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The Cowboy’s Second Chance
Black-sheep cowboy Gunner Buckton is home for one reason—to keep Blue Thorn Ranch in his family where it’s been for generations. No one—not even Brooke Calder—will take it from him. The cute, down-home widow may not look like a slick developer, but she works for one. Along with her adorable daughter, she’s a threat to his homestead—and to his wounded heart. Brooke needs this job. Gunner may be as ornery as a bull, but it’s her task to win him over. The battle lines are drawn. Only problem is, around the handsome Texan, she doesn’t know which side she’s on.
He was one hundred percent cowboy…
…and he was shaking his head. “If you like your men principled like your late husband, I’m not going to look so good. I’m sorry I brought him up.”
“I’m glad you did. It’s silly to pretend he’s not here.”
“Is he?”
She knew what he meant. She’d thought the land development was the wedge between them; she hadn’t realized her late husband might be the true obstacle. “I don’t know.”
“When two male bison want the same female, they fight it out.”
“You’re ready to lock horns over me?”
“I know better than to lock horns with a memory. You said it—no one wins a standoff.”
Attraction warred with caution, making her heart pound and twist. “So now what?”
“We go back to the way things were. Bring on your persuasion campaign. But know this, darlin’—I won’t sell my land. Not now, not ever.”
She dragged her gaze away, looking at the awe-inspiring Texas pastures. She knew how he felt about his land. How did she feel about the cowboy?
ALLIE PLEITER, an award-winning author and RITA® Award finalist, writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion for knitting shows up in many of her books and all over her life. Entirely too fond of French macarons and lemon meringue pie, Allie spends her days writing books and avoiding housework. Allie grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in speech from Northwestern University and lives near Chicago, Illinois.
The Texas Rancher’s Return
Return Allie Pleiter
MILLS & BOON
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Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
—Ephesians 4:1
To Charlene
For so many breakfasts,
in the hopes of so many more
Special thanks to Beverly Brown
and Donnis Baggett, the owners of the
Lucky B Bison Ranch in Bryan, Texas.
Their hospitality, enthusiasm, generosity in
sharing information and tolerance of
my endless questions have been some of the
great blessings in writing this book.
Contents
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Dear Reader
“Could you please move your buffalo?”
Brooke Calder looked out her car windshield to squint suspiciously at the hairy brown beast currently staring down her hatchback. Buffalo didn’t charge, did they? Stampede, maybe, but she wasn’t about to get a set of horns impaled in her front grill, was she? She leaned out the driver’s-side window and smiled at the cowboy who had