Second-Chance Cowboy. Carolyne Aarsen
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Rancher Daddy
Morgan Walsh will do just about anything to connect with the son who continues to keep him at arm’s length. Even ask a favor of ex-fiancée Tabitha Rennie. And what young Nathan desperately wants is for Tabitha to train his late mother’s horse. But Tabitha is also determined to keep her distance. As soon as she’s paid off her father’s debts, she’ll leave town and the painful memories of the real reason she abruptly left Morgan all those years ago. Yet spending time with Morgan and his son is sparking dreams she can’t deny: of family, fresh starts and first loves that last a lifetime.
Tabitha laid a gentle hand on Morgan’s shoulder.
It was only supposed to be a show of comfort. But then he looked over at her, and as his eyes met hers, a quiver of attraction grew deep in her soul.
She didn’t want to break the connection. In fact, she wanted to put her other hand on his other shoulder, like she used to. Tease him. Like she used to.
Her breath caught and it wasn’t until they were jostled by someone wanting to get past them that the moment was over.
He looked momentarily taken aback as he broke her hold. Then he strode away.
Tabitha struggled with the confusion of her emotions. What was she doing? She had to stay in charge. It wasn’t fair to Morgan.
She’d had her chance with him and she’d made her choice.
What if you told him what actually happened and why?
She held that thought as she made her way out the door.
Morgan was gone, and Tabitha knew there was no way she would be able to tell him what really happened. She was on her own.
Tabitha struggled all her life with feelings of self-worth brought on by her father’s actions and her own difficulty with reading. Both come together to create a situation where she feels she has to make up for what her father did in order to hold her head up. In the process of the story, she learns that her worth is in Christ, and not in doing things to fix what her father did.
I think there are times in each of our lives that we feel we have no value. No worth. It’s not a good place to be because, as the Bible verse I quoted at the beginning of this book tells us, in God’s eyes we are valuable and loved.
I pray that you may feel God’s love and care and that you may place your worth in Him.
P.S. I love to hear from my readers. Drop me a line at [email protected] and tell me what you liked about my book. Or you can go to my website at carolyneaarsen.com. If you sign up for my newsletter you’ll get a free book.
CAROLYNE AARSEN and her husband, Richard, live on a small ranch in northern Alberta, where they have raised four children and numerous foster children and are still raising cattle. Carolyne crafts her stories in an office with a large west-facing window, through which she can watch the changing seasons while struggling to make her words obey. Visit her website at carolyneaarsen.com.
Second-Chance Cowboy
Carolyne Aarsen
So don’t be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows.
—Matthew 10:31
To my nieces Amber and Chelsey who inspire me with their loving devotion to their parents.
And with thanks to my nephew Daniel Aarsen who helped me with the vet stuff.
Family is everything!
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