Cowboy For Keeps

Cowboy For Keeps
Debra Clopton

Rancher and lawyer Wyatt Turner found both his younger brothers their wives. Now, they're sneakily trying to repay the favor–with the wrong woman.Amanda Hathaway is a too-young and bubbly physical therapist. And, yes, Wyatt is her too-stubborn, toobossy patient recuperating from a plane crash. Yet when Amanda shares some of her own invisible wounds, including the loss of her dream of having children, Wyatt realizes he doesn't know everything. But he knows he wants Amanda, for keeps.

“I’m here for my challenge.”

Wyatt’s gaze flickered down her as if assessing her once more and wondering if he’d gone crazy asking her back. The distrust was there as clear as day. Determination sprang through her like a runner out of the starting blocks. Amanda hiked a brow when he said nothing, deciding a little challenge of her own was in order.

“I guess I am, too,” he drawled in a voice she bet jurors found almost hypnotizing in a courtroom.

She had to give him credit, though; his tone was civil for the first time since she’d met him. They could build on that.

“I promise you won’t be sorry. I’ll get results.”

“I’ll make sure you do.”

His words were meant as a warning, but they made her smile widen. “I think we are going to have some fun, Mr. Turner.”

DEBRA CLOPTON

was a 2004 Golden Heart finalist in the inspirational category, a 2006 Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award winner, a 2007 Golden Quill award winner and a finalist for the 2007 American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award. She praises the Lord each time someone votes for one of her books, and takes it as an affirmation that she is exactly where God wants her to be.

Debra is a hopeless romantic and loves to create stories with lively heroines and the strong heroes who fall in love with them. But most important, she loves showing her characters living their faith, seeking God’s will in their lives one day at a time. Her goal is to give her readers an entertaining story that will make them smile, hopefully laugh and always feel God’s goodness as they read her books. She has found the perfect home for her stories writing for the Love Inspired line and still has to pinch herself just to see if she really is awake and living her dream.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys taking road trips, reading and spending time with her two sons, Chase and Kris. She loves hearing from readers and can be reached through her Web site, www.debraclopton.com, or by mail at P.O. Box 1125, Madisonville, Texas 77864.

Cowboy For Keeps

Debra Clopton

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

And Jesus answered and said unto him,

If a man love me, he will keep my words.

—John 14:23

This book is dedicated to Chuck Parks. My life changed the day God sent you to my front door—what a wonderful beginning that blind date turned out to be! I love you, Chuck…you are my very own God-loving, honorable cowboy for keeps :)

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

“Are you sure this is what you want to do? I just can’t believe it.”

Amanda Hathaway met her boss’s sympathetic, if somewhat startled, gaze. It wasn’t what she wanted, it was her only option. “Yes. It is, Joyce. I’ve given it a lot of thought and I want—I need—to move strictly to adult cases.” Adults, not children. Not the kids she’d loved working with—felt called to work with.

“But you’ve always loved working with children,” Joyce Canton said as if reading her mind. “And you have such a gift. Don’t you want to think this through?”

Amanda took a deep breath, her chest constricted with the strain she was feeling. “I have, Joyce. This is not easy for me. But I don’t have the heart for it anymore.”

“I can’t believe that.”

“Being around…” The words trailed off because she couldn’t voice the words that being around children right now made her feel ill. What good would she do as a physical therapist when she couldn’t look at her patients without crying or feeling hollow? “It’s tearing me up inside” was all she could manage. She had to change her life. And she had to do it now.

“He was a jerk, Amanda.”

Joyce’s words emerged in a growl of disgust, one completely the opposite of her normally professional demeanor. Amanda blinked hard as her eyes began to burn. She looked away, willing herself to keep her composure. God had a plan. He did; she just didn’t understand it. And that didn’t make what she was feeling any less heartbreaking.