The Rebel Rancher

The Rebel Rancher
DONNA ALWARD

CADENCE CREEK COWBOYS They’re the rough diamonds of the West …

Sam and Ty Diamond—these two cowboys have got

trouble as their middle name. With chips on their

shoulders the size of hay bales, these rough and rugged

men think they need a woman like they need a lame

horse. Little do they know …

Don’t miss any of the action in Cadence Creek!

Sam’s story, The Last Real Cowboy —May 2012

With a tip of his Stetson and a lazy smile, Sam

Diamond can charm anyone. Except prickly

Angela Beck …

Ty’s story, The Rebel Rancher —August 2012

Ty Diamond isn’t exactly known for his mild reputation.

But if he wants to be with Clara Ferguson, he’s

going to have to show her his gentle side …

Dear Reader,

“All the heroes have not gone. There are many undiscovered heroes left. They are disguised as everyday men and women who touch our lives and help us to be better.”

My sister-in-law Julie wrote those words in her eulogy to her dad—my father-in-law—who passed away while I was writing this book. As we sat in the kitchen and typed it up, I got to that part and totally choked up. Part of it was acknowledging the men in the family I married into—strong men, who believe in working hard and loving big. Another part was simply believing in those words. All the heroes have not gone. That is, after all, why I love writing romance.

I think those words were partially responsible for how this story turned out, because Tyson ended up being different than I initially imagined. I would expect him to do one thing and he’d turn around and surprise me with a tender side I didn’t know he had. I discovered he knew how to be gentle. That he cared very deeply about his family, had his own insecurities and a gigantic sense of honor. Turns out my rebellious hero ended up having a heart of gold.

Heroism comes in many forms. It is standing up for someone, or simply standing beside them as they face their demons. It is honoring a commitment, doing the right thing even when it hurts, or pitching in and lending a hand in a time of need.

Heroes are all around us—all we have to do is look. And sometimes remember.

Warmest wishes,

Donna

About the Author

A busy wife and mother of three (two daughters and the family dog), DONNA ALWARD believes hers is the best job in the world: a combination of stay-at-home mum and romance novelist. An avid reader since childhood, Donna always made up her own stories. She completed her arts degree in English literature in 1994, but it wasn’t until 2001 that she penned her first full-length novel and found herself hooked on writing romance. In 2006 she sold her first manuscript, and now writes warm, emotional stories for Cherish.

In her new home office in Nova Scotia, Donna loves being back on the east coast of Canada after nearly twelve years in Alberta, where her career began, writing about cowboys and the West. Donna’s debut romance, Hired by the Cowboy, was awarded the Booksellers Best Award in 2008 for Best Traditional Romance.

With the Atlantic Ocean only minutes from her doorstep, Donna has found a fresh take on life and promises even more great romances in the near future!

Donna loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her website, www.donnaalward.com, her page at www.myspace.com/dalward, or through her publisher.

The Rebel

Rancher

Donna Alward

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

To Darrell. You’re the glue, and I love you for it

and

To Ralph 1940–2011.

CHAPTER ONE

CLARA HAD HEARD A LOT about Tyson Diamond. Some of it good, a lot of it questionable. But none of the reports had warned her that he was over six feet of sexy cowboy with a break-your-heart smile and a devilish gleam in his eye.

And now he was striding this way as Angela, still resplendent in her wedding dress, waved him over.

Clara wondered if she could say her final congratulations to Sam and Angela and escape before Tyson reached them. She’d managed to avoid him up to this point, after all. She’d been helping his father, Virgil, with his rehab after his stroke, and her off-duty hours were spent helping Angela plan the wedding from the safety of Butterfly House, the transition shelter Angela managed and where Clara currently lived. And Ty had been wrapping up his business up north and spending time with Sam as they worked together running the ranch. Somehow she and Tyson had failed to cross paths in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

Until today.

This afternoon he’d turned up spit-polished in his black suit with his hair just a little messy. Her mouth had gone dry just looking at him. Ty was exactly the sort of man she tried to avoid. Tall, sexy, confident and careless. The kind that ate shy girls like her for breakfast. The kind that girls like her could never resist.

Her heart had taken a little jump and she’d caught her breath before she could even put a thought together. But Ty had sauntered in, all long legs and crooked grins, and there it had been. Whomp. Attraction, pure and simple. Nothing in the world could have surprised her more.

He was still several feet away but closing the gap fast, and Clara felt panic start to bubble, making her chest cramp and her breath shorten. She wasn’t ready to handle this. She felt as tongue-tied as a schoolgirl only with the sobering wisdom of a woman who’d been through hell. Putting the two together only created chaos in her mind. A quick exit was in order. She turned to Sam and Angela and forced a smile.

“I’m going to take Virgil in now, but I wanted to say happy wedding day to you both.” She gave Angela a brief hug. “I’m going to miss you around the house, but you’re going to have a wonderful time on your honeymoon.”

Sam hugged Clara as well. She didn’t feel the unholy urge to pull away and run the way she usually did when faced with someone intruding on her personal space. She’d learned to trust Sam in the weeks leading up to the wedding, especially after he’d stood beside Angela as she faced her own demons.

“You did great today,” he said quietly, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. “And you look beautiful.”

Heat infused her cheeks at the compliment and at the knowledge that Tyson was nearly upon their little group. “Thank you. Now I’d better get Virgil inside, he was looking tired….”

Sam’s voice cut her off as he looked over her shoulder. “Have you met Ty yet?” he asked. “Ty, this is Clara Ferguson, Dad’s nurse. You’ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on.”

Too late. Clara closed her eyes and took a steady breath. She really wished she wasn’t blushing as she turned around, but she could feel the heat centered in her cheeks. Dammit.