The Cowboy's New Heart Read online

  The Cowboy's New Heart

  Number V of Grass Valley Cowboys

  Shanna Hatfield

  (2013)

  * * *

  Rating: ★★★★★

  Tags: Romance

  Romancettt

  Years after her husband died unexpectedly, Denni Thompson can’t bear to think of giving her heart to anyone else. With three newly married sons, a grandchild on the way, and a busy life, Denni doesn’t give a thought to romance until she meets the handsome new owner of Grass Valley’s gas station.

  Former bull-rider Hart Hammond spent the last twenty years building up a business empire while successfully avoiding love. He buried his heart the same day he made his last bull ride and has vowed to never make the mistake of loving a woman again. Then he meets Denni Thompson, the beautiful mother of the fun-loving Thompson tribe.

  Can a broken-hearted widow and a heartless cowboy find love?

  From the Author

  Grass Valley Cowboys Series

  It was a hot August day when I drove through Grass Valley, Oregon, and the idea for a book set in the small town popped into my head.

  One of my friends grew up not far down the road and shared wonderful stories about her experiences living in the close-knit community.

  Writing The Cowboy's Christmas Plan, I didn't plan on that story becoming the first book in a series, but the characters - those handsome Thompson brothers - talked me into telling each of their stories.

  I'm glad they did.

  Set on the fictional Triple T Ranch, the series highlights the three hard-working Thompson brothers (Trey, Trent, and Travis), and their mother, Denni, as well as their friends.

  The Grass Valley Cowboys Series, in order:

  The Cowboy's Christmas Plan - Trey Thompson just wanted a housekeeper and cook. He never planned on falling in love with Cadence Greer. She takes the job, right along with his heart.

  The Cowboy's Spring Romance - Trent Thompson is confident, laid-back, and easy going except when he's around Lindsay Pierce. He's definitely met his match in the lovely school teacher.

  The Cowboy's Summer Love - Travis Thompson has loved Tess Morgan as long as he can remember. When they both return home to Grass Valley, the pull of attraction to one another is so strong it's about to throw them off kilter.

  The Cowboy's Autumn Fall - Brice Morgan thinks love at first sight is for idiots, at least until he meets Bailey Bishop and falls head over heels for the serious, career-minded girl.

  The Cowboy's New Heart - Denni Thompson emphatically declares herself too old to love again. Then she meets hunky Hart Hammond and decides to give love a second chance.

  About the Author

  Shanna Hatfield is a hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure. In addition to blogging, eating too much chocolate and being smitten with her husband (Captain Cavedweller), she writes clean romantic fiction with a healthy dose of humor. She also dabbles in cooking, baking, and home entertaining.

  By

  SHANNA HATFIELD

  The Cowboy’s New Heart

  Copyright 2013

  by Shanna Hatfield

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  For permission requests, please contact the author, with a subject line of "permission request” at the email address below or through her website.

  Shanna Hatfield

  [email protected]

  shannahatfield.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Special thanks to Roberta and Julie for providing such fun inspiration for the characters of Denni and Ester!

  To those who have survived

  a broken heart…

  Prologue

  “All that is worth cherishing begins in the heart.”

  Suzanne Chapin

  “He won’t bite.”

  Startled by the voice at his side, Drew Thompson looked down into a pair of twinkling ocean-blue eyes and let out the breath he was holding. Removing his hat, he ran tanned fingers through his thick brown hair, trying to calm his nerves.

  “Go on in, Drew. He’s waiting for you,” Ester Nordon said, giving the young man a nudge as he stood outside the home office door of her husband, Graham. “I made him promise to be on his best behavior.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Drew said, mustering a half-hearted smile for the woman he thought of as a second mother. “Do you think…?”

  Putting a small hand to his broad back, Ester opened the door and gave Drew a push. “You’ll be fine.” The door clicked shut behind him.

  Not expecting Ester to shove him into the room, Drew quickly gathered his wits and looked to see Mr. Nordon sitting at his desk, studying a pile of papers. He could hear the neighbor’s lawn mower buzzing through the open window and the scent of lilacs drifted on the morning breeze.

  “Drew, right on time,” Graham said with a grin as the young man stood hesitantly by the door. “Come on in and have a seat.”

  Drew took a chair across the desk from the man who was either going to make him very happy or cause him to break a young girl’s heart.

  “So, you said you had something important to discuss with me,” Graham said, sitting back in his chair, waiting for Drew to get down to business. He knew exactly why the young cowboy was sitting across from him, nervously twirling his hat around and around in his capable hands.

  “Yes, sir,” Drew said, feeling like he’d swallowed sawdust as his parched throat refused to work properly and a tight knot tied itself in his stomach.

  “And?” Graham asked, frowning to hide his humor in Drew’s obvious case of nerves.

  Drew began jiggling his foot as he sat back in the chair and took a deep breath. He tried to speak but no words were forthcoming.

  “Let’s cut to the chase, shall we?” Graham asked, trying to hide his smile. He liked Drew. He’d done business with his father, Tim, for years at the bank he managed in The Dalles, Oregon. From what he knew, the Thompson family was known for their honest, loyal, hard-working approach to life. Graham thought young Drew was doing an admirable job of following in his father’s footsteps, learning to manage their ranch, the Triple T, located about an hour away in Grass Valley.

  The only fault Graham could find with the kid was that he had taken a shine to his youngest daughter. He couldn’t blame the boy for good taste, though.

  “Yes, sir,” Drew said, running his finger around the inside of his shirt collar, wondering if he’d fastened one too many buttons when he put it on before driving into town.

  “You’re here to talk about Denni, aren’t you?” Graham asked, knowing the answer by the look in Drew’s eye, as well as the fact that Ester had informed him the boy was planning to ask for permission to marry his impertinent, head-strong child.

  “Yes, sir,” Drew said, finally finding his tongue. “I know I have no right to ask and I know she seems so young…”

  “Darn right, she’s young. She’s only seventeen, Drew. Seventeen,” Graham said, shaking his head. His independent, stubborn daughter got it in her head when she was only twelve that she was smitten with Drew. She saw him at the movie theater one summer evening when she was there with her sisters and no amount of talking could convince her ot
herwise.

  It was easy to see why the girl was in love with the strapping young man. His wavy brown hair, warm blue eyes, chiseled jaw, and easy smile would turn any girl’s head. Not overly tall but well built, he wore an easy confidence some men could go their entire life without developing.

  To make matters worse, Drew struck up a friendship with Jack, Graham’s only son. He often dropped by the house when he was in town or home from college on break. It was when he graduated and came home to stay a year ago that Drew finally seemed to notice Denni was no longer a gangly child but a beautiful young woman.

  Graham and Ester watched the poor young man fight his attraction for their vibrant daughter, but once Denni set her mind on something, it was as good as done.

  The fact that Drew was sitting in utter misery across from Graham at this very moment confirmed her determination to have her way.

  “I’m well aware of her age, sir,” Drew said, straightening in his chair. Acting like a sniveling idiot wasn’t going to help his cause so he tamped down his fear and took another deep breath. “You, as well as anyone, know that despite her age she acts older. You also know once she makes up her mind, there isn’t any changing it.”

  “That’s for sure,” Graham muttered, thinking of all the times he had butted heads with his fractious child.

  “What you might not know is how much I love your daughter, sir,” Drew said, feeling heat climb up his neck. It was one thing to tell Denni he loved her, but something else entirely to have to share his feelings with her overprotective father. “If you take her age out of the equation, she and I are quite well suited for each other. We love each other deeply, and I’m ready and willing to commit to spending a lifetime making her happy.”

  “Hmm,” Graham said, considering Drew’s words. None of it was news to him. He knew Drew would take good care of his daughter, he just thought she should experience more of life before she settled down. He was more concerned about Denni being a fit wife for Drew than him being a good husband.

  Glancing outside while Denni’s father appeared to be contemplating his decision, Drew noticed movement at the edge of the window. Staring intently, he tried not to grin when he recognized Denni’s fingers curled around the edge of the window frame. The little imp was doing her best to eavesdrop.

  “On second thought, sir, perhaps I am acting hastily. She is really very young and quite often immature,” Drew said, suddenly. When Graham looked at him in surprise, Drew inclined his head toward the window.

  Realizing Denni was listening to them, Graham shook his head. He picked up his pen and scratched a note, handing it to Drew.

  Drew read it and smiled.

  “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses, son,” Graham said, raising the level of his voice to be sure it carried out the open window. “That daughter of mine is too young and flighty to be a wife. I wouldn’t even let you hire her to keep house. Why just last week her mother told me she set a pan of grease on fire and nearly torched the kitchen.”

  Drew heard a noise that sounded like a muffled “humph” and couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Graham was laughing aloud as he motioned Drew to the far side of the room where two chairs sat in the corner near a bookcase, away from the open window.

  “Honestly, sir, I’m not concerned about her cooking or housekeeping skills. I just want to cherish and love her,” Drew said quietly, as he and Graham sat down side by side.

  “I know, Drew. I know you’ll take good care of her and be a good husband to her. It’s not you I’m worried about. I can’t get past the fact that she is so young and innocent, with so much life ahead of her yet to be lived,” Graham said with a sigh. Leaning back in his chair, he tapped his fingers together and finally looked directly at Drew. “If I don’t give you permission to marry her, we both know she’s likely to do something crazy like knock you out and drag you to Winnemucca, so I will give you both my blessing on two conditions.”

  Drew’s head snapped up as he realized Denni’s father was giving them permission to wed. “Two conditions, sir?”

  “Yes. Two,” Graham said, studying Drew. The boy appeared calm and ready to listen, so Graham continued. “The first stipulation is that I want her educated. I realize if you two are married, she won’t be going off to college. There are, however, any number of schools that would allow her to take courses from home. I expect her to take a minimum of three classes per semester, with summers free of study.”

  “That sounds fair and reasonable,” Drew said, agreeing with Graham that Denni should continue her education.

  “I’m glad you agree, because I expect you to help with her classes as needed. You’re a college graduate, a bright young man, and she will be your sole responsibility,” Graham said, relieved to see Drew thoughtfully consider his statement. “Now, the other condition you aren’t going to want to hear, but I’m going to say it anyway. She’s too young to be a mother, yet, Drew. You’ll have a hard enough time adjusting to married life, especially with her so young, without throwing a baby in the mix too soon. Let her grow up before you start your family. Give her time to get a degree in something, travel to a few places, live life a little before you take that step. Once you do, there is no going back and life as you know it will never be the same.”

  When Drew sat looking at him, Graham wondered what the boy was thinking. “Do you have any questions?”

  “No, sir,” Drew said, realizing Graham had a good point. He hadn’t given any consideration to babies but Drew felt his neck warm at the thought of making them with the beautiful girl outside, hanging on the edge of the window.

  “One last thing, then,” Graham said, plastering a stern look on his face. “You will take good care of my baby girl, mule-headed as she is, or I will hunt you down and shoot you.”

  Drew grinned. “Yes, sir.”

  Standing from their chairs, Graham walked Drew to the office door and slapped his back.

  “Why don’t you go rescue her before she completely destroys the shrubbery,” Graham said, smiling at Drew.

  “Yes, sir,” Drew said, pumping the man’s hand in thanks and settling his Stetson back on his head.

  Walking out the front door, he crept quietly around the corner of the house and along the porch until he could see Denni balancing on one foot on the porch railing, trying to peek in her father’s office window.

  “Just what do you think you’re doing, Molly?” a deep voice rumbled so near to Denni Nordon, a frightened squeak escaped her lips and her tenuous grasp on the window frame began to slip.

  Turning her blond head, she glared into the laughing blue eyes of Drew as he caught her to his chest before she could fall into the lilac bush.

  “My stars! You didn’t have to sneak up on me that way,” Denni huffed, wrapping her arms around his neck. “And why must you call me Molly? I’ve told you before I’m not fond of the name.”

  “Because lots of people refer to a female mule as Molly and you, my charming little miss, are about as mule-headed and stubborn as they come,” Drew said, kissing the end of her pert nose.

  “Well, what did Dad say?” Denni asked. Although she’d climbed up on the trellis hoping to overhear what was being said between Drew and her father, she hadn’t been able to hear anything after her father’s comment about the fire in the kitchen. Impatient to know if her dad was going to ruin her life or let her pursue the future she’d dreamed, she wasn’t amused when Drew tipped back his head and studied her.

  “I’m starting to think your mama’s right. If you’re going to be sneaking around and pulling childish pranks, maybe you aren’t quite grown up enough for this,” Drew said with a disapproving look on his handsome face.

  Denni knew a moment of panic before Drew broke into another grin.

  “He agreed, Molly,” Drew said, watching the wonder of his words sink in. Although five years her senior, Drew knew Denni was the one woman he was born to love. It took a while for her to convince him she wasn’t too young to be in love, but when she did,
he believed her wholeheartedly.

  As the tension flowed out of Denni, she relaxed against him and Drew felt heat begin to surge through his veins.

  “You’re not teasing me, are you?” Denni asked, trying to contain her excitement and act mature when everything in her wanted to run up and down the street calling out the news to everyone within hearing range. “This is not the time to be telling me something that isn’t true.”

  “It’s the honest truth,” Drew said, kissing Denni’s cheek, wanting very much to kiss her ripe lips. “Your daddy gave his permission for you to marry me on two conditions.”

  “Oh,” Denni said, feeling her hopes of soon being Drew Thompson’s wife slipping away. Bracing herself for some ridiculous demands in an effort to wait for her to mature, she nodded her head at the cowboy holding her in his strong arms. “Let’s hear it.”

  “Your mama and daddy still think you are too young to get married. Knowing you as well as they do, they also know if they don’t give their blessing you’re apt to do something crazy like kidnap me, drag me to Nevada, and force me to marry you,” Drew said, walking to the porch swing and sitting down with Denni across his lap.

  “They didn’t say that,” Denni said, narrowing her gaze at Drew.

  “Are you sure?” Drew asked, raising an eyebrow. “Maybe you could hear better than I thought you could.”

  “How did you know?” Denni blurted out, thinking she was clever and sly hiding beneath the window.

  “I saw you hanging off the window frame when I walked into your dad’s office. You, my sweet little Molly, are not James Bond material.”

  Drew cut off Denni’s splutters, by giving her a quick kiss. “Now, do you want to hear the conditions or not?”

  “I’m listening,” Denni said, trying to sit up straight and regal when she really wanted to stamp her foot with impatience.