The Last Days of Summer by Leigh Riker





September!! What happened to this summer? Honestly, the days sped by like those calendar pages being flipped in an old movie to show the passage of time.

Above are two of my summer views—the Nubble Lighthouse and beach in York, Maine.

With vacation already a thing of memory, and as I cling to the last days of summer (Labor Day has already come and gone), I’m looking forward to my November Heartwarming release, Cowboy On Call.


In this third book of my Kansas Cowboys series, Sawyer McCord has finally come home—only to meet up again with the one true love of his life. Olivia is now divorced and trying to make a new life on her own. Sawyer, the black sheep of his family, isn’t the man for her. But can he and Olivia still get another chance?

Here’s a sneak peek at the story. This (edited) scene comes after Olivia’s young son has gone horseback riding at the ranch for the first time since he suffered a bad fall.

Sawyer handed Nick his cherry Popsicle, then put on a cartoon for him in the family room. Now he and Olivia were alone together, and her nerves tightened.

Sawyer led her to the front porch. “He’s a good kid, Olivia.”

“Yes, he is. I love him so much it hurts. I’m trying not to worry about him—but believe me, I was far better controlled at the hospital after Nick fell than I was the night of the flood here three years ago.”

“Bad memories.” He braced his arms on the porch railing next to Olivia. “Which must include me. I made a mistake long ago. Seems I keep making them,” he said. “I’ve told you I’m sorry. I know that’s not enough, but it’s all I have.”

She met his eyes. “As you said once, there was nothing else you could have done.”

She could feel his warmth, so close their arms were nearly touching. From the cottonwoods by the creek, a chorus of summer locusts began to sing.

The air all around seemed charged. Reminding herself that she didn’t want any closeness with him, Olivia took a step back from the rail. Sawyer had too many shadows hidden deep inside. He wouldn’t stay here long, and she didn’t want another serious relationship with a man, at least not now. And with Sawyer, never. She’d tried marriage once, and love was not for her.

Olivia turned toward the screen door. “I’ll get Nick,” she said. “We should go. Thank you again for being so kind to him today.” She forced a smile over her shoulder. “He’ll probably be talking about this for the next week.”

Sawyer had left his place at the railing. Olivia had her hand on the door. He walked toward her, his deep blue eyes serious, and put his hands on her shoulders.“Olivia. We were friends once, weren’t we?”

“Good friends,” she agreed, his fingers warm through the fabric of her blouse, as if he were touching her skin. She focused instead on a rush of childhood memory: riding horses and playing hide-and-seek in the barns, roaming the range and pretending they were cowboys all day long.

He asked, “Do you think we could be…friends again?”

Her heartbeat fluttered. “That sounds like a dare, and dangerous.”

“Life’s a danger,” he said, and before she could think to stop him, drew her into his arms.

“Sawyer.”

His gaze was intent and he didn’t take the warning. Sawyer lowered his head, angling it just so to press his lips, soft as a whisper, to the corner of her mouth. And for a second, she wanted to lean closer, to turn her head and find him, turn the tentative movement into more with the slight, warm pressure of her mouth on his.

Then Olivia came to her senses. She pulled free, wrenched open the screen door, and hurried inside, her heart hammering in her chest. She tried not to hear his parting words.

“Sometimes you have to take a chance.”

The first and second books in the series are available now, and I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be writing a fourth book! (The call came while I was in Maine) It features Finn Donovan, the sheriff, and Annabelle Foster who runs the local diner—but wants only to escape its confines and see the world. Finn may have other ideas.

In October, this year’s Christmas Town, Maine boxed set, Heartwarming Holiday Wishes, comes out. You can pre-order your copy now. Ten great novellas to get you in the mood. Happy reading!
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What was the highlight of your summer? Or did you yearn, instead, for fall?


Comments

  1. Your photos are beautiful, Leigh. I enjoyed the excerpt from Cowboy on Call. I'm really looking forward to reading more in November. Great cover! This summer has gone by in a blur. Although I love the heat, I'm looking forward to some cool and crisp mornings.

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    1. Thanks, Jill. I'm with you. I like the summer heat but the crisp fall weather is gorgeous!

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  2. Congratulations on Book Four! I love the excerpt.

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    1. Glad you liked the excerpt, Liz. And thanks. I'm really happy to be writing Finn's story next. Now to straighten out the plot...

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  3. A tantalizing excerpt, Leigh and great cover! I'm looking forward to the release. Your summer photos suggest it was a wonderful one, too - lovely!

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    1. I really like this cover too, Janice. I was holding my breath for a good one because I loved the second cover so much. The York trip was wonderful.

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  4. Leigh, your post was lovely. Thanks for the excerpt, Cowboy on Call looks to be a great read and super congrats on getting The Call on book #4. I miss summer already. This one flew by so fast as did spring. I think it's because January, February and March are so gloomy here in NW Indiana that all the sunshine makes my heart go flip-flop like nothing else. Autumn has always been my favorite season, and I'm already sticking up autumn garlands and lights. I know. I know. It's a disease. I should look into medication for this. LOL!

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    1. No need to medicate, Catherine! Your pictures of your decorations are always so beautiful. I do not have that talent. Like you, however, I too see months of gray and gloom in Tennessee during the winter. I love sun! Thank you for the congratulations.

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  5. Love this excerpt! Another winner from you for sure. I never yearn for fall! I am so sad summer is already over. Although, it has been way too dry. We have some terrible forest fires burning here. My favorite memory would have to be the RWA conference in Florida. So much fun!

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    1. Carol, you are too kind. Glad you liked the excerpt. I feel so bad for you and everyone with the forest fires. I'm actually in Wyoming this week where I can barely see the mountains for the smoke that has drifted in. I did, however, enjoy a serenade last night from a bugling elk in the nearby woods. What a treat! Stay safe. And, yes, I'm still missing this simmer's RWA.

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  6. Looks like you had a lovely summer, Leigh. I'm with Carol. RWA was pretty awesome (although we missed you!). Can't wait to read the rest of the story. <3

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  7. Oh my goodness! That excerpt was juicy. Can't wait to read it. I love fall. Here is Arizona, it means a break from the massive heat. I do wish we got the beautiful fall colors and crisp weather, but we usually don't. :(

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    1. And boy, you really had the heat in AZ this summer. I love the balmy evenings and cooler mornings when I'm there--asI hope to be in October! Juicy excerpt, huh? LOL.

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  8. The year is flipping by at warp speed! Loved the excerpt and look forward to reading the rest. We've had such a cool summer, it hasn't seemed like summer at all. :-)

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    1. Thanks, Patricia. I hope you enjoy the rest of the book. I know what you mean about this summer. We had so much rain until it was halfway through.

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  9. What nice summer views in Maine. Loved the excerpt!! The cowboy on your cover reminds me of a young Josh Hartnett.

    I yearned for Fall.

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    1. Have a wonderful fall, Laurie! Yeah, the cover does resemble him. My inspiration picture was Scott Eastwood.

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  10. I love a good reunion story, especially with cowboys. Can't wait to read it. Summer flew by, too rainy, but with some gorgeous sunny days in between. Now I'm looking forward to fall.

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  11. Rain, rain, rain, right? Mine was too. Reunion stories are my favorite. I don't know why, because I don't pine for an early love, but they are. Guess I like the built-in poignancy between hero and heroine. Happy fall!

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  12. What a delicious excerpt! Reunions are often such special stories. Great photos, too. I miss the coast of Maine every day! I consider it a great privilege of my life that I got to live on an island in Maine for a time--a special chapter of my life. And who doesn't love a lighthouse!

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    1. I'm glad you liked the excerpt and pictures. I envy you that chance to live on the island. Must have been beautiful, Virginia!

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  13. The highlight of my summer was going to CA! There was a beach there. So fun.

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  14. Great post, Leigh, and I look forward to your November release, too!

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