Suited to be a Cowboy

SUITED TO BE A COWBOY

Lorraine
Nelson

Mainstream Romance

Sweet Cravings Publishing

www.sweetcravingspublishing.com

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A Sweet Cravings Publishing Book

Mainstream
Romance

Suited
to be a Cowboy

Copyright
© 2013 Lorraine Nelson

E-book ISBN: 978-1-61885-931-0

First
E-book Publication: November 2013

Cover
design by
Dawné
Dominique

Edited
by Tamara Eaton

Proofread
by Laurie White

All
cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Sweet Cravings Publishing

ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in
whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any
resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Sweet Cravings Publishing

www.sweetcravingspublishing.com

DEDICATION

I dedicate this novel to my fans,

lovers of western romance and suspense.

Thank you for the excellent comments and reviews I’ve received to
date.

Lorraine

The
Cravings e-book Club

The
Cravings Paranormal e-book Club

Have you heard about the newest idea in
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Trouble With a Cowboy*
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Forget Me Not**
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*
Trouble
With a Cowboy
, a western, erotic romance:

Can some slashed tires
and an ornery bull bring two hard-headed people together for some fun in the
sun and a little more?

**
Forget Me Not
, paranormal erotic romance:

A war is brewing, a war that could
destroy an entire vampire race if left unchecked, and Julian Marino has been
requested to participate in it.  He stops his search for a long time
friend to go home and discovers there is more at stake than just his wants.

As a member of the Cravings Club,
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Best
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Beth
Walker

SUITED TO BE A COWBOY

Lorraine
Nelson

Copyright © 2013

Chapter One

James McGovern strode out through the etched-glass
entrance doors, loosening his tie as he went. He’d entered the field of
corporate accounting right after college and worked his way up. Now he owned
the firm, but he was becoming more restless every day. He felt trapped…tied down
to a menial job when what he really longed for still eluded him. These years in
a suit had served him well, but he’d be glad to put them behind him to take up
ranching.

The walk light changed and he crossed at the intersection,
heading for the underground parking lot where he kept his truck during working
hours.

He jumped in and started the engine, listening to its
delightful purr. No woman had ever given him as much satisfaction as his truck
did. Chuckling wryly, he shoved in the clutch, put it in gear, and reversed out
of his reserved parking space.

At thirty-two, he was more than ready for a change. He
hated city life. Traffic was too congested, the air heavily polluted, and the
noise—God, he didn’t think he’d ever get used to the noise.

When traffic came to a standstill, he slowed. An array of
flashing lights warned him of an accident up ahead. Jimmy parked his truck on
the side of the road, stepped down from the cab, and jogged up a slight hill. A
train lay overturned in the crossing. Horses were everywhere. Beautiful scared horses
ran rampant.

“What’s the scoop?” he asked an officer. “I have first
aid. Is anyone hurt?”

“No, it’s a freight train hauling horses. No human
casualties, except for the owner. She’s acting as if her world has come to an
end.”

“Maybe it has,” Jimmy said, his mind on the injured, maybe
dying, horses. “Is she hurt?”

“No, just bordering on hysterical.” The officer pointed. “That’s
her over there.”

In the direction indicated, a woman was trying to catch
the horses, but with no way to confine them to one area, she fought a losing
battle and appeared more than a little frazzled. She wore a red T-shirt, tight
blue jeans, red cowboy boots, and a red Stetson. Blonde hair hung straight to
her waist. “I’ll mosey on over and see if I can help.” He wasn’t particularly
enamored of emotional women, but for some reason, Blondie’s predicament spoke
to him, probably because he shared a love of horses.

Before he reached her, a stallion barreled past, other
horses following his lead. Without thinking, Jimmy vaulted into the back of
someone’s pickup, then jumped through the air to straddle the next running horse.

He held onto its mane, controlling the horse with his
knees and heels, urging it to run faster. They caught up to the stallion,
managed to circle him back toward the train, and rode herd on them until they
came to a stop, just shy of the tracks. The run calmed the horses and they now seemed
content to graze at the side of the road.

He dismounted and found himself wrapped in a flowery-scented
embrace from behind.

“Thank you so much. You just saved my life.” The voice was
low, soft and sexy.
Blondie?

Turning slowly, he loosened the woman’s hold and stepped
back.
Yep, Blondie.
Curious as to her
wording, he spoke, “Ma’am? I rounded up the horses. That’s all.”

“Yes, but they’re my responsibility. These are
thoroughbred racing horses. I’m taking them to the track in Kentucky for tryouts. If they make good
time, I have buyers lined up there.”

“I see.”
Was it the
horses or the money she’d been worried about?

She gave him a cursory once-over and he became aware of
how comical he must’ve looked, wearing a suit, tie, and dress shoes while
riding bareback down a city street.

“Where did you learn to ride like that?” she asked.

A reluctant admiration showed in her expression but Jimmy
refrained from answering personal questions…a lifetime habit, hard-learned. “Here
and there. Not sure where I got the nerve to go gallivanting off like that, ma’am.
I just saw those horses running through town and I had to do something before
they got hurt.” He straightened the lapels on his suit and snugged up his tie,
anything to keep from grabbing her close. She sure was beautiful. Her smile of
gratitude lit up her blueberry-blue eyes and drew him in like a magnet.

In an effort to get his thoughts under control, he said
the first thing that came to mind. “Don’t worry yourself none about the dry
cleaning. Glad to help.”

She straightened and frowned. “I’d be happy to pay your
cleaning bill.”

“No need. Were any of the horses hurt?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. They took off before I could examine them.
Are you a vet?”

“No, just a man who loves horses. They sure seemed to run
all right. Can’t be too much wrong with them. You were lucky they didn’t have
their skulls bashed in when the train derailed.”

“Don’t I know it! Thanks again for rounding them up. I
must go tend to them now.”

He tipped an imaginary hat and watched her walk away,
hard-pressed to hold back a resounding laugh as she added a sexy sway to her
step.
For his benefit?
She seemed
like a high-maintenance filly. He’d do well to steer clear.

She sure was a looker, though. Her bright blue eyes had
struck deep into his soul, and he'd wanted to haul her right back into his
arms, but conscious of his sweaty, horsey smell, he’d kept her at arms’ length.

He jogged down the road, climbed into his truck and took the
long route home. It could be quite a while before the crossing cleared. He
smiled as he envisioned the woman trying to keep her horses rounded up. Not his
problem.

She’d told him where she was headed, but he wondered who
she was and where she was from.

*
* * *

Under the guise of checking out a horse, Melissa
Dehavilland watched the wannabe cowboy. She admired his masculine physique until
he jogged out of sight, ever so thankful he’d rounded up her horses. But who
was he? And where
did
he learn to
ride like that? He was a natural in the saddle, horse and rider moving as one.
She’d gotten hot just watching him, and it had nothing to do with the late afternoon
sun.

Oh, well, the suit turned her off. She’d been married to a
businessman for ten years and had learned her lesson. Suave and charming they
may be, but in her experience, secretaries came before wives, something she
wasn’t prepared to accept, then or now.

A frightened shriek rent the air and Melissa turned to see
one of her horses rearing up in the midst of a crowd of people. She ran over to
calm the horse, slowing as she approached. “Blaze, girl, what are you doing?”
She spoke in the calm tone of voice that always served her well with the stock.
“You don’t want to be frightening these poor folk. I know you’re scared, but they’re
just trying to help.” As she talked, she ambled closer. Blaze recognized her
voice and settled down, walking over to nudge her shoulder. Melissa petted her
nose. “Good girl. That’s better. Are you hurt? Is that your problem? Stand
still while I check you over.”

She didn't detect a noticeable wound until she moved to examine
the other side. Blaze’s right haunch was covered in blood. “Poor baby. That doesn’t
look too bad, but I’ll clean you up and see what the damage is. Okay?” She
continued to check the animal, not finding any other injuries. Relieved, she
petted Blaze as she wondered what to do. She didn’t have any medical supplies
with her and didn’t dare leave the horses alone.

“Hi! Are you the owner of these gorgeous animals?” a perky
female voice said from behind her.

“Yes, I am,” she answered.

“My name’s Amy
Hiltz
. I’m a veterinarian.
I run a practice down the street. When I heard about the horses in the train
derailment, I came to see if I could assist.”

Melissa smiled and shook the woman’s outstretched hand. “Melissa
Dehavilland, glad to meet you. Blaze here has an injury to her right haunch. I
haven’t had time to check the others.”

“Then let’s get to it.” Amy assessed the laceration and
opened her black bag, pulling out disinfectant wipes and proceeding to clean
the injured area. She spoke softly to the horse as she worked, her demeanor
calm but efficient.

As Blaze made no protest, Melissa checked the remainder of
the horses. Satin had a nick on his ear and
Midnight
seemed to be favoring one leg. She picked it up
to examine the hoof. Sure enough, a stone had lodged in the shoe during his
run.

She returned to where the vet patiently worked on Blaze. “Would
you happen to have a hoof pick in that satchel? One of the horses picked up a
stone.”

“Sure.” She rummaged in her bag and pulled out the
required item. “I’ll give you a hand in just a sec.”

“No problem. I can do it.” But
Midnight
proved to be ornery, sidestepping every
time she reached for his leg. “Come on, boy. Stand still so I can tend to that
hoof.” He was still being obnoxious when the vet walked up beside her.

“You hold his head to keep him still and I’ll see to that
stone,” she said.

“Okay. The horses are still a bit jittery from the upset.”

“I would be too. How did you get them out of the freight
car?”

Melissa smiled. “Pure dumb luck. A lumber delivery was
held up when the train derailed. The man had a load of plywood and two-by-sixes
on and we were able to fashion ramps to lead them up, out, and down to solid
ground.”

“That
was
lucky.
There, all done.” Amy released the horse’s leg and stepped back. “Any other
injuries?”

Melissa led her over to Satin, holding her steady as Amy
cleaned and stitched her ear. “You’re really good with horses.”

Amy laughed as she worked. “I should be. I spent summers
at my grandparents’ ranch when I was a kid. That’s when I discovered I wanted
to be a vet, although I hadn’t counted on having to open a clinic in the city.”

“Had to?”

“Yeah. Instead of horses and cattle, I’m a medic for
domestic pets.” She shrugged. “It pays the bills.”

Melissa rummaged through her purse and produced a business
card. “If you ever need or want a change of pace, give me a call.”

Amy studied the card. “You’re from Colorado? What are you doing in Missouri?”

“Just traveling through on my way to time trials in Kentucky.”

“A word of advice, don’t run Blaze. Those stitches need to
heal.”

Melissa nodded, glancing toward the horse in question. “I’d
kind of figured that one out already. Do you know of any place I can board her
until I make arrangements to transport her home?”

Amy’s smile bloomed from ear to ear. “I’d love to have
her. I own a small property not far from here. Plenty of grazing for a few
days.”

“Fantastic! I’ll reimburse you for your trouble and your
help here today. How do we get to your place?”

Amy gave her directions and went on her way. Just then, a
man approached.

“Miss, do you own these animals?”

“Yes I do.”

“The name’s Walt. I’ve rounded up a few stock trailers to
move your horses. They’re parked on the next street over. Where are you
heading?”

Melissa couldn’t believe her luck. First, a stranger saves
her herd, then a vet shows up, and now stock trailers had appeared out of thin
air. It looked like she would make it to that sale after all.

*
* * *

A quaint, two-bedroom cottage in the wooded area outside
of town had been Jimmy’s home for several years. He braked to a stop beside the
kitchen door and wondered how much longer it would be before he could buy into
a ranch. His exhilarating adventure left him longing for wide-open spaces.

Jimmy stepped down from the cab and walked the last few
feet to his cottage. He was so fed up with working in the city. Herding Blondie’s
horses had sparked a need inside him that was difficult to control. Maybe it
was time to sell the accounting firm and look for work elsewhere. With his
experience, he was certain to land a suitable accounting position. But where?

He stooped to pick up the daily paper before entering the
house. On impulse, he sat at the table and opened it to the classified ad
section, only to find that his growling stomach needed attention first. Last
night’s leftovers would have to suffice. He dished up a bowl of chili, grated
some cheese on top, and stuck it in the microwave to heat. While he waited, he
poured a glass of milk. Day-old biscuits completed the meal.

Armed with fortification, he resumed his seat at the
table, skimming through the classifieds as he ate. His attention ramped up as
he spied one particular ad. He read it, then read it again, more slowly this
time.

Thoroughbreds
R Us Horse Ranch in northern Colorado

seeking
experienced accountant to handle ranch affairs.

Must
be willing to live on site. Room and board included.

The ad ended with a contact email.

Hot damn!
Exactly what he’d been searching for. And he wouldn’t even have to worry about finding
accommodation nearby. His dinner forgotten, he grabbed the paper and rushed
into his home office. He spent a few minutes updating his résumé and sent it
off with a cover email outlining his current status and availability.

Colorado.
The Rocky Mountains. Wide-open spaces. Fresh
air.

To Jimmy’s surprise, he received an almost immediate reply.

F&*%
you!

Flabbergasted, Jimmy leaned back in his chair. What the
heck kind of response was that? Not exactly the best way to do business. Oh
well, if the owners were that rude, he didn’t want to work there anyway. He
hated profanity. How many times had he been sworn at and picked on in school
just for being smart? He shut down the computer and went back to his now-cold
dinner. Nuking it again, he paused to wonder if it was healthy to reheat food
more than once. Probably not, but he was too hungry to care.