He’s a wild Texas whirlwind, trying to outrun his painful past.
She’s a sweet Lone Star cowgirl, with deep down-home roots.
Life in the fast lane is how bad boy Cru Cassidy escapes the aching memories of his childhood. Fast cars and fast women—not necessarily in that order—keep the sexy cowboy from caring or thinking too much. When a road trip has him passing through Simple, Texas, where he spent one summer on a boys’ ranch for troubled teens, he can’t help stopping in to see the two old cowboys who run it. When he sees the bad shape the cowboys and the Double Diamond Ranch are in, Cru knows he has to stay and help . . . and his job is made more enjoyable by the beautiful daughter of a neighboring rancher. He hopes to score a ride with the feisty redhead, but Penny is harder to catch than an unbroken filly. And when he discovers the soft heart under the womanly body, he soon starts to worry that he’ll be the one getting broken and tamed.
Penny Gardener has loved Cru almost as long as she’s loved the Texas ranch she calls home. Unfortunately, when they first met, she was an awkward thirteen-year-old—which explains why Cru fell for her pretty older sister instead of her. Since her family’s happiness has always been Penny’s priority, she tries to push her feelings aside. But when Cru returns and sets his devilish green eyes on her, she struggles to remember that he was her sister’s first love. Discovering his heartbreaking past will finally have her giving into her feelings and putting her own happiness first for a change. But will her love be enough to rope and heart-tie her bad boy? Or will he slip through her fingers like the elusive Texas wind?
She’s the responsible good-girl turned protective mama.
And there’s about to be a Texas-sized showdown.
Fifteen years ago, Logan McCord was the classic irresistible rebel of the Double Diamond boys’ ranch. Scarred both physically and emotionally from his abusive father, he kept to himself. Except for Evie, the heart-thumping girl from the neighboring ranch. No matter how much he tried to ignore her, the sassy blonde was determined to make him hers, and who was he to turn down some sweet summer luvin’. But her overbearing, mad bull of a father had other ideas. He refused to let a no-good delinquent mess around with his daughter and made sure Logan was removed from Evie’s life. Or so he thought. Now Logan and Evie are back in Simple, Texas, and things are about to become anything but simple.
Evie Gardener has never forgotten her brooding bad boy, Logan. How can she when their son looks just like him? But she’ll never forgive the dirty sidewinder for lovin’ and leavin’ her pregnant. Now he’s really overstepped boundary lines thinking he’ll ride in and tame their wild, belligerent teenager for her. Just because the sexy cowboy is longing to mend fences doesn’t mean she’s ready to kiss and makeup. But the more time they spend together, the more Evie learns the truth about Logan’s tortured past. Slowly, Logan and Evie build back the trust they lost . . . until she finds out that he’s still keeping secrets. Now she’s boot stompin’, ass kickin’ mad and it’s going to take more than some country boy charm to calm this little Texas tornado.
Can Logan and Evie let go of their insecurities and learn that love is well worth the risk? Or will the mistakes they made in the past separate these Lone Star-struck lovers forever?
She’s a sweet southern scientist searching for oil—not a wedding ring . . . until she locks horns with a smooth-talking Texan who makes her an offer she can’t refuse
Devlin McMillian has spent the last few years searching for oil . . . and not finding a drop. But she knows she has the right land this time. Only one man stands in her way. A man who is as hot as a two-dollar pistol and as stubborn as a Texas mule. Striking it rich seems to mean nothing to Holden Lancaster. He won’t even give Devlin the time of day. When the ladies of Simple, Texas, suggest that all she needs is a makeover to get Holden’s attention, she readily agrees. But the plan of going from awkward inept scientist to sexually aggressive bombshell backfires, and Devlin becomes the one caught like a fly in Holden’s bad-boy web. Suddenly, finding oil takes a backseat to finding a man who will love her for who she is.
Holden Lancaster was the stereotypical rich kid of the Double Diamond Boy’s Ranch. Raised by a driven career mom who put the family business before her kids, he learned to hide the grief he carried over the death of his baby sister behind a charming smile and a bad boy attitude. As an adult and successful attorney, Holden is still hiding his feelings. When a brainy geoscientist starts snooping around his land, Holden fears that the things he buried there from his painful past might be discovered. And he’s not about to let that happen. But before he can get rid of Devlin for good, his controlling mother decides that finding him the perfect mate will fix all her mothering mistakes. If Holden doesn’t want to be stuck with his meddling mom and her list of potential brides, he’ll need to make a deal with the sexy scientist. A deal that will dig up the past and spin his life around like a chicken coop in a tornado.
Can Holden finally let go of his past and strike it rich in love? Or will Devlin’s kept secret frack up their budding romance forever?
Reba Dixon has no illusions about men and what they want from a full-figured woman like herself. She’s been burned before by love and she has no desire to become any man’s sex toy again…especially a Double Diamond heartbreaker’s. But when Valentine Sterling shows up at her boardinghouse demanding she wait on him hand and foot, she has little choice but to comply. If she wants her business to succeed, she needs the famous author’s endorsement. So she’s forced to make a deal with the whiskey-eyed devil: if he gives her great reviews, she’ll meet his every need. She soon discovers that Val’s needs are plenty—then again, so are hers. But can she let down her hair and stop being a country Rapunzel locked away in her boardinghouse? Or will her fear of heartbreak keep her from accepting the bad boy prince of her dreams?
Bestselling author, Valentine Sterling has everything a man could want: fame, fortune, and beautiful women. But if he can’t produce another bestseller, Val stands to lose the success he’s worked so hard for. Hoping the peace and quiet of a small town will help him focus on his new novel, he rents a room at the only hotel in Simple, Texas. Unfortunately, the boardinghouse is run by a voluptuous redheaded vixen who is the definition of the word “distraction.” Reba is as real as Val is fake and when she looks at him with her Texas bluebonnet eyes, he feels as if she can see right through his suave confident façade to the insecure bullied teenager he once was. Val wants to keep that side of him well hidden. Demanding star-treatment should do the trick…or so he thinks. But making Reba do his bidding only makes his desire for her stronger. Soon the demanding boss becomes the willing servant. Val will do whatever it takes for just a chance to win this country girl’s heart.
It’s going to take a major “plot-twist” from a grumpy aunt and a ghostly great-grandma to give Val and Reba a chance to turn their love story into a happy ending.
He’s a hardheaded Texas Ranger who follows the rules.
She’s a ditzy beauty queen who enjoys breaking them.
When they join forces to solve a crime, Lone Star sparks will fly.
Lawman Lincoln Hayes is back in Simple, Texas, to repay a debt. As a delinquent youth, Lincoln was on a fast-track to prison, but the two old cowboys who ran the boys’ ranch taught him good wins over evil, so Lincoln made damn sure he became the good guy—his way of making amends for a death he believes he should have prevented. Now the two old cowboys have gotten themselves tangled up in a missing person’s case and Lincoln is going to prove their innocence come hell or high water. The last thing he has time for is babysitting some spoiled senator’s daughter who has decided to play deputy Daisy Duke in designer boots and a tiara. But his boss makes it clear, if Lincoln ever wants a promotion, he’ll do the senator’s bidding and become Dixie’s bodyguard...and guarding Dixie’s body turns out to be much more than Lincoln bargained for.
Dixie Leigh Meriwether has absolutely zero interest in law enforcement. But when her father refuses to relinquish her inheritance until she goes to law school, Dixie goes on the offensive and becomes a small town deputy. Law school, law officer… close enough. At least close enough to drive her dad crazy and force him to give her the money so she can start her pageant consulting business. How to walk in heels without tripping, she knows. Fighting crime, not so much. But she has time on her side…that is until the town sheriff is put on leave for misconduct and Dixie is left in charge. Worse, a no-nonsense ranger is now sharing her office—a sexy ranger who doesn’t fall for her sweet-as-Texas-tea charm. So Dixie sets out to prove she’s not all ditzy glitter. She can do her job and do it well. But in the process, she’ll discover that she loves protecting her little town...almost as much as she loves a certain Texas lawman.
When Dixie finds out Lincoln’s interest in her is coerced by her father, she disappears faster than a plate of fresh baked cookies at a church picnic—falling right into the trap of a killer. Now it’s Lincoln to the rescue. But can he get there in time and save the one woman who can heal his bad boy heart?
She’s a tough-as-nails cowgirl who wants to become the best darn saddle bronc rider in the world. But one night will flip her plans around faster than a brahma bull, and she’ll find herself stuck with a rodeo cowboy who puts the BAD in bad boy and the HEAT in hot Texas luvin’.
Sawyer Dawson is the youngest of the Double Diamond bad boys. Handsome as sin and twice as tempting, he lives life on the edge of danger. Bronc riding being his chosen thrill. Well, that, and the occasional bimbo buckle-bunny. Broncs, babes, and booze are all Sawyer needs—or so he makes everyone think. But beneath the charming rascal façade is a brokenhearted cowboy who’s trying to forget that his brother is marrying the only woman Sawyer ever loved. When the wedding date gets set, Sawyer tries to drown his sorrows at the bottom of a tequila bottle. But instead of finding solace, he wakes up to find a sassy cowgirl in his shower. A cowgirl he’s been warned to stay away from by his best friend. Now Sawyer isn’t worried about his broken heart as much as getting his ass kicked . . . not to mention, the possibility of a little bronc buster arriving in nine months.
Maisy Sweeney has always been a loner. Deserted by her father at birth, she’s made her own way in life and is determined to become the best bronc rider in the world. There’s only one thing Maisy wants almost as badly as a championship buckle and that’s Sawyer Dawson in her bed. She’s had a crush on the hot cowboy since first watching him straddle a saddle. And when she discovers Sawyer downing shots in a hotel bar, she feels like the rodeo gods have handed her a special gift. Unfortunately, Sawyer doesn’t see the night they spend together as a gift as much as a “big mistake.” A hurt ego and a little white lie will result in Sawyer getting a career-ending injury and Maisy will have to figure a way out of the tangled mess she’s made . . . but she’ll soon discover that being tangled up with a sexy rodeo bum is worth keeping a few secrets. Especially when Sawyer just might be the perfect cowboy to fill this lonely cowgirl’s heart.
Can these two stubborn rodeo pros find a way to make love last longer than eight seconds? Or will hidden secrets keep Maisy and Sawyer from riding off into a happily-forever Texas sunset?
An ongoing feud. A high stakes wager of winner takes all. When these two lovers-to-enemies clash, the Lone Star State will never be the same.
Growing up, Boone Murphy and his best buddy, Emma Johansen, were as thick as thieves. As toddlers, they ran naked through the sprinklers. In grade school, they shared bike rides, ice cream, and secrets. In high school, they easily transitioned into sweethearts who planned a perfect future together right down to the smallest detail: marriage, four kids, and running their families’ hardware store. But a few days before prom night, Boone witnesses something that will cause his future dreams to come tumbling down like a house of cards, and he’ll question the forever kind of love he thought he had with Emma. Unable to deal with his disillusions, he leaves his sweet country girl in the red Texas dust. By the time he grows up and realizes the mistake he’s made, it’s too late. When he returns to Simple, Texas, that sweet country girl has grown into an independent, feisty woman who wants only one thing: to make the lowdown sidewinder who left her high and dry pay. And pay big time!
After having her heart stomped into smithereens, Emma Johansen is not about to forgive and forget. If Boone thinks he can strut back into town and pick up right where they left off, he’s got another think coming. Emma’s no longer a naïve lamb to lead astray. And it will take more than a teasing smile from Boone to knock down the stone fortress she’s built around her heart. The only problem is that Boone’s parents own half the hardware store so he has just as much right to work there as she does. Working daily with her worst enemy will have sparks flying and townsfolk gossiping about whether or not Boone and Emma will mend their fences or kill each other. The only way to settle their ongoing battle is with a wager: first person who gets engaged wins the store. The loser has to leave town forever. Game on! But Emma will soon learn that there’s a fine line between hate and love. One misstep . . . or mis-kiss and not only is sole ownership of the store on the line, but also Emma’s heart. Yet, how can she trust Boone after he rode off into the sunset without her?
Is it too late for a second chance romance for these feuding ex-sweethearts? Or can they put past betrayal behind them and place another wager . . . this time, on love?
The holidays are about to heat up with a Texas affair to remember
Cal Daily’s life has become a sad country song. His wife done left, his mama passed away, and his house burnt to the ground. But Cal is determined to change the lyrics of his life and get the townsfolk of Simple, Texas, to stop viewing him as their number one charity case. Last thing he wants or needs is pity. He’s started a new mechanic business and he and his teenage daughter, Cheyenne, are doing just fine and dandy . . . or so he thinks. Cheyenne is convinced they still need a couple things—like a big ol’ house with a real Christmas tree and a new wife for Cal. His headstrong daughter will need more than Santa’s help to get her wish. Cal can’t afford a new house, and after getting his heart broke to smithereens, he wants nothing to do with women . . . until a flat tire brings Jolene Applegate into his shop. Then he can’t stop thinking about what lies beneath her conservative banker’s suits. When a naughty opportunity presents itself, he’ll soon find out. He never dreams he’ll discover the type of woman who can change a tragic country tune into a happily-ever-after love song.
Jolene Applegate knows what the townsfolk say about her: Too rigid and straight-laced to find a husband. After getting dumped at the altar years ago, she’s quite content to take on the role of the town’s old maid and spend her days working at the family bank and her nights reading in the old rambling mansion she shares with her father. What she isn’t content with is her Scrooge of a daddy. How could he turn down Cal Daily’s request for a loan? Cal is a hardworking, good man who has had more than his fair share of misfortune. Which is why Jolene decides to go behind her father’s back and approve Cal’s bank loan. What she doesn’t bank on is the hot-enough-to-burn-biscuits sexual sparks that fly between her and Cal. And when no one in town pays any attention to their growing attraction—who would believe that prim and proper Jolene and workaholic Cal are kissing under the mistletoe—it seems like the perfect set up for a secret affair. No strings attached. Just sex. At least, that’s the plan . . . until all those hot nights in front of a cozy fire leave Jolene’s heart ablaze with a longing for much more. But when Cal discovers she gave him a loan out of pity, her Christmas wish of starting a life with him will melt like fresh-fallen snow.
It will take a Christmas miracle to get these two lovers back together…or just one wise old woman who knows that sometimes the most unlikely matches turn out to be the most perfect.
Return to the small town of Simple, Texas, for this fun, sexy, holiday romp that is sure to put a smile on your face and the Christmas spirit in your heart.
