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Rodeo Sheriff
Mary Sullivan
HE'S CALLLING IN BACK-UPAs the law in Rodeo, Montana, Sheriff Cole Payette can handle just about anything. Taking in his orphaned niece and nephew, though, puts him out of his depth. Grief-stricken himself, Cole turns to bar owner Honey Armstrong. Cole’s long-time crush on Honey has always made him tongue-tied, but now she’s the only one he can ask.Honey is shocked by Cole’s request. He rarely says two words to her and now he needs her to help care for the children? She’s willing to pitch in, but bonding with the kids starts to feel a lot like being a family. And that’s not something Honey has ever let herself dream about–no matter how tempting Cole is…
HE’S CALLING IN BACKUP
As the law in Rodeo, Montana, Sheriff Cole Payette can handle just about anything. Taking in his orphaned niece and nephew, though, puts him out of his depth. Grief-stricken himself, Cole turns to bar owner Honey Armstrong. Cole’s longtime crush on Honey has always made him tongue-tied, but now she’s the only one he can ask for help.
Honey is shocked by Cole’s request. He rarely says two words to her and now he needs her to help care for the children? She’s willing to pitch in, but bonding with the kids starts to feel a lot like being a family. And that’s not something Honey has ever let herself dream about—no matter how tempting Cole is...
Author MARY SULLIVAN has been collecting awards, accolades and great reviews since her first book, No Ordinary Cowboy, was published by Harlequin in 2009. She has written fifteen Harlequin Superromances and four Harlequin Western Romances. She has been told her writing touches the heart.
She loves hearing from readers! To keep up-to-date about upcoming releases, don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter at marysullivanbooks.com (http://www.marysullivanbooks.com).
Also By Mary Sullivan (#u16f56e5e-7d70-5373-b068-429879ed1658)
Rodeo Father
Rodeo Rancher
Rodeo Baby
No Ordinary Sheriff
In from the Cold
Home to Laura
Because of Audrey
Always Emily
No Ordinary Home
Safe in Noah’s Arms
Cody’s Come Home
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Rodeo Sheriff
Mary Sullivan
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08095-8
RODEO SHERIFF
© 2018 Mary Sullivan
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)
“Don’t use guilt on me, Cole. I don’t appreciate it. I’ll spend as much spare time as I can with Madeline, but you have to find someone who can care for the children full-time. Okay?”
Cole nodded, but she wasn’t at all certain she’d gotten through to him.
“I mean it, Cole. I expect you to put in your best effort to find someone else.”
“I will,” he promised, and she believed him.
A tiny head peered around Cole’s legs: Madeline, her blue eyes a miniature version of her uncle’s, but large in her tiny face. Every bit as haunted as his, they softened Honey’s defenses, and that would not do.
She couldn’t offer everything Cole needed, but she would give as much as she could.
Dear Reader (#u16f56e5e-7d70-5373-b068-429879ed1658),
Since writing the first book in my Rodeo, Montana series I have wanted to write Cole Payette and Honey Armstrong’s story!
I liked both of these characters immensely and included them in the other books in the series. Cole is a capable, intelligent, well-respected sheriff, but he falls apart whenever Honey is around. Usually articulate, Cole is extremely shy with her and can’t string two words together when she is near. Honey owns the town’s bar and is outgoing and generous.
When Cole becomes guardian of two sad children, and is grief-stricken himself at the loss of his sister, the first person he goes to is Honey. With the help of the children, Cole learns to step outside his fears and embrace life before it slips through his fingers. Watching Honey fall in love with the already-smitten Cole was a lot of fun. Together, the duo provides the children with a new and loving home.
I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Mary Sullivan
Contents
Cover (#ua53dad4c-e998-511a-8035-a9019ff3263a)
Back Cover Text (#u93280956-9d72-595f-b08a-7b32aecc2eb7)
About the Author (#u9ec46233-a563-540c-a0a1-534352d978d7)
Booklist (#u835e84ca-61c5-5a53-bde4-6e02328ca2bc)
Title Page (#u32421146-0543-5bd0-a9bc-0fe06e3c171c)
Copyright (#u6b012add-5976-5d13-9f84-bb9e07d38300)
Introduction (#ud157a556-798e-583e-ba72-b6c415ccb83c)
Dear Reader (#uef1c5b75-dc9b-5c54-bf9e-c5ca29fd7229)
Chapter One (#uf0c2af1e-71b9-5c8c-a251-11932547cf09)
Chapter Two (#ufaae3f0c-e222-54f1-a2a3-2848413143eb)
Chapter Three (#u40261cf9-4408-5ce9-9d80-be675223c104)
Chapter Four (#u74d489cb-187b-507a-bd70-331195011c7f)
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)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#u16f56e5e-7d70-5373-b068-429879ed1658)
Honey Armstrong wouldn’t have thought Rodeo’s sheriff, being the predictable sort, could do much to surprise her.
Except show up with children.
Cole Payette, in civilian clothes instead of his uniform, stood just inside the open doorway of Honey’s empty bar with two kids.
The cloudless June day cast Cole and the children into silhouette.
Sunlight limned Cole’s muscular frame and lightened his thatch of dirty-blond hair.
His broad shoulders dwarfed the silent, delicate girl about three or four years old sitting on his forearm. A boy of about six held Cole’s other hand, but not quietly. His slim body percolated in motion.
Honey’s spirits lifted, and she laughed. “I was just thinking I need a distraction this afternoon.”
For Honey, a child was a luminous slice of life, the perfect soft golden yolk of a sunny-side-up egg.
Cole wasn’t a father, nor did he babysit that she knew of, even though the children of town liked him.
So whose kids were they?
“Who do you have with you today, Cole?”
He sighed and Honey cocked her head, alerted by a strange intensity emanating from him.
While Cole might have lived in town for more than a dozen years, his presence on his favorite bar stool at Honey’s Place every Friday and Saturday night accounted for most of Honey’s exposure to him. He poured drinks while she took her breaks or relieved her waiters. Cole didn’t visit any other time unless on official business.
So why was he here with children on Sunday when he knew the bar was closed? Had something happened to someone in town?
“Come in,” she urged again. “Close the door.” Eager to recognize the children, she gestured for them to step closer. “Who did you bring to visit?”
“They’re mine,” Cole said, his voice a hollowed-out shell of its normal deep timbre.
Honey frowned.
Mine?
As owner of the only bar in town, Honey knew all that went on in Rodeo. Cole had no children and no significant other. Unless maybe he lived a double life he kept secret... Ha. In Rodeo? Where everyone knew everything about everyone? Laughable.
“Shut the door,” she said, quietly this time. She knew trouble when it walked into her bar.
He did so, blocking out the sunshine. He stepped closer to the lamps, a ravaged man who looked as though he’d been on a bender last night. If so, it hadn’t been here. He’d been missing from town all week, his bar stool empty last night and Friday night.
Deep brackets framed his well-defined mouth, harsher than usual.
Honey was certain he wasn’t yet thirty-five, but permanent frown lines had already started to develop on his forehead, and today every faint line that marred his attractive face was deeper than usual.
He watched her with a dim, weary gaze, as did the boy and girl, all three seeming past their power to endure.
The boy shifted from foot to foot.
“Do you need to go to the bathroom?” Honey asked the child.
“Nope,” he said loudly.
Cole stared down at him. “He moves a lot.”
Okay. But— They’re mine?
“What do you mean, they’re yours?” Honey asked.
