Loving A Lonesome Cowboy

Debbi Rawlins

A man with an empty houseA woman in need of shelterWidowed rancher Ethan Slade had retreated from society to live in a shack on his vast property. But with his nieces coming for a holiday, he had to open the ranch house–a place he hadn't set foot in for years. Where, in two short days, could he find someone to make a house a home?Stranded and desperate to provide for her child, Sara Conroy was thankful for the job. And though the strong, silent man who'd hired her should have made her wary, the sadness in his eyes spoke of pain she yearned to heal. She had two days to convince Ethan to let them stay–two days to open his lonely heart to love….

Ethan stood on the front porch of the house to which he’d swore he’d never return.

Sara opened the door. Her lips curved in a shy smile. She stepped aside, and he had to force his feet over the threshold.

“Well, what do you think?”

Ethan slowly scanned the sparkling clean room. “I, uh, it’s fine, Sara. The place looks real nice.” Clearing his throat, he moved back a step. “I think I’ll just go—”

“You’re leaving?”

The disappointment in her voice sent a flush of pleasure through him. “Actually, I was just going to get something from my truck.”

She smiled.

Ethan headed out the door, calling himself every kind of a dumb jerk. He didn’t even like petite, fair-haired women. So why was he getting all tongue-tied and weak-kneed?

He was getting worked up over nothing. Of course he would have a reaction to a woman. He hadn’t had female company in a mighty long time. By his own choice, he reminded himself. And he wanted to keep it that way.

But he couldn’t, if Sara kept smiling at him.

Dear Reader,

Happy New Year! May this year bring you happiness, good health and all that you wish for. And at Harlequin American Romance, we’re hoping to provide you with a year full of heartwarming books that you won’t be able to resist.

Leading the month is The Secretary Gets Her Man by Mindy Neff, Harlequin American Romance’s spin-off to Harlequin Intrigue’s TEXAS CONFIDENTIAL continuity series. This exciting story focuses on the covert operation’s much-mentioned wallflower secretary, Penny Archer.

Muriel Jensen’s Father Formula continues her successful WHO’S THE DADDY? series about three identical sisters who cause three handsome bachelors no end of trouble when they discover one woman is about to become a mother. Next, after opening an heirloom hope chest, a bride-to-be suddenly cancels her wedding and starts having intimate dreams about a handsome stranger, in Have Gown, Need Groom. This is the first book of Rita Herron’s new miniseries THE HARTWELL HOPE CHESTS. And Debbi Rawlins tells the emotional story of a reclusive rancher who opens his home—and his heart—to a lovely single mother, in Loving a Lonesome Cowboy.

In February, look for another installment in the RETURN TO TYLER series with Prescription for Seduction by Darlene Scalera.

Wishing you happy reading,

Melissa Jeglinski

Associate Senior Editor

Harlequin American Romance

Loving a Lonesome Cowboy

Debbi Rawlins

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbi Rawlins currently lives with her husband and dog in Las Vegas, Nevada. A native of Hawaii, she married on Maui and has since lived in Cincinnati, Chicago, Tulsa, Houston, Detroit and Durham, NC, during the past twenty years. Now that she’s had enough of the gypsy life, it’ll take a crane, a bulldozer and a forklift to get her out of her new home. Good thing she doesn’t like to gamble. Except maybe on romance.

Books by Debbi Rawlins

HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

580—MARRIAGE INCORPORATED

618—THE COWBOY AND THE CENTERFOLD

622—THE OUTLAW AND THE CITY SLICKER

675—LOVE, MARRIAGE AND OTHER CALAMITIES

691—MARRY ME, BABY

730—THE BRIDE TO BE…OR NOT TO BE

741—IF WISHES WERE…HUSBANDS

780—STUD FOR HIRE?

790—OVERNIGHT FATHER

808—HIS, HERS AND THEIRS

860—LOVING A LONESOME COWBOY

HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE

587—HER MYSTERIOUS STRANGER

SINGLE MOTHER SEEKS…

Job as a housekeeper. I will clean your house till it sh