I just realized it’s been 2 months since I last blogged, but I have a good reason for my absence! đ I’ve been hard at work writing a new book, my first cowboy romance. Here my cover reveal for Falling for the Younger Cowboy!

Here’s a sneak peek at chapter one:
Lexi Turner had never seen a more delicious pot of chili ⊠or maybe it was the gorgeous cowboy stirring the pot who had her mouth watering.
âCan I move now, Lex?â
She blinked quickly behind the lens of her camera and lowered the Nikon DSLR from her eye. The camera strap tugged on the back of her neck as she let the equipment fall from her hands. Clearing her throat, she squeaked out, âYeah, totally. I got the shots I needed. Thanks, James.â
The tall man wearing dark jeans and a fitted gray T-shirt under a large white apron straightened from the pose heâd been in for the past few minutes. His expression relaxed, adding a sparkle to his blue eyes. He immediately pulled the apron over his head of auburn waves and tossed it onto the metal counter behind him. âFinally. I donât know how much longer I couldâve held that smile. And Iâm pretty sure the chili wouldâve turned to mush if I stirred it any more. You know I canât be caught serving baby food to our ranchers.â
Lexi chuckled to see the right corner of Jamesâs lips curve up in his trademark grin. Her friend always seemed to smile with just one side of his mouth, never fully revealing his straight, white teeth. He was the strong, silent type, like a stereotypical cowboy from the Clint Eastwood movies her dad liked to watch. âYou know those guys will eat anything you put on their plates. Youâre the best cook in Texas.â
A slight blush crept up Jamesâs neck, adding color to his defined jawline. âYouâre much too kind, Lexi. And a sweet talker if Iâve ever met one. I doubt if a year on the ranch has made you an expert on southern cooking, but Iâll take the compliment.â He nodded toward the stainless steel pot sitting on the stove. âDo you want a bowl before you get back to work?â
âSure. But only if you sit with me and have one, too.â
James checked the clock hanging on the wall. âI can manage that. Iâve got an hour before I need to start on the rest of dinner.â He scooped out two bowls of steaming hot chili, grabbed two metal spoons, and led the way out of the kitchen.
Lexi followed him into the mess hall reserved for the employees. An earthy aroma of dirt mixed with the freshness of spring rain coming in through an open window filled her senses. Half a dozen picnic tables topped with metal napkin dispensers took up the majority of the large room. Several tracks of muddy footprints revealed a path where the ranchersâ boots had walked hours earlier during lunch.
Lexiâs own pair of boots clicked along the concrete floor, feeling foreign and comfortable on her feet at the same time. Sometimes she still couldnât believe sheâd traded in her flip-flops and a life by the beach for country living. But thatâs what a semi midlife crisis had prompted her to do when Thomas left her for another woman. Taking a seat on one of the wooden benches, she set her camera on the table. She also cleared her head free from any more thoughts of her ex-husband. She inhaled the savory scent of spices rising from the bowl James set before her and sighed. âThis is just what I need. Spice therapy.â
From across the table, James held out his spoon to her and waited for her to clink it with her own before digging into his bowl. In between bites, he met her gaze curiously. âSomething tells me youâre not just talking about the Monday blues. Did your mom call again?â
Lexi blinked in surprise. âHowâd you know?â
He shrugged. âYouâve been distracted ever since you walked into my kitchen.â
Distracted was right. Lexi didnât know what had gotten into her today. Seeing her good friend through a camera lens had somehow magnified her view of him. Sheâd thought he was handsome when they first met, but she had never studied the planes and angles of his face so closely before. Or it could be that sheâd been too heartbroken to notice.
After relocating from the Big Island of Hawaii to Sage Valley, sheâd spent months grieving the end of her decade-long marriage. It wasnât until recently that her heart had started to ache less. When the dude ranch owners, the Buchanans, tasked her with the job of taking pictures for their website, sheâd rediscovered the joy of photography. And now apparently, sheâd also discovered the opposite sex. Lexi winced. She really ought to be acting her age instead of feeling like a hormonal teenager. She was a week from turning forty, for goodness sakes! Midlife crisis or not, she couldnât be crushing on her much younger friend.
Feeling Jamesâs eyes on her, she swallowed her mouthful of chili and answered quickly. âYou guessed right. My mom did call this morning, bright and early at sevenâtwo in the morning her timeâjust before she turned into bed. She had some big news that couldnât wait.â
James quirked a brow, his telltale sign urging her to continue speaking.
âApparently, Thomas got engaged over the weekend.â
âOuch.â
Lexi ducked her head. The hem of her red flannel shirt skimming the top of her jeans blurred for a second before she blinked away her tears. She sniffled as she looked up. âI couldnât care less what he does. Itâs more the fact that my own flesh and blood still keeps in touch with the guy who broke my heart that gets to me. My mom really loves poking her nose in other peopleâs business.â
A pained look crossed Jamesâs face as he rubbed his chin. âIâm sorry, Lex. Thatâs gotta sting. I thought my great-aunt won the award for meddling, but your mom takes the cake.â
She smirked. Sharon Buchanan, or Nanna as everyone called her, had a reputation for playing matchmaker, but at least she had good intentions. Lexiâs typical Asian tiger momâbless her heartâdidnât have a sensitive bone in her body. Lexi still didnât know how her fun-loving, Irish father had won her over. âItâs all right. I just keep reminding her that Iâve moved on. Iâm happy with my life now. Iâve rediscovered my love of photography, Iâve got the ranchâs store to manage, andââshe gave him a pointed lookââI have amazing friends.â
He narrowed his eyes. âAre you talking about Charlie?â he asked, referring to Lexiâs cousin who had gotten her the job at the ranch.
She licked her spoon before setting it down. âNot just Charlie. Iâm talking about you, too, Mr. James Scott. Like I said, your chili is life. Just one bite of it, and the world seems right again.â She glanced down at her empty bowl then pointed a finger at her mouth as she smiled. âSee how happy youâve made me? I hardly remember my conversation with my mom now.â
James chuckled, the throaty sound causing his Adamâs apple to bob. âIâm happy to oblige. Iâve got a whole pot left of this spicy therapy if you want some more.â
Lexi shook her head. âThanks, but I should get back to the store to relieve Henry.â She had one employee, a part-timer who was in line to get a permanent job as a ranch hand. âIâll upload these photos and ask Nanna which one she wants to use. If my guess is right, sheâll say all of them. Iâm pretty sure youâre her favorite grandnephew,â she added with a wink.
âNaw, Iâm just the one she managed to rope into working here.â
âWell, Iâm awfully glad she did. If you hadnât come back to the ranch, weâd never have met. Youâve made this past year so much brighter.â
James gave her a half smile. âYou mean tastier?â
âDefinitely both.â Feeling grateful, Lexi reached across the table and placed her hand on top of his. A light spark of electricity shot through her fingers the moment they touched. She immediately pulled back and rubbed her palm along her jeans. Had James felt it, too?
âAre you okay?â
âYeah, totally fine,â Lexi replied, lying through her teeth. Her body had never reacted to James this way before. She eyed the camera on the table, wondering if it had cast some sort of spell on her. Before she could dwell any more on the matter, her cell phone vibrated. She pulled it out of her back pocket and swiped it open to reveal a new message.
Lex, are you sitting down?
âItâs Charlie,â she murmured to James as she watched three dots flash across her screen. âSheâs probably texting to vent about some crazy request she got from a guest.â
Charlieâs next message popped up. I donât know how to tell you this, but Thomas is here! With a young blonde thing wearing a huge rock!
The blood drained from Lexiâs face. Her mouth fell open as she stared at the blue text bubble. What were her ex and his new fiancĂ©e doing in Sage Valley?
âLexi? Whatâs wrong?â
She bit her bottom lip as she met Jamesâs gaze. âI think Iâm going to need another bowl of chili.â
Poor Lexi! Don’t worry though, James (and his chili) are gonna make things all better!Â
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