Heart of a Rancher (Love Inspired) - Softcover

Andrews, Renee

Softcover

ISBN 10: 037387796X ISBN 13: 9780373877966

Verlag: Love Inspired, 2013

Inhaltsangabe

A dude ranch is John Cutter's lifelong dream, but it's one that the banks won't fund. So when a big-city businesswoman invests in the project—and stays to make the ranch a reality—John is thrilled. Despite her fancy clothes, Dana Brooks is the opposite of the gal who broke John's heart by leaving the country for the city. Dana's hard work, appreciation for the land and kindness to his family soon has John thinking about forever. But when he discovers her shocking secret, will John lose everything—or risk it all to believe in love?

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Renee Andrews spends a lot of time in the gym. No, she isn't working out. Her husband, a former All-American gymnast, coaches gymnastics. Renee is a kidney donor and actively supports organ donation. When she isn't writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband and bragging on their sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. For more info on her books or on living donors, visit her website at www.reneeandrews.com. 

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"So, when is the city girl going to make an appearance?" Landon Cutter finished cleaning the stalls while John hauled another fifty-pound bag of sweet feed into the barn.

John's phone beeped before he had a chance to answer his brother. He stacked the bag on top of the others he'd already hauled in, then fished the cell from his pocket and read the text. "How about that, her plane just landed." He glanced down at his sweat-soaked shirt, work jeans and boots. "Man, I've got to take a shower before she gets here."

"You've got plenty of time. It'll take her a good hour or so to make it to Claremont from Birmingham. Plus, from what I hear, it takes a while to get luggage at the airport."

John wasn't certain Landon was all that keen on his bringing in someone as prominent as Dana Brooks to their farm. Landon figured she wouldn't grasp the concept and appeal of down-home Southern pride. The Brooks family of Chicago rivaled the Trumps in money and influence, so John had also been surprised that the late Lawrence Brooks's daughter had seen merit in his business plan. In fact, John had sensed an undeniable appreciation in her texts and conversations. And if anyone could sell his dude ranch idea, it was Dana Brooks.

"She didn't fly into Birmingham. Her plane landed at the local airstrip in Stockville." John removed his work gloves, slapped them together and tossed them on a shelf in the tack room. "They've got a private jet. She should be here in half an hour."

Landon whistled. "A private jet. Isn't that something? And she's coming here to help you start a dude ranch in North Alabama?"

"Reckon I must have won her over with my unique idea and Southern charm." John's smile was instant, but he fought to maintain his confidence about the classy lady hopping on a plane to see the ranch firsthand. And she planned to stay for a month, until they got the place up and running. How would he entertain a Chicago socialite on a ranch for four weeks? "I'm going down to the fishing shack to clean up before she gets here."

"Fishing cabin," Landon corrected. "And you'd better get used to calling them cabins, or Georgiana is liable to have your hide."

"Right, my fishing cabin." John didn't know if he'd ever get used to the term. Landon's wife, Georgiana, had the idea to turn the old fishing shacks on their property into something more habitable that would appeal to those interested in an outdoor getaway to fish and relax. Cutter's Fish Camp had only been open a couple of weeks but was doing great, with regular weekend reservations for five out of six cabins. John was thrilled with the early success, but he still wanted to succeed with his own business plan, the one the bank had so quickly turned down. However, business magnate Dana Brooks had faith in his dude ranch idea…and in John.

He saddled his horse, Red, and started across the fields toward the stocked pond and the fishing shacks—correction—cabins. When Landon married Georgiana, John insisted that the two of them, along with Georgiana's seven-year-old daughter, Abi, live in the Cutter family home, a two-story log cabin at the center of the property. He, on the other hand, would live in one of the fishing shacks and therefore be nearby whenever a fishing camp guest needed anything. He liked the rustic, compact cabin and the seclusion the place provided from the outside world. True, guests surrounded him when the cabins were rented, but the majority of the time they kept to themselves and he had the perfect place to meditate on God and study for his business degree.

The cabins were multicolored, Georgiana's idea to paint them similar to Charleston's Rainbow Row. Being blind, Georgiana often discussed the appeal of color and how she remembered hues from before she lost her sight. Consequently, the cabins were painted with the favorite colors from her memories. John hoped the look would appeal to the city girl, Dana Brooks. His cabin was sage-green and the smallest of the lot. He'd stuck a couple of rockers in the front, and Abi had helped him put blooming plants in big pots on each cabin's porch, including his own. Riding closer, he took in the colorful cabins, the sky turning turquoise in the early afternoon, the green mountains, the brown water from the pond. The place looked like a postcard or an ad for the newest dude ranch, the only dude ranch, in Alabama.

Maybe the scene would impress Dana Brooks.

He dismounted, and Red moved to graze near the cabin, then John glanced toward the edge of the property, toward the dirt road entrance, and noticed a gaping hole in the fencing. Undoubtedly his oldest and most ornery cow, Gypsy, had once again decided to play nomad. She'd been escaping since she was a calf, hence her name; now at nearly sixteen, Gypsy was already a year past the age Charolais cattle typically lived, and she still managed to escape. But nowadays she often got confused, wandering out, then wandering right back in. John scanned the field, but didn't spot Gypsy. He had no idea whether she was out or in, but either way, he had to fix that fence before he lost more livestock. You couldn't very well have a dude ranch without horses and cattle.

John withdrew his cell and noted the time on the display. 4:00p.m. Ms. Brooks would be getting a rental car in Stockville. Maybe that'd take enough time for him to repair the fence and clean up before she arrived.

God, help her like this place, and help me make a good first impression.

Dana stepped onto the tarmac while her copilot, Ned, unloaded her bags. She'd only needed Mark, her pilot, and Ned for the trip, so Ned had assumed the duty of assisting her while Mark got everything in order for their flight back to Chicago.

She'd requested a vehicle that would blend with farm country, some type of SUV, and the sole Stockville car rental agency had delivered nicely. A tall, thin man in a black T-shirt and blue jeans stood beside a white Cadillac Escalade parked nearby. Definitely not standard car-rental-agent attire, but he did have a name tag stating that he was Jesse Burger with Stockville Car Rental.

"Ms. Brooks." He moved quickly toward her with a way-too-broad smile in place. She wished people wouldn't get so nervous around her, but that was part of being the late Lawrence Brooks's daughter that she couldn't change.

The late Lawrence Brooks. Dana frowned, still having a difficult time getting used to the fact that her father was gone.

"I'm Jesse Burger." The friendly man grabbed her outstretched hand and pumped it vigorously.

"Nice to meet you, Jesse." She pushed her sadness aside and managed a smile for the friendly man.

"Welcome to Alabama. I hope you like your vehicle. We don't typically keep this type of SUV at the agency in Stockville, but we brought this one in from Birmingham just for you. I reckon you'll enjoy the ride. It's really sweet."

Reckon? Sweet? She was charmed by the accent and by the local flavor in his speech. It reminded her of the thick drawl she'd heard on the other end of the line the few times she'd spoken to John Cutter. "I'm sure it will be fine."

"I'll admit I kind of volunteered to go pick it up so I could drive it. I've never been in a Cadillac. Talk about a smooth ride. And it sits high on the road, almost as high as my dually." He motioned toward an oversize red pickup truck with two full doors and humongous tires, similar to those she'd seen in advertisements when the monster trucks were at the Sears Centre...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Love Inspired
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2013
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 037387796X
• ISBN 13: 9780373877966
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 224
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Product Safety Manager; enquiries@harpercollins.ie; ; HarperCollins, Macken House, 39/40 Mayor Street Upper; Dublin 1; D01 C9W8; Irland