Stubborn, mule-headed, independent woman!
She’d take that as a compliment…
Maggie Dalton has no need for a man in her life. Widowed more than ten years, sheโs built a successful business and managed quite well on her own in the bustling town of Baker City, Oregon. Aggravated by her inability to block thoughts of the handsome lumber mill owner from her mind, she renews her determination to resist his attempts at friendship.
Full of Scottish charm and mischief, Ian MacGregor could claim any available woman in Baker City as his own, except the enchanting dress shop owner who continues to ignore him. Not one to give up on what he wants, Ian vows to win Maggieโs heart or leave the town heโs come to love.
Ian picked up one of the hot irons and burned his brand onto a board before setting it back in the fire. โBranding my wood. Not a single piece leaves the lumberyard until it bears my brand.โ
Maggie leaned over to study the unusual brand. At the base, she could make out an โMโ and a โG,โ assumably for the name MacGregor. The top of the brand proved to be a puzzle to her. Five curved lines protruded from a perfectly round circle. The circle sat atop a thin, straight line with a curved line on each side of it before it ran down to connect the letters.
โWhat is that thing?โ Maggie pointed to the top of the brand.
Ian grinned and rubbed a callused thumb over the wood heโd just seared with the hot iron. โThat is a thistle. Itโs an important symbol to us Scots and I liked the idea of using it in my brand.โ
โA thistle? Like the purple flowers that bloom out in the hills?โ Maggie again observed the strange symbol.
โExactly like that.โ
โAnd you stamp that on every board?โ
โI do. Youโll notice it is also on my horses, my cattle, and if I ever take a wife, I might just brand it on her beautiful backsiโฆโ
โI get the idea, Mr. MacGregor.โ Maggie interrupted before he said something she would have to pretend she found offensive.
It just wouldn’t be a party if there wasn’t a book available for free! Aundy, Book 1 in the Pendleton Petticoats series, will be available for free Kindle downloads April 9. Make sure you grab your copy! If you’ve already read it, tell your friends to download it.
A hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.
Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as โreminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginianโ while her contemporary works have been called โlaugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.โ
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