Sheltered by the Cowboy Read online

  In New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy’s latest thriller, a loner cowboy meets his match!

  A man who keeps his secrets close to his chest, gruff rancher Brody Booth is used to things being complicated. The last thing he expects is for a beautiful woman to be his undoing. But Mandy Wright’s as unpredictable as the snowstorm that traps them together.

  Mandy is independent and trusts no one. When it comes to relationships, she’s always the first to walk away. Letting Brody close enough to protect her from a killer feels strange—and thrilling. Having feelings for him is as risky as surrendering to the threat. Can she find a way to outrun danger and fall in love?

  “I hope you don’t mind the candles. I always light a couple before I go to sleep.”

  “I don’t mind,” he replied. Hell yes, he minded the candles that painted her face in beautiful shadows and light. Hell yes, he minded the candles that made the room feel so much smaller and much more intimate.

  He walked over to the sofa and found a bed pillow and a soft, hot-pink blanket. He placed his gun on the coffee table, unfolded the blanket and then stretched out.

  “Brody?”

  “Yeah?” He answered without opening his eyes.

  “Somehow, someway I’ll make this all up to you.”

  Visions instantly exploded in his head, erotic visions of the two of them making love. He jerked his head to halt them. “You don’t have to make anything up to me.”

  He couldn’t be her friend. She was too much of a temptation and he couldn’t be friends with a woman he wanted. He didn’t want to be friends with anyone.

  He’d see her through this threat and then he had to walk away from her and never look back.

  Be sure to check out the next books in this exciting miniseries:

  Cowboys of Holiday Ranch—Where sun, earth and hard work turn men into rugged cowboys...and irresistible heroes!

  * * *

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  Dear Reader,

  The mystery of the skeletons has been solved, but life didn’t stop on the Holiday Ranch. There are still some cowboys who need to find their happily-ever-afters.

  Brody Booth isn’t looking for romance when bad girl Mandy Wright stumbles into his world. Mandy has kissed a lot of toads in Bitterroot, looking for her prince. And there’s no way she thinks the brooding Brody, with his dark, shadowed eyes, is her prince. But when her father is murdered and somebody tries to kill her, it’s Brody who steps up to protect her.

  Brody knows he’s no prince—his intention is to protect Mandy from danger and once that danger passes, he’s determined to go back to his solitary life.

  I hope you enjoy their story!

  Keep reading!

  SHELTERED BY

  THE COWBOY

  Carla Cassidy

  Carla Cassidy is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 120 novels for Harlequin. In 1995, she won Best Silhouette Romance from RT Book Reviews for Anything for Danny. In 1998, she won a Career Achievement Award for Best Innovative Series from RT Book Reviews. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

  Books by Carla Cassidy

  Harlequin Romantic Suspense

  Cowboys of Holiday Ranch

  A Real Cowboy

  Cowboy of Interest

  Cowboy Under Fire

  Cowboy at Arms

  Operation Cowboy Daddy

  Killer Cowboy

  Sheltered by the Cowboy

  The Coltons of Shadow Creek

  Colton’s Secret Son

  The Coltons of Texas

  Colton Cowboy Hideout

  The Coltons of Oklahoma

  The Colton Bodyguard

  Men of Wolf Creek

  Cold Case, Hot Accomplice

  Lethal Lawman

  Lone Wolf Standing

  Visit the Author Profile page at

  Harlequin.com for more titles.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Excerpt from Single Mom’s Bodyguard by Lisa Childs

  Chapter 1

  Amanda Wright hummed the tune of “Let It Snow” under her breath as she stamped her feet in an effort to get warm.

  The short red Mrs. Santa costume she wore with the white faux fur around the bottom, the neckline and at the cuffs looked cute but did little to provide any real warmth. Wearing flesh-colored tights was almost like being bare-legged, and the short black leather boots on her feet were fashion-forward, but definitely not keeping her toes warm.

  She could always step into the small wooden booth’s tiny back room, where an oil heater spewed out a bit of warmth, but it was almost time for her to pack it in for the day and she didn’t want to miss her last chance to help make a difference.

  Darkness had fallen an hour before, and yet the streets of Bitterroot were aglow with the merry lights of the Christmas season. Illuminated red-and-white candy canes hung from every light pole and shoppers still scurried along the sidewalks, trying to get in last-minute supplies before a predicted big snowstorm struck.

  Mandy loved this time of year, when the air smelled of evergreen wreaths and cinnamon sticks, and Christmas carols spilled out of every store doorway. Even though the holiday was still a little over two weeks away, Bitterroot was already in the spirit.

  She smiled as she saw Butch Cooper approaching the booth. She had dated Butch for about a month and had only recently broken up with him. Thankfully, despite the breakup they had remained good friends.

  “Buy a kiss for a dollar,” she said. “All proceeds go to the youth program.”

  Butch pulled his wallet out of his pocket and withdrew a five-dollar bill. “I’ll just donate this to the cause,” he said and handed her the money.

  “Thanks, Butch,” she replied. He was such a nice guy, but it hadn’t taken her long to realize he wasn’t the Prince Charming she was waiting for. Although she’d enjoyed his company, there just hadn’t been any real romantic spark with him. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m getting by. What about you?”

  “The same. I’m keeping busy between the café and this booth,” she replied.

  “You’d better think about getting yourself home soon,” he said. “There’s freezing rain moving in and then it’s supposed to snow like the devil.”

  “I’m planning on packing it up in just a little while. I’m hoping to make a little more money before I close down for the night.”

  “Just don’t wait too long. You know Seth wouldn’t want you to put yourself at risk for a couple more dollars.”

  “I know. Thanks, Butch.” She watched as the tall, nice-looking cowboy walked away. She released a deep sigh, her breath comin
g out in a big, frosty puff.

  The old saying was that you had to kiss a lot of toads before finally finding a prince. She’d dated most of the single men in town but had yet to find that special toad.

  When Seth Richardson had asked her to donate her spare time in a kissing booth for charity, she’d instantly agreed. She knew how important the youth program was in town. She only wished there had been some kind of a youth program when she’d been growing up.

  For the past couple of days, when she wasn’t working as a waitress at the café, she’d been in this booth. There were two other young women who worked the booth, as well. At least the red-and-white-painted booth was located between the feed store and the mercantile, which meant it got a fair amount of foot traffic.

  She stamped her feet once again and mentally cursed the cold. Yes, she loved this time of year and she especially loved to watch it snow, but at the moment, with her fingers and toes half-frozen, she wished it was seventy degrees.

  Thoughts of the cold faded away as she saw another handsome cowboy approaching her. The Christmas lights on the buildings flickered and highlighted his strong, bold features in shades of green and red. He was tall and lean, with broad shoulders, and wore his black cowboy hat pulled down as if to warn people away.

  Brody Booth.

  Just seeing him warmed her a little bit even though they’d scarcely ever exchanged more than a handful of words. He was definitely one sexy cowboy.

  “Hey, Brody. How about a kiss for a dollar?” she called out to him. “It’s for charity.”

  He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. “No, thanks, Mandy. I kind of like being the only man in town you haven’t kissed.” He turned and continued on his way.

  She stared after him in stunned surprise. “You’re a jerk, Brody Booth,” she called.

  His words stung with their implication. She knew her reputation in town was for being fast and loose, a reputation that had begun in high school and had haunted her ever since. Of course, she hadn’t helped matters by kissing so many toads.

  Brody was one of the best-looking jerks she’d ever seen, but she told herself now that she didn’t give two hoots about what he thought of her.

  What she’d better start thinking about was getting home. The ping of sleet against the wooden booth was a definite warning that it was time to get out of Dodge.

  She closed the awning, stepped into the back space and turned off the heater and the battery-operated light that cast a dim glow. Her coat hung on a small hook next to the back door, and she quickly pulled it on. Then she shoved the small metal money box into her purse, locked up for the night and left the booth.

  The sleet stung her face as she hurried to her car. The icy mixture was piling up fast. She probably should have left half an hour before.

  The scent of snow whirled on the wind that had picked up, and she was suddenly aware that the streets were virtually deserted.

  She hurried to her car and got inside, rubbing her hands together as she waited for the heater to blow hot air. Ice already glazed her windshield, making it impossible for her to see out and drive. Hopefully, between the wipers and the defrost, she could get it cleared off as soon as possible.

  Still, by the time she finally crept out of her parking space, the sleet had turned to snow. It wasn’t a fluffy, pretty event. Rather, the snowflakes were small and icy and wind-driven.

  Visibility was almost nonexistent and the back tires slid each time she tried to accelerate. She was going to be far later getting home than she’d told her father.

  Although she lived in a small apartment above the detached garage on the property, when she could she cooked and cleaned for her father.

  Of course, he had probably prepared for the snowstorm by buying plenty of liquor. If she was lucky he’d already be passed out by the time she got home. At least she’d thought ahead and had brought home a meatloaf dinner from the café. It sat on the passenger seat in a foam container inside a white bag. When she did get home, if her dad was waiting for her she could have his dinner ready in mere microwave magic minutes.

  At the moment his meal wasn’t her concern. Just getting home in this mess was her main issue. The snowflakes were now bigger, but coming down at an alarming pace. Her muscles tensed as she hunched over the steering wheel and squinted to see the road ahead.

  She hadn’t even made it out of town when she felt the disheartening slide of her tires against the pavement. The car was moving sideways. Frantically she turned the wheel first left and then right to straighten out. In horror she realized she was no longer in control.

  She knew better than to apply the brakes, but she was sliding on pure ice and headed for a ditch. Her heart hitched in her chest and she braced.

  She squealed as the car hit the ditch and came to a dead stop. She tried to move forward and the tires spun impotently. She threw it into Reverse with the same results.

  “Darn, darn!” She hit the steering wheel with her palms. She was good and stuck.

  She’d have to call for a tow. She unfastened her seat belt and pulled her purse onto her lap, rummaging around inside it until she grabbed her cell phone.

  Before she could dial a number, she glanced in her rearview mirror and gasped in renewed horror. Twin headlights were careening toward the back of her car, and she couldn’t move out of the way. Objects in this mirror are closer than they appear. She read the words on her passenger mirror just before she squeezed her eyes tightly closed.

  Bracing once again, she expected a crash, but it was more like a hard bump. The pickup truck hit her hard enough to throw the meatloaf dinner off the passenger seat and onto the floor, but thankfully not hard enough to injure her.

  She looked in her rearview mirror once again and saw Brody getting out of the truck that had hit her. Great, just what she needed to make a bad situation even worse.

  She rolled down her window and heard his muttered curses as he made his way to her driver side. “Sorry,” he said. “That patch of road is pure ice. Are you okay?”

  “Tell me about it. I didn’t exactly drive into this ditch on purpose,” she replied drily. “And I’m fine, but frustrated.”

  “It looks like I’m going to owe you a bumper.”

  “Right now I’m not worried about a bumper. What I need is a tow out of this ditch.”

  “That makes two of us. Mind if I get in?” He gestured to the passenger seat.

  “Knock yourself out,” she replied. She rolled up her window as he left the driver side and walked around the front of the car to get into the passenger seat.

  “What’s this?” he asked as he maneuvered his feet so he didn’t step on the bag on the floor. Once he was in, he moved the seat back to accommodate the length of his legs.

  “Oh yeah, you owe me a bumper and a meatloaf special from the café,” she replied.

  He filled the small interior of the car with the scent of the outdoors mingling with a woodsy cologne. Snow clung to his slightly shaggy dark hair and sinfully long dark eyelashes. He also wore the same frown she always saw on his face.

  “I’ll call for a tow truck and we’ll worry about the bumper and meatloaf dinner later. The snow is really starting to pile up.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and punched in a series of numbers.

  “Larry, it’s Brody Booth. Amanda Wright and I are stuck in a ditch just past the turnoff to the motel. We need a tow.”

  It was obvious by his deepening frown that he wasn’t happy with whatever he was hearing, and a ball of anxiety unfurled in her chest.

  “Okay, I understand. Yeah, I’ll be waiting for your call.” He hung up and pocketed his phone. “Larry and every other tow person in town is busy working the highway, which he said looks like a skating rink, so basically we’re on our own.”

  “On our own?” She echoed his words as she
stared at him in horror. “For how long?”

  “It might be morning before somebody can finally get to us.”

  “Morning? We can’t stay out here all night. I don’t even have a blanket in the car,” she said.

  “You’re right. We can’t,” he agreed. “I suggest we walk to the motel. We can get rooms for the night and be out here first thing in the morning when help finally comes.”

  She stared over her shoulder, where the motel sign blinked faintly like a red heartbeat through the haze of the falling snow. The snow. A shiver swept over her. It was deep enough now that it would swallow her little boots with the first step.

  “Do you have some pants you can put on?” Brody asked. Was there a slight hint of disdain in his voice or was she only imagining it?

  “Nope, just these sexy flesh-tone tights,” she replied flippantly. “Don’t worry about me, Brody. I’m used to taking care of myself.” She buttoned up her coat and mentally prepared for the cold trek to the motel.

  “Wait for me. I need to lock up my truck.” He left the car and a gust of frigid air blew in.

  She should have left the booth earlier. She should have been smart enough to keep a survival bag with blankets and bottled water and protein bars in the car. Sometimes she could be so stupid.

  It didn’t take long for Brody to come back. He pulled open the driver’s door, and precariously she stepped out of the car. The icy wind instantly stole her breath, and she slid unsteadily with her first step.

  He must have noticed because he grabbed her firmly by the upper arm, and together they made their way out of the ditch and back to the road.

  It was impossible to speak with the howling wind in her ears and the driving snow hitting her in the face. She was just grateful for Brody’s strength as she slipped more than once and would have landed on her face or her butt if he hadn’t steadied her.

  She was an icicle, frozen from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. All she could think about was a nice warm room, a very hot shower and then a bed to snuggle down in to wait out the storm.