Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Cowboy Lullaby
    Cowboy Lullaby
    Cowboy Lullaby
    Ebook75 pages1 hour

    Cowboy Lullaby

    By Lisa Gray

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Horses, a sympathetic ear, or a good night’s sleep. Cole Woodruff, owner of the Lazy W Dude Ranch, supplies whatever his guests need. But when Jack Harmon arrives, Cole’s own desires clamor to be met. Should he risk the ranch to satisfy what might be nothing more than an itch? And even if Jack turns out to be that special man Cole’s yearned for, is it right to move forward when a vulnerable child is involved?

    Not long ago, Jack was awarded custody of his son Alex after the sudden death of the boy’s mother. Out on the road for all of his son’s life, what does he know about being a dad? Sleepless nights spent worrying have worn Jack to a raw nerve.

    Visiting the dude ranch with Alex, Jack delights in Cole's friendship. And the way Cole’s warm, wonderful voice is so soothing, it cradles Jack to sleep whenever they’re together. Jack aches to spend every night dreaming in the big cowboy's arms.

    But can a lullaby last forever? Or will the dream fade when morning comes?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJMS Books LLC
    Release dateMay 7, 2016
    ISBN9781634861083
    Cowboy Lullaby
    Author

    Lisa Gray

    Lisa Gray is an Amazon #1, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She previously worked as the chief Scottish soccer writer at the Press Association and the books editor at the Daily Record Saturday Magazine. She is also the author of Thin Air, Bad Memory, Dark Highway, and Lonely Hearts. She now writes full-time. Learn more at www.lisagraywriter.com and connect with Lisa on social media @lisagraywriter.

    Read more from Lisa Gray

    Related to Cowboy Lullaby

    Related ebooks

    LGBTQIA+ Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Best FRIEND

      Feb 10, 2021

      Best FRIEND
      6 min read

    • Article

      “I Indulged In Forgiveness”

      Oct 6, 2019

      “I Indulged In Forgiveness”
      7 min read

    • Article

      “I Indulged In Forgiveness”

      Oct 9, 2019

      “I Indulged In Forgiveness”
      7 min read

    • Article

      Lol

      Jul 14, 2021

      Lol
      3 min read

    • Article

      Suffering In Silence

      Jun 25, 2020

      Suffering In Silence
      3 min read

    • Article

      This Family Saga Finds Grace And Beauty In Ordinary Lives, Fully Lived

      Jun 10, 2021

      Simon Van Booy's new novel Night Came With Many Stars follows several generations of a Kentucky family, their crossroads and choices, their curses and hard memories, their luck and their chances.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Wish Upon A Star

      Feb 4, 2021

      Susan Rocks lives in East Dorset and has had several short stories published both online and in print. Last year, Susan was longlisted for the Penguin/Random House writenow2020 competition and is busy editing her first novel, The Butterfly Effect, wh

      6 min read

    • Article

      Who’s The Daddy?

      Oct 23, 2020

      Who’s The Daddy?
      5 min read

    • Article

      Housewarming

      Dec 1, 2022

      DENNIS MCFARLAND’S most recent novel is Nostalgia. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Short Stories, and the Scholar, among other places. When Kevin arrived at the top floor and stepped into a long dark hallway, he couldn’t re

      21 min read

    • Article

      Restless Souls

      Mar 6, 2018

      Restless Souls
      8 min read

    • Article

      Novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson: ‘Why Would You Put A Ceiling On Anyone?’

      Apr 30, 2023

      Chaotic conditions in Peckham: brolly-ruining wind, sudden showers, one of those afternoons when the weather apps show every symbol from sunshine to lightning and leave you to figure it out. Caleb Azumah Nelson, the 29-year-old author and artist whos

      11 min read

    • Article

      HOME To Roost

      Mar 5, 2024

      HOME To Roost
      11 min read

    • Article

      Australia Reads At Home

      May 18, 2020

      Australia Reads At Home
      7 min read

    • Article

      Karl Geary: ‘I Was Writing Out Of Confusion And Horror, Rage And Love’

      Mar 25, 2023

      Before making his literary debut in 2017 with Montpelier Parade, Irish-born novelist Karl Geary spent more than two decades acting and screenwriting, with credits including Coney Island Baby (starring his wife-to-be, Breaking Bad’s Laura Fraser), The

      4 min read

    • Article

      Left FIELD

      Mar 30, 2022

      Left FIELD
      6 min read

    • Article

      Home to ROOST

      Jan 11, 2022

      Home to ROOST
      11 min read

    • Article

      Nostalgia, Secrets & Lies

      Aug 12, 2020

      Nostalgia, Secrets & Lies
      7 min read

    • Article

      Lev’s Pawn Shop

      Dec 10, 2022

      In days gone by, it might have been said that Lev had had a vision, that he had been struck from his horse by the voice of God and seen the error of his ways. As it was, people said that he had gone a bit nutty in his old age, though it was unanimous

      11 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Apr 8, 2024

      Books
      6 min read

    • Article

      The plot THICKENS

      Aug 3, 2022

      The plot THICKENS
      8 min read

    • Article

      Celebrating Quentin at Blake 90

      Nov 25, 2022

      Celebrating Quentin at Blake 90
      4 min read

    • Article

      Nostalgia, Secrets & Lies

      Aug 12, 2020

      Nostalgia, Secrets & Lies
      7 min read

    • Article

      A winter WEEKEND

      Dec 22, 2020

      A winter WEEKEND
      6 min read

    • Article

      Great Scot

      Oct 22, 2021

      Great Scot
      10 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Cowboy Lullaby

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Cowboy Lullaby - Lisa Gray

      11

      Chapter 1

      Cole Woodruff pulled a leather vest on over his white button-up shirt. Adding a bolo tie—turquoise and silver slide on a braided cord—he let himself preen a bit in front of the mirror. His jeans still fit well—no bulges or sags despite being a hefty man. Not bad for somebody pushing forty.

      Yeah, yeah, you’re gorgeous—for an old cowboy, came a snide voice from the bedroom doorway.

      Cole turned and addressed the lanky young man leaning against the door jam. Well, little brother, you’d better hope I am, because I provide the local color. This get-up, the accent, and the cowboy lingo are what keep the guests coming back for another week’s stay. And that’s what’s going to pay your college tuition come fall.

      The young man grimaced. You sure you can handle the ranch without me? I could still put off enrolling until winter. Then I could at least cover the fall color-tour guests for you.

      Lee, you’re starting college—in the fall. End of discussion. You should’ve started three years ago. Besides, I’m thinking of promoting Mickey to be guest coordinator.

      Mickey? You’re kidding. He’s the best horse-wrangler there is, but handling complaints? He’d freeze solid. No, you need someone who can schmooze with the guests, make them feel like they’re doing the Lazy W Dude Ranch a favor by being here.

      "Well, they are doing us a favor. A big one." Cole was truly grateful that converting their parents’ struggling cattle ranch into a polished, popular dude ranch had worked so well for him and Lee. He took pride in how the guests appreciated his particular attention to their comforts. Not that doing so was a hardship—he thrived on making people feel special and cosseted. Running a dude ranch gave him lots of opportunity to do just that.

      That reminded him he needed to brief Lee before the guests arrived. Hey, I want you to give some extra attention to one of the kids coming in today. His name is Alex Velez. He’s with his dad, Jack Harmon. The kid’s mother died a few months ago. An aneurysm—she was dead on the kitchen floor when he got home from school. Seems coming to a dude ranch is the first thing the kid’s shown any interest in since her death. So make sure both of them have the best time we can offer.

      Poor kid. I’ll take special care of him. But the father—I’ll leave him to you. Lee waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

      Thanks, smart-ass. Cole glanced out the window and saw a distant cloud of rising dust. We’d better get moving—the van just turned onto the driveway. He grabbed the envelope of room assignments and keys and tossed it to Lee.

      The two of them headed for the front door, grabbed their cowboy hats off the pegs, and went to greet the guests.

      Standing on the wide front porch, Cole closed his eyes and took a minute to breathe the spring air and feel the afternoon sunlight warm his face. Something about the season always made him feel more alive, like anything was possible. He opened his eyes and watched as the van approached, the red dust rising against the backdrop of the blue-gray mountains. God, he loved his job.

      Once the guests had piled out of the van that had brought them from the airport, he stepped off the porch and went into his opening routine. Howdy, folks. Welcome to the Lazy W. I’m your host, Cole Woodruff, and this here young stallion is my baby brother, Lee. We’re so glad you’re here. He walked over to the guests and shook everyone’s hand, murmuring a personal comment or suggesting an activity to each of them. He took pride in memorizing the names and faces and researching the preferences of each guest before they ever set foot on the ranch.

      While Cole was busy greeting everyone, Lee moved among them, handing out room keys and maps of the ranch house, and loading the luggage on a wheeled cart as the driver hauled it from the van.

      There was the Kendall family—husband, wife, and their twin girls. Next the Adamsons, father and two teenage sons who, to Cole’s experienced eye, looked like trouble. Then Mark Denali, there by himself. And last, Jack Harmon and his son Alex, standing pressed close together, like the soft breeze might knock them down.

      An overwhelming need to offer comfort to both of them hit Cole hard. Damn, the man looked like he was holding on by his fingertips. Jack’s sandy good looks were dimmed by the lines of exhaustion in his face and the dark shadows under his soft, gray eyes. The carefully controlled tension radiating off him had Cole aching to just pull him in and hug him silly. Not the best choice as an introduction. So he settled for shaking hands with the man. No one could complain if he used both hands to capture Jack’s, offering warmth and contact. And who would notice if the handshake lingered just a bit longer than necessary? With a smile of commiseration, he asked, Rough flight?

      Looking confused, Jack answered, No, it was fine. I…I just haven’t been sleeping well. He slowly slid his hand from Cole’s grasp as if reluctant to let go, reached over, and nudged his son forward. Let me introduce you to Alex.

      Cole squatted in the dusty driveway so he wouldn’t intimidate the boy with his size. The kid seemed so vulnerable, so uncertain. Holding out

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1