A
Cowboy’s Christmas Promise
By: Maggie McGinnis
Releasing November 18th, 2014
Loveswept
In
a captivating novel spiced with holiday magic—perfect for fans of Rachel
Gibson, Susan Mallery, and Molly O’Keefe—a rugged Montana man mends a Northeast
girl’s jaded heart.
Boston veterinarian Hayley Scampini
tends the city’s pampered pets but dreams of the rural life of a country vet.
She’s single and determined to stay that way, convinced that love isn’t
permanent enough to trust. Then a vacation to the Whisper Creek dude ranch
introduces her to Daniel McKee, a sexy single dad who runs the kind of
veterinary practice she aspires to—and rattles her conviction to keep men at a
distance.
Managing a thriving practice, coping
with the loss of his wife, and fighting a custody battle with his in-laws over
his twin daughters, Daniel couldn’t be more overwhelmed. Hayley is a godsend,
accompanying him in the field and winning over his girls. It doesn’t take
Daniel long to realize he’s falling for this woman, hard and fast. So before
Hayley returns to Boston, he extracts a promise: that she will return to
Whisper Creek for Christmas. It’s the perfect time and place to show Hayley
that the promise of a beautiful life together is something she can believe in.
“Maggie McGinnis writes the kind of
characters that keep you smiling long after you turn the page.”—USA Today bestselling author Katie Lane
“A writer with a talent for both
humor and emotion.”—New York Times
bestselling author Lori Handeland, aka Lori Austin
“McGinnis comes out of the chute
with force, grabs your emotions, and gets a death hold on your attention to the
last page, where you sigh and wish there was one more chapter.”—New York Times bestselling author Carolyn
Brown
“Heartwarming and sweet, Maggie
McGinnis is definitely an author to watch!”—USA Today bestselling author Tina Leonard
Goodreads
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22396054-a-cowboy-s-christmas-promise?from_search=true
Author Info
Maggie McGinnis is the author of Accidental Cowgirl and
Driving Without a License, which was a finalist for Romance Writers of
America’s Golden Heart Award. A former high school English teacher, an
accomplished musician, and a certified black belt, she lives in New England
with her family.
Author Links:
“I’m still pretty sure you hate us just a little. I’m not big on adorable.
I’ll tell you what, though. You can make it up to me by introducing me to a
rugged, hot cowboy. You must have some new ones this year, right?”
“I don’t know, Hayls. Last time the three of us were together out
here, we managed to get lost, scare up a bear, and almost get hit by lightning.
And that was before the barn fire. I think we’re solidly in the bad-risk
category as far as any of the guys here are concerned.”
“But you’ve been living here for six months! Haven’t you cleared our
names by now?”
“I thought I was making progress, but I heard Decker on the phone to
his insurance agent yesterday, just being sure all of the ranch coverages were
up-to-date.”
“Shut up. Not true.”
Kyla laughed. “I wish I was kidding. As much as he’s happy to have
you and Jess back out here, I think he’s also a little terrified.” She winked
and reached over to squeeze Hayley’s hand. “I’m so excited that you’re here!
It’s been way too long!”
“You say that now . . . “
Hayley turned to watch the landscape fly past. To her right, rolling
grasslands stretched out for countless miles, green now tinged with late summer
yellows and oranges. To her left, the greens melted into the blues and purples
of the mountains in the distance. Just like last summer, she was awed by the
sheer . . . big-ness
of the landscape.
“Good Lord, it’s gorgeous out here.”
Kyla smiled. “Did you forget?”
“I think maybe the beauty of it got overshadowed by all that other
stuff you just mentioned.”
“Good point.”
“So this year we can just sit back, relax, and have fun, right? No
disasters?”
“I’m totally on board with the fun part—but I’m not sure how much
sitting back and relaxing there’ll be. We’ve got a full slate of guests, and
then there’s this little wedding shindig next weekend. My to-do list is about
three miles long. I have no idea how you and Jess and I are going to get it all
done.”
“Simple. We rip the list in thirds. You take the top, Jess takes the
middle, and I take the bottom. And then I sit on the cabin porch and drink
lemonade while you guys run around, because obviously, the items on the bottom
of the list aren’t all that important anyway.”
“Hayley!”
“Kidding! We’re on it! Jess and I are ready to go full-on cowgirl
for two full weeks. You worry about the wedding, and we’ll worry about
everything else.” Hayley felt her nose wrinkle. “And please don’t ruin this
moment by saying something ridiculous like ‘That’s supposed to comfort me?’”
“If Whisper Creek could afford the empty cabins, we would have
blocked the week and enjoyed some peace and quiet, but no dice.” Kyla let her
hand flutter out the driver’s side window, smiling even though wedding stress
had to be taking hold by now. “But don’t worry. I’m determined not to go all
bridezilla on you guys.”
“If you do, we’ll just send you out on a scavenger hunt . . . with a
bad map.”
Kyla laughed. “I did manage to save you your favorite cabin. You
have a fireplace and a claw-foot tub.”
“Heaven. I love you. Now all I need is a hot cowboy to cuddle with
in front of that fireplace.”
“Or in that tub?” Kyla raised her eyebrows, grinning.
“I’d settle for the fireplace at this point, even though it’s
August.”
“You could always come for Christmas.”
“You’ve mentioned that—a couple hundred times.”
Kyla got a dreamy look in her eye. “There’s just nothing like
Whisper Creek at Christmas.”
“I think one trip per year to cowboy heaven is probably dangerous
enough.”
Kyla signaled for the Carefree exit and headed down the ramp. “You
never know. Whisper Creek does strange things to people. Did I ever tell you
about those Native American stories I was reading this winter?”
“Uh-oh. Is the water under some ancient curse or something? You
don’t believe that stuff, do you?”
“It’s not cursed. And no, I don’t. But a lot of the old folklore
mentions the creek, like they thought there was something magical and mythic
about it.”
“Cursed.”
“Stop it.” Kyla laughed. “Maybe they used it as a love potion. I’m
going to mix some in your lemonade, just to see what happens.”
“As long as you send a hot cowboy over to help me drink it, I’m fine
with that.”
Suddenly Hayley spotted a group of men on horseback in the far
distance. “Ooh! Look! Real ones!” She craned her neck as they passed, drooling
just a little bit over the way their bodies hugged the horses.
It was definitely good to be back in Montana.
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