Cowboy Defender (Cowboys 0f Holiday Ranch Book 9) Read online

  A rancher races against the clock to save the woman he loves

  Carla Cassidy’s new Cowboys of Holiday Ranch romance

  Clay “Romeo” Madison yearns to find his Juliet. So when Miranda Silver’s life is threatened, the handsome cowboy risks everything to protect the pretty single mom. After all, she might be The One. All he’s got to do is live down his scandalous reputation, persuade Miranda he’s serious...and rescue her from a kidnapper before it’s too late!

  “Try not to worry about what happened tonight. I can’t help but believe it was a random attack and had nothing to do with you personally.”

  “I desperately want that to be true.”

  She looked so small and so achingly vulnerable. Knowing he risked a major rebuff, he followed through on his desire and pulled her into his arms.

  She sighed and then raised her face to look at him. Her lips parted slightly and he took advantage of the moment and covered them with his own.

  So soft and so wonderfully warm... He touched the tip of her tongue with his and that was when she halted the kiss.

  She reared back and he instantly withdrew his arms from around her. “That shouldn’t have happened.” She reached up and touched her lips, then dropped her hand to her side. “I shouldn’t have allowed that to happen since we aren’t even dating.”

  “Consider it a kiss from a friend,” he replied, wanting nothing more than to repeat the kiss. “Can’t we be friends, Miranda?”

  * * *

  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 Readers,

  Summer is winding down for me, but in Bitterroot, Oklahoma, summer has arrived, keeping the cowboys of Holiday Ranch occupied. However, cowboy Clay Madison isn’t so busy with chores that he doesn’t take the time to court Miranda Silver.

  Miranda is a divorced mother of two children and the last thing she wants in her life is a playboy like Clay. But when somebody tries to kill her, it’s Clay who runs to her rescue, determined to defend her against any danger.

  The season is definitely heating up as passions flare and danger grows closer. I hope you all enjoy Clay and Miranda’s story. It was a true pleasure to write. I just love the cowboys on this ranch.

  Happy reading,

  Carla Cassidy

  COWBOY

  DEFENDER

  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

  Guardian Cowboy

  Cowboy Defender

  The Coltons of Red Ridge

  The Colton Cowboy

  The Coltons of Shadow Creek

  Colton’s Secret Son

  Visit the Author Profile page at

  Harlequin.com for more titles.

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  To the members of Mid-America Romance Authors—you all make me laugh and make me think. You are my extended family and I hope to spend many more years laughing and writing with you all!

  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

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Special Ops Cowboy by Addison Fox

  Chapter 1

  Miranda Silver was in a foul mood and desperately trying to hide it from her two children, who were running ahead of her on the sidewalk. Actually, she was exhausted and that always made her cranky.

  Part of her exhaustion came from the fact that the high school students she taught English to had been particularly difficult and rowdy all day, as if in anticipation of the end of the school year that would occur in less than two weeks.

  However, the real culprit behind her being beyond tired was her ex-husband, Hank. He had shown up at the house at one-thirty in the morning, drunk as a skunk and thinking that was the perfect time to fix the rickety front porch stairs of the house where he had once lived.

  It was only when she had threatened to call Dillon Bowie, the Chief of Police of Bitterroot, Oklahoma, that Hank was finally convinced to go home. Thank goodness he hadn’t awakened the children, otherwise Miranda would have really been angry.

  “Slow down,” she called to seven-year-old Jenny and eight-year-old Henry. Right now she wished she had half of their energy. She shifted her shopping bags from one hand to the other and tried not to worry about all the money she had just spent.

  Last night she and the kids had gotten out all of their summer clothes and she’d been dismayed to discover nothing from the year before fit her kids now. So a shopping trip had been necessary and she’d spent way more than she intended. The price of new sneakers alone had nearly taken her breath away.

  Of course, it would help if Hank would occasionally pay some child support, but at the moment he wasn’t working and she couldn’t depend on or expect any financial help from him. In truth, she’d never been able to depend on him for much of anything. He’d rarely kept a job during the last couple of years of their marriage and nothing had changed since their divorce a little over a year ago.

  The two kids came to an abrupt halt at a storefront that sported frilly pink-and-white curtains at the window. “Mom, can we go in and get a treat?” Jenny asked, her big blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

  Henry ran back, grabbed Miranda’s hand and looked up at her with a sweet appeal. “Come on, Mom, we’ve been really good all week. We did our homework and made our beds and everything. Please? Please?”

  Unfortunately The Cupcake Palace was a little pricey. “Yes, you both have been very good all week, but I just spent a lot of money on your new summer clothes.” She hated to see the disappointed looks that settled on their little faces. Darn Hank anyway for never paying his child support.

  “I’d love to treat a couple of cute kids and their mother to cupcakes and ice cream.” The smooth, deep voice came from behind Miranda and instantly she stiffened.

  “For real, Mr. Clay?” Henry asked. He dropped his mother’s hand. “That would be totally awesome.”

  “Yeah, awesome,” Jenny echoed.

  Miranda turned to look at the cowboy who made almost all the female hea
rts in the small town beat faster.

  Clay Madison was ridiculously handsome with his slightly shaggy blond hair and beautiful bright-blue eyes. His brown cowboy hat sat on his head at a cocky angle, and the smile that curved his lips not only showcased deep twin dimples but also seemed to light up the entire area around them.

  “Evening, Miranda,” he said with a gentlemanly dip of his cowboy hat.

  “Clay,” she replied with a curt nod of her head.

  “Mommy, Mr. Clay said he’d treat us,” Henry said. “Did you hear him say that? That’s what he said.” Once again excitement lit Henry’s and Jenny’s features.

  “And how do you know Mr. Clay?” she asked her son. Bitterroot, Oklahoma was a small town but there was no reason her eight-year-old son would know Clay Madison, who was a cowboy on the Holiday Ranch on the outskirts of town.

  “He came and talked to our class last week about being a cowboy,” Henry replied. “I want to be a cowboy just like Mr. Clay when I grow up.”

  She was surprised Clay hadn’t talked to the class about being a womanizer and a party boy. Rumor had it he did both things quite well.

  “And I meant what I said. I’d love to treat you all.” He gestured toward the shop door.

  “Mom, please?” Jenny begged.

  When Miranda hesitated Clay leaned toward her, his eyes sparkling merrily. “It’s just a cupcake, Miranda,” he said beneath his breath.

  “All right,” she capitulated, knowing to say no now would make her the meanest, most hateful mom in the entire world. Henry and Jenny jumped up and down in excitement. “Good manners,” she murmured to them as Clay opened the door and ushered them inside.

  Myriad scents greeted them, all of them good. The smell of chocolate competed with a sweet fruity mix. Cinnamon and sugar added to the mouthwatering combination.

  Pink-and-white ice cream parlor tables and chairs beckoned people to sit and enjoy. Miranda stifled an inward moan as she saw the older couple who occupied one of the tall tables. Wally Stern worked at the post office and his wife worked at being the town’s biggest gossip. Who knew what rumors would be whipping through the town about Clay and Miranda by morning?

  Henry and Jenny danced up to the counter where cupcakes the size of small dinner plates were displayed. When you ordered one of the cupcakes you also got a healthy serving of ice cream on the side, making for a totally decadent dessert.

  Mandy Booth greeted them with a big smile. The dark-haired woman was clad in jeans and a pink T-shirt advertising The Cupcake Palace.

  “You don’t have enough to do with the café?” Miranda asked Mandy. Mandy had bought the town’s popular café several months ago and had opened The Cupcake Palace a month ago.

  Mandy laughed. “The café is my bread and butter, but this place is my heart. I’d thought about opening some sort of fine dining place here in town, but Bitterroot isn’t really a fine dining kind of place, and Tammy’s Tea House already fills that need. Then I came up with this idea where I can bake to my heart’s content.”

  “What does Brody think about you working all those hours?” Miranda asked. Mandy and Brody Booth had married two months before.

  “Oh, trust me, I make plenty of time to keep my cowboy happy,” she replied with her dark eyes twinkling merrily. “Now, what can I get for you all?”

  Throughout the brief conversation Miranda had been acutely aware of Clay’s presence. He stood so close to her that, despite the fragrance of the shop, she could smell sunshine and minty soap and a fresh-scented cologne that wafted from him.

  “Hmm,” Henry murmured as he and Jenny stared at all the choices, as if this was the single most important decision they would ever make in their entire lives.

  “I’d like one of those blue cupcakes,” Henry finally said. “Blue is my favorite color.”

  “Ah, an excellent choice,” Mandy replied. “It’s a cream cheese cupcake with blueberry frosting.”

  “And I’d like the pink one,” Jenny said.

  “And I’ll bet pink is your favorite color,” Mandy said.

  “I love pink, but I also love purple,” Jenny replied.

  “Well, the pink is also an excellent choice. It’s a rich chocolate with a raspberry frosting.” Mandy began to plate the cupcakes. “And what about for you, Miranda?”

  “Nothing for me,” she replied. She wouldn’t even be in here right now if Clay hadn’t manipulated her into an awkward position in front of her kids. He could treat the kids, but she didn’t need a treat from Clay Madison.

  “Ah, come on, surely you want something,” Clay protested.

  “No, thanks, I’m good,” she replied.

  “Then why don’t you and the kids go get us a table and I’ll bring the goodies over when they’re ready,” he said.

  “Okay,” she replied and corralled the kids to one of the tables across the room from where Wally and his nosy wife Dinah sat.

  She settled into a chair and watched Clay at the display counter. The blue shirt he wore was stretched taut across his back muscles and nobody wore jeans better than him. He said something and Mandy threw back her head and laughed. There was no question the man was a charmer...the town’s Romeo. Well, Miranda wasn’t interested in anything he was selling.

  Clay Madison was the last man on earth she’d want to hook up with for anything. Hopefully the kids would eat their cupcakes fast and that would be the end of it.

  She pulled her gaze away from Clay and, instead, glanced across the room to see Dinah staring at her and then leaning closer to her husband to talk. Of all the couples to be here at this precise moment, why did it have to be that particular couple?

  “This is so cool,” Henry said.

  “We asked Daddy to bring us here last weekend but he said no. He always says no when we want to do stuff with him,” Jenny replied. “He just mostly sleeps when we’re at his house.”

  “And he snores really, really loud,” Henry said with a giggle. “But Ms. Lori plays games with us and stuff. She’s real nice.”

  Ms. Lori was Lori Stillwell, the attractive woman who lived with Hank in the small ranch house he rented. She worked from the house as a medical transcriber. She didn’t seem to mind Hank’s drinking or that she was assuredly paying all the bills. All Miranda cared about was that the woman was kind to her children when they were with Hank on the weekends.

  Clay walked over with a tray that held the kids’ treats and then returned to the counter and brought back two more. He slid a chocolate-covered creation in front of Miranda.

  “I’ve never known any woman to turn up her nose at chocolate,” he said.

  “And you of all people should know about women,” she replied stiffly.

  “Ouch. I see my reputation has preceded me.” The sparkle in his eyes appeared to dim a bit. “And you should know you can’t believe everything you hear.”

  “What kind of a cupcake did you get, Mr. Clay?” Jenny asked him.

  “This is a banana cupcake with rum-flavored frosting,” he replied. “I love bananas.”

  There followed a conversation between him and the kids on what kinds of fruits they liked and what ones they thought were yucky.

  Miranda listened to the conversation absently. She was just grateful that his beautiful eyes were no longer focused on her. Despite her intense wishes to the contrary, when he gazed at her she subtly warmed, as if he’d caressed her with his work-roughened hands.

  She suspected that was his super power, that with just a look he could make a woman feel like she was the most important woman in the entire world.

  She had no idea why he had decided to treat them all to cupcakes and ice cream, but if he had thought in his head to somehow seduce her then he had another thought coming.

  She refused to be just another notch on Clay Madison’s bedpost. There was no way she was going to play Juliet to his Rome
o.

  As far as Clay was concerned, Miranda Silver was not only one of the prettiest women in town but she was also a respected teacher and had the reputation of being a terrific mother.

  He’d had his eye on her ever since she divorced Hank just over a year ago. For the past year Clay had been on a quest to find his forever gal.

  He’d watched as his fellow cowboys at the Holiday Ranch had found happiness and begun to build futures with the women of their dreams, but so far Clay hadn’t found the special woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And he wanted that. He longed for that.

  As much as he found Miranda extremely attractive, her ice-princess facade had always been off-putting and had kept him from approaching her for a date. Buying cupcakes for them all was the perfect opportunity for him to break the ice and get to know her a little better. Hopefully, by the end of this time, he’d feel comfortable enough to ask her out on a real date.

  “So, do you have big plans for your summer vacation?” he asked her.

  She tucked a strand of her shiny blond hair behind one ear and picked up her fork. “The kids are involved in a lot of activities and that always keeps me busy, and I volunteer at the community center when I can.” She met his gaze for just a moment and then looked down at the cupcake in front of her.

  Being close to her was even better than he’d expected. She smelled like summer flowers and her skin looked so soft and touchable, but it was obvious she would rather be anywhere but here with him. At least she had begun eating the cupcake he’d bought for her.

  “Is it good?” he asked.

  “It’s like a little taste of heaven,” she said begrudgingly.

  “Mine is delicious,” Jenny said, her lower lip sporting a glob of pink frosting. Miranda gave her daughter a napkin.

  “So is mine,” Henry said. He wiped his mouth with the napkin Miranda also handed him.

  “I know you work at the high school. Do you enjoy teaching?” Clay asked.

  “I do.” She stared down at her cupcake as if it was the most amazing object she’d ever seen in her life.