Loving the Cowboy Read online

  Table of Contents

  Books by J.P. Bowie

  Title Page

  Legal Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  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

  Read more from J.P. Bowie

  More exciting books!

  About the Author

  Pride Publishing books by J.P. Bowie

  Single Books

  The Set Up

  Ride ‘em Cowboy

  Ride ‘em Again Cowboy

  Personal Trainers

  Halloween Angel

  The Officer and the Gentleman

  With a Little Help from My Friends

  Blood Relations

  Nowhere to Hide

  Trip of a Lifetime

  A Ghost Story

  Happy Ending

  A Highlander in LA

  Journey to Hope

  Paris Connection

  All I’ll Ever Need

  Every Breath I Take

  Highland Hearts

  Evan Sent

  Fear and Loving in Las Vegas

  Breaking the Habit

  Fear of Flying

  Love on the Rocks

  Murder by Design

  The Journeyer

  The Journey Begins

  The New World

  The Fight for Freedom

  Into the West

  Hot in the Saddle

  Vetting the Cowboy

  Teaching the Cowboy

  My Vampire and I

  My Vampire and I

  My Vampire Lover

  Duet in Blood

  Blood Resurrection

  Bound in Blood

  Blood Lure

  Blood Lust

  Blood Talisman

  Blood Vigilance

  Anthologies

  Fabulous Brits: Under the Law

  Naughty Nooners: Lunches in Laguna

  Friction: Cruising

  Saddle Up ‘N’ Ride: Ride ‘em Hard Cowboy

  Promoted by the Billionaire: Fly to Him

  Heatwave: Summer Bliss

  Collections

  Christmas Spirits: A Present Christmas

  Homecoming: Blueprint for Love

  Yule Be Mine: A Special Christmas

  Immortal Love: Night Wing

  A Little Bit Cupid: Valentine’s Day Blues

  Hot in the Saddle

  LOVING THE COWBOY

  J.P. BOWIE

  Loving the Cowboy

  ISBN # 978-1-83943-019-0

  ©Copyright J.P. Bowie 2020

  Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill ©Copyright March 2020

  Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

  Pride Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Pride Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Pride Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2020 by Pride Publishing, United Kingdom.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

  Pride Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book”.

  Book three in the

  Hot in the Saddle series

  When Tim meets Ryan it’s “Yippee yi yo kayah!” at first sight…almost!

  Tim Barrett, working at the Seven Plus ranch, receives some terrible news and has to fly home to Reno to comfort his sister. When he returns, it’s to find the owners have hired a new hand, ex-wrangler Ryan Horton. At first wary of Ryan’s flirting, Tim can’t deny that he’s attracted to the man.

  Tim’s been through an awkward relationship in the past, and he doesn’t know very much about Ryan, apart from that the man’s hot in bed. When he presses Ryan for information, it causes a rift in their fledgling romance.

  As if their own differences weren’t enough, Tim has to deal with Brady, a guest who can’t seem to understand the word ‘no’. It becomes Tim’s mission in life to keep Ryan well away from Brady for fear of Ryan laying the pesky guest out.

  Can Tim navigate a path through the various obstacles that seem determined to get in his way before finding a safe haven in the arms of the man he’s learning to love?

  Dedication

  Thank you, Claire, Rebecca and everyone at TEG without whom I would not be published—and to my readers who love cowboys as much as I do. Special thanks to Rebecca Baker Fairfax for being such a good and supportive editor, and to my hubby, Phil, the constant in my life.

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  All About Tonight: Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip

  Arby’s: Roark Capital Management, LLC

  Blame It on Your Heart: Harlan Howard & Kostas

  Bud Light: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

  Chevy: General Motors Company

  Delta: Delta Air Lines, Inc.

  Game of Thrones: Warner Bros. Television

  Jacuzzi: Jacuzzi Inc.

  John Carter: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

  Miller Lite: MillerCoors LLC

  Netflix: Netflix, Inc.

  Once You’ve Had the Best: Johnny Paycheck

  Stetson: John B. Stetson Company

  Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

  Chapter One

  It was the Friday-night barbecue at the Seven Plus dude ranch and the place was alive with the sounds of music and laughter. Tim Barrett, employed at the Seven Plus as a trainer, stood over at the bar, shooting the breeze with Seth Archer, his friend and fellow trainer who liked to tend bar at these shindigs, saying he wasn’t any good at socializing—which was a crock. Tim didn’t know anyone more outgoing than Seth. Outgoing—and nosy, especially when it came to Tim’s personal life. He was forever trying to set him up with this guy or that guy whenever they went out on the town, especially since he and Mike, their local veterinarian, had gotten hitched. Married life had made Seth even more convinced that it was what Tim needed too. It might irritate him some, but Tim was also sort of touched that Seth cared that much about him.

  “Evenin’, guys.” Clint Hanson, and Sherry, his fiancée and also Royce’s secretary, arrived and Tim moved aside to let them get to the bar for some liquid refreshment.
/>   “Hi.” Tim tipped his hat to Sherry and smiled. “Still putting up with this guy, huh?”

  “’Fraid so.” Sherry winked. “He kinda grows on you, though, you know.”

  “Hey.” Clint mock-glared at Tim. “Quit trying to steal my lady from me.”

  Seth laughed. “You might need to worry, Clint. Tim doesn’t seem to be interested in guys these days.”

  “Will you cut that out?” Tim tried to look stern, but his buddy’s sunny smile made it hard for him to appear even slightly pissed off. It really was too good an evening to let Seth’s teasing banter get under his skin. Besides, he knew that Seth, despite being an irritant at times, really did have Tim’s best interests at heart.

  It was a perfect night in Northern California. Ribbons of gold and crimson stretched across the sky as the sun began to set. A dry, warm breeze caressed his face and he lifted his gaze westward to the visible peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains. There had been some light rain the last few days, tamping down the worry of fires in this heavily wooded part of the county. He figured he couldn’t find a better place to be than here at the Seven Plus. He’d never been so content as he was now, and even the lack of a regular boyfriend didn’t faze him that much. Sometimes, life was easier on his own.

  He stood watching his bosses Parker Jones and Royce Chandler converse with two guests. Not for the first time, Tim admired both his bosses’ physical presences. Royce, tall and blond, managing to still appear elegant in worn jeans and a checkered shirt, a far cry from his law office attire of pressed pants, white shirt and power ties. Parker, shorter than Royce, but still every inch the leanly muscled bronco rider he used to be, his Stetson pushed back to show his dark curly hair and wide smile.

  The two men they were chin-wagging with had just arrived at the ranch for a five-day visit. In that short length of time they hoped, like most of the ‘dudes’ who came to the ranch, to master the art of horseback riding and roping. Some managed to ride fairly well, but roping a steer, even a small steer, was generally a different story. There were show-and-tell yarns of bruised asses, elbows and knees from more than a few of the guests. But the predominant theme most nights after a day’s training was, for the main part, how much the guys had enjoyed themselves.

  There were exceptions, of course. In Tim’s opinion, some people just didn’t know how to let their hair down and have fun—and isn’t that a darned shame—especially at the prices they were paying to be a guest at the ranch. Fortunately, the complainers were very much in the minority.

  “Hey, Tim!” Parker waved at him to come join the group. “Want you to meet the boys you’ll be with tomorrow. This here is Jay Holden and Lee Jenkins. Jay and Lee, meet Tim Barrett, one fine horseman—bareback rider winner twice at our local rodeo, as a matter of fact. He’ll he training you tomorrow and you couldn’t be in better hands.”

  Tim’s face warmed at all that praise while he shook hands with the two men. Parker liked to talk up his boys’ prowess, and there was nothing wrong with that, he figured. And just like Parker had intended, Jay and Lee looked very impressed.

  “Wow, we can’t wait to get started,” Jay exclaimed. “We’ve been looking forward to this week forever, haven’t we, Lee?”

  “You mean you’ve been looking forward to this forever,” Lee said, but gave his partner an affectionate hug around his shoulders. “Me, I’m looking forward to just relaxing more than anything else. Last week was a total bitch.”

  “Jay and Lee are attorneys,” Royce told Tim. “So I know what he means.”

  Tim grinned. “I think I have Stu with me tomorrow, so I’ll tell him to take it easy on you.”

  “Not too easy,” Jay said, laughing. “I want him to be saddle sore like I’m sure I’ll be at the end of the day.”

  Tim’s cell vibrated in his back pocket and he took it out quickly to glance at the screen. Mom… “Excuse me guys, my mom’s on the phone and it’s more than my life’s worth to ignore her call.”

  Parker chuckled. “Go take the call, Tim. Can’t have you in that kinda trouble.”

  Tim connected the call while he walked away. “Hi, Mom, what’s cookin’?”

  “Tim…it’s Talia.”

  “Oh, hi, sis. What? You tryin’ to save money by using Mom’s phone?”

  “Tim… Oh God, I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  Tim frowned. “Just tell me, sis. Just let the words come out.”

  “It’s Mom and Dad. They were in a car crash, and…” A sob cut her off and Tim’s stomach seemed to drop to his feet.

  “Dear God. Are they okay?”

  “No, Tim…they’re both gone.” His sister’s heart-wrenching sobs cut him to the bone. “Can you, can you come home right away?”

  Jesus. “Yeah, I’ll—I’ll talk to Parker and get on the first plane tomorrow.” A numbness spread through him and his limbs trembled and gave way under him. His phone fell from his grasp and he slumped to his knees.

  “Tim!” Parker and Royce were at his side, Parker’s arm around his shoulder. “What’s wrong, buddy?”

  “My mom and dad—they’re…” He couldn’t say the words.

  Royce picked up Tim’s phone. “Hello, Mrs. Barrett, this is Royce Chandler.”

  “Royce, it’s Talia. I was giving Tim the news ’bout our mom and dad. They were …they were in a car crash and…and they’re dead, Royce. Is Tim all right?”

  “He’s in shock, Talia, and I’m sure you are, too. Do you have someone with you?”

  “Yes, Lloyd, my boyfriend is here. Can Tim come right away?”

  “Of course. We’ll put him on the first plane out tomorrow.”

  “Oh, thank you. Let me know what flight he’s on and we’ll pick him up at the airport.”

  “Right, I’ll call you in the morning. And Talia…our condolences on your loss. Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help.”

  “Thank you.”

  Royce ended the call. “How are you, Tim?”

  “I’ll be okay… Just the shock, you know? The last thing I ever thought I’d hear.”

  Seth hustled over to them. “What’s going on?”

  “Tim had bad news about his folks,” Royce told him. “They were both in a fatal auto accident.”

  Seth looked stunned. “Oh, my God. Tim, I’m so sorry.” He knelt by his friend’s side and held him.

  “Come inside, Tim,” Royce said gently. “Parker, call Jordan and tell him he’s needed tomorrow. It’s his day off, but he’ll understand once you explain what’s happened.”

  Tim groaned. “God, I’m sorry to be such a problem.”

  “You’re not a problem,” Royce snapped. “Now come inside while I go online with the airline and get you a flight for the morning.”

  “Anything I can do, Boss?” Seth helped Tim to his feet.

  “Just schmooze with the guests. Let them know we’ve had some bad news, but everything’s all right and being taken care of.”

  “Will do.” He gave Tim another hug. “Sorry, buddy. Mike and me’ll be here for you when you get back.”

  Tim nodded and followed Royce into the house. Royce poured him a shot of Scotch and handed him the glass. “This’ll calm you. Knock it back. There’s plenty more where that came from.”

  While Royce busied himself online booking Tim a morning flight to Reno, Tim tried to come to grips with the news of his parents’ deaths. Despite the fact that they hadn’t always seen eye to eye, had disapproved of his bronco riding, and had never known of his sexual orientation, he had loved his mom and dad, and this tragedy would leave so many things unresolved, so many words unspoken.

  Memories pushed to the back of his mind for so long now flooded him with enough force to bring tears of remorse, and some bitterness, to his eyes.

  ‘Tim…’ His sister had stared at him, eyes wide with shock. ‘You cannot ever tell Mom and Dad about this. They will go ballistic. You know they will. They most likely will never speak to you again. Let this be our secret, Tim—no one e
lse’s in the family.’

  How well he remembered that day, years ago, when he’d come out to Talia. He’d been eighteen, Talia twenty. They’d always been close, ran around with the same circle of friends, so Tim had taken Talia’s warning to heart and had said nothing to his parents about the changes he’d been experiencing since puberty. The physical changes, of course, had been obvious. He’d grown taller, his body filling out with toned muscle as he exercised at the school gymnasium, played football and joined the wrestling team. His voice had deepened, the soft planes of his face hardening to a maturity so that when he looked at himself in the mirror he was quite pleased with what he saw.

  “Okay, Tim…” Royce was standing in front of him, his expression of sympathy yanking Tim back to the present and his grief. “Gotcha on Delta’s nine-thirty departure. You’ll be in Reno around noon, so I’ll let Talia know when to pick you up.”

  “Thanks, Boss.”

  Royce put his arms around him and he let his head fall onto Royce’s chest when the floodgates opened again.

  * * * *

  The flight wasn’t long, and as he hadn’t slept one wink the night before, he did doze off a couple of times. When he was awake, the pain and lingering shock of his parents’ deaths wouldn’t recede, so the brief lapses of consciousness were welcome. Talia and her latest boyfriend, Lloyd, were there to meet him at the terminal. Talia looked wrecked. She broke down in Tim’s arms and he held her tight to his body to give her comfort while Lloyd looked on awkwardly, but with sympathy in his eyes.

  “I’m so glad you came,” Talia hiccupped through her tears.

  “I couldn’t let you handle this on your own, even if you are my big sister,” he teased, trying to lighten her mood.

  She let him go long enough for him to shake hands with Lloyd, who pulled him into a manly hug. “I’m glad you’re here too,” Lloyd said. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen you. Just sorry it has to be under these circumstances.”