Hearts and Hooves: A Small-Town, Rancher, Best Friend’s Sister Romance
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Synopsis
A rancher ready to settle down. An editor making a career switch. Two people who return to their hometown in Texas—and find love ...
Chance Blackstone sowed his fair share of wild oats during his twenties. With his father's death, however, Chance takes over running his family's ranch. His sister Kelby has recently married West Sutherland, Chance's best friend since childhood, and Chance is a bit envious of their domestic bliss, wondering if it's time for him to find a wife of his own and start a family.
After a decade of working for Liberty House, a New York publisher, Summer Sutherland is forced from her job as a senior editor. Her gut tells her she can write better romances than the ones she's been editing, so she returns to Hawthorne and gives herself a year to see if she can make it as an author. Drawing from her roots, Summer begins writing a series about a small town in the Texas Panhandle and runs into her teenage crush, Chance Blackstone, the guy who always made her heart race.
Chance never gave Summer a second glance, mainly because she was a couple of years younger and West's awkward little sister. Now, however, the ruggedly handsome ranch owner finds himself drawn to the talented, independent, grown-up Summer. Chance's unexpected attention ignites feelings Summer thought she had long buried, and she agrees to kick their budding friendship up a notch and explore the feelings stirring within them both.
As they spend more time together, the spark between them ignites, leading to a deepening connection and undeniable attraction. But when a secret from Chance's past comes to light, it threatens to ruin their chance at lasting happiness.
Can Summer come to terms with this sudden change and embrace a future with her cowboy—or will this explosive secret extinguish the flame of their love?
Find the answer in bestselling author Alexa Aston's Hearts and Hooves, the fourth book in Hearts in Hawthorne.
Release date: September 30, 2025
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
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Hearts and Hooves: A Small-Town, Rancher, Best Friend’s Sister Romance
Alexa Aston
PROLOGUE
Manhattan—February
Summer Sutherland finished composing her email and attached the manuscript she had edited to it. She hit send and sat back, sighing. Over her eight years at Liberty House, she had worked her way up from editorial assistant to copy editor, then assistant editor, and now senior editor. She was partnering with several midlist authors and even had a dozen others who had hit bestseller lists. Her usual habit was to edit one manuscript at a time so that it had her full attention, adding suggestions and asking questions throughout it. She then wrote an overall letter to the author, giving her general impression of the work, always careful to praise the effort because writing a novel was hard work.
Some authors presented her with a clean manuscript which had few typos and flowed beautifully. These were the submissions where she had very few editorial notes, and they were a pleasure to edit. Most hit a middle ground, with work needed regarding grammar and typos and several notes to the author on ways to expand a scene, create a new one, or even delete a scene or entire chapter, working that content in somewhere else. These took more time to edit and involved more back-and-forth between editor and author before the manuscript was passed on to a line editor and then proofreader.
A few manuscripts she received were what her mom would call a genteel mess, with grammatical problems from run-on sentences to subject/verb agreement problems to atrocious spell-check errors. They also were the challenging ones which involved tearing the manuscript apart and giving the authors ideas for ways to put things back together in a coherent fashion.
This last one she had just worked on was the latter. The author was becoming well-known, and because of that, she didn’t think she needed any editing. It was because she had great editing that her books sold so well. Summer almost wished she could turn this belligerent author over to another editor, but Dragon Lady would never go for that since she had specifically assigned Monica Sullivan to Summer. Her suspicion was that her boss believed working with Monica would push Summer to resign.
Dragon Lady was her nickname for Millicent Bennington, the editor-in-chief of Liberty House. For some reason, she had never liked Summer. It hadn’t kept her from moving up the ranks, but Dragon Lady continually threw up roadblocks, creating new, ingenious ways to make certain that Summer failed. In the beginning, she was able to lie low and avoid Dragon Lady. Summer also had some great professionals at Liberty House who mentored her. They all had remarked on her talent for editing and creative ideas to improve a manuscript, and they even helped her move up the ladder at the publishing house. Now, however, Dragon Lady was her direct boss and would do her annual evaluation for the first time this year.
Her computer dinged, and she saw she had an email from Monica, the testy author she’d just emailed. Knowing Monica, she had been hovering at her computer, waiting for the manuscript and notes to be returned. There was no way that the author had had time to look over the notes Summer included with the manuscript because there were plenty of them. With dread, she opened the email.
Summer –
I just received your general notes. Glad that you enjoyed my latest creation. I think it’s my best yet!
However, I opened the document and saw you have SO many notes attached. That is VERY disappointing to me. I always give Liberty House my BEST effort, but you never seem to recognize that and go out of your way to make my life miserable.
I wanted to do you the courtesy of giving you a heads up. I am going to ask Millicent to assign me to another editor. Our relationship is strained—at best—and I feel you are stifling my creativity.
Hope there are no hard feelings!
Hugs!
Monica
This would not bode well. Apprehension filled Summer as her eyes skimmed the email again, wincing at every exclamation mark. Dragon Lady would be pissed. Not at Monica.
At Summer.
She prepared herself, knowing she would be called in soon. She didn’t want to start another manuscript at this point. That would be unfair to its author because she wouldn’t be able to give the work her full attention. Instead, she scrolled through her emails, answering several. She made one phone call to an author who had left her a voicemail to call her.
“Hey, Celia. It’s Summer. What can I do for you?”
“I hate to tell you this, Summer, but I’m not going to hit my March 1 deadline.”
A sinking feeling filled her. Just another strike against her Dragon Lady would use.
“What’s up, Celia? You’re so reliable, usually turning in your submissions early.”
The author began crying. “I’m sorry. I’m a mess right now. My husband was diagnosed with leukemia six weeks ago. Everything has been a blur since then. We’ve seen two oncologists. Started him on chemo and radiation. All of a sudden, my nice, quiet life of spending days in my office writing have flown out the window. I’m driving him from appointment to appointment. Caring for him when we get home because he’s really ill from the chemo. And the few minutes I have to myself? I lock myself in my office and just cry. I can’t be creative now, Summer. I just can’t.”
Her heart ached for Celia. “I’m so sorry you’re going through this with Rob. Being ill yourself is bad enough, but when you see someone you love suffering, it’s rough. I know you’re the kind of person who is being the strong one in front of him.”
“Exactly,” Celia said, sniffing. “I don’t want him to see how upset I am. We have two teenagers. They’re also falling apart because of this. I’ve always been the glue in our family, and it’s even more important for me to be that glue now, Summer.”
“I get it.”
“Writing is the last thing on my mind. I’m just too emotionally drained to do it right now. And I worry about what if Rob doesn’t make it? I know my books are finally starting to sell well, but I don’t make enough to take over our mortgage and send two kids to college.”
Celia began sobbing. “What if I have to go back to being an accountant? My soul will dry up. I adore writing, Summer. I earn enough now to supplement what Rob makes, but …” Her voice trailed off.
“Listen. What’s important now is your mental and emotional health, as well as your family’s. Take care of Rob and the kids.” Summer paused. “How much do you have written?”
“All but the last five chapters,” Celia told her. “I’m so close to finishing. I even know how to wrap it up. I just can’t get myself in front of a keyboard to actually do it.”
“Send me what you have.”
“I haven’t done my final read-through,” Celia said. “You know I like to read from start to finish once the manuscript’s done to check for inconsistencies.”
“That’ll be my job this time,” Summer assured her. “And send me any notes for those last few chapters if you’ve written them down.”
Celia sniffed. “Okay.”
“I’ll edit what you have. You know it doesn’t take much to polish your work, Celia. You’re one of my favorite authors to work with.”
“I appreciate hearing that, Summer. I needed to hear that.”
“Once I’ve done my part, I’ll check in with you. If you still are in a bad spot, I’ll finish up for you. I know your style. Your voice.”
“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. I volunteered,” she corrected. “And I may not even have to do that. You may hit a point where you’ll need writing as an outlet. I had one author who accompanied her son to chemo and wrote during those four hours of his treatment because she knew he would need her once they got home. Her son put on his headphones and zoned out. She wrote. It turned out it was the only time she was able to write. You’ll just have to play things by ear.”
“Thank you for listening, Summer. You’re not just my editor. You’re my friend. I appreciate all that you do for me.”
“Call if you need anything else.”
“I will.”
Summer hung up and said a little prayer for Rob’s health, as well as Celia’s peace of mind. She went to the restroom, needing a break from her office. When she returned, the assistant who sat outside her office and worked for her and three other editors looked at her hesitantly, biting her lip.
“I assume my presence is requested in the big office?” she asked lightly.
“Yes. ASAP.”
“Heading there now,” she said, steeling herself for what lay ahead.
When she reached Dragon Lady’s office, her assistant took one look at Summer and quietly said, “You can go on in.”
The look of pity on the woman’s face had Summer’s heart racing. She knocked lightly on the door and entered, closing it behind her, not wanting anyone to hear what went down between them.
Because Summer’s gut told her she was about to be fired.
She lingered at the door because Dragon Lady was on the phone, and she did not want to disturb her space or privacy. Her eyes roamed the room, however, landing on various pictures displayed of her boss and her husband, Ted Bennington, the owner and publisher of Liberty House. Ted had been very supportive of Summer, the complete opposite of his wife.
Dragon Lady laughed merrily. “We’ll be there for drinks at seven. See you then.”
The minute she placed the phone in its cradle, her real face came out. Gone was the fake, social smile. Instead, the crease between her brows deepened as she frowned at Summer.
Without waiting to be asked, Summer crossed the room and took a seat in front of the desk, knowing the ax would now fall.
“What were you thinking, alienating Monica Sullivan in that way? Monica is one of our top sellers.”
“Only because she has solid editing,” Summer said, not willing to roll over and play dead.
“She is a very talented writer.”
“She is. I totally agree. But as her sales have grown, so has the size of her ego. Monica doesn’t feel she needs to be edited anymore, and that’s simply not the case. Her writing tends to be bloated.”
“Why, I disagree. I read all her books, and they are streamlined.”
Summer gazed levelly at her boss until Dragon Lady looked away.
“You can thank me for that. At least these last three novels I’ve worked with her on. I cut out the excess. I keep her from meandering all over the place. Monica is talented and creative, with great characters and plots, but she needs someone to rein her in. I’ve done that successfully.”
She paused a moment, wanted her words to sink in before continuing.
“The hard truth is that Monica knows that she’ll need to put a lot more work into her manuscript now that I’ve sent her my notes. She’s gotten lazy. She doesn’t want to put in the work necessary to make her words shine.”
Dragon Lady shrugged nonchalantly. “We could fix it for her. She wouldn’t even have to know. I doubt she bothers to go back and read what’s been published. She’s only interested in reviews.”
Her brows shot up. “If you mean me as that we, the answer is no. I am not responsible for the necessary edits. Monica is the writer. I’ve recommended what she needs to do. She emailed me and told me she would request another editor, but I can tell you that she’s already had a great edit. It would be foolish to have someone go through the manuscript again. I can forward you her original submission, along with my notes. That would give you a good idea of what I’m talking about.”
“That’s not necessary,” Dragon Lady said haughtily. “I’ll edit her myself.”
Summer’s stubbornness caused her to say, “You should still take my notes. It would save you some time. And at least I corrected all her typos, of which there were a ton. Anything else?”
Relief swept through her, knowing she could take Monica Sullivan off her plate. While it was nice to have a writer who pulled in that many sales, Monica had never wanted to be a team, as writer and editor usually were. Summer was also glad Dragon Lady would take Monica on herself. That way, she would see the problem. At least Monica wasn’t Summer’s problem anymore.
What she should do now is tell Dragon Lady that Celia’s manuscript would come in late, especially not knowing when it would be ready. A late manuscript shifted everything in production. Summer didn’t think this was the right time to divulge that information, though. Already Dragon Lady’s eyes were afire. She didn’t need her spewing hate. Celia’s delay could wait until tomorrow. Or the next day.
“You have an attitude problem,” her boss declared. “If a writer of Monica Sullivan’s caliber cannot be convinced to work with you, then obviously something is lacking on your part.”
Summer kept silent, worried again where the conversation might go.
“This is just one of several instances which have arisen lately. I think it’s time to part ways, Ms. Sutherland.” Dragon Lady stared at her pointedly.
“You’re firing me? On what grounds?” she demanded, not shying away from battle.
“I have found you lacking in numerous areas,” Dragon Lady continued. “I have just cause to send you on your way.”
She decided to call this woman’s bluff. “No, you don’t. My evaluations up until this point have been excellent. All eight years of them,” she emphasized. “There is simply no just cause to fire me.”
Her boss smiled slyly. “You haven’t received my evaluation yet. It’s due next week. I don’t see the point in delaying the inevitable.”
Digging in her heels, she said, “I don’t see how I could work for Liberty House for eight years and receive outstanding evaluations and then suddenly, I’m worthless. Ask any of my previous supervisors and mentors.” Summer paused and threw out. “Ask Ted.”
Fire shot from Dragon Lady’s eyes now. “That’s Mr. Bennington to you,” she snarled.
Suddenly, things became clear to Summer.
“You’re … jealous? Of me?”
“No,” her boss said, far too quickly. “You simply do not fit in with the Liberty House philosophy.”
Knowing her entire professional career was on the line, Summer said, “I won’t go quietly. I’ll file a wrongful termination suit. You are discriminating against me. You’re retaliating against me. And knowing your reputation, you would be nasty enough to blackball me in the publishing industry. I won’t allow that to happen, Millicent. I will call my lawyer so fast that your head will spin faster than that kid in The Exorcist.”
Of course, the only lawyer she knew was her cousin Sawyer, and he was only licensed to practice law in Texas. Dragon Lady didn’t need to know that particular bit of information, though.
Her boss’ face had turned several shades of red. “I will speak to our in-house counsel immediately.”
“Call him,” she said coolly. “I’d like to be a part of the conversation. Call Mr. Bennington, too. Or I can call him,” she threatened.
Ted Bennington had taken a shine to Summer from the moment she was hired. He wasn’t in the offices often because he had several other business interests, but he had mentored her, giving her advice and guiding her throughout her time at Liberty House. Absolutely nothing sexual had ever taken place between them. Ted had been more like a smart uncle, sharing insight with Summer about the publishing industry and how to handle authors she edited. She was grateful for the time he had spent with her. The fact that this woman thought something inappropriate had occurred between Summer and Ted was ludicrous.
“Please leave,” Dragon Lady said. “Remain available. I’ll speak with Bill Larson and send for you when we’re done.”
Summer stood. “I’ll be in my office.”
She returned there, ignoring everyone looking at her. Word must have spread about Monica wanting to dump Summer as her editor.
Entering her office, she closed the door and pulled out her cell, not trusting the company line. She texted Sawyer.
Can you talk? Call me when you can. Important.
He didn’t reply immediately, and she knew he could be with a client. Or even in court. Then her phone rang, and she saw his smiling face light up her screen with a FaceTime call.
“Hey, Sawyer.”
“What do I owe the honor of hearing from my lovely cousin in the middle of the workday?”
“It’s bad. I’m about to get fired.”
Immediately, he grew serious. “Tell me everything. Don’t leave out any details. I’ll decide what’s important and what isn’t.”
For the next ten minutes, she outlined her rise at Liberty House, noting that it wasn’t as if she’d been fast-tracked. She had served time in every job before moving up the food chain. She explained about her terrific evaluations and how the publisher had taken an interest in her years ago, helping guide her with advice.
“But Ted never got involved in any office politics or push to promote me. I know I earned every promotion I’ve received. Dragon Lady is just jealous.”
“What was the straw that broke the camel’s back today?”
Summer told him about Monica Sullivan’s huge ego and how the author didn’t want to put in the work, instead crying to the editor-in-chief that she didn’t want to work with Summer.
“My evaluations have been terrific. My reputation is solid. I work long hours. All day here, and then I take home manuscripts to read at night and on the weekends. I used to have a thriving social life when I first came to New York, but it’s dwindled to nothing over the years because I do put in so many hours.”
She explained how she had threatened Dragon Lady with a wrongful termination suit if she were fired outright without cause.
“I didn’t throw anything yet about an employee separation agreement. Dragon Lady is speaking to our in-house counsel now.”
“You seem to know a lot about the law, Summer,” Sawyer noted.
She laughed. “Last year, I edited a novel about an employee who was wrongfully terminated for being a whistleblower. He was murdered. I learned a lot working with that author on the book.”
“You know I’m not able to practice in New York,” he reminded her.
“I do. But if they want me to sign anything, will you read it first? Or do you know of someone who practices here who might help me?”
“I can read it, especially if they give it to you this afternoon. My gut is telling me that Dragon Lady is going to want to work fast and sweep you out the door before her husband hears anything about the decision.”
“Should I text Ted?” she asked. “I don’t want her to think I ran and tattled on her to him, but I do think he would want to know about this.”
“I’d leave him out of it. You don’t want to substantiate any claim she has about something improper going on between the two of you. I know that’s not the case, but we want to keep everything aboveboard. I’m going to let you go now. Call me the minute you have anything in hand, okay?”
“I owe you, Sawyer.”
“I haven’t done anything yet.”
“But you were here to listen. I appreciate that. How is Hawthorne?”
“The same. I’m happy back here. I like being here again with Darby. West and Autumn. You’re the only one who’s missing.”
“I know,” she said softly.
Her cousin Darby had moved back to Hawthorne last fall, taking a teaching job at the high school after working with Cheer USA for a decade. She’d married Jace Tanner, a Dallas sports agent, over Christmas. Thankfully, Summer had gone home for Christmas in Texas and been able to attend the wedding.
Her twin had divorced her husband and left Houston, also returning to Hawthorne. Autumn had been named Director of Nursing at the new Hogan Health Hospital, known in the community as Triple H. Her sister had also remarried, and Summer’s new brother-in-law was the medical director at Triple H, as well as Jace’s brother.
West, her older brother, had retired from the NFL and taken a job as the head football coach and athletic director at their alma mater. He, too, had wed a local girl, Kelby Blackstone, who was Darby’s best friend. Summer did feel left out, with so many of her family members moving back to their hometown the last two years. It made her long for a life in the sleepy North Texas town.
An hour went by, Summer pacing in her office, knowing no work would get done while she was hanging in the balance. Then her phone rang.
“Summer Sutherland,” she said.
“You can return to my office.”
Hiding her trepidation, she left her office, head held high, and returned to the Dragon Lady’s lair. This time, she had Bill Larson present. The portly attorney’s face gave away nothing. Both were seated at a table, and Summer went and joined them.
Bill pushed a document of several pages across to her. “This is an employee separation agreement that Liberty House would like you to sign, Ms. Sutherland.”
“I will need to read it first,” she said. “I also want my attorney to go over it, as well.” She handed Bill a piece of paper she’d brought with her. “Please email him the document at this address.” To ensure Sawyer received it, she added, “I’ll text him and tell him you’re sending it now.”
She did that and then picked up the separation agreement, blinking a few times because she didn’t want any tears to spill onto it. The pages in front of her spelled the end of her editing career. She’d come to New York with high hopes, wanting to conquer the publishing world. While she had worked her way up to be a senior editor at an established publishing house, she still felt she was letting herself down.
After she finished reading it, Summer said, “I need to see what my attorney recommends. We’ll wait to hear from him before I go a step farther.”
The three of them sat in complete silence for eleven minutes. It was the most uncomfortable time she had ever spent in her life, and that included the one time she’d skipped school and gotten caught. She’d waited outside the principal’s office while he met with her parents, and that had been awful.
This was agony.
Her cell buzzed, and she saw it was Sawyer. “This is Mr. Montgomery. I need to take this.”
Instead of leaving the room, however, she answered it in front of them. “Hello, Mr. Montgomery. I hope you’ve had a chance to read the separation agreement.”
“Yes, and they’re jerking you around,” her cousin said bluntly. “I’ve just sent a list of what I want the agreement to include. Have Larson check his email.”
She instructed the attorney to do that and turned her attention back to her cousin. Briefly, Sawyer said the portion regarding the separation details and waiver of claims was fine, but he wanted more for her protection.
“I’m asking for a severance. While they stipulate they’ll pay you for unused vacation days and through the end of this month, I want more incentives in order for you to sign this agreement, Summer.”
“Such as?” she asked.
“In your case, benefits. Your insurance to be paid for one year, including medical, dental, and vision. Private insurance is expensive, and I want them on the hook for that. I want those benefits spelled out, plus the exact amount of compensation for the rest of February and its method of delivery placed in writing, along with the timeline when those monies are due.”
“Got it.”
“They want to get rid of you fast, so I’m asking apart from the severance that they offer you a set amount to sign this agreement. This isn’t usually what employees ask for, much less what employers agree to. If Dragon Lady really wants you gone, however, she’ll agree to this.”
“Okay,” she said, keeping her eyes on the pages before her.
“Do you care about the non-compete clause they included?”
“I don’t think it should be there.”
“Good. I agree with you. I also want to modify the non-disparagement clause they’ve inserted. It basically says that you won’t trash talk Liberty House. I want that to be a two-way street, where they legally can’t disparage you, as well.”
“Agreed.”
“I think if they agree to the one-time payment for you signing, they’re going to insert a non-disclosure clause. You won’t be allowed to share any details of this agreement with anyone, other than me.”
“If you get the first, I can abide by the other,” she told him.
“Look and see what their attorney is doing.”
Summer looked up and saw Larson frowning at his tablet. He leaned over and whispered something to Dragon Lady.
“Larson has read it,” she said quietly. “They’re talking it over.”
“I’ll stay on the line. You’re not alone in this, Cuz.”
She watched as they went back and forth, Dragon Lady hissing at Bill several times. Finally, she nodded, and Summer knew they had reached a number.
“Put me on speaker so I can hear,” Sawyer ordered.
“My attorney wishes to hear your counteroffer,” she said, putting her cell on the table.
Larson cleared his throat. “We can agree to what Mr. Montgomery is asking for, but we wish to add a non-disclosure clause to the employee separation agreement.”
Sawyer answered for the both of them. “Only if we receive the figure we asked for.”
Summer saw Dragon Lady grimace, but she nodded, and Larson said, “Yes, we’ll do that.”
“Draw it up,” Sawyer said. “Send it to me. I’ll read over it and advise my client. Please take me off speaker phone.”
She did so as Larson typed away. While she didn’t say anything, Sawyer told her not to worry. Everything was working out for the best. He then told her about the latest basketball game he’d attended in the high school gym and some about last weekend’s national cheer competition he’d gone to, where Darby’s cheerleaders had taken first place.
The printer whirred, spitting out several pages. Bill retrieved them and said, “I just emailed the final agreement to Mr. Montgomery. You may look over this copy, Miss Sutherland.”
Summer did so, seeing the changes Sawyer had asked for in print. She gritted her teeth so her jaw wouldn’t fall open when she read the amount he had asked for as a general payment for separation.
It was half a million dollars.
And Dragon Lady had signed off on that.
Her mind began whirling. That was serious money. More importantly, it would give Summer the freedom to make a move she had longed to but hadn’t been financially secure enough to make. She kept her composure.
In her ear, Sawyer said, “Back on speaker phone, please.”
She did as he requested and heard her cousin say, “I am advising Miss Sutherland to sign this employee separation agreement.”
Larson nodded at Dragon Lady, who left the table and went to the door. She spoke to her assistant, and a minute later, the assistant and a copy editor entered the office.
“You will act as witnesses as this document is signed,” Bill told the pair. “Watch as we sign, and then you’ll follow suit.”
He offered Dragon Lady the pen first, and her boss scrawled her name, her mouth set in stone. Summer signed next, followed by the two other employees. The four also signed a second copy of the agreement, with Bill telling Summer that one was hers to keep, and one would remain with him. He also promised to email her attorney a copy now.
Dragon Lady dismissed the two employees and turned to Summer. “Mr. Larson will escort you to your office. You will claim any personal items and turn in your employee badge. Provide him with the password to your email account. I will need to see what you are working on and reassign those authors.”
“I keep a list of current projects and where I am in the editing process,” she said coolly. “I’ll share those with you.”
She was glad she had updated the list after she spoke to Celia so it would be on record that Liberty House had granted the author an extension. She still planned to contact Celia because she meant what she’d said when she had offered to write the last few chapters of the book. She would need Celia to send what she had of the manuscript to Summer’s personal email account.
As a parting remark, she said, “Please tell Ted goodbye for me. He always had thoughtful advice for me. I appreciate his counsel.”
Dragon Lady practically bared her fangs at that remark, and Summer knew that was her cue to leave. She returned to her office without speaking to anyone, going to the copy room and claiming a small box. In it, she put the few personal things she had at the office, including pictures from her desk and an African violet.
She gave Larson her badge and showed him the list of where she was in her current workload, and then she walked out the doors of Liberty House for the final time. Going to the closest subway station, she took the train back to Brooklyn, knowing exactly what she was going to do now that she was financially secure.
Summer had edited several romance writers over the last few years, and she thought she could do better than they had. She’d read romance since her early teens, and over the last several months, she’d written the first book in a small-town romance series. Using West and Kelby’s romance as inspiration, she had begun outlining the second book in the series, turning West into a hockey player instead of one who played football. Kelby had gone from a social media consultant to a photographer, but their love story had provided the seeds for the second book in the series. All her life, Summer had put her dream of wanting to be an author herself on the back burner, even more so once she left college because editing had taken up far too much time. Now that she had all the time in the world, she was going to work for herself.
And she was going to move back to Hawthorne, Texas. For good.
CHAPTER 1
Blackstone Ranch—Hawthorne, Texas
Chance Blackstone dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, not bothering to shave this Saturday morning. He went downstairs, finding Tammy sitting at the table, sipping a cup of coffee. It was only four-thirty, but she was up, as usual, and would be heading to the bunkhouse soon to cook breakfast for the cowboys on the ranch.
She smiled when she saw him. “Good morning, honey. I know you and West are going fishing this morning, so there’s a thermos of coffee for each of you. I also made you a few sandwiches and placed them and some chips and cookies in the cooler.”
He took a seat at the table. “That’s thoughtful of you, Tammy. I’m sorry that we’ve always seemed to take you for granted. You do little things like this all the time which makes everyone’s life easier.”
Tammy had been his mother’s best friend and had come to stay at the ranch after Chance’s birth to help out for a couple of weeks. She had done the same thing a year later when his sister Kelby was born. This time, however, his mother experienced complications from that difficult birth, and she passed two days after bringing her daughter into the world. Tammy stayed on at the request of Chance’s dad. Big Jim Blackstone had a ranch to run and had no idea how to care for two little ones. Tammy was more than willing to help out. A month became a year, and the years passed by, Tammy remaining with them. She had been the only mother Kelby and he had known. She ran the household, cleaning and paying all the bills, while also preparing all meals for their ranch hands.
He looked at her now with new eyes, seeing the gray streaking through the brown of her hair, wondering what kind of life Tammy would have had if she had been able to marry and raise her own family.
“I think I should hire a cook,” he declared. “Someone to take on the meals for the cowboys. You cook for them seven days a week and never get a break.”
An odd look came into Tammy’s eyes, and she said, “I think that’s a good idea, Chance. In fact, now that you’ve brought it up? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
The pit of his stomach knotted. “What is it?”
“You know how I went to my high school reunion last fall in Waco? I ran into my old boyfriend during that weekend. He’s a widower now. Lost his wife two years ago in a car accident. We’ve been in touch since then. Getting to know one another all over again.”
Tammy hesitated. “I’m just going to spit it out, Chance. I have loved you and Kelby and every part of my life at this ranch, but it’s time I finally did something for myself. We’ve been talking on a daily basis. He’s written me the most beautiful letters, and we FaceTime every single night. I want a life with him, Chance. That means leaving Blackstone Ranch.”
Her words hit him hard, but Chance said encouragingly, “You’ve sacrificed your entire life for this family, Tammy. You’ve been the person everyone leans on. Confides in. You’ve done more than your fair share of physical labor.”
He smiled gently. “And you’ve been the best mom in the world to Kelby and me.”
Chance leaned over and embraced her tightly, tears stinging his eyes.
“I’m glad this day has finally come,” he told her. “We’ve been selfish, assuming you would always be here. What’s your fellow’s name?”
“Tommy,” Tammy said, her face lighting up with that one word. “We dated all through high school, and then he joined the military, just like his daddy before him. I didn’t want to sit around and wait for him, worrying if he was coming back to me or not. I wanted a life of my own and not one living through him. Fortunately, we parted as friends, but I’ve thought about Tommy many times over the years.”
She took Chance’s hands in hers. “Do I regret anything? Not a bit,” she said convincingly. “I was lucky enough to go to college. Earn my degree and get a decent job after graduation. Meeting your mom and rooming with her those four years were some of the best parts of my life.”
Tammy grew thoughtful. “Then I was needed here at the ranch. Your mama was like a sister to me, and I wanted to make certain that her children were raised right. Not that Big Jim couldn’t have done a good job on his own, but he was faced with two little babies and a big ranch to run. He needed help, and I was all too happy to move to Hawthorne and love you two.”
She reached out a hand and cupped his cheek. “You’re doing a wonderful job with the ranch, Chance. Big Jim would be so proud of all you’ve accomplished. I know those were big shoes to fill, but you’ve done it admirably.”
“I worry that Dad wouldn’t like some of the things I’ve implemented,” Chance admitted.
Her hand fell away. “It’s your ranch now, Chance. Yours and Kelby’s. You have to run it as you see fit. Times change. Big Jim wasn’t always the best when it came to change,” she said diplomatically.
Chance chuckled. “He would probably freak out if he saw all my spreadsheets, but seriously, Tammy, I’m happy for you and Tommy. Are you going to move to Waco? Is that where he is now? Or somewhere else?”
“He is back in Waco. Tommy stayed in the military thirty-five years, moving to bases all over the world. He and his wife never had children, though. After retiring from the military, they settled in Waco, wanting to put down some roots in a familiar place. Tommy has opened a body shop on Valley Mills, the main drag in town. I didn’t know how to approach you about all of this, Chance. I don’t want to leave you in the lurch.”
“You won’t, Tammy,” he assured her. “Things have run smoothly all these years because of your steady hand. Just show me where everything is and what I need to know. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ve organized all the bills. I can walk you through those. The insurance, too. You will need to hire a cook, though, for the ranch hands. And have someone come in and clean the house once a week for you.”
She smiled wistfully at him. “I was hoping before I left that I could see you happy with a woman, just as Kelby is happy with West now.”
He shrugged, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had now turned.
“You know I’m not dating anyone. The ranch keeps me pretty busy.”
“Don’t let life pass you by,” Tammy advised. “I don’t want you to wake up and be forty. Fifty. Even sixty—and still be by yourself. There’s a girl out there for you, Chance. I feel it in my bones. The crowd you ran with as a teenager is starting to settle down now. West and Kelby. Darby and Jace. Even Autumn and Eli. I know that special someone will come into your life, maybe even sooner than you might expect. When she does, make time for her, Chance.”
“When are you going to leave?” he asked, a lump in his throat.
“If you’d like, we can start interviewing cooks right away. I also want to do the same for a housekeeper.”
“No live-in help,” he said quickly. “You’ve been family, but it’s just me at the house now. I like my privacy. I don’t make too much of a mess. Having someone come in once a week will be good enough.”
She rose. “Okay. I’m off to cook breakfast for the boys and make sandwiches for them to carry in their saddlebags for lunch. Don’t forget your sandwiches and coffee.”
“I won’t,” he told her, watching her as she went out the back door.
Chance knew that a different era was now dawning. With Big Jim gone and now Tammy moving away, he truly was on his own. Of course, he ran big decisions by Kelby since they were co-owners of Blackstone Ranch. His sister also handled their marketing and website, but he was in charge of the day-to-day operations with the cattle and horses. He spent half his day in the field with the cowboys, and the other half was spent in his office, handling the business end of things.
Tammy was the one who had finally insisted that he take weekends off instead of working seven days a week. She had done that only two weeks ago, and he wondered if that had been in preparation of her leaving the ranch for good. Chance had no hobbies outside the ranch, other than reading. He enjoyed biographies and novels set during the Civil War and the years in the Old West after that war. He never watched TV. Didn’t read any news online. Never turned on the radio, so he couldn’t tell what songs were popular or who the artists who sang them were. He despised having an email account, preferring to do business in person with a handshake.
He definitely stayed off the computer once he finished his work. Chance had no social media accounts. He didn’t care what was popular or what trends occurred. While the computer was a great tool for creating spreadsheets to keep track of everything from animals bought and sold to the amount of feed purchased, he wasn’t glued to it as others were. Same with his phone. He had an old phone and only kept it on him so that if he needed to text a hand in the field, he could reach him quickly. The few times he went into town, he was amazed at how people were glued to their phones, ignoring everything and everybody around them.
Once Big Jim had allowed Chance to return to Blackstone Ranch three years ago, he had gone all in on the ranch itself, eschewing everything else. Maybe now it was time to work on that balance between managing the ranch and taking time for himself. At the end of a hard day, he was too tired to socialize, so he rarely left the ranch and didn’t interact with many off the property. Maybe Darby could set him up with one of her teacher friends at the high school. Chance decided it was time to make himself get out and do a little living.
He grabbed the thermoses and cooler and went to his truck, heading toward Lake Hawthorne to meet West. He had been best friends with West since they started kindergarten in Hawthorne. They had attended separate colleges, Chance going to SMU to earn a business degree, and West to A&M, where he played for the Aggies football team. They had stayed in touch as best as they could during those college years, but their friendship had cooled once they graduated. West had played ten years for the Dallas Cowboys, while Chance had moved to Chicago for work, followed by Denver and then Seattle, gaining experience in various aspects of business.
He had thought he would return to Hawthorne with his shiny business degree in hand, but Big Jim had told Chance he needed to see some of the world and work other places, away from his hometown. He’d enjoyed those years and cities, working hard and playing even harder. When his dad had finally agreed it was time for Chance to return and work on the family ranch, he had been glad, soothed by the tranquility of being out on the land and with the horses and cattle after so many years away.
Now West, too, had returned to Hawthorne, coaching the Hawks high school football team and marrying Kelby. The two of them had fallen back into an easy friendship, which Chance appreciated.
The only trouble was that he was slightly jealous of his sister and best friend. The pair had dated briefly in high school and had gone their separate ways after graduation. Both had wound up coming back to Hawthorne about the same time. The spark still existed between them, and they had married last April. Kelby was pregnant now with their first child, due in early June.
Chance wanted what they had.
He was happy for them. They were two of the most important people in his life, and he was thrilled they had found one another after so many years apart. Yet he envied them. The special looks he saw pass between them. The small, loving gestures toward one another. He yearned for that kind of relationship for himself. He’d partied hard in his twenties and had devoted his early thirties strictly to the ranch. At thirty-three, however, he felt that urge to settle down.
West and Kelby had him over for dinner at least once a week, and they invited others, as well. West’s sister Autumn had returned to Hawthorne after a failed marriage, and she had gone to work for Triple H, the new hospital in town, marrying Eli, its medical director. Darby Montgomery, one of his closest friends from high school and Kelby’s best friend, had also returned last year and now taught at their alma mater. She had married Jace Tanner, Eli’s brother and West’s sports agent. Seeing these three happy couples had made Chance realize time was passing him by. He wanted a family. To share his life with someone special.
But who?
He arrived at Lake Hawthorne and parked next to West’s truck. He saw West had already carried the small fishing boat down to the water and stood waiting for Chance to arrive. Heading toward his friend, he held up what he’d brought.
“Tammy’s provided a thermos of coffee for each of us and also some sandwiches.”
West chucked. “I brought two bottles of water. I sneaked out of bed as quietly as I could. Kelby needs as much rest as possible.”
“She looked really good last weekend.”
As they pushed the boat out into the water and climbed in, West said, “The first three months were pretty darn rough. The second trimester is the best for a mom-to-be. Kelby had more energy and began eating better. This last one, though, she’s starting to tire more quickly. She hasn’t slowed down, though, and I wish she would.”
“Kelby mentioned to me that she was thinking about hiring someone to help out,” Chance said. “Has that gone any further?”
“No. I want to nudge her more on that. Once the baby comes, she won’t be able to keep up the breakneck pace she has since she started Social Synergy Creations. Now that it’s off the ground and she’s got a full roster of clients, she’s going to need someone who can manage the business for her while she’s on maternity leave and help take some of the load off her once she returns to work fulltime.”
“Working out of your house will help some, I’d think. No commute, for starters.”
“It should, but I still want her to hire an employee. As fast as the company is growing, she should also hire an assistant, as well. Maybe I’ll bring that up tonight at dinner. You want to back me up on this, buddy?”
He was having dinner tonight at the Sutherlands’ house, and they were going to watch the Dallas Mavericks basketball game after eating.
“I suppose the usual suspects will be there for dinner and the game tonight?” he asked.
“The usual couples and Sawyer,” West replied, referring to Darby’s brother, an attorney who had moved back to Hawthorne a year ago. Like him, Sawyer wasn’t married and didn’t seem to be dating anyone in particular.
“And I’m proud to say that we have a new addition to the group, as of tonight.”
“Who?” Chance asked, curious because West usually kept a small, tight circle around him. His friend’s days as a professional football player had taught West that most people only wanted to be friends with him as long as he could do something for them.
“Summer is going to be at dinner tonight.”
West referred to his sister, Autumn’s twin. Summer worked as a book editor in New York and only came to Hawthorne occasionally because of her busy schedule.
“She was just here at Christmas. I’m surprised she’s already back for a visit,” he said, his heart starting to speed up.
Summer and Autumn had always been on the periphery during his years growing up in Hawthorne. The twins were two years younger than West and Chance, so they had their own crowd of friends. He still thought of Summer as that outgoing girl who wore glasses and had a mouthful of braces. She had lost the braces and begun wearing contacts after he and West had graduated, though, and Chance recalled how Summer seemed to blossom after that. He had seen her sparingly over the years and talked to her for about twenty minutes the last time she had been in town a couple of months ago. He’d been impressed with the adult she had become. Summer was not only a beautiful woman, but she was very thoughtful and smart as a whip, with a great sense of humor. If Summer lived in Hawthorne, she would be the exact kind of woman he would want to date.
“How long will she be in town this time?” Chance asked.
West beamed. “There is no more visiting. All three Sutherland siblings have now returned to the fold, making Mom and Dad very happy.”
Surprise rippled through him. “Summer is moving back from New York?”
His best friend nodded. “I don’t know the particulars. She’s been pretty tight-lipped since she arrived two days ago. All I know is that she is back in Hawthorne for good. Naturally, Autumn is turning cartwheels.”
Chance grew thoughtful. “Then we’ll have to make Summer feel welcome now that she’s back in Hawthorne.”
And he would start by being a welcome wagon of one.
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