Read a Book; Love a Cowboy
by Karen Rock
Romance readers pick their book boyfriends carefully.
We all have a type. While I’ve read, written and adored books with different kinds of
heroes, I can’t deny that there is one hero I’m particularly sweet on: The
Cowboy. I love cowboys so much that my new western, romantic suspense, A COWBOY TO KEEP, is the
prequel to my upcoming series ROCKY MOUNTAIN COWBOYS where I’ll be chronicling
the lives and loves of feuding Colorado ranching families the Cades and the Lovelands.
Here are some of my favorite cowboy traits:
Pride. In his work, his family, his home, in
himself.
Trustworthy. His word is his bond.
Tenacious. He never quits, especially when things are
toughest.
Protective. He looks out for those in his care-women,
children, animals, the land.
Courage. He might feel fear, but he looks it straight
in the eye.
Honor. It’s a badge he wears, a code he lives, every
day.
Independence. As a westerner, it’s in his DNA.
Wise. Men of few words, but deep thoughts.
Strength. He’s strong enough to wrestle cattle, but
tender enough to carry a baby.
Respectful. He knows how to treat a woman and care for
her, but he also let's her be herself.
Authentic. He’s always himself, right down to his scuffed
boots and faded wranglers.
Easy-going. He’s slow to anger, but don’t get him mad!
Humble. He’s self-deprecating and never brags.
Good-looking. That easy smile and gleaming eyes
beneath the brim of a Stetson…
Say hello to Jack Cade, my rancher-turned bounty
hunter in this scene from A COWBOY TO KEEP. Jack’s tracked his
quarry to Mountain Sky Dude ranch, but stumbles on another dangerous individual
instead—Dani Crawford, the stable manager currently holding him at gunpoint for
trespassing:
~Dani Crawford nearly dropped her rifle when the
lethal-looking prowler turned. Their eyes met, a dark promise in the depths of
his, and her heartbeat thudded in her ears at his intent, hard-bitten
expression. A scar snaked from the top of his left eyebrow, reappeared below
his lower lid, slashed his high cheekbone and dipped to his full mouth.
A deadly badge of dishonor, by the look of it.
Some vicious fight he’d survived.
What’d the other guy look like?
Probably rotting in a grave.
A shiver slithered down her back at her fanciful
imagination. Strands of hair blew in her face as the wind whistled across the
hilly land and coyotes yipped in the distance.
“Hands up!” she ordered, sounding as tough as a gal
could while standing barefoot in a tank and sleep shorts. Hopefully her rifle
was doing the intimidating.
To her relief, her intruder placed his pistol in the
grass and slowly straightened to a goliath height.
His muscular, tattooed arms,
revealed by a fitted black T-shirt, pointed at the new moon. His predator eyes
never left hers and bumps rose on her exposed skin.
She should have grabbed a robe and sneakers. Searched
out one of the ranch’s rare cell phone signals since she didn’t have a
landline.
The moment she’d heard the horses and spotted someone
moving on her employer’s property, she’d grabbed her gun and pursued, her cell
phone shoved in her pocket. She would not—could not—let anything jeopardize the
ranch that’d become a second home to her, a haven from her troubled past.
And now she stood alone with the most
dangerous-looking man she’d ever seen. Her employers were hundreds of miles
away, buying a new horse for the stable she managed. Her staff didn’t arrive
for the new season until tomorrow. Would he know that? Was that why he’d come?
She should have listened to her friend Ray’s admonishments to stay in town when
she’d stopped at his bar earlier. Her tongue darted out and licked her dry
lips. His gaze dropped to her mouth, lingered, then rose again.
“Didn’t mean to disturb you, ma’am.” His husky baritone
seemed to move right through her skin, wrap around her chest and squeeze the
air out of her like a python’s embrace.
“What’s your business here?” she asked, her heartbeat
and her breath running wild.
He shrugged broad shoulders, something in the deceptively
casual move making her even more fearful. His long, denim-clad legs suggested
speed and agility; his flat abdomen, wide chest and lean waist screamed
strength. Still. She had the gun. Was in charge of the situation. Yet his calm,
relaxed demeanor raised doubts about who was really in control.
He acted like having a gun pulled on him happened
every day.
Maybe it did. She studied the hard planes of his face.
“Just passing through.”
“You should have called if you wanted a tour,” she
said evenly. Her pulse throbbed at the base of her throat.
The right side of his mouth curled, the easy
expression putting her on the defensive just as much as his gun had. Maybe even
more.
“Prefer doing things on my own.”
“That right,” she drawled, weighing her options, fear making
her bones shake.
Calling 911 wasn’t an option, even if she could get a
signal. She’d avoided law enforcement since running from her Oklahoma- issued
arrest warrant six years ago. Officers asked too many questions. Might connect
her to the worst mistake of her past. Were within their rights to extradite
her… She tamped down the horrible, nightmare thought.
He gazed at her steadily. “So. Are you shooting me? My
arms are getting tired.” He rolled first one, then the other shoulder. Didn’t
look bothered a bit.
And that bothered her a lot. Time to throw this fish
back in the stream, much as she’d like to get to the bottom of his visit. Since
an access road to the Pike National Forest crossed the property, sometimes
disoriented stragglers turned up. It’d be naive of her to think a man like him
would get lost, though.
An armed man…
Keep him talking or get rid of him? Seeing as she was
alone, she’d go with the latter.
“Where’s your vehicle?”
“Outside the gate.”
“Let’s go.” She nodded toward the entrance, down one
of the dirt paths crisscrossing the property. It passed the two-story main
lodge and the corral where they brought saddled horses for daily expeditions.
“I need my gun.”
Her eyes widened. “Not on my property.”
“I need my gun.” His tone sounded easy as ever, yet
steel had entered it. An implacable quality that suggested a man used to
getting what he wanted.
“Then you shouldn’t have dropped it.”
He lowered his head and peered at her from beneath his
brows. “I’m not leaving without it.”
“If we agree that leaving on a stretcher is an option,
then go for it.” She didn’t even try keeping the sass out of that one. In the
oddest way, she enjoyed the tightrope feel of this conversation. Recognized it
from the days she’d run with the wrong crowd until that fascination had come
back to bite her. Hard.
But she wasn’t the kind of woman who enjoyed that sort
of thrill anymore… Resentment rose at the glimpse of her old self. She’d worked
too hard to start over, to become a better person, to ever go back to the way
she’d been.
He rolled his eyes skyward and his chest rose and
fell. “Ma’am. I have no quarrel with you. Let me have my gun and I’ll be on my
way.”
She blew out a breath. “Kick it over here.” He did,
and the Glock skidded to a stop at her feet. “Don’t move unless you want your
head blown off.” At his nod, she snatched it up and straightened, her rifle
still trained on the trespasser. “I could shoot you. It’s the law.”
“But you won’t.” He lowered his arms and crossed them.
There was a breathtaking silence as that sank in. Her
mind raced wild along its trail.
“How do you know?”
“You ever shoot a man?”
Heat crept up her neck. She willed herself not to turn
red like she always had, growing up, when caught out. “Have you?” she
challenged, and lifted her chin. Tried looking tough. Lord, she hoped she
looked tough.
He gazed at her steadily, and she clamped her teeth
together. Swallowed hard.
He sauntered closer and she stared, mesmerized, the
way a hare does when cornered by a western rattler. With a small push, he
nudged her rifle barrel down. She breathed in the pure male scent of him. Not
so much unwashed as worked hard. It made her nostrils flare. Her palms began to
sweat. He wasn’t a man to tangle with.
“I want my gun.”
His words snapped her out of her trance and she backed
up a few steps. Her mind turned in circles. She was fooling herself to think
she had the upper hand here. Time to level the playing field. She tucked her
rifle under her arm, pulled back the Glock’s slide to remove the chambered
round, yanked out its magazine and tossed the empty gun back.
He caught it neatly with one hand. “Thank you, ma’am.
I’ll see myself out.”
“I’ll be right behind you.”
His eyes gleamed. “And here I was, thinking you didn’t
like me,” he said, and there was the corner of a grin there, bitten back as he
holstered his gun.
Arrogant bastard. “I like your back. Intend to watch
it as you go.”
His low chuckle made her flush again and then he
strode away without a backward glance. Pebbles grazed the bottoms of her feet
as she hurried after him, slightly dizzy. Off-balance. Bats called, up in the
dark air. A clump of aspens leaned in the wind, intent, watchful. The rush and
whisper of them roared in her ears.
At last they reached the gate and her fingers trembled
on the keypad.
“No need.” He scaled the fence and dropped neatly on
the other side. The moonlight glinted on his white teeth as he smiled. “Thanks
for the tour.”
He tipped his hat and she watched him go. Studied the
shadows long after they’d lost sight of him, too. She gripped the gate’s metal
bar when her knees turned wobbly.
What had he wanted? Not to harm her, it seemed.
Would he come back?
Given her past, she wasn’t in any position to be
spending time with dangerous men. But, suddenly, she wanted to know more about
the scarred man who both frightened and fascinated her.
She gave herself a mental kick and headed back to her
room behind the stables.
Bad boys.
She’d more than had her fill of them and wouldn’t let
another occupy her thoughts. Not when the last one nearly destroyed her life.
Not when, with her recent promotion to stable manager, she’d finally achieved
the security that’d let her put her past behind for good.
The stranger’s striking face returned to her as she slipped under the covers. She punched her
pillow. Hopefully she’d never see him again.
Read the first three chapters of A COWBOY TO KEEP HERE on Goodreads! Add it to your Goodreads "To Read" list HERE.
Did you enjoy Jackson Cade? What are your favorite cowboy qualities? Share your answer in the comments section below to enter to win a copy of A COWBOY TO KEEP- digital or print, winner's choice. Winner announced on my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/karenrockwrites tomorrow!
Congratulations and best wishes for your new release, Karen!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, K!
DeleteCongratulations, Karen! I enjoyed the excerpt and look forward to reading the entire series. As for my favorite cowboy quality...definitely humility.
ReplyDeleteHumility! That is a great trait and what makes cowboys such great cowboys. Thanks for stopping by, Jill :)
DeleteKaren, I loved this book. You had so many fresh phrases. And you handled his scars and past so well. Highly recommend this read.
ReplyDeleteWow! Thanks so much, Roz. That means so much to hear <3 He's definitely one of my favorite heroes to write- flawed and conflicted and dark- but definitely worthy of the redemption he earns :)
DeleteKaren, Congratulations! This series is going to be fabulous. I'm going to go with authentic for my favorite cowboy quality you listed.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol! I'm writing my second book in the series now and enjoying the entire Cade family. Authenticity is my favorite trait, too :) They know who they are and are proud of their roots.
DeleteKaren, you're so good! Wow. Love that teaser. I love the man-against-the-world nature of the cowboy, and his love for the land and his horse. I'd follow him anywhere. I've give him a hard time, of course, but I'd follow him.
ReplyDeleteHaha- you sound just like my feisty heroine, Dani. She doesn't give an inch. It was fun writing the scenes where they go toe to toe and then, when they team up, they're unstoppable together :)
DeleteOh my, when I saw that first picture of him I went, "Ohhhh." Totally cute. I think I'll print out your description and tape it to my wall. LOL
ReplyDeleteLOL! That picture is so swoony :)
DeleteNew Karen Rock book!! Woohoo!! Congrats, Karen. Can't wait to read. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anna :) It feels great to have another Heartwarming out!
DeleteOh. My. Gosh. That excerpt has me thinking all kinds of things that I shouldn't be thinking about while I'm at work. Namely, how to find a cowboy like that! I can't wait to read it!!!!
ReplyDeleteYay! So glad you liked Jack :) As my mother would say, "he's a keeper"
DeleteCongratulations on the new release and welcome back to Heartwarming! Only you could figure out a way to do both Blaze and Heartwarming so well :)
ReplyDeleteAw! Thanks, Amy :) I feel lucky to write for both lines. Heartwarming gives me that deep, emotional romance that I've always loved to read and now write.
DeleteCongratualtions on the new release! :) My favorite cowboy qualities would have to be good looks, hard working and faithful. ;)
ReplyDeleteHi, Kay! You picked some great qualities. Just like all babies are cute... all cowboys are handsome :)
DeleteCongratulations, Kay! You're the winner of a print or eBook copy (you're choice) of A COWBOY TO KEEP! Please email me your address and preference when you get a chance - karenrock@live.com
DeleteYoure trying to kill me im sure of it.
ReplyDeleteMy fave cowboy qualities... Their drive. Their commitment. Their compassion. (To the land. To the animals. To the family. And to the women or men. Lucky enough to win their heart
Hi, Tina! Cowboys are a great mix of tenderness and fierceness when it comes to protecting those they love. I agree- a woman who wins a cowboy's heart is lucky indeed!
DeleteGreat excerpt! I love the gentle confidence cowboys seem to have, that little bit of swagger, without getting cocky. Maybe it's the boots.
ReplyDeleteLOL! It's definitely the boots- you can't swagger properly without them :) I love their confidence and how it never veers into arrogance. It's their humility that makes them so attractive! Thanks for stopping by, Beth.
DeleteCongrats - I love the cowboy �� hat and smoking gun - can't wait to read
ReplyDeleteA cowboy hat is a good look for all men- especially if they're already wearing wranglers :) Thanks for that, Susan!
DeleteCongratulations on your new release. Enjoyed the excerpt. I love how confident cowboys are.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a great quality because they are humble, too- so it's that quiet confidence that's such a great trait :)
DeleteCongratulations! Looks like another great book from you.
ReplyDeleteAwww! Thanks, Mary :-)
DeleteThey are respectful and kind also compassionate.
ReplyDeleteRespect is such and important trait for them! They might be rugged outdoorsmen- but they know how to treat a lady :-)
DeleteThey know how to treat women and children with kindness and respect.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that! Kindness and respect to women and children is part of their DNA :) Thanks for stopping by Kathleen.
DeleteManners and a solid work ethic. LOL....Easy on the eyes too...;)
ReplyDeleteThose are all great! We love a man who works hard and easy on the eye... yes, please! lol
DeleteCongratulations, Kay Garrett! You're the winner of a print or eBook copy (you're choice) of A COWBOY TO KEEP! Please email me your address and preference when you get a chance - karenrock@live.com
ReplyDelete