When a Cowboy Loves a Woman by Jennie Marts 💕 Book Blitz & Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Western Romance)

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They both know the pain of loss and how to protect their hearts…but fate has a way of stepping in…

When a kitchen fire forces young widow Elle Brooks to move in with her friend Bryn and her motley collection of rescue animals, she doesn’t foresee ending up in the muscled arms of handsome cowboy and veterinarian Brody Tate. But she can’t deny the feelings that being close to Brody are stirring in her. Spending time with the hunky cowboy and his adorable young daughter as they rehabilitate rescued horses reminds Elle of all she lost in a car crash years ago.

As a widower himself, Brody is devoted to being a good dad for his spirited daughter. He hasn’t let romance even enter his head. But now he’s met Elle. Spending time with her is shaking up the calm he’s worked so hard to achieve, and he can’t seem to get this woman off his mind.

Elle and Brody have both lost people they loved, but their mutual attraction and growing feelings are too strong to ignore. The hope of a future together is a beautiful possibility, but can these two wounded souls take a chance on each other and find the courage to love again?

The night air was cool and felt good on his heated cheeks. He breathed in the scent of hay and horses, and caught the subtle scent of whatever soap and shampoo Elle wore. It was something flowery and light, and had him wanting to bury his face in her neck and inhale her.

A shiver ran through her as she walked beside him.

“Here. Take my jacket.” He unzipped his sweatshirt and put it around her shoulders before she had time to protest.

“Thanks,” she told him as she pushed her hands through the sleeves. They were too long, but she didn’t seem to care as she wrapped her arms around her middle. “What a crazy night. I don’t even know what to do or how to feel.”

“If they’ve come up with a handbook for how to have the correct emotions at the proper time, I sure haven’t heard of it.” He offered her a kind smile, then nudged her arm with his elbow. “You can act however you want with me. No judgment here.”

“Thanks.” She offered him a pained smile. “Everyone’s acting like this is such a big deal, so maybe I should be freaking out more. But I’m just not that worried about some damage to my kitchen. It’s just stuff, no one got hurt, and all of it can either be repaired or replaced. It’s inconvenient, sure, and I’m humiliated that it was my own fault, and I feel bad for putting all of you out, but as far as tragedies go, it’s not much of one.”

“I hear ya.” He nodded. The kind of loss they had both experienced couldn’t be repaired or replaced. The ones they lost were gone forever. He swallowed back the sudden ache in his throat.

She stopped at the door to his truck and looked up at him, her eyes narrowing as if she were studying his face. “You’re pretty easy to talk to.”

You’re pretty easy to look at. She was beautiful, even in the half-dark shadows of the night, her beauty shone through. Even with her hair pulled into a messy ponytail and wearing his too-big jacket and a guarded half smile. “I’m happy to listen. Anytime you want to talk.” He pulled out his phone. “I wanted to give you my number anyway. In case you had any questions about the fire. Or whatever.”

“Thank you.”

“I mean it. Anytime. I’m used to getting calls at all hours because of the vet clinic, so you don’t have to worry about the time. Half the time I’m up in the middle of the night anyway. Not that you’d call me in the middle of the night. But I’m just saying you could.” Why was he rambling?

She smiled as she raised her hand as if to touch his arm, then hesitated and let it drop instead. “I hear you. And I know what you’re talking about. People like us—we get it. It’s usually late when the ghosts decide to visit.”

He nodded, somehow knowing she understood, sure that she had spent the same lonely hours lying awake in the middle of the night missing the warmth that was supposed to be on the other side of the bed.

He wrinkled his brow as he looked down at his hand. “I’m not sure why I just got my phone out to give you my number.” Maybe because he couldn’t remember the last time he’d exchanged numbers with a beautiful woman. I’m not asking her out. I’m just offering a friendly ear if she needs someone to listen.

Mmmhmmm.…keep telling yourself that, Tate.

Nodding at his phone, she said, “Why don’t I give you my number, and you can send me a text? Then I’ll have yours.”

“Smart.”

She recited her number, and he punched it in, then held his fingers over the message line. What should he text her? Something flirty? Flirty? Or all business? Or something in between?

He typed, Hey, it’s Brody. Wow. That’ll impress her. He added a smiley face emoji, then deleted it. He held his thumb over the keyboard, debating what else to type. Why was this so hard? It was just a simple text.

The longer he stood there staring at his phone, the more awkward he felt. Just type something. He tapped the letters on the screen, I’m here if you need me. Then he pressed Send before he could change his mind.

“It seems like a lot of thought went into that text. I’m excited to read it,” she said, teasing him.

He offered her a sheepish grin. “I know. That was dumb. I don’t know why that was so tough.”

She chuckled. “I’ll check it when you leave and try to think of something superawkward to text you back.”

He laughed. “Please do.”

One of the horses whinnied, and she looked out toward the corral. “I love this place.”

He watched her gaze toward the barn. Her expression was wistful, her eyes slightly sad. The breeze blew a strand of her hair across her cheek, and he was tempted to reach out and brush it away. A pensive smile pulled at the corners of her lips, as if she were reflecting on a happier time.

Dammit, why couldn’t he stop looking at her mouth?

“I should probably go,” he told her. “Let you get back inside.”

“Thank you for everything,” she said, taking a step toward him. She opened her arms as if to hug him, then started to close them, then opened them again and committed to the hug.

He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and inhaling the scent of her hair. He probably smelled like smoke, but she didn’t seem to care. Now that she’d committed, she really hugged him, pressing herself to him and resting her cheek against his shoulder. She fit perfectly into the circle of his arms, and he closed his eyes for a second, something in him settling for just that moment, then taking off in a flight of winged nerves.

As he pulled back, a sudden urge had him pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. But she turned just as he did, and he caught the corner of her lips with his.

He paused for just one tenth of a beat, one millisecond of indecision, of want and need and a bone-deep desire to slant his lips over hers and take that gorgeous mouth he’d been staring at all night. He could smell a mix of Oreos and peppermint from the tea on her breath and could almost taste the chocolate of the cookies. He tried to swallow, then tried to make a joke, but his words stuck in his throat.

“I’ll check in on you tomorrow,” he finally managed to say as he pulled away and let her go.

Her eyes were round, and she blinked, her breathing a little shaky as she nodded and said, “Yeah, okay, that would be great.”

He turned and opened the door, climbing into the truck before he said anything more. Or did anything more—like pull her back into his arms and issue her a proper kiss. One that would take both of their breath away. He offered her a quick wave, then pulled the door shut.

She waved as she took a few steps back. It took everything he had to keep his eyes on the road and not check the rearview mirror. Dang. His hands were shaking on the steering wheel. This woman had really unnerved him. He’d done a femoral head ostectomy the day before to remove a dog’s fractured hip and his hands had been steady as church on Sunday. But a few minutes in the company of Elle Brooks, and he was shaking like his grandma’s Jell-O salad.

Turning onto the highway, he shook his head as he tried to settle himself. He jumped as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he looked down at the screen and couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he saw he’d received a text from Elle.

He laughed out loud as he read the promised “awkward” message:

I like your pants.

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A brand-new series of sweet, small town cowboy romance from USA Today bestselling author Jennie Marts. The Horse Whisperer meets Hope Floats when bubbly Bryn Callahan and brooding Zane Taylor protect an unwanted horse and end up with an animal rescue operation that they can only handle when they rely on each other.

Scarred and battered loner Zane Taylor has a gift with animals, particularly horses, but he's at a total loss when it comes to knowing how to handle women. Even though he's sworn off love, he can't seem to stay away from Bryn Callahan. He's known for being a horse whisperer, but can't seem to find his voice at all where Bryn is concerned.

Bryn Callahan has a heart for strays, but she is through trying to save damaged men. She vows to only date nice guys, which is a category that does not include Zane Taylor. Too bad he's the only one who sets her pulse racing every time she's around him.

Starting a horse rescue ranch wasn't in Bryn's plan, but try telling that to the assembly of abandoned animals that have found their way to her doorstep. And when a chance encounter with a horse headed for slaughter brings Zane and Bryn together, they find themselves given a chance to save not just the horse, but maybe each other...

Praise for Caught Up in a Cowboy:

"Funny, complicated, and irresistible."—JODI THOMAS, New York Times bestselling author

"An appealing story of love rediscovered...enjoy this tender tale."—Publishers Weekly

"Full of exquisite heat and passion...an enthralling combination of intense moments, playful banter, and great depth of emotion."—Harlequin Junkie

How do you go about healing a broken heart?

After one injury too many, Cade gave up the rodeo for a simpler life working at his cousin's horse rescue ranch. But his life turns upside down when his estranged daughter is placed in his custody after a tragic car accident. Wanting nothing to do with her father, thirteen year-old Allie struggles to adjust to her new life, but Cade hopes the physical therapist he's hired to live at the ranch can give them a start in the right direction.

Nora Fisher has had a troublesome last couple of months, but nothing compared to what her new patient is going through. Nora will do whatever she can to help Allie and Cade. Her therapy will be hard work for all, but she's grateful Cade is so dedicated to his daughter. And hopefully, the hunky single dad won't be too much of a distraction.

Cade and Nora are both in way over their heads, but as they work together, they just might heal each other along the way.

Praise for Jennie Marts:

"Funny, complicated, and irresistible. Sometimes a cowboy isn't perfect but you got to love him anyway."—JODI THOMAS, New York Times bestselling author, for Caught Up in a Cowboy

"Pulled me in from the very first page... a steamy, heartfelt romance."—Romance Junkies for A Cowboy State of Mind

"A fun, charismatic, and extremely engaging read."—Harlequin Junkie for It Started With a Cowboy

Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books "laugh out loud" funny and the "perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam." Fic Central claimed one of her books was "the most fun I've had reading in years.”

She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies. She's addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can't have too many books, shoes, or friends.

Her books include the contemporary western romance Hearts of Montana series, the romantic comedy/ cozy mysteries of The Page Turners series, the hunky hockey-playing men in the Bannister family in the Bannister Brothers Books, and the small-town romantic comedies in the Lovestruck series of Cotton Creek Romances.

Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, or Twitter at @JennieMarts. Visit her at www.jenniemarts.com and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.