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Home for the holidays
A second chance at love on Big Heart Ranch
Former navy SEAL Zach Norman has been avoiding his ranching roots—and the woman he couldn’t have. Back to visit his brother’s widow, Emma Maxwell Norman, and her adorable toddler twins, the bah-humbug cowboy is roped into helping prepare the ranch for the holidays. Working side by side, can Emma and Zach overcome their troubled past…and receive the greatest Christmas gift of all—love?
TINA RADCLIFFE has been dreaming and scribbling for years. Originally from Western New York, she left home for a tour of duty with the Army Security Agency stationed in Augsburg, Germany, and ended up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her past careers include certified oncology RN and library cataloger. She recently moved from Denver, Colorado, to the Phoenix, Arizona, area, where she writes heartwarming and fun inspirational romance.
Big Heart Ranch
Claiming Her Cowboy
Falling for the Cowgirl
Christmas with the Cowboy
The Rancher’s Reunion
Oklahoma Reunion
Mending the Doctor’s Heart
Stranded with the Rancher
Safe in the Fireman’s Arms
Rocky Mountain Reunion
Rocky Mountain Cowboy
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk
Christmas with the Cowboy
Tina Radcliffe
ISBN: 978-1-474-08621-9
CHRISTMAS WITH THE COWBOY
© 2018 Tina M. Radcliffe
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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“How could you leave all this?”
Emma wiped her face again. Despite her disheveled appearance, there was a wide grin on her face.
“I know you don’t understand, but it wasn’t easy. Toughest decision of my life.”
Their gazes connected and Zach swallowed hard.
“Then why did you?” she asked softly. “We’d been friends since I was seven years old, and suddenly you left without a backward glance.”
He kept his mouth shut, unwilling to open that particular can of worms here and now.
“I guess there’s no point asking why you’ve stayed away for three years, either,” she continued.
When another heifer released a loud, mournful wail, Zach turned his horse around. “Saved by the heifer.”
“You can run…” Emma murmured. “But it seems to me that you and I have a lot to talk about.”
Yeah, she was right; eventually he and Emma were going to have to talk.
Why was it that although he’d never given a second thought to heading into danger as a navy SEAL, the thought of going toe-to-toe with his brother’s widow terrified him?
I’m so delighted to return to Big Heart Ranch in Timber, Oklahoma. What a treat it was to weave a story of faith and love at the most wondrous time of the year, Christmas. A time when we celebrate the birth of our Lord.
This third installment introduces you to the third and youngest Maxwell, Emma Maxwell Norman. Along with her siblings, Lucy and Travis, Emma manages Big Heart Ranch for orphaned, abused and neglected children, where unconditional love and the good Lord reign. Widowed Emma carries the additional challenge of being a single mother to twin daughters.
A former navy SEAL with a troubled past, Zach Norman returns to Timber and lands right in Emma’s path. He’s the only man who can possibly win the heart of the fiercely independent whirlwind of a cowgirl. Zach and Emma must learn to trust and set aside their fears in order to find their happy ending. And isn’t that the way it always works? We must let go of the past to grab the future the Lord has for us.
I hope you enjoy this romantic and inspirational holiday tale. Do drop me a note and let me know your thoughts. I can be reached through my website, www.tinaradcliffe.com, where you can also find Emma’s chocolate muffin recipe.
Sincerely,
Tina Radcliffe
A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.
—Proverbs 16:9
Book three of the Big Heart Ranch series is dedicated to the Big Heart Ranch Wranglers. God gives us the story and readers bless us by reading that story.
A special thanks to wrangler Trixi Oberembt, who named Emma’s twins Rachel and Elizabeth, and wrangler Connie Saunders, who named the Big Heart Ranch Christmas celebration the Holiday Roundup.
A final bow to Rhonda Starnes for her helpful input, and to my deadline buddy on this book, SS.
I am blessed to have an amazing team that includes my agent, Jessica Alvarez, who is always on top of things, and the Love Inspired editors, including senior editor Melissa Endlich, who patiently mold me into