The Heart of a Cowboy. Charlene Sands

      CHARLENE SANDS

      resides in Southern California with her husband, Don, and two children, Jason and Nikki. When not writing, she enjoys sunny California days, Pacific beaches, sitting down with a good book and, of course, happy endings!

      She loves to hear from her readers. Contact her at [email protected] or visit her Web site at charlenesands.com.

      To my husband, Don, my best friend, my love and my own special breed of cowboy. Ain’t nobody better, honey.

      And special thanks to my talented editor, Patience Smith, for your effort in making this book come together.

       It’s always a pleasure working with you.

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Epilogue

      One

      Case Jarrett pulled his truck up to Red Ridge Ranch and heaved a heavy sigh. He glanced at the ranch house he’d grown up in. After months away busting broncs on the rodeo circuit and silently grieving the death of his brother, Reid, he was back now.

      Bounding out of the king cab, Case lifted his Stetson off his head to run a hand through his dark hair. Arizona heat coiled around him like a diamondback snake tightening about his body. He welcomed the familiar swamping and took in a deep breath of dust-laden air, then returned his hat to his head.

      He had a promise to keep and wondered how Sarah, his brother’s widow, would react to his moving back home. Hell, he’d debated his decision over and over in his mind and hadn’t come up with any other way to protect his family home and keep the promise he’d made to Reid on his deathbed.

      Case had kept his distance for five months—since the funeral—but Sarah was eight months pregnant now and Case couldn’t justify his staying away any longer. He was needed here. Always had been. Guilt yanked at him hard. If he’d been here, seeing to the Triple R, helping out, maybe Reid wouldn’t have died so tragically. His brother would still be alive to witness the birth of his first child.

      Instead Reid was buried in the family plot five miles up the road. Case had stopped by on his way in, noting the fresh batch of wildflowers on his grave. Sarah, no doubt, had laid down those flowers. When the front screen slapped open, Case snapped his head up. Sarah stood on the front porch, just outside the door and her expression, that momentary sign of hope, slammed into his gut. Disappointment registered quickly on her face when she recognized him. Being an identical twin brother had had its share of benefits at an earlier age, especially where Sarah was concerned, but now, his very appearance was a constant reminder to her of the husband that she’d lost. She did a fine job of covering up, but Case knew beyond a doubt that for one instant before reason and reality set in, Sarah thought she was seeing the man she had married.

      Take care of Sarah for me, Case, and the baby, too. Reid’s dying words echoed in his head. He’d made the promise while Reid was drawing his last breath. But Case hadn’t stayed on too long after the funeral. He’d headed back to the rodeo straight away.

      Sarah was in good hands, he’d told himself. Her sister Delaney and her two young daughters had come to spend time on the ranch, keeping Sarah company, helping her cope with her loss and the pregnancy. Case knew she’d been taken care of then, but summer was over now and Delaney was gone. She’d taken her children back to California when the new school session began.

      A hefty dose of conscience had struck Case while pulling back a pint of Jack Daniels and he’d called Sarah from Denver one night. She’d been crying, but darn her stubborn pride, tried her best to disguise it. Sarah Johnston Jarrett couldn’t lie worth a damn.

      Case knew then, he had to come home. For Sarah and for Reid. The irony was, that for all his good intentions, he now had to come face-to-face with the woman he’d been avoiding for the past six years. The woman he’d secretly