His Hometown Cowgirl

By Anne Marie Novark

The DIAMONDBACK RANCH ORIGINAL SERIES #6

When fate deals a cruel blow to Kelsey McCade, she returns home to the Diamondback Ranch to rebuild her life and heal her shattered heart. Unforeseen circumstances keep throwing her into the company of Pete Lafferty, the object of her teenaged fantasies. Against her will, Kelsey finds herself drawn to Pete—to the boy from her memories who kept her safe, and now to the strong and honorable man he’s become.

Pete Lafferty has known a lot of women, but he’s never fallen in love. When Kelsey McCade finally returns home, vulnerable but not broken, he quickly realizes she’s a threat to his carefree existence. He’s always had a soft spot for Kelsey, and seeing her grown up and beautiful stirs up emotions he's not sure he's ready to explore. He's never done a long-term relationship, and she deserves nothing less. Pete knows he’s not the right man for her, but how can he convince his heart?

EXCERPT:

"Oh, honey," Pete said. "Please don't cry again. You don't know how bad it tears me up inside to see you so unhappy."

"I can't help it." She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, blinking and sniffling as more tears fell. She raised soul-sad eyes to his. "Don't you think I'm tired of all this? Tired of crying? Tired of being sad?" Her voice broke on a sob. "Why did he have to die? Why? God, I feel so alone. So very much . . . alone."

Pete pushed back his chair and quickly walked around the desk. He pulled Kelsey from her seat and into his arms. "Shush now. You're not alone. You have a loving family and good friends to support you."

And me. But he didn't say that. They didn't belong together. He wasn't the right man for her. But that logical argument didn't seem to matter to his heart. He was constantly fighting an internal battle against wanting Kelsey with an urgency that nearly brought him to his knees and knowing he couldn't . . . shouldn't start anything with her, especially when she was in such a vulnerable state.

Hell, what was he thinking? He couldn't start anything with her ever.

He held her close while she sobbed her heart out. Poor kid. He rested his chin on the top of her head, the scent of strawberries and woman filling his nostrils. He rubbed her back with one hand, while hugging her to his body with the other. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him, her head tucked in the crook of his shoulder like when they'd danced together last week.

Only, now it was just the two of them. No family, no friends, no interested spectators.

Pete let her have her cry out. After several minutes, her tears finally stopped. She hiccoughed and stood frozen in place, plastered against him. Damn, why did her body have to fit him so perfectly? With a will of its own, his libido kicked into full throttle; he couldn't control the flash of heat hardening his body to almost painful intensity.

Kelsey slowly unwrapped her arms from around his waist and moved her hands to the front of his jacket. She patted the damp fabric right above his heart. "I got you all wet. I'm sorry." She tilted her head to look at him, her eyelashes spiked with tears.

He felt her stiffen in his embrace, her eyes widening, dilating with awareness. His body flexed in response to that primal signal of desire. Well, hell. How was he supposed to resist that? Resist her? He was only human after all.

"Pete?" Her voice was breathy, a whisper, bedroom soft.

Never before had his name sounded so good, so sexy on anyone's lips.

Her breath hitched, and before Pete could do something stupid like act on his inappropriate hunger for her, Kelsey took his choice away. She stood on tiptoe, draped her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth to his.

Instant sexual combustion blind-sided him. His mind went blank and instinct took over. She was female to his male. He wanted her in the most elemental way. He'd wanted her for weeks, mo

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anne Marie Novark
• Release date: Feb 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311700186

Anne Marie Novark

Anne Marie is a Texas girl, born and raised. Romance is her passion. She loves to read and write about men and women falling in love, overcoming life’s obstacles, and living happily ever after. She writes spicy contemporary novels, usually involving a cowboy or two, as well as Regency historicals. Married to her high school sweetheart, Anne Marie and her husband spend their leisure time working (actually playing) in the yard and renovating their 1956 custom-built house on a one-acre lot in the middle of the city. They have two grown children, three white rabbits, two mischievous cats, and one sweet puppy dog.

Book preview

His Hometown Cowgirl

by

Anne Marie Novark

***

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The Diamondback Ranch Encore #1

Kelsey and Pete

When fate deals a cruel blow to Kelsey McCade, she returns home to the Diamondback Ranch to rebuild her life and heal her shattered heart. Unforeseen circumstances keep throwing her into the company of Pete Lafferty, the object of her teenaged fantasies. Against her will, Kelsey finds herself drawn to Pete--to the boy from her memories who kept her safe, and now to the strong and honorable man he’s become.

Pete Lafferty has known a lot of women, but he’s never fallen in love. When Kelsey McCade finally returns home, vulnerable but not broken, he quickly realizes she’s a threat to his carefree existence. He’s always had a soft spot for Kelsey, and seeing her grown up and beautiful stirs up emotions he's not sure he's ready to explore. He's never done a long-term relationship, and she deserves nothing less. He knows he’s not the right man for her, but how can he convince his heart?

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His Hometown Cowgirl

Copyright © 2015 by Anne Marie Novark

***

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

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Dedication

To Carrie.

You are my inspiration.

This one's for you.

***

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Epilogue

The McCades of The Diamondback Ranch

Family Tree

Daniel and Ruth McCade

Dallas McCade/Gillian Bankston McCade

Children: Zach and Travis

Cameron McCade/Jessie Devine McCade

Children: Daniel, Michael, Courtney

Austin McCade/Theresa Rogers McCade

Children: Kelsey Girard (from his first wife Deborah), Ruthie Mae

Tyler McCade/Caitlyn Ross McCade

Children: Ross, Annie, Jamie

Victoria (Tori) McCade/Sam Garza

Children: Mary and Joe

Molly and Maddie Sherman

Ruth becomes their legal guardian after the twins' parents are killed.

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His Hometown Cowgirl

Kelsey and Pete

CHAPTER ONE

Kelsey McCade was all grown up.

Pete Lafferty sat on the tractor that was hitched to a flatbed trailer full of laughing children and adults sitting on square hay bales. He was waiting for Kelsey's signal to start the engine and begin the hayride that would take everyone on a tour around the farm and then head out to the pumpkin patch. Farmtime Trails was proving to be a viable business venture. All thanks to Kelsey.

Pete had to hand it to the kid. She'd always been a bossy little thing, organizing family events, milestone celebrations, wedding receptions, and the christenings of all the new structures and homes built on the Diamondback Ranch for the past ten years. Hell, ever since she could talk most likely. Everyone said the kid was a born leader, and it was true.

Gripping the steering wheel tighter, Pete inhaled a deep breath. Thing was Kelsey wasn't a kid anymore. He'd known her all her life. She'd been an adorable precocious child with golden blond hair and intelligent baby blue eyes. She'd been a cute teenager with a smart mouth and sassy attitude. Now, she was downright beautiful with a body that made a man salivate and ache with longing. Curves that made you want to run your hands up and down them, caressing, squeezing, teasing . . .

Hey, Pete! Are you going to start the tractor or not? Kelsey called to him from her perch on the back of the trailer, a smile playing on her full kissable lips, her eyes shining like sapphires in the bright October sunlight. We're ready whenever you are. Let's get this show on the road!

Pete shoved the erotic thoughts from his over-heated brain and turned the key in the ignition. The old diesel tractor started like a gem, the motor rumbling to life, the smell of exhaust fumes floating on the cool breeze.

WooHoo! Kelsey shouted, her exuberance and enthusiasm contagious. The group of tourists was eating it up.

He'd like to eat her up. He'd like to kiss the smart sassy mouth that was beginning to grow more kissable with each passing day.

And night.

Pete silently groaned and adjusted the position of his butt on the hard tractor seat. Seemed like he'd been in an uncomfortable state of arousal ever since Kelsey had moved back to the Diamondback Ranch. She'd graduated from Texas Tech with a double major in Ag Science and Ag Commerce. Go figure. The kid had always been smart as a whip. Sometimes too smart for her own good.

Staring straight ahead down the dirt road toward the pumpkin patch, Pete could sometimes still think of Kelsey as that 'cute McCade kid.' But only from a distance. As soon as he saw her up close and in person, her beauty and desirability hit him hard like four G's to the gut.

He'd always been aware that Kelsey had a crush on him. When she'd been younger, she'd followed him around like a little puppy. He'd worked for Tyler McCade and Lone Star Wings ever since he'd been able to drive a car, so he'd been a part of the Diamondback Ranch for a long time. And from the first moment he'd held an airplane's joystick in his hand, he'd known he'd found his passion. Tyler had taught him how to fly and helped him get his pilot's license. He knew he was one lucky son-of-a-bitch to be able to make a living doing what he loved.

Pete watched a hawk soar high in the blue West Texas sky. He loved to fly. He took another deep breath and slowly blew it out. He wished he could be up high in the sky right now, but there were no crop-dusting applications scheduled for today and no wild fires to fight (thank goodness), which was why he'd been roped into tractor-driving duty. Again.

Still, he enjoyed the bright sunlight and the fresh air. He'd lived in Salt Fork, Texas, all his life. Well, most of it anyway.

He'd gone away to college, of course. But he'd worked for Tyler during the summers, and he'd watched Kelsey grow into a stunning young woman during her high-school years. She'd still had a crush on him back then, always blushing and smiling shyly whenever they met.

That's when he'd discovered he was physically attracted to her. Big time. And there hadn't been a damn thing he could do about it. He couldn't ask her out. Kelsey was Tyler McCade's little niece, so she was off-limits. Forbidden fruit. Not to mention jailbait.

Besides, anytime he even looked in Kelsey's direction or got too close, her dad and uncles shot him the evil eye. Pete was no coward, but the McCade brothers were a force to be reckoned with. They protected their own, guarding and watching out for all family members, as well as the sixty-four-hundred-acres of the Diamondback Ranch.

He'd ruthlessly suppressed his wayward desire for Kelsey during his summers on the ranch. He'd played the field with many lovely ladies while away and attending school.

And when he'd heard Kelsey had started dating? Pete shook his head. He still remembered the violent possessive feeling burning in his chest. And when she'd become engaged? Dear God. Jealousy had consumed him, and he'd felt like his soul had been ripped from his body. It didn't matter that he could never have her; he didn't want to think about another man having her. Making love to her.

When Kelsey's fiancé had been killed, the light in her eyes had dimmed. Pete wanted to offer comfort, but their relationship wasn't that simple. Oh, he'd hugged her and told her how sorry he was for her loss, but he couldn't help the feeling of relief, which wasn't very noble of him and made him feel like a sorry selfish bastard.

After she'd returned to the Diamondback Ranch, he'd worried about how hard she pushed herself to get the new ag-business up and running. But gradually, he saw how the launch of Farmtime Trails had helped to heal her. The sparkle slowly but surely began to glimmer in those baby-blues once again.

Pete had deliberately kept his distance ever since Kelsey had moved back. Her single-status didn't change anything. She was still off-limits. Still forbidden fruit. Still Tyler's niece.

Yet Pete still wanted her, still wanted to possess her, still wanted to make her his in the most basic way. It wasn't love; it was lust, he told himself. He just wanted her in his bed.

Flexing his fingers, he gripped the steering wheel again. All in all, it would be better to keep a tight lid on his thwarted desire for Kelsey. It wouldn't be right to ask her out or start anything with her. First off, he didn't do long-term relationships. He enjoyed his freedom. Enjoyed dating a lot of women. No one had ever tempted him to change his single status. Second, Kelsey was still nursing a broken heart. The kid deserved more than Pete was willing to offer. He didn't want to hurt her. She'd been hurt enough.

But damn, he wanted her. More than he'd ever wanted any other woman. The desire and passion inflaming his very soul scared the crap out of him.

No, twenty-four-year-old Kelsey McCade wasn't for the likes of him. He was commitment-shy, relationship-phobic. Kelsey was a white-picket-fence, home-sweet- home kind of woman. They were all wrong for each other. Even so, she was quickly driving him out of his ever-loving mind.

Besides all the messy emotions roiling inside of him, Pete didn't want to risk upsetting his working relationship with Tyler McCade. After Pete had earned his degree, Tyler had hired him on full-time at the airfield, even letting him rent the infamous hangar-apartment for a reasonable price, since Tyler now lived in the big new house down the road with his wife Caitlyn and their three kids. Six months ago, he'd offered Pete full partnership in Lone Star Wings. Life was good.

For the most part.

Anytime now, Pete! Kelsey's voice held a hint of laughter. He glanced over his shoulder to see her head tilted, her blue eyes gazing back at him in puzzlement.

Get it together, Lafferty.

Everybody hold on! He threw the tractor into gear and started up the dirt trail that lazily wound through a copse of mesquite trees before emerging into a clearing of cultivated land where the four-acre pumpkin patch stood.

They hadn't been chugging along three minutes before Kelsey began leading the group of visitors in a lively rendition of Old McDonald's Farm. Her clear soprano voice wafted on the chilly West Texas breeze. The crowd was doing its best to keep up with the tempo set by their fearless leader.

And what a leader she was, Pete thought in admiration. She'd taken the idea of branching off a small part of the Diamondback Ranch into an agritainment revenue source, and she'd run with it. This was her grand opening first season and right off the bat Farmtime Trails had been booked solid up to the middle of November. The kid sure knew how to get things done.

Pete sure wished she'd do him.

Give it a rest, buddy.

A man could dream, couldn't he?

Not about Kelsey McCade, damn it.

Pete shoved the tractor into high gear. The quicker they could reach their destination, the quicker the afternoon tour would end, and the quicker he could get back to the airfield and lock himself safe inside his apartment.

Away from Kelsey. Away from temptation.

****

Kelsey watched Pete park the tractor in the implement barn, after pulling the trailer full of visitors all over the farm and ranch for the better part of the afternoon. She was still working out the kinks in her fledgling business, and tractor driver was a position that needed to be filled. And soon.

On more occasions than she cared to count, she'd taken the driver's seat herself, but that meant she wasn't free to interact and mingle with the children and adults who sat in back on the bales of hay looking around all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It was much better when someone else drove so she could sit in the trailer with her visitors giving them a personally-guided tour, explaining how things worked on the farm, answering questions about the ranch, singing songs.

As she herded today's visitors toward the picnic pavilion in the main compound, Kelsey glanced around the yard and couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction that flooded her system, knowing