Rancher's Redemption

Rancher's Redemption
Beth Cornelison

Литагент HarperCollins EUR

Rancher’s Redemption

Beth Cornelison

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Table of Contents

Cover (#u7f736db4-e3a3-53f0-9530-432182dbc38d)

Title Page (#uf999103a-bf4b-5c4a-8a7e-11e1077311be)

About the Author (#uc4db2b35-a7b7-550b-828f-aa5263559f7e)

Dedication (#udefe4d43-10b2-584b-938e-3a854353ac1e)

Chapter One (#uad0acd2b-3cb5-53e7-a089-a8c95742f521)

Chapter Two (#u7a117805-3e07-5cba-a717-14dbb99a41de)

Chapter Three (#uaf0745cf-bee9-5cda-a162-244325af604d)

Chapter Four (#u0a3f8101-57e6-5fff-8d2e-6fbc631be012)

Chapter Five (#uc7ca0720-6927-5048-bd6f-f419fa439337)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Beth Cornelison started writing stories as a child when she penned a tale about the adventures of her cat, Ajax. A Georgia native, she received a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Georgia. After working in public relations for a little more than a year, she moved with her husband to Louisiana, where she decided to pursue her love of writing fiction.

Since that first time, Beth has written many more stories of adventure and romantic suspense and has won numerous honours for her work, including the coveted Golden Heart award in romantic suspense from Romance Writers of America. She is active on the board of directors for the North Louisiana Storytellers and Authors of Romance (NOLA STARS) and loves reading, travelling, Snoopy and spending downtime with her family.

She writes from her home in Louisiana, where she lives with her husband, one son and two cats who think they are people. Beth loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at PO Box 52505, Shreveport, LA 71135-2505, USA, or visit her website at www.bethcornelison.com.

To my family – you mean everything to me.

Thank you to my critique partner, Diana Duncan, for

her input and encouragement.

Thank you to Heath at Cooper Veterinary Clinic for

answering my questions about equine diseases.

Thank you to Brenda Mott for her help answering

ranching questions.

Thank you to Wally Lind and the crime scene writers

listserve for answering CSI questions.

Thank you to Marie Ferrarella, Justine Davis,

Caridad Piñeiro, Carla Cassidy and Linda Conrad, who collaborated on THE COLTONS: FAMILY FIRST, for making this series such fun to work on!

And thank you to Patience Smith and the rest of

the editors who worked on this continuity for the opportunity to write Clay and Tamara’s story.

Chapter 1

He had a trespasser.

Clay Colton narrowed a wary gaze on the unfamiliar blue sedan parked under a stand of mesquite trees. This corner of the Bar None, Clay’s horse ranch, was as flat as a beer left out in the Texas sun, and he’d spotted the car from half a mile away.

He tapped his dusty white Stetson back from his forehead and wiped his sweaty brow. Finding a strange sedan on his property didn’t sit well with him—especially in light of the recent trouble his sister, Georgie, had endured. He still got sick chills thinking how a woman had broken into his sister’s home, stolen from her, passed herself off as Georgie.

A shiver crawled up Clay’s spine despite the scorching June heat. Esperanza, Texas, his home for all his twenty-six years, had always been a safe place, no real crime to mention. He clicked his tongue and gave his workhorse, Crockett, a little kick. His mount trotted forward, and as he neared the car, Clay saw that the Ford Taurus had crashed into one of the mesquites, crumpling the front fender. A fresh sense of alarm tripped through him.

“Hello? Anyone there?” Clay swung down from Crockett and cautiously approached the car. Visions of an injured, bleeding driver flashed through his mind and bumped his blood pressure higher. “Is anyone there?”