The Cowboy Next Door

By Roxanne Snopek

When plucky single mother Leda Plett goes next door to retrieve her wandering pooch, she doesn't expect to find a handsome stranger lounging about like he owns the place. She certainly doesn't expect him to go all "white knight" about her deadbeat ex, or her knees to go all wobbly at his sexy smile.



Rodeo-star turned agent Eric Anders is used to managing people and clearly, the boots-and-sundress wearing mouthy mama needs someone to manage her. He wants to help; her spirited spark and quick wit have nothing to do with it.



But when Eric's good intentions end up bringing only hurt and humiliation, he's forced to face the fact that he doesn't always know best. Leda is stronger and wiser than he knew, and his arrogance may have just cost him the one girl he now can't live without.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tule Publishing
• Release date: Jan 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781942240365

Book preview

The Cowboy Next Door

A Montana Home Romance

Roxanne Snopek

––––––––

T

he Cowboy Next Door

Copyright © 2015 Roxanne Snopek

The Tule Publishing Group, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-942240-36-5

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dear Reader

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

This Old House Series

About the Author

D

ear Reader,

Do you ever have moments where you think, Seriously did I just say that? Or do that? Or step in that?

That is Leda Plett’s life. If it’s outrageous or inappropriate or over the line, she’s probably done it. Except now that she has a daughter of her own, on her own, she’s trying very hard to become a proper grown-up. It was going pretty well, too, until the neighbor’s brother showed up next door.

Eric Anders has the strange effect of making Leda feel like a better, bigger, stronger person – while simultaneously making her vividly aware of every dumb move she’s ever made. Because he’s a really awesome guy, who really does know a lot. Which only makes it worse!

I know a bit about this feeling, having been married for over 25 years. I am a total shake-your-head dorkus some days. For some reason, those days usually occur when my guy is being particularly awesome and smart. It makes me want to punt him into next week for it! :) But then he does something sweet and kind, reminding me that I’m pretty awesome too, and I forgive him for being so great.

I think maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be, each of us bringing out the best in each other, while still calling us out on our less-than-stellar moments.

Leda and Eric gave me a wonderfully fun ride on the way to their happily-ever-after. I hope you enjoy it just as much!

Hugs,

Roxanne

C

hapter One

"Jackson, you mangy old pile of bones, where are you?"

The words drifted across the field of wildflowers the neighbors kept for the bees and in through the open kitchen window to the table, where Eric Anders sat frowning at the mess of blueprints laid out in front of his laptop.

Whoever this Jackson character was, he pitied him when the owner of that voice caught up with him.

He stood up and saw a head bobbing through the flowers. A girl.

You waited until the second they left, didn’t you? she continued, her voice bouncing with the force of her steps. If you’ve gone off somewhere and died, I swear, I’ll end you. You hear me, you deaf old coot?

The bobbing head cleared the flowers and was joined by arms and legs and body, all the usual components but somehow – was it the bright sunshine blinding him or brain fog from too much screen time? – she looked like she was swimming up to him through a golden sea, sparkling with diamond droplets. A pretty mermaid-girl, bent on death after death, when she should be at cheerleading practice.

Damn. They didn’t make girls like that when he’d been in high school.

Anders, you dirty old man.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Eric jumped but before he could take a step, the door screeched opened and in walked the girl.

Chad, she began, have you seen-

She halted, actually skidding on the aged linoleum.

Boots and a sundress. A heartbreaker, this one.

You’re not Chad. She blinked big round eyes at him. Blue? Green? Grey? Ordinary brown hair flowed onto her bare shoulders, the combination nothing that should make headlines anywhere, but in the Twitter feed of his brain, it was trending like a celebrity breakup.

Nice hair. Nice bare. Shoulders. Nice bare shoulders!

The sparkles he’d imagined as diamonds he now saw came from her dress, sequins maybe, or some kind of glittery thread or something in the fabric. Shimmery. Like it was made of light.

I’m not Chad, he agreed, realizing a response was required.

Those big eyes narrowed. Her plump lips thinned and she put her hands on her hips.

So who in the sweet hereafter are you then? And what are you doing in Chad’s kitchen?

Most gals, upon discovering a strange man in an unexpected place might – wisely – feel fear. This one looked as if she might pull a pretty little pearl-handled nine mil from her boot and ventilate him sideways, gangster-style, if he gave her any guff.

Chad’s big brother. He stuck out his hand. Eric Anders. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Shouldn’t you be in algebra class?

She glowered, but took his hand and gave it one firm business-like shake.

Hello, summer vacation. Where’s Chad?

Not dismembered under the floorboards, I assure you.

Her jaw slid sideways, just a tad, as if considering to kill him quick, for convenience, or slow and painful, for fun.

Chad’s in Lutherton, he said. And you are?

Jackson!

She dropped to one knee and threw her arms around a superannuated canine of questionable lineage that Eric had never seen before and as far as he knew, had no business in his brother’s house.

Unusual, he said, but it suits you.

Trotting behind the old dog was Blue-Girl, his Australian shepherd, wagging her stubby behind, clearly besotted and almost certainly the reason for Jackson’s defection.

The girl clipped a leather leash onto the dog’s collar and straightened up to her full height of short-and-sweet.

You stole my dog.

Eric looked at the creature in question and bit back a laugh.

You’ve caught me. I intended to ransom him for... He paused and crooked a baby finger to the corner of his mouth. One million dollars. Pay up, missy.

You think it’s funny? She took a step forward and poked him in the chest with a little pointy finger.

Ow. He rubbed the spot. I did. But I believe I may have been mistaken.

She was close enough that he could see she wasn’t quite as young as he’d first thought. Maybe not a schoolgirl, then. And while she was a bitty little thing, she had all the right handholds a man might need.

I’ll assume the shepherd is yours, since Chad doesn’t have a dog, and I’ll also assume she’s an intact female, and the reason for the look of utter stupidity on Jackson’s face.

She bent down and covered the dog’s ears. You didn’t hear that, honey-pie. You can’t help being male.

On behalf of males everywhere, said Eric, I take exception to the sentiment. Not to mention that I doubt he hears much of anything, much less understands it.

It’s irresponsible not to have your dog spayed and I’d appreciate it if you would keep her confined.

Sweetheart, said Eric, just to see how she’d react, you know what they say about assumptions.

The color of outrage suited her, as it turned out. Plus, the way her eyes flashed – blue, they were blue – suggested that she was enjoying herself enough for a stay of execution.

I’m busy enough looking after things, she said tossing her head in the direction of Chad’s nearest neighbors, without having to chase over Hades’s half-acre after this goober-dinged dog because your dog’s roaming around shaking her tailgate-

Goober-dinged?

He didn’t mean to laugh. He honestly didn’t. Maybe she was housesitting or something while the owners were gone. She actually looked distressed, like the anger coated a nugget of fear, but the way she spoke, well, it pretty much walked up and demanded laughter.

But his laughter might have been a pail of ice water. She sucked in her breath and pinned him with her now-grey gaze so that somehow, she seemed bigger than she actually was, tall enough to be on an equal height with him.

Or maybe she made him feel smaller, that could be it.

I’ll make this as clear as I can for you. Keep your dog inside. If Jackson comes over again, call me, or better yet, bring him back yourself. Do not feed him or give him treats or indulge this little May-December romance they think they’ve got going. Shall I go over it again?

Listen, miss, he began, I think we should start over.

She lifted her eyebrows. Miss?

Ma’am?

Ma’am?!

You’re not leaving me a lot of options, Jane Doe. Can I just say, Blue-Girl here was spayed three years ago, I’ve never seen your animal before in my life, I certainly did not lure him here with malice aforethought, and I have no desire to do so in the future.

Though that was possibly an untruth. Mermaid-girl Jane Doe had been the best, most entertaining

Reviews for The Cowboy Next Door

[pam50627 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Claire Moon has moved to Montana searching for solitude & privacy. Too bad the neighbors cows didn’t agree. Wes retrieved the cattle from her garden & was instantly interested. Of course, Wes is a player- goes after anything in skirts. Claire is very self conscious of the scars on her face & feels it will turn Wes off. Wes is determined to show her that it doesn’t matter. Can he get past her shields? This was a good story about appearances not mattering & growing as a person. Claire & Wes both had to learn to grow & trust each other. Claire had to realize she wouldn’t be happy in solitude & that you could trust others. This was a sweet moving romantic story with a hit of mystery.