From USA Today bestselling author, Bronwen Evans's flirty new contemporary romance series, the second Coopers Creek romance...
After her fiance dies, Kate Donoghue has picked up the broken pieces of her heart and moved on. She's sworn off men and is building a new life in Coopers Creek, Colorado as the local vet and senior member of the mountain rescue team. So why now is she suddenly distracted by the seriously sexy investment banker come cowboy, Ric Stanford? The man screams big city playboy but what can it hurt to indulge? Kate swears she won't fall for Ric... but the heat between them is scorching.
Investment Banker Ric Stanford is enjoying his new life in the New York office. He's finally putting distance between his hometown memories of Lizzie and her reckless death. So he's more than pissed when on a trip home to Coopers Creek he breaks his leg and is stuck there for the foreseeable future. That is, until sexy vet, Kate Donoghue, arrives to attend to his sister's dog and suddenly a month in Coopers Creek looks totally irresistible.
Coopers Creek holds painful memories for Ric and Kate. Can they heal from their pasts; can the town hold a beautiful new future for them both?
Don't miss Tyler and Emily's electrifying happily ever after in the first Coopers Creek romance - Love Me.
"If you are a lover of romance ... [Bronwen] Evans's novels are the way to go. She constantly reminds us what passion is all about, and because she is so on point with her lively characters, you just can't go wrong."--*RT Book Reviews*
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From the Inside Flap
All of the oxygen seemed to have been sucked out of the place, making it hard to breathe. His dimpled smile and piercing blue eyes almost turned her into a puddle right on the spot. She waved back and gave him what she was sure was a goofy smile before forcing herself to start towards him. Her heart throbbed painfully under her ribcage as she neared him.
He looked like a cross between a sexy lumberjack and a walking advertisement for L.L. Bean. The blue-and-black checkered flannel shirt he wore emphasized his broad shoulders and brought out the color of his eyes even more. His blond hair was attractively tousled in a way that made her want to run her fingers through it.
"Hi. Pardon me for not standing."
His deep voice washed over her like a warm ocean tide and Kate wanted to get pulled into the undertow.
Kate smiled at his joke and sat down. "I'll forgive you this time."
"Thanks. How are you?"
The way he said it told Kate that he was genuinely interested. "I'm good, thanks. Busy. It's been busy. I guess that's good, though. Job security." Suddenly, she felt panicky and wanted to flee.
She jumped a little when Ric put his hand over hers where it rested on the table and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.
"Kate, we're just having lunch, that's all. Nothing more, okay?"
Kate looked at his hand, which was so much larger than her own. His powers of perception were amazing. Ric's touch was gentle, hypnotizing, and she felt calm enough now to laugh a little. "I'm sorry. I'm being silly. It's just that I haven't been out with anyone in a long time." She bit her bottom lip in trepidation. "Not since my fiancΓ© passed away."
Ric's eyebrows went up and then a look of sympathy crossed his face. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
He withdrew his hand and she wished he hadn't. "It's okay. It was eighteen months ago."
"I lost a woman I loved eight years ago and it still hurts sometimes. I know how you feel, but I'm sure it has to be worse for you," Ric said.
"How so?"
His mouth curved a little in a sad smile. "She didn't love me back."
Kate's heart hurt for him. At least she knew that Phil had loved her. Unrequited love was a terrible thing to endure. "Well, I don't really know you, but something tells me that she was a fool."
"Thanks." His smile reached his eyes this time. "I'm glad we got all of that out of the way."
Kate was surprised how relieved and lighter she felt. "Me, too." Why had she felt so comfortable in confiding in him so quickly? She decided not to examine it.