First Kiss with a Cowboy: Includes a bonus novella Page 24

  She sighed the happy sigh that seemed to come out of her whenever she laid eyes on the man she loved. Yes, she missed him when he was gone, but it felt wonderful to have someone to miss. It felt wonderful to have someone to call, someone to dream with, someone to share her successes and failures with. She flipped through a few more pictures, but it didn’t seem to help her get any writing done so she went back to her computer and forced her butt into that seat.

  The cursor winked at her again. Jane did her finger stretches, but that didn’t seem to generate any words either. She stood up again. This was getting serious. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t leave her cabin until the final chapter had been written, but she could really use an entire box of dark chocolate covered almonds. Maybe she could send Beth an SOS text and beg her to drop off some of her specialty brownies…

  The phone rang in her hand—Toby’s picture lighting up the screen and her heart. Jane fumbled with it before she finally managed to answer. “Hey.” It was something between a breathless plea and a whimper.

  “Hey, sweetness.” That deep resounding greeting was enough to melt her. “How are ya?” he asked with wind whispering through the speaker. He was probably outside at a rest stop somewhere between Texas and Oklahoma where his next event was supposed to be.

  “I’m okay, but I’d be even better if you were here,” she said in her sultriest tone. “How are you?”

  “I’m good.” She could hear him smiling. He must’ve had a good feeling about his upcoming competition. “How’s the book coming along?”

  “Weeellll…” She glanced around at the mess on her desk. “I’m out of chocolate.” That explained it all.

  “Oh no,” he said in mock horror. “How can I help?”

  “I don’t know.” She sighed. “Maybe I’m not cut out for this writing stuff.” Maybe she didn’t have any more books in her. Going down this path was part of her process. “I wish you were here.” She simply wanted him to pull her into his arms and kiss away her doubts. Then they could fall into the bed they’d shared most of the summer…

  “Go sit down at your computer, sweetness,” Toby murmured. “Not only are you going to finish the book, you’re going to write the hell out of that last chapter.”

  How did he know she wasn’t sitting at her computer? Jane did as she was told. He’d likely seen her battle enough writer’s block that he knew what to expect.

  “I don’t know what to write.” Jane stared at the computer screen. “I’ve tried so many different angles, but none of them are working.”

  “Try a different angle,” Toby suggested. “Look up.”

  “Look up?” With a gasp, Jane raised her head to peer out the window. There. Down by the lake. Toby stood at the shoreline in front of a canoe, his jeans rolled up to his knees.

  “God, you look gorgeous.”

  She couldn’t say anything. She couldn’t find words. He wasn’t supposed to be home for another week and a half!

  Squealing, she scrambled out of the chair, dropping the phone in the process, and ran for the door, tearing it open so she could jump into his arms. “You’re home!” She finally found her voice halfway down to the shoreline.

  Toby opened his arms and she stumbled into them. “What’re you doing home? What about the competition? What—”

  He silenced her with a long, savoring kiss. “That’s all I’ve been thinking about since I left,” he uttered when he pulled back.

  Jane simply sighed a happy, contented sigh. “Mmm-hmm.” She peered up at him. He looked a little tanner than he had when he’d left. “I thought the Oklahoma ride was important.” He’d already qualified for the finals in November, but she knew he needed to get as much practice and experience as he could before then.

  “Oklahoma’s not as important as you are.” He locked his arms around her waist. “Three weeks was too long. Hell, two weeks was too long. I can miss one ride if it means I get to be with you.”

  “Thank God.” Jane shot him a smirk. “Now that my muse is back maybe I’ll actually be able to finish my book.”

  “I think I can find some ways to inspire you,” Toby whispered in her ear. “But first, I was wondering if you wanted to go out on the lake with me.”

  “I would love to.” Three months ago, she would’ve said no. She wouldn’t have even been standing this close to the water, but the lake didn’t scare her the way it used to. Not much scared her anymore.

  Toby helped her climb into the canoe, and then he pushed them off. It was the perfect late summer afternoon—the sun seemed to amplify the blue sky to be a hundred times brighter and the surface of the lake sparkled.

  “I still can’t believe you’re here.” Jane couldn’t take her eyes off her cowboy, off that mix of passion and tenderness in his eyes when they met hers. “How do you always seem to know when I need you?”

  “Probably because those are the same times I need you.” He rowed them away from the shore, effortlessly working his arms while Jane sat back and enjoyed the view. “I do, Janie. I need you in my life.”

  Emotion settled in her chest, swelling her heart. “This is the best surprise I’ve ever gotten.” She never would’ve asked him to come home, to sit out a competition just to be with her, but she couldn’t remember ever being happier.

  “Well, I have another surprise that might be even better.” Toby let go of the oars and reached into the well behind him, removing a blanket to reveal the most beautiful bouquet of flowers Jane had ever seen.

  The canoe wobbled as he lowered to a knee in front of her, holding out the mix of roses and sunflowers and daisies. “I hate being away from you because I belong with you. We belong together. You are smart and strong and so incredibly talented. And you are the most beautiful woman in the world to me.”

  “Toby…” Jane wiped the tears away. “I love you. And I know I belong with you.” On some level she’d known it since that first time he’d kissed her. She’d known there was passion and strength and substance between them even then. It had simply taken them both some time to grow into it.

  “Marry me, Jane Harding. Marry me, and I promise that I will always be here for you. To inspire you, to love you, to make you happy.” He held out the bouquet toward her, and something very sparkly caught the sun. He’d tied a delicate solitaire engagement ring to the stem of a red rose. “I didn’t want to drop it in the lake,” he explained with a sheepish grin.

  Jane laughed through happy tears. She eased as close as she could to him without tipping the canoe. “I promise I’ll always be here for you too. I’ll always love you no matter what, Toby Garrett. You’re the man I’ve been waiting for my whole life.”

  Toby’s smile grew. “So that’s a yes?”

  Unable to keep one inch of distance between them any longer, Jane got on her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck so she could kiss him. “That’s definitely a yes.”

  About the Author

  Sara Richardson grew up chasing adventure in Colorado’s rugged mountains. She’s climbed to the top of a fourteen-thousand-foot peak at midnight, swum through class four rapids, completed her wilderness first-aid certification, and spent seven days at a time tromping through the wilderness with a thirty-pound backpack strapped to her shoulders.

  Eventually Sara did the responsible thing and got an education in writing and journalism. After a brief stint in the corporate writing world, she stopped ignoring the voices in her head and started writing fiction. Now she uses her experience as a mountain adventure guide to write stories that incorporate adventure with romance. Sara lives and plays in Colorado, where she still indulges her adventurous spirit, with her saint of a husband and two young sons.

  You can learn more at:

  SaraRichardson.net

  Twitter @SaraR_Books

  Facebook.com/SaraRichardsonBooks

  Instagram @SaraRichardsonBooks

  Also by Sara Richardson

  Heart of the Rockies Series

  No Better Man

  Som
ething Like Love

  One Christmas Wish (novella)

  More Than a Feeling

  Rocky Mountain Wedding (novella)

  Rocky Mountain Riders Series

  Hometown Cowboy

  Comeback Cowboy

  Renegade Cowboy

  Rocky Mountain Cowboy (novella)

  True-Blue Cowboy

  Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas (novella)

  Colorado Cowboy

  A Cowboy for Christmas

  PRAISE FOR

  SARA RICHARDSON

  “Sara [Richardson] brings real feelings to every scene she writes.”

  —Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author

  A Cowboy for Christmas

  “Tight plotting and a sweet surprise ending make for a delightful Christmas treat. Readers will be sad to see the series end.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  Colorado Cowboy

  “Readers who love tear-jerking small-town romances with minimal sex scenes and maximum emotional intimacy will quickly devour this charming installment.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  Renegade Cowboy

  “Top Pick! An amazing story about finding a second chance to be with the one that you love.”

  —Harlequin Junkie

  “A beautifully honest and heartwarming tale about forgiveness and growing up that will win the hearts of fans and newcomers alike.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Hometown Cowboy

  “Filled with humor, heart, and love, this page-turner is one wild ride.”

  —Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author

  No Better Man

  “Charming, witty, and fun. There’s no better read. I enjoyed every word!”

  —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times

  bestselling author

  Sparks fly when daredevil Wes Harding’s ex-fiancée shows up for a weeklong vacation at his ranch.

  Look for another heartwarming romance in One Night with a Cowboy!

  Available Early 2021

  For a bonus story from another author you’ll love, please turn the page to read Cowboy to the Rescue by A. J. Pine.

  Designer Ivy Serrano is looking for a fresh start but her Meadow Valley homecoming has been one disaster after another. Lucky for her, one very capable—and handsome—fireman is there to save the day. Also new to small-town living, Lieutenant Carter Bowen is determined to prove himself at the fire station, which means no mistakes, no distractions, and definitely no Ivy. Yet as the attraction between them heats up, Carter realizes Ivy is the one for him—but can he convince her they have a future worth fighting for?

  Chapter One

  Ivy Serrano smelled smoke.

  Not the Ooh! Someone must be having a bonfire kind of smoke or the Mmm! Someone is grilling up burgers kind of smoke. She smelled the Shoot! Something’s burning kind of smoke right here, in her new shop, on the day of her grand opening.

  She glanced around the small boutique, brows knitted together. She’d been about to flip the CLOSED sign to OPEN for the very first time when it hit her. Something was burning.

  After two years of putting her life on hold due to a family tragedy from which she thought she’d never recover, here she was, back home, starting over. And of all things, she smelled smoke.

  It didn’t take long for the smell to be accompanied by sound, the high-pitched wail of a top-of-the-line smoke detector. Although, if anyone was keeping score, she’d noticed first. One point for Ivy, zero for technology.

  Except then she remembered that each detector was wired to the next, which meant that in five, four, three, two, one…a chorus of digital, ear-splitting screams filled eight hundred square feet of space.

  Her senses were keen enough, though, that it only took a second to register that the first alarm came from the back office.

  Her design sketches! And samples! And Oh no! It was opening day!

  She sprinted through the door that separated the shop from her office and storage. The only appliance she had back there was a mini refrigerator, because every now and then a girl needed a cold beverage and maybe even a healthy snack and ohmygod this was not happening.

  She gasped when she saw the charred cord and the licking flames dancing up the wall from the outlet. Items on her desk were turning to kindling as the fire reached paper. She grabbed the extinguisher from its prominent space on the wall and, amid the incessant shrieking, snuffed out the fire in a matter of seconds. She yanked on the part of the cord that hadn’t been completely cooked and unplugged the appliance.

  Problem solved.

  Except the design drawing on her desk, the one she’d been working on for the past week, was partially burned and now covered in foam.

  No big deal. She’d simply start over—on the first piece she’d been brave enough to attempt that reminded her of Charlie. And now she had to muster that courage again after—of all things—a fire.

  Or it would be, once she remembered how to turn the alarms off. Did she rip the battery out of the first one and all the rest would follow? Or did she have to somehow reset each and every one? She spun in a circle, panic only now setting in, because she knew what happened once the first alarm triggered the rest.

  She ran back to the front of the shop and pushed through the door and out onto First Street. Sure enough, an emergency vehicle had already pulled out of the fire station’s lot, siren blazing.

  She dropped onto the public bench in front of her store and waited the fifteen seconds it took for the truck to roll down the street.

  “It would have been faster if you all had walked,” she mumbled.

  Four figures hopped out of the truck in full gear. One who she recognized as her best friend Casey’s younger sister, Jessie, started to unfurl the hose while another—yep, that was Wyatt O’Brien—went to open the nearby hydrant. The third was Wyatt’s younger brother Shane.

  Ivy stood and crossed her arms. “Fire’s out already.”

  The last one—the one she hadn’t recognized yet—strode toward her, his eyes narrowed as he took her in.

  “Sorry, miss. But we still need to go inside and assess the situation, figure out what type of fire it was, and if you’re still at any sort of risk.”

  She shrugged and cleared her throat, trying to force the tremble out of her voice. “It was an electrical fire. Probably caused by faulty wiring in a mini fridge cord because I had this place inspected a dozen times and know it was up to code. Used a class C extinguisher. I have smart detectors, though. Couldn’t get the fire out before you guys were automatically called. Sorry to waste your time.”

  The fire was out. That wasn’t the issue. Fire didn’t scare her after the fact, especially now that she was so prepared. It was—them. She didn’t want them here, didn’t need them here, and certainly didn’t require anyone’s assistance. Just seeing their uniforms made it hard for her to breathe, made it impossible not to think of how Charlie wearing the uniform had cost him his life.

  The man in front of her took off his firefighter helmet and ran a hand through a mop of overgrown dark auburn hair. If he weren’t wearing the uniform, he’d have been quite handsome. She knew it was backward, that most women found men in uniforms sexy. But there was nothing sexy about a man who risked his life for a living. Noble? Absolutely. That didn’t mean she had to find him attractive.

  There was something familiar about him, though, even though she swore she’d never met him. Ivy knew just about everyone in town, especially those who worked at the fire station. So who the heck was this stranger?

  “You still need to let us inside,” he said. “We’re not permitted to accept civilian confirmation of fire containment.”

  Ivy scoffed. “Just tell Chief Burnett it was Ivy’s place and that I said everything is fine. He knows me well enough, so that should suffice.”

  The stranger grinned, but Ivy got the feeling it wasn’t because he was happy.

  “Chief Burnett is also my new boss, and I d
on’t think he’d take kindly to me slacking off on my first call. But, hey, appreciate the heads-up and the unneeded paperwork I’ll have to file when I get back to the station.”

  Definitely not a happy smile. Well, that made two of them. He wasn’t happy to be here, and she wasn’t happy to have him here.

  He pushed past her and through the front entrance of the store—aptly called Ivy’s—while two of his crew assessed the outside of the building’s facade and the fourth jogged down to the end of the street and disappeared behind the row of stores that included her own.

  “I really do have things under control in here,” she called over the continued screech of the multiple alarms. When she received no response, she followed into the back office, where Needed-a-Haircut Man was inspecting the charred cord from the mini fridge and the blackened outlet.

  “Don’t you turn those off or something?” she yelled, barely able to hear her own voice.

  The firefighter stood, pulled off his glove, and climbed onto her office chair. He reached for the smoke detector on the ceiling and pulled it out of its holster. Then he pressed a button, and it and all other alarms ceased.

  “Thought you had things under control in here,” he said with a self-satisfied grin as he hopped down to the floor, his boots hitting the linoleum tile with a thud.

  Her mouth hung open for a second before she regained control.

  “I did. I mean, I do. The detectors are new. This is the first time I’ve had to use them.” And I grew up in a firefighter household, thank you very much. So who are you to question what I do and do not have under control? Of course, she kept all that to herself because her family was her business, but still—this guy had a lot of nerve.