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Texas Daddy
Jolene Navarro
The Cowboy’s Second ChanceBeing a devoted dad is former bull rider Adrian De La Cruz’s top priority. So when his Mia suffers a rodeo injury and winds up recovering alongside Adrian’s first crush, Nikki Bergmann, he becomes even more protective of his daughter—and his heart. Back in Clear Water solely to recover, he knows Nikki has no intention of staying. But as the bond between Mia and Nikki grows, Adrian can’t help falling for her once again. Until Nikki’s long-buried secret comes to light, and Adrian must decide if he can forgive the past, or face a future without the woman he’s never been able to forget.Lone Star Legacy: Big Texas skies, bigger Texas hearts
The Cowboy’s Second Chance
Being a devoted dad is former bull rider Adrian De La Cruz’s top priority. So when Mia suffers a rodeo injury and winds up recovering alongside Adrian’s first crush, Nikki Bergmann, he becomes even more protective of his daughter—and his heart. Nikki is back in Clear Water solely to recover, and he knows she has no intention of staying. But as the bond between Mia and Nikki grows, Adrian can’t help falling for her once again. Until Nikki’s long-buried secret comes to light, and Adrian must decide if he can forgive the past, or face a future without the woman he’s never been able to forget.
“I thought we made a good team tonight.”
It had been a long time since she felt like she belonged anywhere, let alone on a team. Adrian was one of the true good guys. With his profile to her, she could study his features. He was still good-looking, and the years added maturity and depth. She didn’t really understand why he was still single.
He put his hands into the front pockets of his worn-just-right jeans. With a quick turn of his head, he glanced at her before looking back to the sky. “Anyway, I was wondering if you liked live music.” He looked down. “Mia is going to her first sleepover since the accident.” He took a deep breath. “So I was wondering if you would want to go to Kerrville with me. A friend from the bull-riding days is playing at a restaurant, and I thought going there would be better than sitting alone and worrying about Mia. Would you want to go with me?”
“Are you asking me on a date?”
Dear Reader (#u65252bcf-04ee-5a87-a67d-cf93a40a4c89),
Thank you for taking a trip to Clear Water, Texas, with me. This small town has become my go-to place to visit and Adrian is one of my favorite guys in town. He has been there to help out since the first book and I wanted to see his happy ending. Each story I got to know him a little better and knew I would love spending time with him.
Nikki was new to me. I knew Adrian needed someone who would shake up his world and that’s what she did. It was important for me to get her story right for her ultimate gift of love. A story of redemption and forgiveness. We’ve all made mistakes or trusted the wrong people, but God’s love is bigger than anything that can harm us in this world. He uses it all for good. Family, healing and love are all wrapped tightly around this story. Coming from a family of three girls, I loved writing the sister scene. I hope you enjoy Adrian and Nikki’s adventure to everlasting love. Find me on Facebook at Jolene Navarro, Author.
Warm regards and blessings,
Jolene Navarro
A seventh-generation Texan, JOLENE NAVARRO fills her life with family, faith and life’s beautiful messiness. She knows that as much as the world changes, people stay the same. Vow-keepers and heartbreakers. Jolene married a vow-keeper who shows her holding hands never gets old. When not writing, Jolene teaches art to inner-city teens and hangs out with her own four almost-grown kids. Find Jolene on Facebook or her blog, jolenenavarrowriter.com (http://www.jolenenavarrowriter.com).
Texas Daddy
Jolene Navarro
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
—1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
To My Sisters
Tracye Ward and Amanda Warren
Through times of joy, tribulations, grief and
happiness you have been there. As different
as we are, we are also the same. Love you.
Acknowledgments (#u65252bcf-04ee-5a87-a67d-cf93a40a4c89)
First, foremost and always with all my heart,
thank you to my hero, my husband, Fred Navarro.
He gave me the time I needed to pull this story
together and has been known to do the dishes
without even being asked.
Thank you to Alexandra Sokoloff, Linda Trout,
Carol Green Kiar, Laura Stephens, Gail Hart,
Jenna Neal, Vaun Murphrey, Melody Robinette,
Linda Fry, Deann Alford Landers and the
West Texas Writer’s Academy class of 2015
for brainstorming this story.
Plotting is always more fun with a group.
To my writer friends of San Antonio Romance
Authors. You are an endless source of inspiration.
Teri Wilson, Patricia Walters-Fischer,
Lupe Gonzalez, Mary Brand, Manie Culver,
Suanne Schefer, Willa Blair, Ani Stubs,
Curtis Copley, Troy Bernhardt, Joni Hahn
and Pamla Morsi. Just to name a few.
To Storm Navarro and Sasha Summers
for everything.
And to Emily Rodmell, my editor, and Pam Hopkins,
my agent. Thank you for taking the stories
I have in my dyslexic brain and helping me
polish them to be the best they can be.
Thank you for this dream
of being a Harlequin author.
Contents
Cover (#udbda243e-8595-5dfb-a44e-3a8f15d3a21e)
Back Cover Text (#uc4e66805-4c22-5a0e-ae26-189b8d758baa)
Introduction (#ufe0207b1-c477-5cf6-b677-9df76998468d)
Dear Reader (#u984333de-1d3d-5af3-9dce-646b6fdbf27f)
About the Author (#u1ec25a9e-d06d-514b-a342-e8ff81e647b6)
Title Page (#ud30b173b-15e7-5f63-ae75-fe60b353a6c3)
Bible Verse (#u4efda341-c878-5404-90d2-4617184c58e7)
Dedication (#u2e7fe44f-6e09-51fa-bdd9-f40cf4ceba39)
Acknowledgments (#u0682a2d7-4dd1-5443-86b4-306748e55f8f)
Chapter One (#u72724e10-3730-54e2-a81b-361afe81f0cd)
Chapter Two (#ua2799869-c091-5dc2-9b9b-0ffdb3143ee5)
Chapter Three (#u2f1a9d21-832b-5ce2-86aa-ca136a69a512)
Chapter Four (#u67b1a98e-4b04-5472-a454-ae94c649c234)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
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)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#u65252bcf-04ee-5a87-a67d-cf93a40a4c89)
The rain dripped off the edge of his Stetson as Adrian De La Cruz surveyed the overgrown terrain for stray cattle. The mare moved forward with sure steady steps, her ears twisting back and forth letting him know she was on the lookout also. He enjoyed riding in a light drizzle. An angry bolt of lightning struck at the hills.
Well, the weather report had got it wrong. The problem? He was too far in the old Cortez place to make it back to the Childress’s barns.
Thunder rolled through the valley. Lying low over Zeta’s neck, he pushed her into a full run on the weed-covered road. His eyes stung as the wind bit into exposed skin. A series of lightning strikes hopped across the clouds, joined by a chorus of rumbles.
Adrenaline flooded his body. Over ten years ago he would have sat up and laughed at the sky, consumed by a need to test his limits.
He couldn’t afford such recklessness. His daughter needed him to come home in one piece, especially now. He closed his eyes just long enough to clear the image of her boot trapped in the stirrup. He hadn’t been fast enough to stop the damage to her leg.
Mud flew as the powerful strides of his mare ate the earth. Moments like this, he missed the rush of excitement as he sat on two thousand pounds of unpredictable bull and waited for the gate to be pulled.
Thunder rattled the Texas Hill Country and a flash of blinding light revealed the old cabin on the left side of the abandoned country path. In one motion, Zeta slid to a stop and he dismounted. The shed attached to the rustic cabin looked leak-free, the dirt floor dry. The discarded crates and boxes were old but in good shape.
Loosening Zeta’s girth, he laughed as she shook like a dog. She tossed her head in a way to let him know she wasn’t happy and scowled at him for being irresponsible.
“I know.” He patted her neck. “We’ll hang here until the storm passes. Shouldn’t be long.” He pulled his phone out, only to find it had died. He’d forgotten to charge it again.
School would be out soon. He removed his hat and shook off the rain. Ugh. It didn’t look like he would get back in time to pick Mia up. At least his brother, George, would get his daughter if he was a no-show. The rain hit the old metal roof hard.
Maybe there was a landline inside the cabin. Dashing to the covered porch, he caught sight of an odd figure coming toward the cabin from the opposite side of the ravine.
He stepped closer to the edge of the steps. Someone in a fluorescent green jacket was trying to walk across the field. They carried a bike, each step lumbering and uneven. His eyes narrowed trying to make out if the mud-covered body belonged to a man or woman.
Probably some crazy adventure-seeking city slicker lost. They seemed to think fences were for jumping. They had to be trespassing.
It wasn’t an easy ranch to get to, and Bergmann had locked it down after his wife had been killed in an accident on this very road.
Pulling his hat low, he charged into the rain to help. Halfway out, he knew without a doubt it was a woman. One mystery solved. When he got closer, the problem became clear. The chains of the bike were tangled with a large metal knee brace she wore on her right leg. The brace covered less of her leg than his daughter’s, but it had the same knee hinge. One of her hands held the mangled bike while the other wrapped around her middle in an awkward way. Each step looked like a struggle.
Thunder warned of the next flash of light. He went to her left side to help her move faster. At first she shoved him back with her shoulder, or tried to at least.
“Let me help you. I work on the neighboring ranch. I’m—”
“Adrian De La Cruz. I remember you. Thanks, but I’ve got this.” She blew at the hair that hung in her eyes, but the effort didn’t move the muddy mess. “You’re working for Childress now?” she managed between gritted teeth.
