The Cowboy & The Lady: A Heaton House Romance (Boardinghouse Betrothals #7)

Julia Olsen was the first boarder at Heaton House, on her own for the first time, and a bit too independent. She didn’t much like Mrs. Heaton’s rules—no going out by herself after dark unless accompanied by a man. She understood it now, but not before nearly ruining her life by sneaking out to meet her beau. He’d come calling a few times, but Mrs. Heaton didn’t take to him—or so he said. So he insisted Julia sneak out to meet him, and sure he was the man she’d marry, she did. But unknown to her, Mrs. Heaton’s son, Michael, who ran his own detective agency, had the man investigated. Then he followed her one night and confronted the man with the knowledge that he was married and had two children. Julia was more than heartbroken, she was disgusted that she’d fallen for the man’s lies, and mortified that her landlady’s son knew how gullible she was. Then, over the years, she’d watched first one and then another of the boarders fall in love, but because she believed she had a knack for falling for the wrong men, Julia decided never to be so vulnerable again and never to risk having her heart broken again.

Josh Tucker moved to Oklahoma with his family and he loves it there, but lately he’s been feeling restless and as if he’s missing something. His mother tells him he needs to find a wife, but good single women are few and far between out west, even if he was looking, which he’s not. He’d been courting a young lady and was ready to ask her father for her hand when he found out she’d been seeing another man—one with more land, more money, and more power than Josh ever hoped to have. And even though she said she loved Josh more, she up and accepted the other man’s proposal. Now he doesn’t feel he can ever trust another woman—in spite of his mother’s wishes for him to marry and give her grandchildren. He felt bad for disappointing her but it was his heart that’d been broken. And he didn’t intend to let it happen again. Still, when his mother expressed a desire to travel to New York City to see the cousin she’d been corresponding to for years, Josh felt the least he could do was grant her wish and take her. But now she’s here in the city, seeing her cousin’s family and her grandchildren, Josh fears his mother will be after him to get married more than ever. And he’ll have to disappoint her all over again.

Can two lonely hearts change their minds about falling in love and find a way to rekindle their dreams together? Or will the Lord have to intervene?