More Than A Cowboy

More Than A Cowboy
Peggy Nicholson

A man with a missionA Cajun cowboy with a pistol, a cell phone–and a bloodhound who's scared of cows? What's wrong with this picture? In fact, the cowboy's more than a cowboy. Adam Dubois is an undercover detective who's come to the high country to protect an endangered species. His mission: catch a mysterious lynx poacher.A woman with a secretTess Tankersly has a saddlebag of frozen chickens and two hungry cats to feed. But if she's caught aiding and abetting lynx, her family and friends–cattlemen all–will see her as a traitor. She's walking a fine line between her passion for protecting wildcats and her loyalty to the people she loves.What happens when Tess and Adam meet?The sparks fly, that's what! Despite her secret and his disguise, those sparks of attraction catch. Some fires are meant to burn….

“I always had a weakness for a woman with a guilty conscience.”

“Oh!” Tess spun around. Her horse spooked and stepped sideways.

In the shadows below the cliff Adam slouched in the saddle of his black mare. His smile gleamed like the Cheshire cat’s. “What brings you over my way?”

“I’m just out for my afternoon ride,” she said casually, leaning down to pat his bloodhound. “And what are you doing up here? Lose a cow?”

“I’m looking for rustlers, trespassers—or anybody who speaks English instead of Dog. You know there’s a toll for using this trail, don’t you?”

Her heartbeat fluttered in her throat. How did Adam do this to her with just a look? “Th-there is?”

“Yep. You have to come to my cabin and let me make supper for you. And you have to say something besides ‘woof’ while I cook it.”

“I…don’t know if that’s such a…good idea.”

“Goodness never even crossed my mind,” he assured her huskily. “Still, that’s the forfeit and it’s got to be paid.”

This was crazy. At best, Adam Dubois would complicate her life, which was complicated enough already.

And at worst?

His grin was wicked. Welcoming. She wondered how he’d kiss.

Dear Reader,

Well, here you have it, the sixth book in my series about the imaginary town of Trueheart, Colorado, and its surrounding ranches. You may remember Tess Tankersly from The Wildcatter. Last time we looked in on her, she was a mischievous twelve-year-old. A passionate bird-watcher and horse lover, Tess was barely starting to discover that most fascinating beast of all—man.

Thirteen years later (as time is measured in Trueheart), Tess is ready to meet her own alpha male. Not that she’s precisely looking, you understand. Tess has a couple of woebegone lynx on her hands—and one short summer in the high country to help these endearingly big-footed cats learn to survive in the wild. But can Tess survive the attentions of a mysterious, maddening cowboy named Adam Dubois?

You might also recall Adam from True Heart. He was the line camp cowboy whom rancher Tripp McGraw saw as dangerous competition in his courtship of Kaley Cotter. Now Adam’s back, and it turns out he’s much more than a smiling Cajun cowboy. He’s a moonlighting detective, with a mystery to solve and an elusive woman to chase.

So there are hearts for the capture and the game is afoot. Hope you enjoy it!

Peggy Nicholson

More Than a Cowboy

Peggy Nicholson

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

This one’s for Amy Mower the cat-lady

and her surly half-pint lynx

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

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

AUTHOR’S AFTERWORD

CHAPTER ONE