Drew lifted his chin and gave Aria a smug look. “It’s a secret.”

  Matilda snorted and shook her head.

  “Not anymore,” Chad said, slapping his brother on the back. “Congrats!”

  “Thank you,” Shane answered, dipping his head sheepishly. “Now listen, don’t tell your Auntie Noelle or Uncle Jett, okay?” Shane leveled his gaze on Aria. “Or your mom, got it?”

  “Yeah, where is Hannah anyway?” Matilda asked. “I haven’t seen her all morning.”

  Chad scanned the crowd as he answered, hoping to spot her in the sea of volunteers. “No clue. Last time I saw her, she was by the food trucks. A few of them hired her to do their PR, so she’s splitting her time with them and Kenny Horton’s campaign folks.”

  “I can’t believe how busy she is,” Matilda said in an awed voice. “She just opened her business, and she’s already got a full roster of clients.”

  “You know what that’s like,” Shane said as he bumped his shoulder into Matilda’s.

  “Yeah, folks heard about how well Harlan’s campaign is going so they were banging down her door before she even officially opened her PR agency.”

  “I know Noelle was happy to hand off the bakery’s promotional stuff. Lucy is keeping her so busy these days,” Matilda said. “And who knows, there might be another egg in the Magpie nest soon enough.” She smiled and raised an eyebrow mysteriously. “Lots of announcements in these parts lately.”

  Chad choked and tried to play it off as a cough. “Damn, we Radford boys sure are busy.”

  If they only knew.

  Jett strolled over to the group. “What is this, an official meeting or something? Why wasn’t I included?”

  Shane held his finger to his lips and gave Drew and Aria a playful warning look. “No, we’re just plotting our game plan for the day. I’m taking these two to the pumpkin carving station, and I’m sure our committee chair has some important business to take care of.”

  Chad’s stomach fizzed and he tapped his back pocket absentmindedly. “Actually, I do. Very important business. Excuse me, folks.”

  He walked away and tried to focus on the task ahead of him as people stopped him to ask questions. He’d always been good at multitasking on the ranch, but doing so with humans instead of cattle was a little different.

  Especially trying to juggle his daily responsibilities with the huge endeavor before him.

  Chad finally spotted Hannah chatting with Kenny Horton and one of his mayoral campaign assistants. He smiled to himself. As always, Hannah looked polished but still breathtakingly pretty in a jean jacket over a red floral dress. He glanced down and smiled when he spotted the cowboy boots he’d given her. He’d had them custom made for her, and the shaft was embroidered with colorful flowers dotted with bumblebees. Hannah glanced over as he approached them and broke into a smile.

  “We were just talking about you,” Kenny said as he spotted Chad. “I’m so impressed with how you ran your campaign, Mr. Chairman.”

  “It’s all thanks to her,” Chad said, pointing to Hannah with a smile.

  “Stop.” She blushed. “I did for you exactly what I’m doing for our future mayor. Helping Kingsley get to know the man behind the name.”

  “And she’s doing an amazing job at it,” the young man standing by Kenny said without looking up from his phone. “His numbers are incredible today.”

  “But they won’t be if you two don’t get back to your booth,” Hannah chastised gently. “People want to talk to you, Kenny. Go shake some hands and kiss some babies.”

  “Aye aye, captain,” Kenny said with a laugh as he walked away with his assistant still staring at his phone.

  “Whew.” Hannah exhaled once they were alone. “It’s barely ten and I’m already exhausted!”

  “You and me both,” Chad agreed. “I haven’t stopped running since I got here at seven.”

  “Speaking of running, have you seen Aria lately?” Hannah scanned the crowd.

  Chad stifled a laugh. “Yeah, she’s keeping Shane busy. She’s having a blast.”

  “Good.” She smiled at Chad. “You okay? You look a little pale.”

  As always, Hannah could read him better than anyone.

  “Yeah, yeah, just worried about … stuff.” Chad paused. “Can we take a quick walk to the pumpkin patch? I want to take a breather before my speech.”

  Hannah stepped closer and placed her hand on Chad’s cheek. “Don’t be nervous, hon. You’re a natural speaker, you’ve got this.”

  He took her hand. “Let’s walk.”

  Chad led Hannah around the back side of the food trucks to the path that led to the patch. The area was deserted since all of the volunteers had already claimed their pumpkins, and the main gates hadn’t opened yet. The field looked so picture perfect, dotted with the bright orange pumpkins that he couldn’t resist mentally framing the image for a photo.

  “Ya done good,” Hannah said, giving his hand a squeeze and smiling up at him as they walked. “Even before this thing starts. All of the planning is going to pay off.”

  Chad paused and turned to face Hannah. They were surrounded by pumpkins and warmed by the fall sun. The crowd was a distant hum.

  He’d planned it perfectly.

  “You know, it’s funny,” he said.

  “What is?” Hannah tipped her head and stared into his eyes.

  “I was just thinking that it’s funny how everything in my life fell into place when you came into it. Even though it was a set-up at first. My whole world changed when I met you.”

  “Strange how that happens, huh?” Hannah beamed at him.

  Chad nodded. “It is. I’d always believed what I thought were truths about me, and you showed me that I was wrong.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say I showed you. I just helped you see what was always there. Chad Radford is an artist. A poet. A man of the land and a man of the people.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a gentle kiss. “And most importantly, my man.”

  Chad couldn’t resist leaning into Hannah and giving her a deeper, longer kiss. It was hard for him to pull away, but he had a job to do.

  “You changed me too,” Hannah said, before he had a chance to begin speaking. “You showed me that I can move past the mistakes of my past. That I don’t have to be captive to the things I did wrong.”

  “Hey, can we focus on the positives, please?” Chad cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again.

  She let out a little moan as they kissed, and she wrapped her arms around him. It took every ounce of his strength to move away from Hannah’s lips.

  “Hannah, I brought you out here because I wanted to ask you something.”

  “Yes, I’ve picked my pumpkin,” she said with a laugh. “It’s massive.”

  Chad smiled. “That’s not the question.”

  He lowered himself onto one knee as he reached into his back pocket. Hannah’s hands flew to her mouth.

  “Chad!” Her eyes filled with tears. “What?”

  “Hannah Smith, I think I fell in love with you the very first time I saw you. My life is so much richer with you and Aria in it, and that’s why I’m asking you to be my wife.” He popped open the ring box. “Will you marry me?”

  Hannah sobbed and fell to her knees in front of Chad. “Yes, yes, yes!” She threw his arms around him and they both nearly toppled over. Hannah happy-cried in disbelief and kissed Chad over and over.

  “Let me get this on you,” Chad said as he righted himself and pulled the ring from the pink box.

  “Oh, the ring!” Hannah gasped as he slid the stunner on her finger. The cushion-cut diamond was big enough to draw attention, but not so huge that it would get in the way.

  She held her hand out to admire it as a whoop went up from beyond the food trucks.

  “What the?” Chad said as he looked over her shoulder to where a crowd had gathered, clapping and cheering for them.

  Hannah turned and let out a laugh when she saw the group of people watching them in the distance. “Everyone saw! Someone must have been looking for you and they figured out what you were doing when you kneeled!”

  Chad shook his head. “Yup, there’s Jett, Lucy, and Noelle.” He squinted and pointed. “And Matilda and Drew. And Shane, with Aria.”

  They both watched as Shane leaned over and said something to Aria. He pointed to them and Aria took off running towards the pumpkin patch.

  Hannah laughed as she watched her daughter make her way through the pumpkins. “I guess she figured it out.”

  Chad reached into his other pocket and pulled out a small pink silk envelope. “I have something for her too. A little diamond bumblebee necklace.”

  “She’ll love it!” Hannah exclaimed. “You know she adores you.”

  “It’s mutual.” He smiled. “I always felt like I was a lucky guy, but I never imagined it could get even better.”

  Aria finally reached them and crashed into them, a jumble of laughter and half-finished questions. Chad scooped her into a three-way hug, and she nestled between them like the last puzzle piece.

  “Yeah,” Chad said, smiling at Hannah and feeling happier than he ever thought was possible. “This is exactly where we all belong.”

  End of The Rancher’s Fake Girlfriend

  The Rancher’s Pregnant Fake Fiancée, February 25, 2021

  The Rancher’s Stubborn Partner, March 4, 2021

  The Rancher’s Fake Girlfriend, March 11, 2021

  PS: Want to saddle up with another cowboy? Then keep reading for exclusive extracts from Cowboy’s Unexpected Family and Wrangling His Best Friend’s Sister.

  Thank you!

  Thank you so much for purchasing my book. It’s hard for me to put into words how much I appreciate my readers. If you enjoyed this book, please remember to leave a review. Reviews are crucial for an author’s success and I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to review the book. I love hearing from you!

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  If you enjoyed this book, I'd be incredibly grateful if you could leave a quick review. Simply leave a review when prompted by Amazon at the end of this book. Alternatively, head over to the product page for this book on Amazon and leave a review there—look for the WRITE A CUSTOMER REVIEW link.

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  About Leslie North

  Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.

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  BLURB

  Single mom and widow Amy Thorne is totally and absolutely in love with her town. It’s her job to market her little corner of heaven, and right now, she’s working on the town’s upcoming rodeo. Everything is perfect—until rodeo star Cal Pierce arrives. When she sees him, Amy nearly faints. The sexy cowboy is the spitting image of her late husband. It all makes sense when she learns Cal is the baby her mother-in-law gave up for adoption years ago. But though Cal might look like his half-brother, that’s as far as the resemblance goes. Unlike Luke, Cal respects her mind and supports her ideas. But he’s a traveling man, not the sort who would ever settle down. Certainly not the sort of man Amy should ever fall for. If only her heart would listen…

  Cal loves the rodeo, the life on the road, the challenge of competition. Just the thought of settling down in one place makes him antsy. Problem is, Amy is starting to get under his skin and he’s starting to think thoughts that are completely foreign to him. Things like home and family and staying put. He can’t stay and Amy won’t leave. It’s best for him to move on—and that’s exactly what he does. Unfortunately, it’s only after he leaves that he realizes his heart might not be in rodeo anymore. Is it too late to come back to the home he’s found at last?

  Grab your copy of Cowboy’s Unexpected Family (Thorne Ranch Brothers Book One)

  Available June 17th, 2021.

  Available for Pre-Order now.

  www.LeslieNorthBooks.com

  EXCERPT

  Cal Pierce took a glance around the downtown of Darby Crossing, Texas. The main street was lined with old structures housing the usual array of shops to be found in any ranching town—hardware, bank, Western apparel store, diner, and tavern. His eyes automatically ticked off the architectural details without paying much attention to them. Seemed like a nice enough place, he decided, pulling his truck into a parking space near city hall, but only if a person wanted to live in a small town. Cal didn’t. Small town life made him itchy, restless. Fortunately, he wouldn’t be here long—just long enough to do a favor for an old friend.

  When Rafael Alvarez had called on Cal to headline a charity rodeo, he couldn’t refuse. Rafael was a buddy, someone who showed Cal the ropes when he first joined the rodeo circuit. Even though a nasty knee injury made his friend give up roping and riding for a gig teaching high school history in his hometown, they’d kept in touch. And the favor was no problem. He’d even agreed to come in a few weeks early and do promotional work.

  Cal got out of his truck and put on his Stetson. The street was surprisingly crowded for midday. He noticed some looks turn his way. Nothing unusual. He was a big enough name on the circuit that people often recognized him. He gave a nod as he passed two men in front of the hardware store, but they only stared at him, one of them dropping the parcel he held.

  “Howdy, ma’am.” Cal tipped his hat to an older woman coming out of the diner accompanied by what looked to be her grandchildren. She didn’t return his greeting, but her mouth formed a perfect O of shock.

  What was up with this place? Cal wondered. Fans usually called out a friendly greeting, even tried to approach him. They didn’t gape at him like he was a two-headed horse.

  Cal tried to shrug it off as he entered the small brick building that housed city hall. It looked like it might have been a one-room schoolhouse long ago since it still had the bell on top. The space now was divided into an entryway and two offices. No one was manning the reception desk, so he dinged the bell that sat on a mat reading “ring for service.”

  “Be right there,” a voice called from one of the offices. He heard the squeak of a desk chair, and the click of high heels before a woman appeared in the doorway.

  “Hello, I’m Amy Thorne,” she said. “It’s…oh, god.” She placed her hand over her heart and her face went white. When she began to sway, Cal rushed toward her and took her arm, easing her into a nearby chair. He knelt next to her and her gaze met his. Her eyes were the color of Texas bluebonnets, a beautiful contrast with her curly red hair. She was about the prettiest woman he’d seen in a decade, but she was staring at him as if she’d seen a ghost.

  “Can I get you something? Glass of water?” Cal offered, unsure of what to do. His eyes dipped to her left hand where she wore a simple gold band. “Call your husband maybe?”

  “No.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and she couldn’t seem to take her eyes from his face. She smoothed her hands over her black skirt and finally took her focus off him. “I’ll be fine in a minute. I…must have stood up too quickly.”

  “That can get you sometimes,” he said easily and watched the color slowly return to her skin.

  “You must be Cal Pierce.” She straightened her posture and smiled at him. It seemed forced, but friendly.

  “At your service, ma’am.” He dipped his chin in acknowledgment.

  “Please call me Amy,” she said. “Thank you so much for coming. Let’s go into my office and talk about the promo schedule and the event.”

  “Sure. Take it easy standing up.” He wanted to offer his arm, but he held back. She seemed a mite skittish, like a newly broken horse.

  “I’m fine. Really. If you’ll follow me.” She rose and led the way into an office where she gestured for him to take a seat. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

  “No, but I appreciate the offer.” He appreciated the way her skirt skimmed her figure, too, and the flex of her calf as she walked. Somehow, she wasn’t what he expected from a mayor’s assistant in a small town. They’d emailed and spoken on the phone to make his travel arrangements, so he’d known that she’d be intelligent and friendly. He just hadn’t expected her to be so appealing.

  As soon as she was seated, she reached for a glass of water and he could see that her hand still trembled. She put it back down without taking a sip before dropping her hands out of sight.

  “Well, first let me thank you again for agreeing to be part of our rodeo.” Her tone was crisp. “I can assure you that the proceeds are going to a good cause.”

  “Rafael said a fire took your community center.”

  “Yes, a few months ago.” A twinge went across her face, but it was gone before he could be sure of what it meant. “Unfortunately, the building was a total loss, but we hope to rebuild quickly. And a rodeo seemed like a good way to raise interest in the project and collect the needed funds.”