LOST RIDER
By Harper
Sloan
Release
Day: APRIL 25, 2017
In Lost Rider, the first Western
romance in New York Times and USA
TODAY bestselling author
Harper Sloan’s Coming Home series, an injured rodeo star encounters an old
flame but will she be just what he needs to get back in the saddle?
Maverick Austin Davis is forced to return home after a ten-year career as a rodeo star. After one too many head injuries, he’s off the circuit and in the horse farming business, something he’s never taken much of a shine to, but now that it’s his late father’s legacy, familial duty calls. How will Maverick find his way after the only dream he ever had for himself is over?
Enter Leighton Elizabeth James, an ugly duckling turned beauty from Maverick’s childhood—his younger sister’s best friend, to be exact, and someone whose heart he stomped all over when she confessed her crush to him ten years back. Now Leighton is back in Maverick’s life, no longer the insecure, love-stricken teen—and Maverick can’t help but take notice. Sparks fly between them, but will Leighton be able to open her heart to the one man who broke it all those years ago?
Written in the vein of Diana Palmer and Lindsay McKenna, this Texas-set series is filled with sizzle, heart, and plenty of cowboys!
Maverick Austin Davis is forced to return home after a ten-year career as a rodeo star. After one too many head injuries, he’s off the circuit and in the horse farming business, something he’s never taken much of a shine to, but now that it’s his late father’s legacy, familial duty calls. How will Maverick find his way after the only dream he ever had for himself is over?
Enter Leighton Elizabeth James, an ugly duckling turned beauty from Maverick’s childhood—his younger sister’s best friend, to be exact, and someone whose heart he stomped all over when she confessed her crush to him ten years back. Now Leighton is back in Maverick’s life, no longer the insecure, love-stricken teen—and Maverick can’t help but take notice. Sparks fly between them, but will Leighton be able to open her heart to the one man who broke it all those years ago?
Written in the vein of Diana Palmer and Lindsay McKenna, this Texas-set series is filled with sizzle, heart, and plenty of cowboys!
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EXCERPT
I should tell Quinn and Clay that he’s here. But one look at
him and it’s like the last ten years have never passed and I’m back at the
bonfire, the awkward high schooler uncomfortable in her own skin. Marching away
from him in the woods. It was the last time I saw him. How is it possible that
he can affect me this much after all this time?
He hasn’t noticed me, not with his head bowed, so I quickly
turn around and focus on Pastor John as he finishes up his prayer. Him being
here means nothing. I should be happy that I remember the pain from that night
so well, it will make keeping my walls up around him so much easier.
“On behalf of the Davis family, I want to thank everyone for
coming today. At this time, the family has asked for some time alone as they
say their good-byes. They wanted me to remind everyone that the PieHole will be
opening up for a few hours tonight starting at five for anyone that wishes to
join them.”
I keep my arm around Quinn, not looking back to where I saw
Maverick. I can hear the church slowly emptying and I feel a frown pull at my
lips. I had hoped that when everyone started to leave that he would have come
up front to be with his family, but so far, the pew we’re in is still empty
save for the three of us. We sit and wait for everyone to leave, something that
Clay had asked Pastor John to make arrangements for in place of the customary
recessional, knowing that no one in this town would really mean a word of it
anyway. Plus, I know Quinn is having a hard time. Regardless of the fact that
she wasn’t the closest with her father, she was really counting on this—Maverick
home. She’s still shaking in my arms, but when I look over at Clay I realize
his silence isn’t because of the heaviness of Buford’s death, but instead anger
over his brother’s absence that has started to build to a boil. I fear that
he’s seconds away from tipping over the edge.
I stand when Clay and Quinn do, but hang back at the edge of
the row we had been sitting in as they meet Pastor John and gather their
father’s ashes. I can’t wait to get out of these heels. If it would have been
acceptable to wear my boots, I would have, but Quinn would have killed me. As
it is, I feel like I can’t take a deep breath with how tight my dress is
against my chest. I never wear tight shirts. I haven’t since my boobs became
beasts of their own right. I’m too busy fiddling with the straps of my dress,
trying desperately to get some of the pressure against my chest to ease up so I
could take a deep breath, when I heard Quinn gasp.
“Mav!” Next thing I know she’s running past where I’m
standing, her black hair streaming in the air behind her as she speeds forward
right into her brother’s arms. Clay moves to stand next to me and I look up to
meet his green eyes, the questions he isn’t vocalizing dancing in their emerald
depths. He’s not stupid and I’m doing a crappy job at hiding the memories
haunting me right now. He gives me a small smile, shifting his hold on the urn
to wrap his free arm around me and pulls me into a strong hold.
“You’re shakin’,” he says against my temple and I just nod.
“I’m good, Clay. Go see your brother.”
“I’m fine right where I am, sugar.”
I keep my eyes to the ground, focusing on his worn boots
instead of looking up, hating myself for making this moment about me when I
should be focused on them. Like it or not, I can’t fight the feelings that being
near him bring me. I’m that stupid, naive sixteen-year-old all over again.
“Let’s get out of here,” he says after a few silent seconds. I look up and give
him a smile, hoping that it looks a hell of a lot braver than I feel. Inside I
feel like I might puke.
“You think I could
have a second with my family?”
My head shoots up at the coldness I hadn’t anticipated in
Maverick’s voice. He’s not focused on me, though, instead looking at his
brother with a hard expression and one brow raised upward.
“Mav!” Quinn gasps and he moves his attention from his
brother to her.
“Sorry, Quinn, but I’m thinkin’ that Clay’s lady friend
would understand that this should be a moment for our family and give us time
alone.”
“I’ll just—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, sugar,” Clay all but
spits through clenched teeth and drops his arm to take a step forward. “You’ve
got something to say, Mav, then say it.”
“Nothing to say, Clayton, I just think it would be nice for
your girlfriend to give us some space.”
“My girlfriend,” he parrots sarcastically, his deep voice
vibrating in anger.
“Mav.” Quinn attempts to butt in, but stops when Maverick
leaves her side and turns to stalk out of the church. I should find it comical
that he obviously didn’t recognize me, or hell, maybe he did and he’s just
picking up where he left off ten years ago in the middle of the dark woods. I
take a deep breath. “It’s okay. He’s right. Y’all need some time as a family.
I’ll head over to the PieHole and start settin’ up for tonight.”
Quinn brushes a tear from her cheek and just shakes her
head. I look at Clay to see him staring in the direction that his brother just
left.
“You’re family,” he finally says, not looking in my
direction.
“Clay, really, it’s
okay. It’s been a long time since y’all were back together and I don’t need to
be there for that reunion. It sucks that it takes all of this to finally bring
him home, but he’s here and y’all need to make up for a lot of time lost.”
“Shut up, Leighton.”
“Don’t, Clay.”
“Don’t what? You’ve got every right to be here. You’re just
as much a part of our family as he is. Hell, maybe even more so than he is at
this point. So just shut up, come with us, and ignore him.”
I shake my head, the fight instantly leaving my sails,
knowing I would be arguing until the end of time if I pressed this issue.
“I can’t believe he doesn’t even recognize you,” Quinn
whispers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Harper is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY
bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She
has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of
Thrones. When she isn't writing you can almost always find her with a book in
hand.
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