End of Cowboy’s Pregnant Partner

  Thorne Ranch Brothers Book Three

  Cowboy’s Unexpected Family, June 17, 2021

  Sheriff’s Pregnant Ex, June 24, 2021

  Cowboy’s Pregnant Partner, July 1, 2021

  PS: Want to saddle up with another cowboy? Then keep reading for exclusive extracts from Rancher’s Family Christmas 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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  About Leslie

  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

  Deck the ranch with romance…

  Widower and single dad Alex Harvey is doing his best to run a ranch, care for his wheelchair-bound father, and raise three girls. But when his middle daughter writes a letter to Santa asking for a real family Christmas, he’s gut-punched. How can he make his daughter’s wish come true, when everything around him is falling apart?

  Then beautiful and kind Juniper Marsh steps in, and vows to help. To Alex, Juniper was just the girl next door and his brother’s best friend. Now she’s a vibrant, joy-filled presence in his life. Alex never thought he had time to find love. But has love finally found him?

  Juniper thought she’d outgrown her schoolgirl crush on Alex. But her attraction reignites the moment Alex walks into her boutique. He’s even sexier now than back in high school… A tall, lean, cowboy with a crooked smile and a smoldering stare.

  Juniper’s determined to help Alex give his girls the perfect Christmas. But secretly, she’s hoping their kiss under the mistletoe will turn into something more. Can that Christmas magic make both their dreams come true?

  Grab your copy of Rancher’s Family Christmas (Christmas at the Harvey Ranch Book One)

  November 4, 2021

  Available for Pre-Order on October 28th, 2021

  www.LeslieNorthBooks.com

  EXCERPT

  “I know it’s a big ask, Will. Believe me, I do. But I’m doing it all the same. Please, if there’s any way you think you can manage it, could you come home for Christmas? For old times’ sake?”

  Alex Harvey sat at the worn table by the large kitchen window, his heart hammering harder than he’d like to admit. He closed his eyes, using his free hand to gingerly press on the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on, a sure sign that he was letting his stress mount too high. Not that there was much he could do about it. Stress was just part of the deal when you were raising three young girls and running a ranch on your own.

  The pause on the other end of the call stretched out, and Alex could practically hear Will considering the question. If he didn’t know him so well, he might think his baby brother was trying to find a tactful way of saying no. Will was a thinker, though, and Alex understood he was considering the situation carefully.

  Finally, he cleared his throat. “Tell me what the letter said again?”

  Alex looked down at the letter Thora, his middle daughter, had written to Santa. He grimaced, the simple request on the page hurting his heart. “She told Santa that she doesn’t care about getting any presents this year. All she wants for Christmas is a perfect, big family Christmas like the ones she remembers from when Mom was alive.”

  “Man,” Will said with an unhappy sigh. “Poor kid. I feel like an ass. I guess I didn’t really think about how holidays would have changed for your girls after Fiona and then Mom died.”

  “If anyone is an ass, Will, it’s me. I should have seen it, and I didn’t.”

  There was another moment of silence in which Alex’s longing for both his deceased wife and his beloved mother were so strong, he physically hurt. It had almost destroyed him when leukemia had taken Fiona from him five years ago. His mother had stepped in and done everything she could to fill the void for the girls. But three years ago, she had died suddenly and violently in a car accident. They had almost lost his dad in the same accident, and although Abbott had survived, he was far from the same—physically and emotionally. Sometimes, Alex thought that when his mom had passed, she had taken the heart of the family with her.

  “You can count me in, okay?” Will finally said, breaking through Alex’s bleak thoughts. “I’ll do whatever I can to make it an excellent Christmas for the girls. Just give me a little time to shift some things around up here, and I’ll be home.” Alex felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that the “things” his baby brother needed to shift probably included money he’d intended to make from some holiday season side job. Will was paying his way through vet school and saving every penny—it was why he hadn’t been home much in the past few years. Coming home would be a hit to his finances, but he’d never be the one to bring that up. Will was no complainer—and when he said he’d be there for you, he always came through.

  “Thank you, brother. Really. We’ll all be happy to have you.”

  Alex and Will said their goodbyes, and Alex almost felt like smiling as he hung up the phone.

  His next call was to his middle brother, Travis, although he had little expectation of reaching him. Travis was a bona fide rodeo star, and he was currently on the circuit. Alex had already left a message once, a couple of days ago, and gotten no return call. Travis was all rodeo, all of the time. Phone calls were few and far between, especially with their mom gone.

  “Figures,” he muttered to himself, ending the call without bothering to leave another voicemail. If Travis was going to get back to him, he would do it in his own time. Of all of the Harvey men, Travis was the most resistant to being controlled.

  “Hey, Alex! Is everything all right?”

  Scarlett, his father’s nurse, bustled into the kitchen, picking up everything in a glance as she always did. Alex couldn’t help smiling at her, as tired and defeated as he felt.

  “It’s just Thora. She’s sad about the kind of Christmases we’ve been having.”

  Scarlett frowned. “That’s no good. But I’ve actually got a suggestion for you and the girls, if you’re up for it. It’s a fun little holiday thing I thought you might be able to do together.”

  “I’m all ears,” he said eagerly, glancing out at his girls just in time to see Thora throw a snowball at her less than amused older sister.

  Scarlett smiled warmly. “It’s nothing major, just an ornament decorating class at this cute little shop in town. I saw a notice for it this morning at the coffee shop and snapped a picture of it to remind me to tell you.” She pulled out her phone and forwarded the picture to him. Looking over the information, he saw with relief that it said walk-ins were welcome.

  “This is great,” Alex said without missing a beat. “I really appreciate the thought. We’ll be there.”

  For a second, his mind went helplessly to all of the work he was supposed to oversee that afternoon. For as long as he could remember, his dad had drilled into him that the ranch came first. As the eldest, he had always known that it would be his to care for someday, and with his father’s diminished health, that day had come much earlier than he’d expected. He knew his dad would disapprove of taking an afternoon off for the “artsy-fartsy” stuff, and the idea of his disapproval was hard to ignore. Then he looked back down at Thora’s letter, and he knew what he needed to do.

  An hour later, he was ushering his heavily bundled children into a little crafting store he’d never entered before. There were little tables and benches set out throughout the store’s floor, many of them with people already chattering happily. After paying their fee at the register up front, Alex directed his girls to a free table, enjoying the cheer in the air. It was a welcome surprise, but nothing compared to the one he was about to get.

  “Hello, everyone!” a melodic voice rang across the room, clearly that of the woman in charge of the event. “Thank you all so much for coming. I’m so excited to see what beautiful creations you make today!”

  It was a voice Alex recognized from his past.

  Juniper Marsh, girl next door and Will’s childhood best friend. Only she didn’t look like a child anymore. She had grown into a beautiful woman.

  Juniper surveyed her busy little shop happily. She was a great lover of the holiday season, and it always warmed her heart to see her store full of excited people ready to flex their creative muscles. She’d guided everyone through the initial stages and had explained what their options were, but now everyone had been left to design and decorate on their own—and it all resulted in a wonderful sort of creative chaos.

  Margot, Juniper’s friend and fellow artist, stepped over from the cash register where she’d taken everyone’s payment and linked her arm through Juniper’s. “This is going so well, don’t you think? Almost every spot we had available is filled, and look how happy everyone looks!”

  “The place does seem to be filled with Christmas cheer, doesn’t it?”

  The holiday spirit made the air feel electric, and Juniper smiled softly to see it. It was true that with her Aunt Tess and Uncle Howard off on a cruise, she would be spending Christmas alone, but how could a girl feel blue when she was able to bring happiness to so many people, and by doing something she loved?

  “And are you kidding me?” Margot went on. “They’re having the best time ever! And have you noticed the cherry on the sundae of this day?”

  “I’m not sure,” Juniper answered, although her cheeks were already growing hot. “What do you mean?”

  Margot rolled her eyes. “That fine man at the table with the cute kids, duh! Will you take a look at that guy? I don’t even understand how people can be that good looking and still walk around with the rest of us mere mortals.”

  “Come on now, he’s here with his daughters, Margot. Keep it PG, will you?” Juniper shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Usually, Juniper was happy to gossip with her friend over eye candy passing through their shop, but this was different. He was different.

  This was Alex Harvey, the boy she’d been crushing on since she’d first laid eyes on him when she was all of seven years old. She had come to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents had died in a plane crash, and while she’d always be grateful that they’d given her a home, they’d never had the warmest relationship. They weren’t uncaring, but it never really felt like they understood her. Back then, when she truly wanted to feel at home, she’d cut across the back fields of their ranch and visit the Harvey ranch. Will had become an instant best friend. Travis had been like a big brother to her—teasing but protective. Mrs. Harvey had been loving and endlessly kind, a mother figure she’d desperately needed. Mr. Harvey had usually been busy with ranch work—but he’d always made her feel welcome. And Alex…well…she had pined over Alex right up until he went away for college. These days, he was always on his ranch, so their paths never crossed. She hadn’t seen him in years. But she couldn’t deny that he looked good. Really, really good.

  Juniper shook her head to clear it of the fluster and turned her attention to her patrons. After all, this was where her energy came from. Sharing her knowledge and helping people find their own artistic flair enlivened her like nothing else, and by the time she made her way around to Alex and his girls, she felt more like herself again.

  She smiled brightly and was encouraged when the two younger girls—who looked to be around ages five and seven—returned the gesture enthusiastically. The oldest, who appeared to be about twelve, gave a calmer but still lovely smile. “Well, hello! How is everything going over here? Your ornaments are looking beautiful.”

  The smallest of the three blushed bright pink and buried her face in Alex’s arm. He ran a hand over her hair and shrugged at Juniper with a charming smile.

  “They’re having a blast,” he said, glancing at the three as if for reassurance that he was telling the truth. “Although Thora, that’s my middle girl, is wondering how these little guys will become real ornaments.”

  “I’m Thora,” the girl in question stated matter-of-factly. “That’s Lizzie,” she added, pointing at the youngest, “and that’s Sophia.” She gestured to her older sister. “And all of us want to know, not just me.”

  Alex’s girls looked up at Juniper with faces so full of anticipation that she couldn’t help but laugh. She rested a hand on Alex’s shoulder, a friendly gesture she often used with her patrons. And yet the charge of electricity she felt run through her body at the point of contact was anything but typical. She pulled her hand back and smoothed her hair down, hoping her reaction to the brief touch wasn’t too obvious.

  “Well,” she started, directing her attention to the trio of pretty blonde girls. “Once everything is painted, and the class over, I’ll put everything in a big oven called a kiln. The heat helps turn the paint all shiny, and permanent, and then you have an ornament.”

  “Woah. That’s awesome,” Thora answered, grinning at Juniper and revealing a missing tooth. “This stuff is super neat.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” Juniper laughed and pushed a strand of long blonde hair behind her ear. “I happen to agree with you.”

  Alex was looking at Juniper intently enough that it made her face warm all over again. “Thanks for this, by the way. Holding this class. My girls needed a little extra Christmas cheer. This seemed like a good place to start.”

  “I’m glad I could help.” She detected real sadness under his lighthearted tone, and it made her heart hurt.

  “And what about you?” he continued lightly. “What have you got going on, with your aunt and uncle out of town?”

  “I’ve got a lot of work to keep me occupied. Holiday season is a busy time for the store. Plus, there’s a really large craft show coming up in January, and it’s a pretty big deal. The commissions I make there help keep this place afloat.” The store was a showcase of her art as well as Margot’s, which mostly consisted of home décor with a rustic vibe. She sold plenty of smaller pieces readymade to walk-in customers, but her biggest, most expensive pieces were usually commissions. She took orders through the store’s website, of course, but the online market was so crowded that it was hard to stand out. Craft shows were the best way to show what she could do and get people interested in her work.

  “She should come have Christmas with us!” Thora blurted out and hardly seemed to notice when Sophia elbowed.

  Alex laughed and ruffled her hair. “She’s right, you know. If you decide you would like a break, we’d be happy to have you. Will is coming, too, and I know he’d like to see you.”

  “Thanks,” Juniper said, her voice a little higher than she liked. “I’ll consider it.”

  Walking away from the table, she knew that she would do more than consider it. It would be impossible to get the offer out of her head.

  Grab your copy of Rancher’s Family Christmas (Christmas at the Harvey Ranch Book One)

  November 4, 2021

  Available for Pre-Order on October 28th, 2021

  www.LeslieNorthBooks.com

  BLURB

  She needs a job—yesterday.

  He owes his best friend a favor.

  Neither expected to end up in bed together…

  Reluctantly returning to her hometown, single mom Ava Pearson just wants a job to get her back on her feet and escape again. But when she asked her brother for help, the last place she thought she’d end up was in the office of his jaw-droppingly-hot best friend.

  Branson Beckett needs help, but if comes in the form of firecracker Ava, he’ll have to pass—he doesn't need that kind of distraction, especially now. He’s the owner of a ranch on the brink of expansion and is looking for a few good ranch hands to help him out. However, he wasn’t thinking of his best friend’s little sister when it came to hard labor. No, he’d thought of her in other hard situations, but they usually involved his great big bed. Dreams that had no place in reality.