Lone Star Blessings

Lone Star Blessings
Bonnie K. Winn

What does a widowed father know about raising a preteen girl? Sheriff Tucker Grey is on top of basic needs, but when it comes to hair, clothes and first crushes, he's at a loss. Until Kate Lambert returns to Rosewood, Texas. His daughter's new Sunday School teacher seems exactly what the girl needs. Except when it comes to a mother.Tucker has loved and lost once and has no room in his heart for anyone. Especially a big-city gal like Kate. But she soon has this lone star lawman counting his blessings… herself included.

“We got off to a pretty bad start, didn’t we?” Kate asked.

Tucker smiled. “I imagine you had a life back in the city. Gave it up to come take care of your father. Couldn’t have been easy.”

Kate lifted her gaze and he saw her eyes deepen. He also saw a fleeting vulnerability along with pain. “My family’s everything to me—small as it is. When you shake that down, it wasn’t hard to know what I had to do…what I wanted to do. I suppose I didn’t think anything else was important.”

“Not even a ticket from a small-town sheriff?” he teased gently.

Her laugh was soft. “I’m not going to live that one down, am I?”

“Doubtful.”

She looked up at the star-filled sky. “Never realized how inspiring small towns can be.”

He looked at the slim column of her neck, the curve of her throat as it arched. Inspiring. It had been a lifetime since he’d stood in the moonlight next to a woman. A lifetime forever unwound.

BONNIE K. WINN

is a hopeless romantic who has written incessantly since the third grade. So it seemed only natural that she turned to romance writing. A seasoned author of historical and contemporary romance, Bonnie has won numerous awards for her bestselling books. Affaire de Coeur chose her as one of the Top Ten Romance Writers in America.

Bonnie loves writing contemporary romance because she can set her stories in the modern cities close to her heart and explore the endlessly fascinating strengths of today’s women.

Living in the foothills of the Rockies gives her plenty of inspiration and a touch of whimsy, as well. She shares her life with her husband, son and a spunky Norwich terrier who lends his characteristics to many pets in her stories. Bonnie’s keeping mum about anyone else’s characteristics she may have borrowed.

Lone Star Blessings

Bonnie K. Winn

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?

And why art thou disquieted within me?

Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him who is

the health of my countenance, and my God.

—Psalms 43:5

In memory of my parents.

Always loved.

Forever missed.

Deepest thanks to my agent, Danielle Egan-Miller,

for your unwavering support, understanding,

belief, encouragement and friendship.

And, to Melissa Endlich,

for making my return so good.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One