Renewed

By Sara Vinduska

He thought he was a dead man. But she saved his life... and now he’s sworn to protect her.

Hayden Goddard wasn’t looking for love. He throughly enjoyed his life as a confirmed bachelor running his family’s Wyoming ranch. Until he’s shot and left for dead. And the first thing he sees when he wakes up are stunning green eyes he knows he’ll never forget.

Ruby Drake is on the run from her past. She dreams of a fresh start in the quiet countryside away from the city – and far from the ghosts of her former life. The last thing she needs is a sexy cowboy bleeding on her front porch.

Ruby has her fair share of dark secrets... and when her less-than-rosy past comes knocking, she’s forced to run into the arms of the only man who can protect her. Hayden owes her his life. Now it’s time for him to return the favor.

Dive into a heart-pounding cowboy romance novel that will capture your imagination with high-octane action, spicy emotional drama, and a sexy rancher. Renewed is a thrilling love story set in the heart of wild Wyoming that’s perfect for anyone who adores happily-ever-afters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sara Vinduska
• Release date: Oct 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215310595

Sara Vinduska

Originally from Kansas,Sara Vinduska is a romantic suspense author and aspiring farmer in Wyoming. Her other passions include yoga, soap making, good red wine, and K-State football.

Book preview

1

It took a long minute for Hayden Goddard’s mind to register the pain. Then his shoulder exploded in agony as his body jerked on his horse. His eyes scanned the horizon, but he wasn’t able to stop himself from falling to the ground. Son of a bitch. He saw a shadow moving quickly through the trees. The fucker had shot him. Whoever the hell it was.

The figure paused and looked back. Hayden recognized the man now. At least he was pretty damn sure he did. A homeless guy he’d seen wandering around in town from time to time. What the hell was he doing on Hayden’s property? The guy was waving his arms and shouting incoherent words. Then he disappeared deeper into the trees.

Hayden braced a hand on the frozen ground. He had hit hard. Agonizing seconds ticked by before he could gasp in a full breath. When he did, the pain nearly made him black out. He closed his eyes and forced himself to take several deep, slow breaths. By the time he opened his eyes again and sat up, whomever had shot him was long gone. His horse was pacing around him, throwing his head up and down. Hayden groaned, put both hands on the ground, then forced himself to his feet and pulled himself back in the saddle. He fumbled for his phone. No signal. Fuck.

Hayden pressed a hand against his shoulder, his fingers were immediately coated with warm, wet liquid. He guessed the bullet had gone through, but it was still bleeding like a son of a bitch. He felt the numbing cold around him and had serious doubts about making it back to the ranch without passing out. He blinked hard and fought against the dizziness. Luckily, Gunner could easily find his way back home. He just had to hold on.

Minutes later, he jerked as he felt his body start to slide off his horse. He pulled himself back up in the saddle with a grunt and looked around at the horizon. Snow had begun falling softly now and it was starting to get dark. The temperature was dropping fast. Wyoming winters could be brutal and this was forecasted to be one of the worst storms in years. His gaze swept around him. He was probably still an hour from the ranch. Between the cold and the blood loss, he wasn’t going to make it. And he damn sure didn’t want to freeze to death in a blizzard. He pulled out his phone, cursed when there was still no signal. But he knew there were cabins for rent nearby. Probably a ten minute ride. Maybe he’d get lucky and someone was staying in one of them. At the very least, he could find shelter for a few hours, maybe patch himself up.

He thought he could see chimney smoke and a light on in at least one of the cabins. He just needed to stay conscious for a few more minutes. He turned his horse and headed towards them.

Ruby Drake had just started a fire in the cozy cabin she was renting and sat down on the couch with a book when she heard a horse whinny and stomp nearby. What the hell? Was she hearing things? She threw off the blanket and headed for the window. She could just make out the outline of a horse and rider in the dimming light with snow swirling around them. But something wasn’t right. The rider was slumped over the horse’s neck and not moving.

She slipped on her boots, grabbed her coat and ran outside. The horse was standing at the edge of the porch, pawing at the ground and she approached cautiously. It’s okay, she said softly as she moved closer.

The rider groaned and tried to sit up, but shifted dangerously close to falling out of his saddle. She moved forward and reached for him as he slid off the horse.

Damn, he’s heavy, she thought as she slowed his descent to the ground the best she could. She turned him onto his back and gasped as she saw the dark wetness on his shoulder and side. Blood. A lot of blood. She grabbed her phone and cursed as she saw there was no signal. Not that the signal had been good before the storm.

Oh God. Who was this man and why had he been hurt? Was he a dangerous criminal? She looked down at him and knew she couldn’t leave him there to die, whomever or whatever he was.

The wind had picked up and swirled snowflakes around them. She swallowed down the panic. She had little medical training and absolutely no knowledge of what to do with a horse.

She took a deep breath. It was okay. She would figure it out. There was no other choice. The neighboring cabins were all empty and Dubois, the nearest town, was over an hour away. It was just her. First thing, she needed to get the man inside and warm. She wrapped her arms around him and tried to get him upright.

Damn, he was solid muscle. Come on, you’ve got to help me out a little, she pleaded.

The man grunted, but he did find the strength to struggle to his knees, then to his feet. He wobbled, but she managed to support his weight as they slowly entered the warmth of her cabin and she led him to the couch. He groaned and flopped down onto it.

She looked out the window. The snow was coming down even heavier, the wind making visibility near zero. No way were they driving out now.

She moved closer to the man, but he’d already passed out. The horse whinnied outside. Shit. She needed to deal with the man first. As gently as she could, she removed his jacket and flannel shirt. She gasped. There was a bullet hole just below his collarbone. Her hands gently felt around his back and found the exit wound. At least the bullet wasn’t still inside him. But it had left a hell of a hole that still leaked blood.

Okay. She could deal with this. She didn’t have a choice. She ran to the bathroom and found a first aid kit under the sink. She could do this. How hard could it be? Clean the wound. Stop the bleeding. And hope to hell he didn’t die on her sofa.

2

The man appeared to be sleeping soundly, his breathing even and slow. The bandage didn’t show any new blood soaking through. Ruby’s eyes traveled from the bandage on his shoulder over his very nicely muscled chest and abs. Who was he? He didn’t wear a wedding ring, and if he was on horseback, he couldn’t live too far away. She sighed. Until he woke up, she wasn’t getting any answers. She pulled off his boots, draped a blanket around him and paused. Maybe he had a wallet in his pocket. She slowly eased her hands down his sides. He didn’t stir, so she continued her exploration. Her fingers reached his back pocket. No wallet, just a very nice ass. Jesus , had she just fantasized about a man that was unconscious? She wasn’t that desperate. She slowly withdrew her hand and tucked the blanket tighter around him.

Now to deal with the horse.

She bundled back up, opened the front door and came face to face with the animal, who was miraculously still standing next to the porch.

Hey, buddy, she said, approaching slowly, cautiously.

The horse snorted and shook its head like it was worried for its owner. Animals were supposed to be good judges of character, right? The man couldn’t be all bad if he had that kind of relationship with his horse.

The snow was coming down harder, but it wasn’t like there was a barn on the property she could put the animal in. But surely horses were used to being out in all weather, right?

The wind was coming out of the north, so if she tied him to the far corner of the porch, he’d be somewhat sheltered.

She gently stroked his warm, velvety nose. She could just make out a white stripe down its center in the porch light. It’s okay. Your friend is going to be okay. At least she hoped so.

The horse tossed its head and pawed at the ground.

Okay, then. Let’s see what we’ve got in here, she said, opening the saddle bag.

A rope. That would be handy. Protein bars and a bottle of water. Pellets that must be food for the horse. A gun. She shivered.

It didn’t mean the man in her cabin was a bad guy. She supposed it was normal to be armed if you were riding around an area this isolated. Still, she wasn’t going to leave it in the bag outside. At least if she brought it in, she’d be armed if the man did turn out to be a bad guy.

She tucked the gun into her waistband, then quickly tied the horse to the porch and went back inside to get a bucket of water. On her way through the living room, she cast a nervous glance at her unexpected visitor, then grabbed an apple and a carrot out of the fridge as she filled the bucket. It would probably freeze soon, but it was something.

Back outside, the horse took a big drink out of the bucket, then happily munched the treats.

Ruby sighed. It was the best she could do for tonight.

Inside the warmth of her cabin, she quickly fixed herself a turkey sandwich in the kitchen, eating while she stood in the doorway, watching the man in case he woke up and needed something. Then she poured a generous few fingers of bourbon, hoping it would calm her nerves.

Hours later, she lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling. Despite the late hour and the bourbon, she was wide awake, her mind on the man in her living room.

What if whomever shot him had followed him and showed up here? She got out of bed and looked out the front window. Dark and quiet. And still snowing. Surely no one would be able to track him in this weather.

Giving up on sleep, she grabbed a blanket, wrapped it around her shoulders and settled into the chair across from the couch, watching the unconscious man sleep in the firelight. Maybe she’d get some answers in the morning.

Hayden grimaced as he felt pain shoot through his shoulder. His memory was hazy as he squinted in the pre-dawn light. He didn’t recognize the room he was in. He sat up and wavered, dizzy, as the room spun around him. He sensed movement as a small woman ran across the room towards him.

Shh, lay back down, you’re okay, her soft voice whispered.

He looked up into shining green eyes. He opened his mouth, but was unable to form any coherent words.

You’re okay, the voice repeated and he gazed into the stunning green eyes and felt calm. His eyes closed.

When he woke up again, his mind was clearer, the pain was still there, but dulled. He remembered seeing the man in the trees and getting shot. Then it was all a jumbled mess in his mind. He opened his eyes. He was in the living room of a small cabin. A crackling fire warmed the space. The woman with the stunning green eyes was still there. Her presence calmed him.

Where am I? he croaked, groaning as he tried to sit up.

She quickly crossed the room and gently pushed a pillow behind his back. Better? she asked.

He nodded.

Your horse brought you here last night. I’m renting one of the cabins at the Lazy J.

I remember seeing lights on and steering my horse towards them. Everything after that is a little hazy. His hand went to his shoulder, feeling the bandage. He raised a brow.

I’m no doctor, but I did manage to keep you from bleeding to death.

He smiled, softening the lingering edge of pain on his face. Thank you, he said with a hint of a drawl.

She nodded, then continued. "Unfortunately, the storm last night was pretty bad. All the other cabins are empty. There’s no cell service and