My Thoughts
Janice and Dirk have known each other for years. Janice has had quite the crush on him, but he can't see past the rodeo queen. Then one night while on the circuit they share a passionate night together. Dirk pulls away from her when she needs him most and leaves town breaking her heart. He goes into the service and she enters a loveless marriage. Years later they are reunited when she returns home, but they both have scars from the life they have led apart. If they can work past those, they might just be able to have forever. I so loved their story.
I give Rough Rider 4 hearts!
I give Rough Rider 4 hearts!
About the Book
Two wary hearts …
Janice Combes has two loves, bucking bulls and Dirk
Knowlton. But Dirk only has eyes for a dazzling rodeo queen. How can Janice
ever compete while mired ankle-deep in manure? Exchanging playful banter with
Dirk is all Janice can expect—until the stormy night he knocks on her door
dripping wet and needing a place to crash.
Different Dreams…
Dirk Knowlton is living the cowboy dream. Life should be
good—roping, branding, backing broncs, riding bulls, but there's a void he
can't seem to fill. After getting hung up by a bull, he wonders if this is
really the life he wants. Restless and rebellious, he bolts…but there’s a
certain cowgirl he can’t forget.
When a battle-scarred Dirk returns to his Montana ranch he's
determined to hang on at any cost. Janice has come back home to lick her own
wounds. When old dreams turn to dust, can two wary hearts take another chance
on love?
Purchase Links
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Excerpt
He looked abashed. “We didn’t just have to leave the party,
we got kicked out of the hotel too.”
“Evicted from your room?”
“Yup. And there aren’t any others available in all of
Casper.”
“I know,” she said. “It’s why I’m camped out here.” She
paused to digest what he’d left unsaid. “So you and Rachel?”
He shook his head with a scowl “We’re done now. Quits.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. History. Case closed.”
“It’ll blow over.”
“Don’t think so. It was her idea to boot us. Said she didn’t
give a shit if I had a room tonight or not. Then I couldn’t even try finding
anything outside of town because my asshole brother took my keys so I wouldn’t
drive. My next move was to pilfer a blanket and pillow and camp out under the
stars in my truck bed, but then it started pouring on me.”
“So you came here. How’d you do that with no wheels?”
“Walked.”
“Three miles in the pouring rain? No wonder you look like
something the cat dragged in.”
“Can I crash for a coupla hours? Maybe just camp out in the
back seat of your dually? All I need is to get warm and dry again.”
Janice’s mouth went dry as sawdust. Dirk Knowlton. Cold.
Wet. Here. Now. Wanting a bed? She’d give her right arm to warm him up. Heck
yeah.
Misreading her silence he mumbled a curse. “Sorry, Janice.
It’s my damned head. I’m not thinkin’ right. It’s still throbbing like hell.
Haven’t been myself all night. M’pologies for being such a dumb-ass and
imposing on you—” He turned to the door.
“No! Wait. It’s not that.” She grabbed his sleeve. “I was
just thinking of your injuries. You don’t need to make matters worse by
sleeping all cramped up in the truck.” She gnawed her lower lip and then
blurted. “Y-you wanna just stay here instead?”
“Here? That’s mighty generous but there isn’t a whole lot of
room for both of us.” He glanced up at the gooseneck with a frown. “If you’ll
just gimme a blanket, I’ll take the floor.”
“You don’t need to do that,” she said. “The bench here flips
down over the table and converts into a single. It’s really narrow and not very
comfortable, but still better than the truck. Warmer anyway. Besides you need
to get dry.”
“You sure about this?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She smiled. “What are friends for? I’m sure I’ve got
a shirt for you too.”
“Thanks, Red. That would be great.”
Red? The single syllable rippled warm and tingly, all the
way to her toes. He followed up with a lopsided grin that stopped her in her
tracks. She turned to the small cabinet that served a dual function as dresser
and closet and shut her eyes on a sigh—but the same air stuck in her throat the
minute she turned back around.
He’d shed the denim jacket. And the black tee. His bare
torso with well-developed pecs and a mouthwatering six pack greeted her. He was
drying his face with his discarded shirt. Janice tore her gaze away and cleared
her throat. “Here.” She thrust an extra-large Dixie Chicks T-shirt into his
hands, a souvenir from their Top of the World Tour. “I—I can get you a towel
too.”
He eyed the shirt skeptically. “No thanks.”
“What? You don’t like female musicians?”
“Don’t like their politics. Natalie should just shut up and
sing.”
“Ah.” She nodded slowly. The shirt was from the tour that
caused the “incident.” A lot of her friends had since thrown out their Dixie
Chicks CDs, but Janice still loved their music. “I Can Love You Better” was her
favorite. The lyrics, she’s got you wrapped up in her satin and lace. Tied
around her little finger…but I can love you better, perfectly summed up all the
heartbreak and frustrations of unrequited love; all her secret feelings for
Dirk. She only wished she could show him now that he was here. In the flesh. A
big strong, blue-lipped and teeth-chattering fantasy come true.
About the Author
Victoria Vane is a multiple award-winning romance novelist
and history junkie whose collective works of fiction range from wildly comedic
romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance. Victoria also writes historical
fiction as Emery Lee and is the founder of Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction
Lovers and the Romantic Historical Lovers book review blog.
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