Cathy McDavid

As head of guest services at Bear Creek Ranch, it's Natalie Forrester's job to make everyone feel welcome.But from the moment they meet, it's former rodeo champion Aaron Reyes who makes her feel special. The widowed cowboy may be kicking up some dust with his former in-laws, but he's all warmth and tenderness when it comes to Natalie and her infant daughter.Aaron wasn't expecting the folks at Bear Creek to roll out the welcome mat for him. And he certainly didn't intend to fall for the caring single mother and her irresistible baby. He'd planned to skip town as soon as he took care of family business. But how can he leave with Natalie making him feel this is where he belongs... that he's finally come home?

When Max learns that his mommy is going to have a baby, he talks and sings to his unborn sibling but he can't seem to make the baby come out sooner.

It isn't easy for a man to get back in the saddle after he's lost his competitive edge. But fallen rodeo star Ty Boudeau refuses to give up his shot at the World Championship. Even if it means taking lessons at a glorified dude ranch from a woman who can rope a steer better than a man. As owner of Cowboy College, Adele Donnelly makes it a rule never to get involved with her guests. Especially not a famous and footloose cowboy whose life is all about traveling the rodeo circuit. But Ty is more than just another handsome face ... and getting pregnant with his baby wasn't in Adele's long-term game plan. Because men like him can't be tied down. And she's not used to family sticking around. Why should Ty be any different? Should she give the cowboy a chance to be a championship daddy?

"Las Vegas casino manager Ruby McPhee needs to lay low while the police deal with a stalker at work. So she's trading in her high heels for cowboy boots and assuming her twin sister's identity at the Gold Nugget Ranch. Ruby only plans on staying in Sweetheart, Nevada, until the threat back home has passed. But then she discovers a detail her sister forgot to mention--the handsome sheriff she's dating. It only takes a single kiss for Cliff Dempsey to realize the woman in his arms is someone entirely different...and completely irresistible. To protect Ruby's secret, Cliff maintains her ruse, but soon the lines between duty and desire begin to blur. Ruby and Cliff know they have a once-in-a-lifetime connection, but will they have a chance to let their love grow?"--Page of cover.

"Twenty-five years ago, the Beckett family was irrevocably divided by lies told and secrets kept. But Ryder Beckett comes back to The Easy Money to reconcile with his past and help run the rodeo arena until he can find a new job. He is quick to fall into old ways--taking care of the horses, trying a few of his old rodeo tricks and falling for Tatum Mayweather. Ryder's childhood friend has become a beautiful woman. But how can he get involved with a single mother of threee when he is only at the ranch temporarily? Tatum deserves a stay-in-one place kind of guy, and that has never been Ryder. Is the pull of family enough to keep him in Reckless, Arizona? Is this where Ryder truly belongs?"--Page 4 of cover.

If there's one thing Corinne Sweetwater dislikes, it's chaos. As kitchen manager at her family's Bear Creek Ranch, the ex-warrant officer faces a different kind of challenge. Professional fisherman Greg Pfitser and his mischievous cherubs seem intent on ignoring all her rules and turning her well-ordered world topsy-turvy.Suddenly discovering he's father to a pair of rambunctious twins is a challenge for any man. Maybe the Arizona guest ranch is the ideal place for Greg to do some serious bonding with his son and daughter. The laid-back single dad and by-the-book chef have differing views on just about everything. Still, the attraction sparking between Greg and Corinne can't be ignored. Is it strong enough to lead to a true meeting of hearts and minds?

A Time to Rebuild It's gone—everything Annie Hennessy, and two generations of Hennessys before her, had worked so hard to build. The devastating forest fire didn't just claim her family's Sweetheart Inn—it also burned half a town whose livelihood is wedding tourism. Now the struggle to rebuild is just beginning, and Sam Wyler's sudden reappearance isn't going to make things any easier on Annie. Nine years ago, Annie and Sam were deeply in love. When he left to seek his fortune, Annie couldn't forgive him. Now Sam, widowed with a young daughter, is back and eager to help the town recover. But Annie needs more than bricks and builders to heal her proud and wounded heart. Could the love they once shared hold the key?

His family's Arizona cattle ranch is just the place for Cole Dempsey to hang his hat before he heads back to the rodeo circuit. That is, until Violet Hathaway makes Cole think twice about his future when the livestock manager delivers her game-changing news she is pregnant! One passionate mistake coud cost Vi her job at Dos Estrellas. And whatever growing feelings Cole and Violet have for each other, she knows the professional cowboy had not planned on settling down in Mustang Valley. When he hits the road again, he will take her dream of them making a life together. Or is a rancher's legacy about to come full circle?

A COWBOY'S SECOND ACT To provide stability for his two young children, retired rodeo rider Josh Dempsey returns home to his family's Arizona ranch, part of which is used as a mustang sanctuary run by Cara Alverez. Working with horses helps Cara deal with a tragic loss. When Josh asks her for parenting help in return for his support with the sanctuary, Cara is torn. She is captivated by his adorable toddler son and baby daughter but isn't sure she can survive another blow to the heart. Unless a cowboy looking for his own second chance can show her how to love again.

Sheriff Neil Lovitt was looking for a fresh start in Payson. Small-town Arizona is about as far away as a man can get from New York and all its painful memories. His job has already made him a widower and robbed his five-year-old girl of her mother. Now Neil's just looking to keep his daughter, and his heart, safe.But Carolina Sweetwater isn't interested in safety; the headstrong rancher's daughter wasted plenty of time running from her own broken heart. Now she's ready to take a chance at love again, but Neil refuses to put another woman he cares about in danger. Can Carolina make the sexy sheriff see that he stands to lose more by risking nothing at all?

WRONGED MAN. RIGHT WOMAN? After three years of wrongful imprisonment, Quinn Crenshaw is ready to rebuild his life and find the daughter he has never met. A job training horses at his cousin's Arizona cattle ranch becomes something wonderful when Quinn meets Summer Goodwyn and her special-needs little boy. The single mother believes in him ... and is raising this former rodeo champion's spirits sky-high! The equine therapy program is helping Summer's young son connect with others--including one super-attractive rancher determined to be a father to his own little girl. Despite the obstacles in their path, can she make Quinn see they have a future worth fighting for?

"The Powell Ranch is not the expansive spread it used to be. With a good part of its land sold off to developers, Gabe Powell is struggling to save his disappearing way of life. ... Sage Navarre is in Arizona on an urgent domestic matter that will secure her young child's future. And as a government field agent, she's been ordered to help Gabe track down an escaped mustang while she's here. ... But what will Gabe say when she dashes his dreams for his ranch? Because he's not the only one who wants that mustang"--P. of cover.