Montana's Magic

Had C.R. Whitmore been struck by lightning? Had the polar axes of the earth shifted? Or was it merely the smile of the exquisitely lovely Deanna Worthington that had doused him with the feeling that everything in his world had suddenly changed?

Whatever it was, C.R. needed to set his emotions aside as best he could. He had a secret mission on the Ruskin ranch, and nothing could deter him from reaching his goal.

Deanna had traveled from Peoria to Montana for two reasons: one, she wanted to help her sister Catherine with her new baby, and, two, she wanted to finish writing her Master’s thesis.

Her plans for the summer had seemed simple enough--until she met Cade Robert Whitmore…

Hand in hand walks in the open meadows, horseback riding through pristine wilderness, moonlight swims in secluded waters…

Deanna supposed, when it came to handsome cowboys, it was okay for a girl to change her summer plans, but would it be worth the risk to her career and her heart?

Excerpt

Setup: C.R. is giving Deanna a tour when they end up at his favorite place on the ranch.

“You like to swim, don’t you?” C.R. said enthusiastically.

He’d led her to a quiet lagoon which branched off the river. “I love swimming.” She’d gotten rather warm during their hike--from the exertion of the walk and from being with C.R. A swim in this magnificent pond seemed mighty tempting.

“I had a feeling you would.” He moved quickly to a nearby hollowed-out tree, lying on the ground and retrieved a duffle bag. He opened it up and pulled out a large towel. “I come here every chance I get so I try to keep extra clothes and towels around in case I want to come straight from the range. Nothing makes a person feel more alive than a swim in the river.”

Deanna clapped her hands together. “Oh, what fun! How lucky you are to have a place where you can swim whenever you want.”

“Well,” he said, “it isn’t always easy to fit a swim into my day. I’m usually awful busy with work during the warm months when swimming here is most pleasant.”

“I’m sure you are.” She walked right up to the water and stuck her hand into it. “Is it safe to swim here? The pond looks calm enough, but the river is rushing pretty fast.”

He joined her at the water’s edge. “It’s perfectly safe.”

Deanna stood up and tugged at the large, unbuttoned shirt she’d worn over her tank top and shorts. “Ooh, I’d love to jump right in, but I don’t have a bathing suit with me.”

He took her hand and gave her a naughty grin. “Neither do I.”

She smiled back at him as all sorts of wicked thoughts raced through her mind.

She’d been skinny dipping before, but not since she was eight years old. She’d certainly never gone swimming in the nude with a man.

She pondered her situation a moment longer. Then, without further hesitation, and going completely against her usual cautious nature, she decided, why not?

“C.R.,” she said, taking off her shirt, “I’d love to go swimming with you.”

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Reviews

The Long and Short of It says: 4 Books. If you enjoy wide open spaces, hunky ranchers, you’ll enjoy this read… Fran Shaff’s writing style suits the sweet content of her story and lets her characters come alive on the page. For those looking for a sweet read, this is a book well worth considering.

The Romance Studio says: 4 Hearts. This is a fabulous novel…The sensual part of the novel is very nicely written, there are no vulgar parts in it…I like the fairytale image.

CataRomance says: “Fran Shaff is a wonderful storyteller, and she knows how to pull her readers immediately into the world of her characters. I like this author’s writing style, and it makes for a fast-paced and entertaining read.”