Accidental Hero

Genres: Contemporary Christian; Christian Romance; Christian Romantic Suspense; Clean & Wholesome Romance; Small-town Romance; Second Chance Romance

Synopsis

Once burnt, twice shy, never again! He needs a job, she’s trying to save her family’s ranch, and neither of them is looking for an explosive attraction to complicate things. Sure the chemistry between them is real, but the timing is off — way off!

Army Ranger Matt Romero allows his ex-fiancée to pressure him into leaving the military during a whirlwind relationship, only to be dumped by her at the altar. During a road trip across Texas for a job interview, he stops to rescue an injured woman from a collision. Her intriguing plea before the ambulance arrives makes him linger in town a few extra hours.

Bree Anderson and her brother, Brody, are barely keeping their ranch afloat after a failed joint business venture with her ex-fiancé. So she is livid when she wakes from a coma to discover that her brother has talked the stranger who saved her life into becoming their newest investment partner. And not the long-distance kind, either.

Despite their instant attraction, neither Matt nor Bree is quick or willing to take a second chance at love. Or even give each other the benefit of the doubt. Brody works like crazy to keep the peace between them, but there’s only so much one partially paralyzed cowboy can do. All too soon Matt and Bree realize they’re fighting more than an unwanted attraction, and flushing out the secret saboteur plaguing their ranch is going to directly depend on their ability to learn to work together — despite the sparks flying between them. Or maybe because of them?

★ BORN IN TEXAS is a series of sweet and inspirational, standalone romantic suspense stories about small town, everyday heroes. WARNING: Lots of heart, plenty of humor, and always a happily-ever-after!

Release date: February 23, 2021

Publisher: JG PRESS

Print pages: 192

Sample

“I’ve hired us a business partner. The right one this time.”

Her hands started shaking so badly that she had to return her glass to the cart resting beside her bed. “Listen, Brody, I’ll apologize all day long for switching my major to culinary arts without telling you, but that didn’t give you any right to…” She ground to a choking halt. “What have you done, Brody?” she wheezed. What in heaven’s name have you gone and done?

“His name is Matt Romero.” Her brother drummed his callused fingers on the food cart. “Former Army Ranger. Really nice guy. I think you’ll like him.”

You think I’ll like him? Bree felt the steam rise from her ears. Are you kidding me? How could her brother sit there acting like what he’d done was no big deal?

“Although that all sounds fine and dandy,” she spluttered, “how do you know he’s even who he says he is?” Pardon her for being cautious, but Brody might very well be the worst judge of character this side of the Mississippi. He was too nice and too trusting for his own good.

“Don’t worry. Emmitt McCarty had him pulled over for speeding right before your accident. He can vouch for the fact that Matt Romero is the real deal. Plus, he has an official Army Ranger tab on his truck plates.”

“Speeding, huh?” She latched on to that less-than-desirable detail. “Sounds to me like you hired another lawbreaker.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you’ll feel differently about him when I tell you this.” Brody’s chin came up stubbornly. “He also happens to be the fellow who pulled you from your truck right before the explosion. He risked his life to save yours. That oughta be worth something to you.”

Bree briefly closed her eyes. “Of course it is, Brody. Of course it is.” He was hard to argue with when he was in one of his self-righteous moods, but this was serious. She opened her eyes. “I’ll tell him myself how grateful I am, but I still fail to see how his heroics in any way qualify him to run a ranch.” Their ranch. The one they were about to lose if they didn’t raise some much-needed cash, and soon.

“You’re right. It doesn’t. His computer degree does, however. So does his leadership experience.”

So the smooth-talking stranger had a degree, at least. She still didn’t like the idea that he’d somehow wormed his way into her brother’s good graces while she was unconscious. “Did he grow up on a ranch?” she demanded. “Has he ever worked on one?”

“Nope. He grew up in foster care. Never got adopted. Enlisted in the military the day he turned eighteen.”

“Oh, Brody!” she muttered again.

“So here’s the deal, sis.” Brody set his jaw firmly in his big-brother, no-nonsense way that she found particularly irritating. “You get to keep taking your culinary classes, so long as you help me show him the ropes. It’s going to be up to me and you to turn him into a proper ranch manager.”