Luck of the Cowgirl
By Sarah Cass
Holidays in Lake Point Series
Promo Tour February 28th - March 19th
Calli Ryley lost
everything when her last relationship went south—her job, her lover, and she
hightailed her way all the way to Lake Point to escape. She’s steeled her heart
against love, and most certainly wouldn’t get involved on the job again. The
best thing she can do is keep working with her head down and no sights on love.
Dee Parker has
spent the past year away from Lake Point dealing with illness and death. She
returns home ready to dive back into life. When she first sets eyes on the sexy
cowgirl Calli, she’s instantly smitten. The cold reception Calli gives her
leaves Dee ready to move on.
Could one seemingly
simple business trip turn their luck in love around? Or will love get snowed
in?
Deanna rubbed her eyes with the heels of her
hands. All of the information in front of her made her eyes cross. She knew
eventually she’d get a handle on the whole breeding business, but at first
glance it was a complicated mess of bloodlines and pure money.
The money she could handle, the pedigrees were
convoluted and confusing to a newbie. She pondered asking Calli for help, but
then thought better of it. After the first couple of days of overt flirtation,
Deanna had pulled her head out of her ass. Maybe she’d read Calli wrong, maybe
not, whatever the reason flirting clearly put the girl off. Instead, Deanna had
settled into a routine that didn’t involve much contact with the sexy cowgirl.
When she had seen Calli, Deanna had been the
consummate professional. After all, she was an adult and knew how to act with
some decorum when she needed to. Didn’t mean she liked it any. Having fun was a
much better way to pass the day.
She groaned in frustration and leaned back in
her seat to stare at the ceiling. “I am smart enough to do this. I really am.”
“Uh, okay.” Calli’s cute little drawl
interrupted Deanna’s self-chastising moment. If Deanna wasn’t completely
delusional she would have sworn there was a hint of laughter in Calli’s voice.
“Don’t recall saying you weren’t.”
“Oh, no. You didn’t.” Deanna sat upright and
remembered her resolve to not act like a fool around the woman in front of her
any longer. “I was yelling at myself. Maybe I’m just trying to think too much.”
“Wouldn’t be the first person to do that. Most
of us do.” Calli’s gaze settled on the papers scattered on the desk. “Hank
wouldn’t have hired you if you couldn’t do it. That man’s got a good business
head on him.”
“Yes he does, everything is in great order for
me. It’s this breeding info. The family trees and such are making my eyes
cross.” Deanna flipped through a few of the folders on her desk. “And Hank said
something about one of the broodmares no longer being able to breed, and having
to replace her and finding a few more for the ones that are aging out.”
“You don’t have to worry about that so much. I
know the circuit and the horses well enough. I’ll let you know what we need.”
“But I need to understand it.” Deanna pursed her
lips. “I’m not your boss and you aren’t mine, so we’re going to have to work
together on this. I need to know what I’m spending the businesses money on.”
“Fair enough.” Calli hesitated at the door a
minute longer before she entered to sit across from Deanna. “Did Hank tell you
who I’ve got my eye on to bring in?”
“Yes, let me find the list.” Deanna pulled open
a drawer and pulled out the pad she’d written notes on in her lengthy talks
with Hank. “Sorry, I haven’t had time to transfer all my notes to the computer.
Let’s see, there’s one in California that’s going to cost a pretty penny to
ship.”
“But she’s not bred yet and her line hasn’t
touched any of the ones we usually work with. It’ll widen our birth and bring
back some repeat business we might have lost in the next few years. It’s worth
the money.”
Deanna nodded at the logic. “Are there any
others like that?”
“Probably not on the list he gave you. I have a
lead on another in Colorado. She’s not ready yet for breeding, but I’d like to
bring her in anyway.” Calli leaned on the opposite side of the desk, her face
brightening the more they talked about the horses. “She’s a beauty, too.
Unfortunately, she’s also fast so they’re thinking of training her to race
instead.”
“That’s unusual, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Like I said, she is fast. That could also
drive up how much she’d be worth on the breeding circuit. Get a fast stud and a
fast broodmare and that ups the ante.”
“Interesting. What’ll it take to convince them
to sell her to us?”
“I’m working Carl over best as I can. He’s
waffling, though.”
Deanna pursed her lips as she thought it over.
From what she knew, a young mare with a long life of foaling ahead of her could
be good for business. “Would it help if we went and met him directly?”
“We?” Calli grew cold immediately and sat back.
“I can handle it myself.”
“I’d like to see how this works.”
“Then you can come with when I go over to the
next county and talk to the Billings. No need for both of us to go flying.”
Deanna couldn’t comprehend the attitude change
in Calli over the simple suggestion. “You do business with the Billings all the
time. This Carl is new. I’d like to be involved.”
Calli’s lips thinned and she turned her gaze
away.
“I promise not to step on your toes.”
“Fine.” Calli rose with a heavy sigh. “Let me
know what you work out so I can let Carl know we’re coming.”
“All right, then.” Deanna furrowed her brow as
Calli left the office without ceremony. Well that went downhill fast.
Cali, a cowgirl
with a painful past and Dee, an office manager with patience and a killer smile
are the focus of this story. Fate lends a helping hand in this relationship
with a needed business trip coupled with a surprise blizzard. It was a treat
seeing Cali begin letting down her defenses and allowing herself to trust her
feelings and accept the love flowing her way. I was given a free copy in
exchange for an honest review. ~ ★★★★★ Dee of SNSBAH Promotions &
Reviews
The story of
Calliope and Deanna is breathtaking and not one of my normal reads. You will
not only be wanting to laugh but you will feel their trust issues. I also like
how it adds the series Dominion Falls into this book. The details are written
well and leave nothing out. It is a very fast paced and easy read that will
play through your head like a movie. This series will keep you interested and
highly entertained. Each book is placed around a holiday. The title goes along
with each holiday. This book Luck of the Cowgirl goes with St. Patrick's Day.
Each book can be a stand alone and will not need to be read in order. ~ ★★★★★ Amanda Hamilton
Sarah Cass' world
is regularly turned upside down by her three special needs kids and loving
mate, so she breaks genre barriers; dabbling in horror, straight fiction and
urban fantasy. She loves historicals and romance, and characters who are real
and flawed, so she writes to understand what makes her fictional people tick.
And she lives for a happy ending - eventually. And enough twists to make it
look like she enjoys her title of Queen of Trauma Drama a little too much.
An ADD tendency
leaves her with a variety of interests that include singing, dancing, crafting,
cooking, and being a photographer. She fights through the struggles of the day,
knowing the battles are her crucible; she may emerge scarred, but always stronger.
The rhythms to her activities drive her words forward, pushing her through the
labyrinths of the heart and the nightmares of the mind, driving her to find
resolutions to her characters' problems.
While busy creating
worlds and characters as real to her as her own family, she leads an active
online life with her blog, Redefining Perfect, which gives a real and sometimes
raw glimpse into her life and art. You can most often find her popping out her
140 characters in Twitter speak, and on Facebook.
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