A Christmas Cowboy Crush: Granite Junction

By Megan Ryder

Evan Jackson has been in love with Grace Alexander since he met her at the Rocky Mountain High Spa. But Grace was a little skittish so he'd been biding his time and working up the courage to ask her out and convince her to give him a chance. This Christmas he was going to take his shot and use the magic of the season to woo his crush.

 

Grace Alexander spent her life knowing what it was like to never have a place to belong. Granite Junction was starting to feel like maybe this could be her home and a certain man might become someone special, if she could trust herself and open her heart to take a chance.

 

Could the magic of Christmas help these two turn a crush to true love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Megan Ryder
• Release date: Jan 25, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224569267

Megan Ryder

Ever since Megan Ryder discovered Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught while sneaking around the “forbidden” romance section of the library one day after school, she has been voraciously devouring romance novels of all types. Now a romance author in her own right, Megan pens sexy contemporary novels all about family and hot lovin’ with the boy next door. She lives in Connecticut, spending her days as a technical writer and her spare time divided between her addiction to knitting and reading.

Book preview

A Christmas Cowboy Crush

A Christmas Cowboy Crush

A GRANITE JUNCTION HOLIDAY NOVELLA

GRANITE JUNCTION

MEGAN RYDER

About A Christmas Cowboy Crush

Evan Jackson has been in love with Grace Alexander since he met her at the Rocky Mountain High Spa. But Grace was a little skittish so he'd been biding his time and working up the courage to ask her out and convince her to give him a chance. This Christmas he was going to take his shot and use the magic of the season to woo his crush.

Grace Alexander spent her life knowing what it was like to never have a place to belong. Granite Junction was starting to feel like maybe this could be her home and a certain man might become someone special, if she could trust herself and open her heart to take a chance.

Could the magic of Christmas help these two turn a crush to true love?

Copyright © December 2022 by Megan Ryder

Cover by DesignsByRan

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Read on for an Excerpt from The Right Cowboy

Excerpt From The Right Cowboy

Also by Megan Ryder

About Megan Ryder

Chapter One

Harder. Go deeper.

The masculine groan echoed in the small room, overlaying the soft music designed to help clients relax in the soothing atmosphere. Grace Alexander’s fingers dug into the knots in his shoulder, going deeper as requested. A part of her wished she were the one moaning the words, being pounded into the table by one of the sexiest cowboy she’d ever massaged. But she was a professional and her boss, Sierra Austin Raines, wouldn’t appreciate Grace lusting after one of her clients, not after working so hard to make Rocky Mountain High spa successful in Granite Junction.

She also took a chance on Grace and she’d be forever grateful for the opportunity, so she’d reserve her hitting on the clients for the actual massage type and not the romance type, not even if he was a cowboy from her dreams. Hell, she knew better than to set her hat on any man for her future. She needed to find a place of her own, a place to belong. Then she could think about adding a man to it. In the meantime, well, batteries helped just fine.

He let out another groan, and she sighed. Batteries and plastic didn’t smell as nice as Evan Jackson, nor did they feel as hot and sexy, sadly. The knot released, and she moved into the space between his shoulder blades, easily finding more knots in the tight expanse of skin. She pumped more lotion into her hands and smoothed it over his back and worked on the next section. He flinched, and she immediately eased on the pressure.

He chuckled into the face pillow. You won’t hurt me, Grace. You can dig in. That’s what those damned knots need.

She ran her hands over the spot again and noticed a faded, yellowing spot, a bruising that had almost disappeared. She traced the edges of the grapefruit sized mark. What happened?

Buford, that damned beefalo that Trent loves so much, took exception to being escorted away from his lady loves. Banged me against a fence. Wasn’t a big deal. Just a bruise. Nothing was really hurt.

You could have been hurt bad. Why did you get so close? I thought cowboys were too smart to get between bulls and a fence.

He rolled onto his side, the sheet barely covering his groin region, and he smirked at her. You worried for me, Gracie?

Her face burned, and she turned to a towel, wiping her hands and checking on the hot stones in the pot. No. Well, no more than anyone else. It’s a dangerous job you have. I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt.

He snagged her hand and tugged her until she faced him, his expression serious. Don’t worry about me, Gracie. I can handle myself.

She arched her eyebrow. That’s what they all say. The next thing they know, they’re pinned to a fence by a randy beefalo, becoming his cow.

He hooted a laugh and dropped her hand. He settled back on the table. Message received, Gracie. You’ll make me feel better. You always do.

She opened the hot stone container, noting they were ready. Sure, he hadn’t asked for that kind of massage, but he needed it and she had time to clean everything since she didn’t have another appointment that day. She took out a couple of stones and cooled them in a towel before smoothing them on his skin. He moaned at the soothing heat.

And the name’s Grace, Mr. Jackson.

Well, mine’s Evan, though you can call me anything you want if you keep doing that.

Evan was barely able to keep his randy dick under control. Laying face down on the massage table while the sexiest woman he had seen in years rubbed lotion all over his body was a character-building exercise. He shifted on the table, his face pressed in the small opening. They should really have a second one further down for men, though maybe most guys didn’t get off on this like he did. Maybe he was the only sick freak, though he found that unlikely. Grace Alexander was the perfect combination of sweet, innocent, and sharp wit that turned him on. He knew other men liked her just fine, which is why she needed some kind of protection from assholes like him. And yeah, he saw the irony in the statement and didn’t much care. He was protective of the young woman and didn’t much care who knew about it.

Trent Phoenix,