Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: HQN Books (January 24, 2017)
In the heart of Ransom Canyon, sometimes the right match for a lonely soul is the one you least expect.
Dan Brigman may not lead the most exciting life, but he’s proud of what he’s achieved: he’s a respected lawman, and he’s raised a bright, talented daughter on his own. But finding a lone, sparkly blue boot in the middle of a deserted highway gets him thinking maybe the cowgirl who lost it is exactly the shake-up he needs.
After losing her baby girl, Brandi Malone felt like her soul died along with her daughter. Now singing in small-town bars to make ends meet, she’s fine being a drifter—until a handsome sheriff makes her believe that parking her boots under his bed is a better option.
College grad Lauren Brigman has just struck out on her own in downtown Dallas when a troubling phone call leads her back home to Crossroads. Her hometown represents her family, friends and deepest hopes, but also her first love, Lucas Reyes. Will Lauren’s homecoming be another heartbreak, or a second chance for her and Lucas?
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He remembered how Lauren was always telling him he needed to go out now and then. Maybe he could text her a picture of the boot and tell her he’d made the first step. Lauren had probably meant he should date one of the church ladies who asked him for favors, such as judging the jams competitions for charity, or invited him to the Wednesday-morning breakfast because they “needed more men.” His daughter had not meant for him to step out with the kind of woman who’d wear a rhinestone boot.
It was almost one o’clock when the sheriff pulled into the Two Step Saloon’s dirt parking lot. The bar was outside the city limits of Crossroads, but Dan swore he could hear the bass beating some nights from his office a few miles away. Most Friday nights he would have already had at least one call from the bartender before now. But since the Nowhere Club opened thirty miles south of Crossroads, business had dropped off along with arrests in Dan’s county.
Grabbing the boot, Dan walked into the Two Step. Maybe, if the place wasn’t too loud, or the folks too drunk, someone would remember seeing a lady wearing blue boots.
He relaxed. The main room was only half-full and most of the crowd looked far more interested in talking than fighting. Ike Perez, the owner, had put in a big-screen TV. If a game wasn’t on, he played reruns. The drunks didn’t seem to care. They cheered and bet as if they hadn’t seen the game before.
“Evening, Sheriff,” the bartender said as she reached for a cup and the coffeepot. “Wondered if you’d make it in tonight.”
Dan stood at the corner of the bar, his back almost touching the wall. It was the only spot in the room where he could see the whole place. “Evening, Kimmie.” The bartender might have been in AA for ten years, but she was still working making drinks. She reminded Dan of an old bull rider who walked among rough stock on the night before a rodeo. Kimmie might not take the ride anymore, but she stayed near the noise and the excitement.
When he set the fancy boot next to his cup, Kimmie winked at him. “If that’s your date, I’d say you lost a bit of her on the way in.”
Dan shrugged. “Story of my life. I start out with a woman and end up with a boot.”
Kimmie crossed her arms and leaned against the railing of the bar that was just right to be boob-resting height to her. “It might help, Sheriff, if you didn’t wear your gun and uniform on a date. You’re one fine-looking man, tall, lean and just enough gray to tell a lady that you probably know what you’re doing, but, honey, all that hardware around your waist won’t encourage any woman to cuddle up.”
About Jodi ThomasNew York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas is a fifth-generation Texan who sets many of her stories in her home state, where her grandmother was born in a covered wagon. She is a certified marriage and family counselor, a Texas Tech graduate and writer-in-residence at West Texas A&M University. She lives with her husband in Amarillo, Texas.
Connect with Jodi
Jodi Thomas’ TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Thursday, January 26th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy – Excerpt
Friday, January 27th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Monday, January 30th: A Bookaholic Swede – Excerpt
Wednesday, February 1st: From the TBR Pile
Friday, February 3rd: Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot
Wednesday, February 8th: The Sassy Bookster
Thursday, February 9th: Buried Under Romance – Excerpt and review
Friday, February 10th: A Chick Who Reads
Monday, February 13th: Books a la Mode – Excerpt
Monday, February 13th: Books and Spoons
Wednesday, February 15th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Thursday, February 16th: Bewitched Bookworms
Friday, February 17th: Stranded in Chaos
Monday, February 20th: Books and Bindings
Monday, February 20th: Pretty Little Book Reviews
Tuesday, February 21st: Romantic Reads and Such – Excerpt
Tuesday, February 21st: Becca the Bibliophile
Wednesday, February 22nd: Becky on Books
Date TBD: Susan Peterson
Thanks for featuring this excerpt for the tour!
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