Thursday, September 24, 2020

Cowboy Tough by Michelle Beattie - New Release and Giveaway


Cowboy Tough
by Michelle Beattie
Series: Tangled Up in Texas, #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 24, 2020




Ryker Granger can’t believe his luck when he meets a beautiful woman stranded on the side of the road outside of Last Stand, Texas. Normally this rancher and part-time mechanic would be too reserved to jump into a relationship, especially since his family is still reeling from questions surrounding their father’s heart attack. But his life’s a tangled mess and Shannon is a welcome distraction.

Shannon Smith set out to meet Ryker Granger. Her staged car breakdown was only the beginning of her plan. Meeting Ryker is her chance to right the wrongs his father inflicted on her family. Her plan skews wildly off course—she only meant to score a date, not fall in love. And Ryker’s a straight arrow; he’ll never forgive such blatant deception. But how can she walk away from the man who has claimed her heart?

As Ryker solves the mystery around his father and learns why Shannon came to Last Stand, he faces his toughest choice yet. Forgive a lie or lose the woman he loves forever? 





Even though she hurried, she'd barely stepped out of the vehicle when Ryker slammed the hood closed. He pulled a rag from his pocket and wiped his hands. Then he lifted his head and she got her first good look at him.

Heat overcame her. Even though the rain wasn't cold, she half expected to hear the sizzle as it landed on her suddenly overheated body. He was . . . he was . . . there weren't suitable words to do him justice. Calling him good-looking would be like saying a chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven was okay. Sexy was a given, and really didn't encompass the half of him. Sure, it described his tall, long-legged frame, the way his shoulders filled out the jacket he wore, and the scruff that covered his cheeks. It even took into account his boots and Stetson. What it didn't touch, not even scratched the surface of, was the potency of his attention when it was directed straight at her.

Which was likely why she hadn't reacted to him when she'd been standing right beside him. Well, that and the fact that from the moment he'd tapped on her window, his attention had been all on the car, and she'd been so busy watching his hands and hoping he didn't zero in the problem too quickly, she hadn't paid attention to anything else.

Well, she was paying attention now.

In fact she was helpless to do otherwise. His gaze held hers with the power of an electrical current she couldn't break. Behind her ribs her heart galloped at full speed. And that was all before he stepped close enough for her to realize he had more than just a piercing gaze. He also had the greenest eyes she'd ever seen. She'd expected him to be good looking, after seeing Cam's picture online, but he'd surpassed her expectations. By a landslide.

"You're all set." He tipped his hat and ambled past her toward his truck.

Her mind clicked back into business and the reason she was there. Which wasn't his eyes, or his sexiness, no matter how captivating. She spun around.

"Wait!"

He turned. Though she was again struck by his intense gaze, she was better prepared for its impact, and it didn't stop her from walking closer. She smiled as she approached.

"You haven't told me what I owe you."

He tipped a shoulder. "It took me less than five minutes. I'm not charging you for that."

"Surely you have a base charge for service calls."

His raised brows disappeared beneath the brim of his hat. "You want me to charge you?"

"I don't want to have disrupted your day and brought you out here for nothing. Especially in this weather."

"You didn't disrupt anything and you were hardly more than a ten-minute drive. But, fine." He angled his chin toward her car. "Your engine has a lot of corrosion and dirt. You should get that cleaned before it strands you on the side of the road again."

"That's it?"

He nodded. "That's it."

Well, what more could she say? She'd already pointed out that he'd gotten soaked on her behalf. She'd only look foolish if she kept him out in the rain any longer.

"Okay." She held out her hand. "Thanks for the help."

He took her hand. "No problem."

His helping her might not have been, but the reaction that zinged up her arm when he touched her sure was. There wasn't room in what she was doing for attraction. Even if it was only one-sided. Which clearly it was, as the moment he broke contact, he said, "You should get inside. No sense getting wetter."

She nodded, turned on her heel. Behind her, his truck door closed, but it wasn't until she'd shut her own door that he eased past her. Shannon leaned her head back against the headrest. She'd hoped for more conversation. Not that she'd expected to learn anything about his father or Hudson then, but at least she'd hoped to form some sort of a connection that would be the start of getting close enough to him to find out what she needed to.

No such luck.

Shannon lifted her head, pulled down the visor, and looked at herself in the mirror. Well, geeze, no wonder he hadn't been interested. Her shoulder-length, auburn hair lay like a wet mop on her head. The little bit of makeup she'd worn was gone and, other than a smudge of copper eyeliner underneath her right eye, the rest of her face was even paler than normal.

Shannon huffed a frustrated breath as she flicked the visor up. Of course it was also possible he had a girlfriend. Every one of them could, for all she knew. For now, what was important was getting to know the family and so far, Ryker was her only connection to it. So she'd focus on him. Today hadn't gone as planned. But she was hardly giving up. There was too much at stake. She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as she figured out her next step. It didn't take long before an idea came to her.

She pulled out her phone, checked the weather app. The forecast for tomorrow was hot and sunny. Perfect for what she had in mind.








International Bestselling Author Michelle Beattie first found her love of romance in romantic comedies such as Romancing the Stone and Valley Girl (yes, she realizes that dates her).  It wasn't until after high school when she worked for a car rental company and had too much time on her hands that she started reading romances.  Historicals were her go-to and she raided many bookstores looking for historical western romances.

Eventually she started thinking "what if" and "I'd have done that differently" and quietly started writing her own.  More than a dozen books later, Michelle has published in both digital and print platforms and her works have been translated in more than 4 languages.

Michelle is a mother of two very strong, independent daughters.  She is a certified member of the Master Bowler's of Alberta and loves coaching and passing on her love for 5 pin bowling.  Besides bowling herself in a weekly league, she also likes to golf in the summer, play games, and read.

Michelle lives in a solar-powered house in Central Alberta with her husband of almost 25 years, youngest daughter, and the cutest dog ever.












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