COWBOY FOR SALE--A Second-Chances Spicy Romance (27 page)

Lacey had finally left the salon for good just before the wedding, and fairly quickly she had found she missed doing hair and especially the interaction with favorite customers. She also missed the independence, and, frankly, doing something she was good at and enjoyed.

After more thinking and talking, she and Jared had agreed she would take a little more time to get to know the alpaca business, help Jamie continue to adjust to school, and get used to being a mom. Then she would decide how she wanted to handle still being involved in doing hair. The end result had been Jared adding the salon-addition to their home.

“Oh—” Lacey looked down and rubbed her belly until the movement there subsided. She had been surprised at how quickly she'd gotten pregnant. On their honeymoon they’d decided to let nature take its course, and, boy, it sure had. She was pregnant by Valentine’s Day. Jared claimed it was the mountain air—she'd professed it was because Jamie was in kindergarten half the day and he wouldn't leave her alone.

She smiled, breathing as deeply as her girth allowed.

“Mommy!” Jamie bounded into the room and threw her arms around her. She pressed her face against Lacey's abdomen. “Hello, little sister, how ya doin' in there?”

Lacey rubbed Jamie's back and replied in a squeaky voice, “Doin' fine, but I can't wait for Thanksgiving so I can meet you.”

She looked up as Jared walked into the kitchen, jangling his keys. The grin he wore clearly showed his joy in seeing their arms wrapped around each other.
Bliss.
She felt it too.

“Ladies, the train is leaving. Are you comin' or what? Lacey, seriously, you’ll be late for your appointment if we don’t leave pretty soon, okay?”

***

As Lacey stared at herself in the salon mirror, a part of her grieved the loss of her long hair. Her mahogany hair now just barely skimmed her shoulders, but she knew it would be much easier to care for when the baby came.

Our baby.

Lacey rubbed her stomach, shifting in the chair to find a more comfortable position.

“You okay?” Kandy asked as she depressed the foot pedal to gently lower the hydraulic chair.

“The baby's really kicking. I think she's eager to meet her big sister.”

“What, oh, no…what do I—”

Lacey grinned at Kandy's panic stricken, blood-drained face. “It's not happening right now, silly goose. Relax. We still have a couple months.”

Kandy laughed and then rolled her eyes. “Sorry… C’mon, let’s go see what they think.”

Lacey followed Kandy to the reception area and checked Jared’s expression for approval. He flashed an infectious grin.

“Jamie,” he said, “look how pretty that lady is. I wonder if she's a movie star.”

“Oh, Daddy, that's Mommy.” Jamie punched his arm and he retaliated with a tickle attack until she squirmed out of his reach.

Lacey rolled her eyes. “I don't know them,” she said to Kandy.

Jared joined Lacey at the counter. “What do we owe the manager for this incredible haircut?”

“This one's on the house. Consider it a gift for the new mom, and an early baby gift,” Kandy said.

Lacey felt Jamie's tiny hand slip into hers and Jared's arm at her not-so-tiny waist. He gave her a squeeze and she sighed happily. She was really looking forward to a normal waistline. Their lovemaking had modified with her growing form, though Jared's patience and ingenuity had made the last seven months surprisingly fulfilling and satisfying.

If anyone asked her, she would have to say she was the luckiest woman on the planet—a future awaited her that was an unknown, but in a good way. She’d fallen in love with the right guy for her, one who respected her and her dreams, and a life partner who encouraged her to reach for the stars and enjoy the journey. She was a mother to a irresistible little angel girl, and a new bundle of joy would soon join their family.

As if he were aware of her thoughts, she felt Jared's lips touch her ear as he whispered softly, “I love you. Let's go home and get...creative.”

# # #

I hope you enjoyed reading COWBOY FOR SALE, and I hope you’ll leave a review at Amazon—reviews are so important for indie writers and really affect our Amazon ratings! I appreciate you!!

If you’re able to on your e-reader, click on the link below to hop on over to the COWBOY FOR SALE Amazon book page to post an honest review:

http://www.amzn.com/B00E9F6X5S

I hope you’ll stay in touch with me at via
[email protected]

or find me on Facebook at
JanetWellingtonBooks

Continue reading for:

About the Author

About Grantitude Press

About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Dear Reader letter

Other Books by Janet Wellington

Excerpt of HOMECOMING

Excerpt of UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

About the author Janet Wellington

I feel like I have been a writer all my life--as cliché as that sounds, even to me!--from childhood essays that ended up in the Sunday School bulletin, to long-ago burned journals (I hate that I did that!), to love-sick poems written on napkins while having a glass or three of wine, to newsletters and articles and press releases written on-the-job, and finally to happily-ever-after romances that I love love love writing!

As an award-winning author of four print-published novels via traditional publishers, I have now happily embraced the ebook revolution and am delighted to be on the indie path. I'm tellin' ya, the freedom is exhilarating!

So, what makes me different than the scads of other romance writers? I think my romances offer a little "something extra"--whether it's really interesting secondary characters with their own arching subplots, unique and detailed settings, or research that translates into unexpected facts sprinkled in. Whatever it is, my stories do seem to translate into something even first time romance readers enjoy! Nothing makes me happier than to hear from a reader or read a review who was surprised by how much the story touched her.

And, do realize that your reviews on Amazon are GOLDEN to indie authors, so do leave a sentence or two after you've read an ebook!

Stay in touch with me at:

WEBSITE:
www.janetwellington.com

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/JanetWellingtonBooks

EMAIL:
[email protected]

Grantitude Press

It seems that all the stories I write have an element or two in them that is near and dear to my heart, so when I decided to publish ebooks, I saw an opportunity to support some organizations and causes.

Grantitude Press allows me to do that!

Each book that has the Grantitude Press logo includes a donation of a percentage of my royalties to a designated charity.

Thanks for supporting my dream!!

The designated charity for

COWBOY FOR SALE is the

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Source:
http://www.pedaids.org/

From the website, here is Elizabeth’s story:

Elizabeth Glaser contracted HIV in a blood transfusion in 1981 while giving birth to her daughter, Ariel. She and her husband, Paul, later learned that Elizabeth had unknowingly passed the virus on to Ariel through breast milk and that their son, Jake, had contracted the virus in utero. The Glasers discovered, in the course of trying to treat Ariel, that drug companies and health agencies had no idea that HIV was prevalent among children. The only drugs on the market were for adults; nothing had been tested or approved for children.

Ariel lost her battle with AIDS in 1988. Fearing that Jake's life was also in danger, Elizabeth rose to action. She approached her close friends, Susie Zeegen and Susan DeLaurentis, for help in creating a foundation that would raise money for pediatric HIV/AIDS research.

The Pediatric AIDS Foundation had one critical mission: to bring hope to children with HIV and AIDS. Elizabeth made her first trip to Washington in 1988, when she met with President and Mrs. Reagan, representatives at NIH, and members of Congress. In 1989, the Foundation held its first fundraiser and awarded its first grant for research on the immune dysfunctions in children living with HIV. Dozens more Washington trips and research grants followed.

Elizabeth lost her own battle with AIDS in 1994, and to honor her legacy, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation was renamed the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF). Under this name, EGPAF has become the leading global nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing pediatric HIV infection and eliminating pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs.

Elizabeth’s legacy lives on in her son, Jake, who is now a healthy young adult.

"I consider myself very lucky. Thanks to my mom and the work of many others, I am able to lead a normal and productive life. But there are still so many kids, many of them my close friends, who are not as lucky. The truth is we are far from done in the fight against AIDS, and there are a lot of kids out there who need our help in order to survive. That's why research is more important today than ever. It is the key to finding a vaccine, and ultimately, a cure. And we cannot afford to wait.”
Jake Glaser is the son of Elizabeth Glaser and a healthy HIV-positive young adult.

Click on this link to learn more and to watch videos:

http://www.pedaids.org/pages/elizabeths-story

Here is where the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is working:

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Dear Reader:

I have a confession to make…

COWBOY FOR SALE is my version of a Hollywood movie remake!

Let me explain…

This story (the plot) is the same basic story of my very first romance sale, BACHELOR FOR SALE, which was the second manuscript I wrote, and my very first print sale.

BACHELOR FOR SALE was published in 1998 as a Kensington Precious Gem, romances available only at Walmart Stores.

I still remember the day it sold and listening to the message on the answering machine. It was then Kensington editor Hilary Sares telling me she wanted to buy my manuscript!

Yes, I screamed and jumped up and down—it was such a fun experience!!!

Here’s the cover, well, the book itself and the first dollar I made when I cashed my advance—it’s a shadow box that hangs on my wall near my desk to remind me that dreams do come true…