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The Rancher's Christmas Match
Brenda Minton
A daddy for her daughter…Can their Mercy Ranch Christmas become forever?When struggling single mom Rebecca Martin hears a philanthropist in Oklahoma is offering buildings rent-free for a year, she can’t pass up the opportunity. And cowboy Isaac West is just the unexpected help she needs to turn the building into a thriving business. Falling in love isn’t part of the plan…but with this injured veteran, it’s a gift that’s hard to resist.
A daddy for her daughter…
Can their Mercy Ranch Christmas become forever?
When struggling single mom Rebecca Martin hears a philanthropist in Oklahoma is offering buildings rent-free for a year, she can’t pass up the opportunity. And cowboy Isaac West is just the unexpected help she needs to turn the building into a thriving business. Falling in love isn’t part of the plan…but with this injured veteran, it’s a gift that’s hard to resist.
BRENDA MINTON lives in the Ozarks with her husband, children, cats, dogs and strays. She is a pastor’s wife, Sunday-school teacher, coffee addict and sleep deprived. Not in that order. Her dream to be an author for Harlequin started somewhere in the pages of a romance novel about a young American woman stranded in a Spanish castle. Her dreams came true, and twenty-plus books later, she is an author hoping to inspire young girls to dream.
Also By Brenda Minton (#ub578e4dd-336f-5012-825d-c75366f888e2)
Mercy Ranch
Reunited with the Rancher
The Rancher’s Christmas Match
Bluebonnet Springs
Second Chance Rancher
The Rancher’s Christmas Bride
The Rancher’s Secret Child
Martin’s Crossing
A Rancher for Christmas
The Rancher Takes a Bride
The Rancher’s Second Chance
The Rancher’s First Love
Her Rancher Bodyguard
Her Guardian Rancher
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
The Rancher’s Christmas Match
Brenda Minton
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08645-5
THE RANCHER’S CHRISTMAS MATCH
© 2018 Brenda Minton
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
“We were meeting Mama Llama,” Isaac said.
Rebecca had to look at him, had to pretend that everything was just fine. She wasn’t shaking on the inside, revisited by the past and memories that threatened everything.
“Mama Llama doesn’t appear to like you very much,” Rebecca said, pointing to the llama that had drawn back and now bared teeth at Isaac.
“Females sometimes take an instant dislike to me. I can’t imagine why, when I’m always charming.”
“He let me brush his horse,” Allie chimed in. It seemed not all females disliked the cowboy.
“That must have been fun. And where is Eve?”
Allie shot Isaac a worried look and Rebecca pretended not to notice his wink.
“She had to get some work done,” he supplied.
Not only had he charmed her daughter, now he was aiding and abetting her. Rebecca pinned him with a look and, like her daughter, he squirmed a little with guilt.
“And she brought Allie to you.”
Allie groaned. “I might have sneaked off.”
“Confession,” Isaac said. “Always good for the soul.”
Dear Reader (#ub578e4dd-336f-5012-825d-c75366f888e2),
As I’ve spent time in Hope, Oklahoma, and at Mercy Ranch, I’ve gotten to know the characters and I’ve come to love this little town. I hope you’ll enjoy your time here, as well!
From the beginning Isaac West quickly became a favorite of mine, and this book had to belong to him. Isaac has dealt with difficult times in his life and he’s learned to laugh when things get tough. I think that’s one of my favorite things about this hero.
Together Isaac and Rebecca learn that life has its seasons. They have cried, mourned, been angry, been broken. Now it is their time to laugh, to love, to heal.
I hope you enjoy taking the journey with them—and with me.
Brenda Minton
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
—Luke 2:13–14
This book is dedicated to my friend Lori, for all of her encouragement.
Contents
Cover (#uf7c24ec2-adb8-5bac-bbb9-62870d568cf1)
Back Cover Text (#u3b2a78fb-8052-56d9-838f-3b353ea31500)
About the Author (#uc50a3023-8fef-5754-9cd4-43c023f9eaf8)
Booklist (#u8f125270-2a65-5594-85d3-117cae1aa302)
Title Page (#u38a67469-0765-5219-80ac-26c2e5f8d46f)
Copyright (#u67ff948f-6563-5cda-a172-aef9af543ba5)
Introduction (#ud35b8714-6248-5336-b360-7f18fe64361b)
Dear Reader (#u5770bcbd-dec7-50d9-be23-63554bf1ab54)
Bible Verse (#u6b0701f1-9191-5b38-aa10-c362d9866e0b)
Dedication (#u919fd205-0d7c-51a9-ae15-ae9dad960f4d)
Chapter One (#u28e82576-fe09-5321-8ab0-8f9d3784784b)
Chapter Two (#u85d816d6-e99f-5d4a-8649-4d4a0a8de9c3)
Chapter Three (#u9748be46-a39d-5a2e-9a08-a8ad2e8220d9)
Chapter Four (#udb96b8f2-21cd-56a9-8f17-cf8081ea0876)
Chapter Five (#u396b2469-3f93-5fc3-8c18-135515571a28)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#ub578e4dd-336f-5012-825d-c75366f888e2)
Isaac West stood at the door of the feed store, letting his eyes adjust to the late November sunshine pouring down on Hope, Oklahoma. Some days a guy just preferred clouds. This happened to be one of them. The bright sunshine made his head spin and needlelike jabs of pain above his temple warned that a headache would knock him down before he could get back to the ranch.
It had been a good two months since he’d had the last headache. He’d kinda hoped he’d seen the last of them.
“Isaac, are you okay?” Mrs. Adams, the owner of the feed store, called out to him, her voice filtering through the long tunnel that had been his hearing for the past six years.
“I’m good.”
“You’re looking a little on the pale side. You want me to call Jack and have him pick you up?”
He didn’t bother with denials. In a town the size of Hope, everyone knew everyone else’s business. Mrs. Adams meant well. After all, as she liked to point out, she’d known him since he was knee-high to a grasshopper.
“Nah, I’m good,” he assured her. “Right as rain.”
He pulled a toothpick from his pocket and stuck it between his teeth. Might as well just get it over with. He pushed the door open and headed down the sidewalk in the direction of his truck. He stumbled a bit as he stepped down off the curb and lurched to the left, falling against a bright red sports car. The driver of that car slammed her door and glared at him.
He cringed a little. Partly from the madder-than-a-wet-hen look on her face, mostly because the slamming car door vibrated through his skull.
“What in the world is wrong with you?” She spoke with a sweeter-than-honey Oklahoma accent that matched her honey-blond hair and big brown eyes. But the spark in her voice said she was more than a little put out.
If it had been any other day, and if he’d been any other man, he would have flirted. Today wasn’t a good day for being charming. He did try to tip his cowboy hat in a way that appeared chivalrous, when really, he just wanted to get home and away from everyone. Even pretty women.
“Sorry, ma’am, I lost my balance.”
