Cowboys of Montana Box Set

By Maya R. Stone

BOX SET

Small-town romance that features:

GRUMPY RANCHER: a bossy and handsome rancher, and an independent woman in search of a new life.
A not-so-grumpy rancher; a not-so-hopeless divorcee.

Their boring and lonely lives are about to change.

COCKY RANCHER: Charming rodeo rider Ted Sullivan, the golden guy of the small town, has a broken leg, and he needs help.
Enter Dakota, a 5.2 feet woman: unemployed, with a broken heart and the hope of finding a missing grandmother.
He isn't looking for a relationship, but when she smiles at him, it's difficult to remember why he should keep his distance.

GENTLE RANCHER. Brad Sullivan left his fancy life as a country singer. Singing is his thing, but he paid a high price when he followed his dream. The tours, the fans, the rush, the wild sex... It was too much. He lost himself and the love of his life in the process.  

Reporter Gina Lovell is in town to interview Brad Sullivan. He broke her heart years ago.
She can be cold and professional, but Brad seems to think this is a new beginning. She will show him she isn't a toy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maya R. Stone
• Release date: Nov 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215675557

Book preview

GRUMPY RANCHER

Synopsis

A small-town romance that features a bossy and handsome rancher, and an independent woman in search of a new life.

REX

The oldest of the three Sullivan brothers is set in his ways. He only has time for his ranch and his horses. He likes stability and has the life he wants. Almost. 

A female vet, he could manage. A sweet and oh, so pretty Barbie vet who probably won’t stay long? Not a chance. Chauvinistic much? She can think about what she wants. He won’t hire her... Or so he thought. 

MARIE

Divorcee Marie Jones wants a new beginning, and the small town in Montana seems to be the perfect place. To leave her disappointing and hurtful life behind is a must, and her new job as the town’s vet is what she needs.

The only issue so far? The stubborn and handsome Rex Sullivan, owner of the biggest ranch. A man she would like to know a little better.

The grumpy cowboy refuses to acknowledge her as the professional vet she is. Until an urgency forced him to call her. And sparks fly.

A not-so-grumpy rancher; a not-so-hopeless divorcee. Their boring and lonely lives are about to change.

One.

OK, here she was. The beautiful wooden sign was clear: Sullivan Ranch. Lands of the most stubborn cowboy in the valley would be more accurate, she thought.

At least that was what most of Marie’s acquaintances told her about Rex Sullivan, and the fact the rancher hadn’t asked for her vet services the entire year she had been working in this town was evidence enough. 

She had crossed him not a few times, as it was logic in such a small town, but he had been cold. She suspected he was a chauvinist, a misogynist who thought women were made for worshipping men and getting them their slippers when they arrived at home.

Sullivan ran one of the biggest ranches in Montana. He bred both horses and cattle, and he had at least ten cowboys working for him. How many times had he hired her? How many of his cows, calves, bulls, or horses had she taken care of? Zero! 

That could only be because he despised her, just because she was an outsider and a woman. Or so she thought. She knew he hired a vet from another town to take care of his animals. Townspeople were chatty, and they liked to gossip around.

That really pissed her off, because she was good at her job. It wasn’t just plain work for her; she loved animals. Most of the ranchers around had been hesitant when she arrived to substitute the former vet, Old Nick, but they had finally accepted her. All except the owner of the ranch she was entering now. 

The town was peaceful and beautiful, just what she needed after the last few years. They were rough. God knew she deserved a break, and this opportunity had been wonderful. 

She had found a pleasant house, rented a small office with a chatty secretary who was great help, and most of her working hours were outside, surrounded by astonishing sceneries, helping animals in need. 

It was a rewarding job most of the time. Her only concern had been the lack of acceptance of that man, who was mouthwatering, by the way. Not that she cared about that, of course. It was just that she saw him as personal defiance, as if she could truly be a part of the town when everybody accepted her. Silly she was.

Things had changed today, however. She had the biggest surprise when Rex Sullivan called to demand her presence on his ranch immediately. He hadn’t waited for her to say a thing. It was a simple order, and he obviously wasn’t used to getting a no for an answer. 

She clenched her teeth when she remembered the deep and rough voice. Not a good morning, not a courteous greeting, just a bark: I need your ass on the Sullivan Ranch. Hurry!

She had been wordless. Livid. Who did he think he was? Her first idea was to refuse to go. Rex Sullivan could go to hell and freeze there. 

But then she started feeling bad about it. She wasn’t a teenager, and professional vets didn’t throw tantrums. The animals’ health was her concern. 

This rancher wouldn’t call her if there wasn’t a big problem, one he couldn’t solve by himself, or by bringing in another vet. She was a professional. She could separate assholes from wounded animals. 

She finally put her pride aside and found herself on her way to the ranch, which she was entering now. 

She drove her battered truck onto the property, and it took her ten minutes to arrive at the main house. It was an amazing place, and the surroundings were breathtaking. She turned the engine off and jumped out of her vehicle, gazing around. 

She saw the most beautiful creek-side historic home plus a complete set of working facilities, including barns and corrals to support current livestock operations, all surrounded by incredible views of the mountains and the grassy valleys. 

The mixture of colors was rich and deep: greens, browns, purples, yellows, greys, whites from the sky, the vegetation, the animals on sight, and the houses. So. Pretty. She breathed deeply and smelled the fragrances of the countryside. This was life. People here had everything to enjoy life.

Will you just stand there, or are you here to work? 

The rude words came from behind, and Marie turned to find the big, broad-shouldered rancher scowling at her. 

Dark chocolate brown eyes burned holes in her face, and she blushed. He surely was an imposing presence. 

A rude, sexy man in his late thirties, dressed in tight jeans and a plaid shirt, rough boots, and a Stetson that didn’t cover his piercing eyes. 

There was only one word to define him standing there, the same that popped into her brain each time she saw him: mouthwatering. But rude and impatient, too.

Good morning Mr. Sullivan, she said, shaking herself from stupidity. I’m...

I know who you are, and you’re late. Follow me, he barked, turning around to walk to the stable, and she followed.

The place was enormous, and she saw several horses in many stalls. There was another man at the main door who welcomed her with a Stetson salute and a wide grin. 

She waved at him, almost running to catch the rancher, and she almost bumped against his back when he halted in front of one stall.

There was a beautiful white mare in a straw bed, and Marie immediately realized the animal was in the early stage of labor, although the distress was clear. 

The gorgeous animal lay on one of its sides, restless and sweaty. It wasn’t abnormal, and she didn’t see blood or other worrying symptoms, but she had to check. 

This rancher wouldn’t demand her presence here if there wasn’t an issue he couldn’t solve by himself.

The stable was neat and modern, and there were even cameras available so that the mare could be observed from a distance and sweat alarms could indicate imminent labor. He was well prepared. 

What was his concern here? She looked at him and almost drowned in his intense gaze. She steeled and looked at him, trying not to blush or stutter.

What seems to be the problem, Mr. Sullivan?

The foal should be born by now.

Marie recognized the fear on the edge of his deep voice. The man was worried, although his face or body gestures didn’t express a thing. The poor fool was probably sweating bullets because of the beautiful mare. 

She smiled to herself. She liked a man who loved animals. Or was the loss of his investment what worried him? Hard to say. 

She didn’t know a thing about him, apart from the gossip. He was considered a hard bone to crack, but a coveted bachelor, too.

Marie put on her gloves and cautiously went near the mare. She didn’t want to add stress to the situation; mares preferred to foal when all was quiet. 

She caressed the head and the neck, ensuring her checks didn’t disturb the animal. She was touching its belly when the animal’s water broke, and she stepped back.

I think she is doing great. She is entering the second stage right now.

The abdominal contractions showed the efforts of the mare. She walked to sit on the bales of hay, and he did the same. 

He looked calmer; his voice, even deep, wasn’t rough, and the hard lines of his face faded. 

He was even handsome when he relaxed, Marie thought. Not like the grumpy cowboy he was said to be.

I was... I probably overreacted... He shook his head. But Daisy is my favorite mare, and it’s her first foal. She had an abortion last year, and I was afraid...

There was relief in his voice, and he sighed, stretching his body so that his muscles showed through the textile. God help her; the man was gorgeous. 

Don’t go there, Marie. He only phoned you because he hadn’t another option. He is probably regretting it by now. She cleared her throat.

I’m going to stay here to monitor her until she delivers. It’s a beautiful mare. Strong.  

Her foal will be astonishing. A mix of Daisy, this beauty, and my stallion, Outlaw.

There was pride and joy in his voice. The man delighted in his horses. He was probably better with them than with people if she attended to the facts.

Marie went near the mare and checked how it was going, and then sat again on the hay. She didn’t take an eye from the stall, and she even forgot about the rancher for the next twenty minutes, her sight only on Daisy. 

She sighed in relief when the mare’s efforts paid off. The hind legs of the foal showed, and the expulsive movements pushed the rest of the body outside. 

Marie felt so happy that she clapped her hands and rushed to clean the membranes from the foal’s nostrils.

It was perfect, black with white legs. The mare stood and while she spoiled the foal, Marie knotted the placenta at the level of the hocks to prevent the animal from standing on it. 

She waited half an hour for the placenta to pass and put it in a box to examine after. It was a normal procedure. 

She looked at the rancher for the first time in almost an hour, and the wide smile on his face surprised her. There was kindness and warmth in the gesture. He was stunning. Too much. Damn!  

Ok, this is a gorgeous foal. Congratulations. All was perfect, and there weren’t any complications. I will examine the placenta and come tomorrow to make a full clinical examination of both mare and foal.

Thank you, Miss...

Jones. Marie Jones, she said with a frown. He had said he knew who she was, but he ignored the basics. He seemed to be as rude as stunning. 

I appreciate your work today. I hadn’t thought I would need your services.

Well, the man was honest.

Oh, I noticed the reluctance to hire a female vet. But that’s the beauty of life, Mr. Sullivan. We don’t know who we will need. It should give us a humbler perspective. See you tomorrow.

Two.

Well, he surely deserved those words. Rex smirked. He was standing at the stable’s door, looking at the vet while she tried to make the engine of her truck work.

A piece of crap, he thought. It was an old and battered vehicle that probably gave her a lot of headaches.

She was nothing like he thought or expected. She did a good job helping Daisy.

He didn’t stop staring at her until she finally turned the truck on and drove away without a glance his way. Marie, he whispered, the name rolling from his mouth like a caress.

A fine woman with curves for miles. Her beautiful ass and tits would be a sight in his bed. He had thought the same thing the first time he saw her standing in the line of the coffee shop.

And several times after that, each time he was in town. He sighed. Although he had been impressed by her beauty, he seemed to develop an unusual aversion to calling her to solve the many problems he had last year.

He shook his head. He had been a rude asshole then, and a jerk earlier this morning, on the phone, when he called her. He felt ashamed.

His mother would have been astonished. He had behaved awfully, and it was mainly because he had labeled her as a Barbie doll from the moment he saw her.

She was so beautiful, soft, and confident that he had reacted like a caveman, and refused to hire her services. He had been paying a vet from another town to come to the ranch once a month.

The thing he could use in his defense was that he was so fond of the former vet and close friend, Old Nick, that when he told him a young woman was going to substitute him, Rex felt disappointed.

It was difficult for him to trust new people, and this new vet was from a big city and was pretty as a movie star.

The first day she arrived, he saw her and it was enough for him. He made his mind up, and he was a stubborn bastard.

He thought she would stay a few days and then she would run away. Being a vet in Montana, working with cattle and horses wasn’t a fancy job.

It meant hard work, night calls, long days in the countryside, shit everywhere. But she had endured, and little by little, all the ranchers around started hiring her.

Except for him, until now. He had only called her today because he was deeply worried about Daisy.

But he was glad he did. For sure, she knew what she was doing, and she was nothing like he thought. She had been professional, and she helped Daisy with care and love.

He could see the delight in her face when dealing with the mare and the foal. The woman loved animals; he could see it.

He had stayed at the stable, worrying for the mare, but because of her, too. He drank in the delicious sight of the beautiful woman.

Blonde hair in a high ponytail, long legs in loose jeans and combat boots, a baggy cream shirt that didn’t disguise her big tits, and an angel face.

Dark green eyes, high cheekbones, a tiny nose, and those plumply rose lips, made for kissing and sucking cock.

Damn! He had been rock hard the entire time, half worried because of Daisy, half aroused because of the pretty vet. Marie Jones.

He saw her mouth drawing a line when he couldn’t address her by her name. He had made a number of himself.

Well, he knew her name now, and he was more than interested. The woman had his total attention.

The thing with him was that he was a man of extremes. Black or white. He hadn’t felt like being around the charming vet till today, but that was about to change.

He wanted her to take care of his horses and the cattle from now on. And for myself, a naughty internal voice slid into his thoughts. He wanted to know more about her.

He shook his head and came back to work, delivering food and clean water for Daisy and paying attention to the fact that the foal nursed colostrum.

An hour passed before he walked to the main house. He was tired, although excited too. The newborn was the first of a new line, an excellent one.

Outlaw, his horse, was an amazing stallion that had won lots of competitions, and there were several potential customers who would pay a lot for its foals.

Daisy was a new mare, but it descended from a noble line. Now that it had its first foal, the next pregnancies would be easier.

He felt confident about business. The ranch was doing great; he and his brothers worked hard, and they had done it for years.

There weren’t loans to pay, and the financial situation was clean. The three brothers had their tasks, and that was good.

Each one dealt with a part of the ranch’s life. He managed the horse breeding.

His brother, Brad, had left his country singer's life behind, and he managed the financial part. Ted, the youngest, was a bull rider and one of the hands on the ranch.

They were like day and night, him and his brothers. He was the cautious and bossy one; Brad, gentle and a dreamer; and Ted, feisty and adventurous.

As the ranch was enormous to handle by themselves, and they had a lot of animals, machinery, and crops, there were several workers and Billy, the foreman.

The three brothers lived together, and they shared the house. That avoided solitude, although it was messy. The lack of a woman's hand was clear, but they preferred it this way.

Or, at least, Rex did, and he knew he was a little too bossy for his brothers’ appreciation. But hell, he was the oldest, seven years older than Brad, and ten more than Ted. That gave him privileges, in his opinion.

Rex breathed, and the smell of stew hit his nose and made his stomach growl. He walked to the kitchen where Brad was cooking, as usual.

Is Daisy okay?

It is, and the foal is healthy and strong.

I saw the new vet’s truck.

Rex nodded.

I called her.

I thought you disliked her.

That wasn’t accurate. He had prejudged her, just by her looks, and then dismissed her work. He grimaced. He had been such a tool, indeed.

I didn’t know her. Now I do. She did a good job.

Wow. I didn’t think we would see the day when you would trust a female to take care of your horses.

He didn’t answer and set the table. He was starving, and Brad was in a chatty mood.

Ted! Dinner is ready! Brad yelled, and they immediately heard heavy steps going down the wooden stairs.

Motherfucker is hungry, Brad said with a chuckle.

Ted was the biggest of the three, and that was a thing. Rex was 6’2 and broad-shouldered, but at 6.5, the youngest of the Sullivan brothers was built like a giant. Brad was the shortest, at 6’1.

They ate a lot, and people in town used to joke about how a restaurant could be ruined because of them.

Rex, Brad, I’m starving. Damn, this stew smells like heaven. I’m in a rush, so let’s eat now. I have a woman to catch.

His evil eyes settled on Rex, and he guessed the bastard wanted to piss him off.

"Who is the lucky