape in no time, and tries to help Tommy corral his spoiled little princess of a daughter, Dixie, too. Stubborn little Dixie doesn't like that much and tells her daddy that Katie is boring, and that she wants Katie's twin sister back at the ranch, because she's fun. Katie realizes Dixie feels that way, because the little hellion is just like her sister! When Tommy talks to Katie about Dixie, he basically tells her he thinks she's boring too. Katie is tired of living in her vibrant twin's shadow, so she leaves the ranch determined to redefine herself according to her twin sister's rules, and find out what all the hoopla is about being uninhibited. One she-devil tattoo, a new blond hairdo, and a hot red motorcycle later, Katie sees what it's all about, and feels freedom like she's never known before. Unfortunately, that freedom leads her back to Tommy Tucker, and a hot night of truck sex, which lands her in a lot of trouble--the kind of trouble that makes her want to want to find more of it with the oh so sexy widowed rancher. Katie thinks he needs to loosen up and live his life again, and she is determined to show him how to do that...with her. At only twenty-four years old, Tommy Tucker had been forced to make a decision that no husband or expectant father should ever have to make, to either save his wife, or his daughter, after a horrific truck accident. He chose his daughter, because that's what he felt his wife would have wanted him to do, but his mother-in-law felt differently, and blamed him for her death. The woman hadn't spoken to him in ten years, and refused to have anything to do with her granddaughter, either. But his former mother-in-law couldn't blame Tommy any more than he blamed himself. Every day, he had to live with the incredible guilt, as he did the best he could to raise his daughter alone, and make his quarter horse ranch successful. Although it was dull, his life had settled into comfortable territory, until a set of beautiful redheaded twins show up at the ranch. Even thought they're identical twins, he finds out the two women were as different as night and day. One is a hellion who courts trouble at every turn, and the other is a sensible, responsible woman who tries to keep her sister out of trouble, someone he thought would be perfect for him. No matter how much he wants Katie Upton though, Tommy can't get involved with her. For ten years, he'd avoided relationships, so he didn't cause his mother-in-law more grief, or have to explain to his daughter that he'd killed her mother. He'd hired her to work at his ranch, but where she was concerned, it was hands off. After Katie hears some misspoken words between him and his daughter, she runs from him and the Rockin' D, hurt and angry at him. Feeling guilty, Tommy tracks her down to apologize. Instead of the nice, sweet woman who'd left the ranch a week prior, he finds someone he doesn't even recognize, a hellion twice as bad as her sister, riding a damned motorcycle that sent chills up his spine, as he imagines her lying dead in a ditch somewhere. When the hot blond sets out to seduce him in his pickup, Tommy is powerless to resist her. She was out of his league experience wise, he'd gotten married young, and his wife had been inexperienced too, so when she suggested they have truck sex, Tommy wanted to see what he'd been missing all these years. He quickly finds out that sweet Katie Upton isn't so sweet after all, she's hotter than habaneras in July, and she is determined to give him an education, one he wants to earn a masters degree in. Before he can explore the possibilities with her however, Tommy has to fend off his wealthy and connected mother-in-law, who is somehow getting information on the goings on at his ranch. The woman is determined he isn't going replace her daughter in his life, or he is going to pay the price, by losing his daughter. Again, Tommy is faced with the ultimate decision, only this time he has help, in the form of a hot-tempered, hot-headed, hot Texas cowgirl, who isn't going to let anyone push her or him around anymore. less

Jazzie Ramos is at a crossroads in her life. Her best friend, Jess Sparks, the singer in the country band she plays fiddle for, has just gotten married and doesn't need her help anymore. Since Jazzie has always taken care of Jess, she really doesn't know what to do with herself now. Their band is making it, they even have a platinum record to their credit, so Jazzie wonders why she isn't happier about her newfound fame and fortune... moreJazzie Ramos is at a crossroads in her life. Her best friend, Jess Sparks, the singer in the country band she plays fiddle for, has just gotten married and doesn't need her help anymore. Since Jazzie has always taken care of Jess, she really doesn't know what to do with herself now. Their band is making it, they even have a platinum record to their credit, so Jazzie wonders why she isn't happier about her newfound fame and fortune. While attending a friend's wedding in Tahiti, Jazzie reconnects with Beau Bowman, a handsome Texas Ranger she'd met a year before in Bowie, Texas. She finds that she's still insanely attracted to the hotter than hell lawman, and Jazzie decides to rid herself of the albatross around her neck, her virginity, something her five overprotective brothers have guarded like pitbulls for twenty-eight years. It was time, and she figures Beau is more than man enough for the job. Her time in paradise gets interrupted though, when she gets a frantic call from her mother telling her that her brother has gone missing in Dallas, and is in big trouble. Jazzie flies back home to comfort her mother and find her brother, but she knows she can't do it alone. She is going to need help, and again Beau Bowman seems to be the man for the job. Jazzie knows she can trust him to do his job and find her brother, but can she trust the jaded green-eyed lawman with her heart? Beau Bowman had been there and done that with relationships, and he wasn't doing it again. His ex-fiancé had left a sour taste in his mouth that no amount of mouthwash or time was going to erase. She'd proven to him he just wasn't cut out for them. Even though he wasn't looking for a relationship, when Beau spots Jazzie Ramos, the exotically beautiful and multi-talented Latina fiddler he'd fallen in lust with a year ago in Bowie, Texas, at a friend's wedding in Tahiti, he decides she is one woman he wouldn't mind getting to know better. He finally works up the nerve and ask her to dinner, and is thrilled when she accepts his invitation. Things get heated on the tropical island and Beau is shocked, but too far gone, when he realizes she's a virgin! That was a relationship waiting to happen, in his book. Beau decides that the best thing he can do is run, not walk, away from her as fast as he can, until she gets a call from her mother, who tells her that her brother is missing and on the run from some very shady characters he'd been naively working for. Beau Bowman suffers from an undeniable white knight complex. He knows it, but there isn't one damned thing he can do to avoid it. If there is a wrong, he feels an urge to right it, if someone is in trouble, he has to help them. That urge is what led him into law enforcement, instead of ranching, and it was the same urge that led him to hustle to Dallas to help Jazzie Ramos find her brother. Even though Beau knows he is just asking for trouble getting involved, his urge to help the beautiful fiddler is as irresistible as the temptation to fall head over heels in love with her...something he swore he'd never do again. less

Emergency Room Doctor, Jenny Anderson, might be manless right now, but she's come to find out her life is a lot less complicated that way. She's sorely tempted to change that situation though, when sexy wildcat oilman Chase Rhodes is brought into her ER for treatment of a gunshot wound, and then asks her to dinner... moreEmergency Room Doctor, Jenny Anderson, might be manless right now, but she's come to find out her life is a lot less complicated that way. She's sorely tempted to change that situation though, when sexy wildcat oilman Chase Rhodes is brought into her ER for treatment of a gunshot wound, and then asks her to dinner. With a mountain of student loans to pay off, an ex-fiance who accused her of sleeping with his father, and a crazy cat who hates men, she has enough on her plate though without adding a man in the mix, especially a patient, so she refuses. When Jenny finds out he was out on a boat with a woman when he got shot, and his mama tries to set her up with him by throwing a party to 'thank' her for saving her baby boy's life, Jenny quickly realizes two things about Chase Rhodes...he's a mama's boy and a player. Even though the man looked like a male model, and had a smile that could melt her panties at fifty paces, she was not going there. Jenny had bigger things to worry about anyway, like deciding whether she was joining Doctors Without Borders and going to Africa for two years to pay off her student loans. When Chase shows up at her apartment unexpectedly, and offers her a job that includes paying off her student loans and a six-figure salary to train his oil rig medics, it's one she can't refuse. With a choice between Africa and Amarillo, there really wasn't a choice...even if it meant resisting her irresistible new boss. Waking up in the emergency room with a beautiful blond angel in white hovering above him, Chase Rhodes thought he was dead, but figured if she was his guide to the pearly gates, dying might be worth it. After the beautiful doctor patched him up, he couldn't resist asking her to dinner. When she turns him down flat, Chase is disappointed, but determined to win her over. He was going to change his luck with women, starting now. For some reason, women just didn't think he was a keeper. They either wanted him for sex or friendship, and he was tired of it. He was friendly, helped out where he could, but they took that to mean he was only friendship material, evidently. Maybe if he was as much of a tool as the men they seemed to prefer, he'd be better off...but that just wasn't him. Although he didn't need anymore female friends, Chase figures out that's where he'll have to start with the gorgeous woman, so he goes to her apartment to offer an olive branch. While there, Chase is stunned when she tells him she's considering going to Africa to pay off her student loans. He can't believe she doesn't consider it dangerous! Hell, with the unrest over there, she could be captured and traded for goats...not something he was going to let happen. Since he and his daddy had been talking about hiring a Health and Safety Officer for their company, and she would be as good a fit as any, Chase offers her the job. He could train her on the safety part of the job, Chase knew oil derricks inside and out. He'd worked on them in every position, since he was a teenager. His idea seemed to be a good solution all the way around. It would also give him time to get to know her better and convince her to give him a chance. Jenny throws a wrench in his idea though, when she adds the caveat that if she accepts the job, there would be no hanky panky between them. Having no choice if he wanted to keep her safe, Chase accepts her terms, and helps her move to Amarillo. Soon, they are fighting more than their attraction to each other though, when several of his derricks are hit by arsonists, and his dad tells him to find out who's behind the sabotage fast. As the well fires heat up, so do Jenny and Chase's feelings for each other, and battling both proves impossible. It's hot in the Texas oil patch, but even hotter at Rhodes Drilling and Exploration, for more reasons than one. less

Trauma Nurse Terri Cassidy's life went to hell after her best friend and boss moved to Amarillo. Her new boss, a male doctor, has wandering hands and he thinks Terri has to put up with it. She files a complaint against him, but unbelievably the hospital board suspends her, instead of him. Needing a break and somewhere to lick her wounds, Terri heads to see her very pregnant friend to figure out what she is going to do with her life... moreTrauma Nurse Terri Cassidy's life went to hell after her best friend and boss moved to Amarillo. Her new boss, a male doctor, has wandering hands and he thinks Terri has to put up with it. She files a complaint against him, but unbelievably the hospital board suspends her, instead of him. Needing a break and somewhere to lick her wounds, Terri heads to see her very pregnant friend to figure out what she is going to do with her life. When she gets to Amarillo, she finds more than she is looking for. Joel Rhodes, a sexy attorney turned dude rancher, who just happens to be her best friend's brother-in-law and a man she'd had sex with a year before, offers her a job as a medic on his dude ranch. The previous year while helping her friend move, Terri had gotten to know Joel and identified with his depression over his wife cheating with his law partner. Terri was five years past her own divorce from a serial cheater and knew exactly what he was feeling, lost, unsure and insecure. Even after he'd all but told her she would just be the first flavor of many he planned to sample, and even though casual sex wasn't her thing, Terri had sex with him. Because she wanted him, and he needed her to restore his confidence. Now that she was going to work for him though things could get sticky, because even though Terri had had a one-night-stand with him, she was a relationship kind of woman and he was definitely still not that man. Resisting the sexy rancher was going to be tough. The man was like a hot fudge sundae to her, decadent, delicious, irresistible, but oh so bad for her. Terri had to try though, because she needed the job, and she deserved a man who wanted more than one night. Joel Rhodes was determined to break his one-woman mentality. Five years of faithfulness had only gotten him cheated on and broke. Like ice cream, he only planned to sample each of the thirty-one flavors once, before moving on to the next. There was no way in hell he was going the relationship route again...ever. Broken down and broken-hearted, Joel leaves his Dallas law firm and his ex-wife to his former business partner, who she had cheated with. A ranch goes up for sale in his hometown, so he buys it and converts it to a dude ranch. During the summer when he was a teenager, his grandfather had taught him what ranching meant, and to Joel it meant peace and calm. He needed that now, and he was sure other burned out professionals would need it too. He'd almost found his new Zen, when flavor number one, Terri Cassidy, shows up on his doorstep to see his sister-in-law, upset and unemployed. Overhearing their conversation, he figures out the woman who'd helped him get back on the horse when he was depressed and lost a year prior, had gotten a raw deal at the hospital where she worked. Joel has plenty of reservations, but he offers Terri a job at this ranch to provide medical services to his guests. Quickly he realizes his error in judgment, because being that close to the beautiful and sassy woman on a daily basis has Joel rethinking his flavor system, and wanting a lot more than her delicious body. Before he can convince Terri that she's his forever favorite flavor though, his ex-wife reappears, people start dropping like flies and Joel has more trouble than he can shake a stick at. Even though Joel believes trouble rode into the R&R Ranch with the petite brunette, he finds out that maybe his salvation came with her too. less

Horse trainer and female ranch hand Roxanne Baker's daddy had warned her about smooth-talking city boys at sixteen. She had always taken his advice as gospel until she met the poster boy for smooth-talking city boys, Ethan Cassidy. Until then it had been easy, because she intimidated most men in her profession, most men in general. When she didn't intimidate them, Rocky became a stumbling idiot around them, not able to string two words together... moreHorse trainer and female ranch hand Roxanne Baker's daddy had warned her about smooth-talking city boys at sixteen. She had always taken his advice as gospel until she met the poster boy for smooth-talking city boys, Ethan Cassidy. Until then it had been easy, because she intimidated most men in her profession, most men in general. When she didn't intimidate them, Rocky became a stumbling idiot around them, not able to string two words together. When Ethan, her only female friend's brother, visited the R & R Ranch for the bull riding adventure a year prior, then proceeded to save his sister from a flooded creek, Rocky developed a serious case of hero worship. At Terri's wedding, that turns into much more. The next time she sees Ethan though, he is a changed man, definitely not the charming alpha firefighter who had made love to her in the hayloft all night long. He wants nothing to do with her, and Rocky is determined to find out what happened to him and help him find that man again. Spec Ops Paramedic and Firefighter, Ethan Cassidy has the world by the balls. In his job and his involvement with the Texas Task Force 1, Ethan takes risks every day that would turn most anyone's stomach, both to save lives and to feed his adrenaline addiction. He knows that every day could be his last, so he milks every ounce of zest out of life that he can find. Roxanne Baker's long legs and cherry-flavored lips are just the kind of zest he likes best. The capable and country-beautiful female ranch hand intrigues him when he visits his sister's ranch to learn to ride rodeo bulls. She won't give him the time of day however, so he waits until Terri's wedding and tries again with her. After the wedding and a wonderous night in the hayloft with Roxanne, Ethan goes back to Henrietta and his life is changed forever by an accident on the job. Ethan is depressed and refuses therapy to rehabilitate, because what's the use? He will never be a firefighter or paramedic again. He is thirty years old and his life is over. His sister won't let him wallow though, she comes and drags him back to the ranch where she and Roxanne give him no choice but to work hard to recover. When Rocky joins an equine search and rescue team, and invites him to join too, he finds his motivation and new purpose. A fire investigation of the accident scene shows that his accident may have been no accident at all. Ethan is shocked to discover a member of his fire crew might have been behind trying to kill him. A child goes missing in Palo Duro Canyon State Park and the equine search and rescue team is called upon to help the Texas Task Force find her. Ethan and Roxanne work together as a team there, but other forces are at work too to make sure they don't leave that wilderness alive. Working together in the canyon, both Ethan and Roxanne find exactly what they've been searching for--love. They soon realize that holding on to that love will take using every skill they possess, but know in the end it will be worth the trouble. less

Leigh Ann Baker, former Miss Texas, knows she is more than a beauty queen. She knows she has more value than a trophy wife for one of the rich old men her mother had been trying to marry her off to for the last four years. She just needs to figure out what that is. With her mother managing every aspect of her life since she was born, if she stayed in Dallas, that would be a difficult thing to do, so she heads to Amarillo to ask her independent sister for advice... moreLeigh Ann Baker, former Miss Texas, knows she is more than a beauty queen. She knows she has more value than a trophy wife for one of the rich old men her mother had been trying to marry her off to for the last four years. She just needs to figure out what that is. With her mother managing every aspect of her life since she was born, if she stayed in Dallas, that would be a difficult thing to do, so she heads to Amarillo to ask her independent sister for advice. Five weeks later, Leigh Ann finds out that although she doesn’t have a problem getting jobs, she just doesn’t have the skills to keep them. Leigh Ann is almost ready to head back to Dallas with her tail between her legs and admit defeat. Letting her mother run her life looked pretty appealing right then. Instead, her sister tells her about a job a friend has open for a veterinary assistant. Animals hated Leigh Ann, even though she loved them. Taking that job would be a really bad idea, but it was either take the job or go back to her mother. After she meets Wes Jepson, she decides that making peace with animals might be worth it to get to know the sexy vet. From the first day on the job though, Dr. Wes Jepson makes it plain he has no desire to get to know her. His beautiful ex-wife had left him and his adorable son seven years ago, and the man now believed that all beautiful women were lying, conniving cheaters, who were always looking for attention. A category he shoved Leigh Ann into, whether she fit or not. Leigh Ann soon realizes that convincing him she isn't like that is going to be an uphill battle, but she is a survivor and up for the challenge. If Leigh Ann had survived her mother’s oppression, a stalker, and four rich old men who wanted to marry her, convincing one jaded vet she is the perfect woman for him, and the perfect mother for his son should be a piece of cake. Wes Jepson is done with beautiful man magnets. His ex-wife had shown him exactly what marrying a woman like that would do for him. He would have to fight every man on the planet to keep her, and then for his trouble she would leave him as an emotionally and financially bankrupt single parent, who was trying to hold it all together. Wes didn’t have the energy for that anymore. All he wants now is peace in his life and a good mother for his son. The next woman he got involved with would be in his league. Normal. Hell, she could look like ten miles of bad road as long as she respected him, and the vows they took. When Wes said forever, he meant it, and he wanted a woman who did too. When his friend, Roxanne Baker, suggests her sister to replace her as his vet assistant, Wes is introduced to exactly the kind of woman he is trying to avoid. Leigh Ann Baker, even in jeans, and no makeup, is exactly like his ex-wife with her sexy southern drawl, practiced knee-melting smile, and dangerous curves. His instant attraction to the woman scares the hell of him, but he owes Roxanne a lot, so against his better judgment, he hires her sister. He soon realizes keeping things on a professional level with Leigh Ann Baker is going to be tough. It gets even tougher when Roxanne ups the ante by asking him to let her sister stay in his spare bedroom, until she can find her own place. If he agrees, Wes knows he's in deep trouble, but looking into Leigh Ann’s mesmerizing blue eyes has him agreeing to all kinds of things he shouldn’t be agreeing to. It doesn't Wes long to see that his new assistant doesn’t have experience with animals, they actually seem to hate her, she doesn’t know a thing about bookkeeping, and men seem to be drawn to her like bees to honey, but Wes wants to be one of those bees. Leigh Ann Baker, former Miss Texas, might spell royal trouble for him, since she was the Queen of Chaos, but Wes wants to enjoy every minute of her reign for the rest of his life. less

Criminal defense attorney Veronica Winters always wondered what it would be like with sexy former detective Trace Rooks. Even though he’s an ex-convict now, because of her, she still wonders. Ronnie has always felt damned guilty for recommending a plea deal that sent an innocent man to jail. When she finds out he’s back in jail and a friend asks her to question him about the situation, Ronnie thinks she might finally have the opportunity to set things right with him... moreCriminal defense attorney Veronica Winters always wondered what it would be like with sexy former detective Trace Rooks. Even though he’s an ex-convict now, because of her, she still wonders. Ronnie has always felt damned guilty for recommending a plea deal that sent an innocent man to jail. When she finds out he’s back in jail and a friend asks her to question him about the situation, Ronnie thinks she might finally have the opportunity to set things right with him. At the jail though, she finds a changed man she almost doesn’t recognize. The scars on the outside are nothing compared to the scars he bears inside. Instead of the charming, easy going man she represented four years prior, his attitude now is as hard as his body. But she finds out the new, edgier Trace Rooks turns her on even more than the man she knew before. Trace Rooks, would love nothing better than seeing the Shark Lady get her due for sending him to prison unjustly. He would make sure Ronnie Winters eventually got hers, but at the moment, he had other priorities. Like taking down his corrupt father. The man who had paid off the woman touted to be the best criminal defense attorney in the state to help send him to prison. When Ronnie shows up at the jail asking questions, Trace isn't giving her anything except a hard time. He believes she's there on his father's behalf again, and there is no way in hell he is falling for her lines again. Trace was a man that learned for his mistakes, and trusting Ronnie Winters had been the biggest of his life. But when Ronnie doesn't get the answers she wants from him, she starts digging around on her own. Trace knows that can get him killed or sent back to prison again. He decides that the best thing he can do is heed his grandfather's advice to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. He isn't sure which camp Ronnie Winters falls into yet, but he's going to keep her close until he figures it out. Maybe he could get the answers he'd been looking for the last three years. If not, he could at least get his pound of flesh from the mouthy, leggy redhead every man in Texas was afraid of. Trace wasn't afraid of Ronnie Winters, but he quickly finds out he isn't immune to her either. When that leads to thinking he might just have misjudged the beautiful redhead before, and maybe there was more to her than met the eye, Trace knows he's in deep trouble. less

Dylan Thomas, a cowboy with a tough childhood, is as settled as the bucking bulls he used to ride for a living. His lifelong mode of operation has been to avoid attachments and only take care of himself, because nobody else was going to. After an almost career-ending injury, he's been stuck at the R & R Ranch teaching snobby rich guys to ride bulls until he can get back to the rodeo. He's restless and ready to get back on the road, until a new guest shows up at the ranch... moreDylan Thomas, a cowboy with a tough childhood, is as settled as the bucking bulls he used to ride for a living. His lifelong mode of operation has been to avoid attachments and only take care of himself, because nobody else was going to. After an almost career-ending injury, he's been stuck at the R & R Ranch teaching snobby rich guys to ride bulls until he can get back to the rodeo. He's restless and ready to get back on the road, until a new guest shows up at the ranch. A sad-eyed widow named Carrie Collins who smells like sugar cookies and kisses like an angel. Dylan doesn't do relationships, but he has a weakness for sugar cookies, and for Carrie Collins. Worn out widow Carrie Collins is at the end of her rope, and hanging on by a thread. She's up to her eyeballs in bills, and her two children are out of control. So what does her dead husband's best friend think is the perfect solution to her problems? A visit to a Texas dude ranch, masquerading as a spa for the rich and famous. Carrie thinks he's lost his mind, but goes along. When she meets handsome ranch hand, Dylan Thomas, at the ranch she doesn't think it's quite so bad an idea after all. Dylan suggests they take a ride to the lake, and Carrie jumps in with both feet. It's been three years since her husband died, and she figures it's about time she got back in the saddle of life...and other things. With his doctor's release in hand, Dylan has nothing holding him back from reclaiming his former life, except the trouble Carrie's son Chris has borrowed by getting in with the wrong crowd. When things heat up, and Carrie is in trouble too, does he save the girl or save himself? less