Chapter 1 of SADDLE UP MY HEART

Chapter 1

 

T

HE WIND CUT sharply across the Texas hills, snapping the prayer clean out of Chance Grant’s mouth.

He stood at the split-rail fence, boots sinking into thawing mud, the old ranch spread before him like both a promise and a punishment. Double Grace Ranch—his father’s dream, now his responsibility—stretched wide against a sky painted with the last pale brushstrokes of dawn. The barns needed fresh paint. The fences sagged. The horses in the pastures were pathetic examples of equine flesh.

Every board, every post, every acre whispered the same thing: Don’t fail us.

Chance gripped the fence rail until his knuckles ached. It was easier to feel the wood cut into his palm than to let memory cut into his heart. The sound of breaking timbers. His father’s shout. The silence after. If Chance had been quicker, smarter, braver, then Pa would still be here.

Now it was up to him to hold the line, to keep his brothers from tearing the ranch apart and to prove that Double Grace could survive the debt, the droughts, and the dispute with cousin Glen.

4 Stand-alone Christmas Cowboy Romances!!!

 

A Cowboy for Christmas

Four separate stories with themes of love, forgiveness, family, and THE TRUE MEANING of CHRISTmas. Check'em out. Click HERE.

This Cowboy Romance Music Video is for My 3 Series

 

Clean Sweet Cowboy Romance Novel

 

📚 New Release!
Can a wounded horse bring healing to two hearts too scarred to love again?

At Broken Spur Ranch, rescue is more than a mission—it’s a way of life. When rescue ranch worker Logan McCrae takes in a horse named Cisco, he doesn’t expect to find a second chance for himself, too. But with the help of Tessa Malone—a veterinarian who is ready to give up her practice—they might just save more than one soul.

SAVING CISCO is the heart-tugging start to the Broken Spur Ranch series, filled with small-town charm, redemption, and a romance as healing as it is unforgettable.

🐴 Available now on Amazon! SAVING CISCO
#cowboyromance #christianromance #brokenspurranch #secondchanceromance #rescuehorses #newrelease

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Life on the Ranch (But Probably Should Before You Pet the Donkey)

 

1. Cows have a personal space bubble—and it’s bigger than yours.
They may look slow and soulful, but try getting too close and you’ll meet the back end of a bovine attitude. Moo-ve along quietly and carry a big feed bucket.

2. That “cowboy smell”? It’s not a cologne.
It’s a hearty blend of leather, hay dust, sweat, and possibly goat. If you catch a whiff of something "earthy," congrats—you’ve officially gone nose-blind like the rest of us.

3. Chickens are not emotionally supportive animals.
They will judge you. Loudly. From their perch. For wearing Crocs to the barn. Again.

4. "Ranch breakfast" means second breakfast happens two hours later.
Feeding the animals at 5 a.m. earns you eggs, bacon, coffee, and spiritual enlightenment by 7. And probably biscuits by 10.

5. Barn cats are legally required to act feral—even when they sleep on your pillow.
Yes, they caught that mouse. No, they’re not interested in your affection. Unless you’re opening a tuna can.

6. Romantic horseback rides look dreamy... unless your horse just ate 3 pounds of alfalfa.
Let's just say love is tested at a trot—especially when flatulence is involved.

7. Fences are mysterious beings that break themselves.
No one saw it happen. Everyone blames the wind. Or that one donkey with a taste for freedom.

8. You haven’t truly panicked until a goat gets in the kitchen.
They go in curious. They come out with a bag of flour, three dish towels, and no regrets.

9. Wrangling livestock is a great team-building activity—if your team is therapy-bound.
It starts with optimism, continues with shouting, and ends with someone crawling through a mud-filled chute muttering "never again."

10. Despite it all, the ranch finds a way into your heart.
Maybe it’s the sunsets, or the animals, or the strange satisfaction of digging postholes... but somehow, you start to wonder how you ever lived without manure on your boots.

Now, if you're interested in some Ranch Romance, let me 'steer' you over to my latest series at Faithful Hearts Ranch. Start with book 1, FAITHFUL PROMISES, only on Amazon, paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audio.