Pick up Book Four in the Remington Ranch Series
|
Beau
Remington Ranch Book Four I can't wait to share Beau's story with you! I'll be honest, I didn't like him much at the beginning of the series. I knew there had to be a reason why he was the way he was, and I knew he'd tell me his story when he was ready. What I didn't know was how much I'd grow to love him, or how much fun I'd have with him and the ladies who taught him so much about love and family. I hope you'll enjoy seeing him grow and learn as much as I did! Beau Remington has built a good life for himself. He's worked hard to make his real estate company a success. He owns one of the nicest houses in town and comes from one of the most well-respected families in Paradise Valley. It's not that he isn't close to his family, it's just that he's never felt he quite belonged in the same way his brothers do.
Over the last few months he's enjoyed seeing his brothers meet some amazing women and settle down. He believes he'll do the same, some day. He just hasn't met the right woman yet. What he isn't expecting is that a chance encounter in the wine store will bring that someday a lot sooner--or that the right woman will have a five-year-old daughter in tow! Corinne Watson has accepted a job at the Remington Guest Ranch. It's a chance for her and her daughter Ruby to make a new start in life. She's not looking for a man--dating can be too complicated for a single mom. She's certainly attracted to Beau Remington, but how could she go out with a guy who doesn't like kids, and especially her daughter? Beau has a lot to learn about family, and with a little help from Ruby he's about to learn fast. |
Click a retailer link to get your copy now
Here's an excerpt for you...
“What in hell’s name is wrong with you today?” asked Wanda.
Beau turned to scowl at her. “Is that any way to talk to your boss?”
She laughed. “It is when he’s behaving like a butt hurt five year old. What’s your problem?”
“I don’t have a problem. Unless you count having an assistant who can’t keep her nose out of my personal business as a problem. Then I’d say you’re my problem.”
Wanda shook her head. “Okay, so it’s your personal business that’s got you in a tizzy, is it? As long as you’re not losing money, or about to go bankrupt. I need this job. I didn’t know you had a personal life. I thought you just locked yourself inside your fancy house at the end of the day and ceased to exist until business needed you again in the morning. So come on, tell your Auntie Wanda. What’s upsetting my Beau-Beau?”
Beau pushed his chair away from his desk and leaned his head back against the wall. He looked up at the ceiling and let out a reluctant laugh. “You know I should fire your ass?”
Wanda smiled. “Apart from two small details. For one, you wouldn’t know what to do without me anymore, and for two, no one else in this town would work for you. You’re screwed, you’re stuck with me. So why don’t you tell me why you’ve been stomping around all day like a toddler in a tantrum?”
“A toddler in a tantrum?”
Wanda folded her arms across her ample bosom and leaned in the doorway to his office. She nodded her head firmly.
“That’s harsh.”
“It’s true is what it is.”
Beau sighed. “If you really want to know, I’m supposed to go to dinner at Carter and Summer’s place tonight.” He stopped. He wasn’t really going to explain to Wanda what had on him on edge, was he?
“And?” She raised an eyebrow. “I thought dinner with your brothers was one of the few things in life you actually enjoy?”
“It is. Usually.”
“So what’s different about this time? What’s got your panties in a wad?”
He had to laugh. “Okay. If you really want to know…” He stopped again, not quite believing he was going to admit it.
“I do. So spill. Tell your Auntie Wanda all about it.”
He shook his head at her. “I can’t believe I’m going to tell you. We both know you’re only going to give me shit.”
She nodded eagerly. “Just tell me already.”
He blew out a sigh. “Okay. Well, you know Shane brought in a new manager for the lodge at the ranch?”
Wanda nodded. “She’s the one who came from California. Carly’s sister? Corinne, is that her name?”
Of course Wanda had dealt with Corinne’s sister Carly when she was here looking at property. “Yeah. That’s her. Well, she’s invited to dinner, too.” The glint in Wanda’s eye made him nervous.
“And this is a problem because…?”
Beau scooted his chair back up to his desk, folded his arms on it and leaned forward. “Because she is the mother of the two-foot tyrant. You remember that little kid that was running around with Carly and James?”
“Ruby? She’s a little sweetheart.”
Beau snorted. “She’s a little demon.”
“And she’s going to dinner too? You’re going to let a five year old scare you away?”
“I don’t even know if she’s going to be there.”
Wanda came into the office and pulled up a chair. She was trying to conceal a grin, but she wasn’t succeeding. “Okay, so let me get this straight. You’re not happy that Corinne is going to be at the dinner. The only thing you have against her is that she’s Ruby’s mom, but you don’t know if Ruby is even going to be there. So…” She folded her own arms on the desk and leaned toward him. “Why would it be a problem that she’s Ruby’s mom?”
He shrugged.
“Come on now, tell me. You like her, don’t you?”
He shrugged again.
A victorious smile spread across Wanda’s face. “I knew it. You’ve been weird all week.”
“No, I haven’t!”
“Yes, you have! And now I know why. This Corinne’s caught your eye, and you’re pissed that you finally met an attractive woman, but she has a five year old kid in tow. Am I right or am I right?”
“You’re right.” There was no point denying it. “But I don’t know what you’re looking so pleased about. It sucks.”
She patted his hand. “Aww, poor Beau.”
He shook his head at her. “It’s not funny, Wanda. I managed to thoroughly piss her off.”
“Uh-oh. What did you do?”
“Well, I didn’t know Ruby was hers.”
Wanda raised her eyebrows and waited.
“I may have mentioned that Ruby was a monster and that she gives kids a bad name.”
“Why the hell would you say something like that?”
“Because it’s true!”
Wanda shook her head. “So you haven’t exactly endeared yourself to her then.”
“That’s an understatement if ever I heard one. I think she hates me. So even if Ruby doesn’t go tonight, it’s not exactly going to be comfortable to be around Corinne. And if Ruby does go…”
Wanda laughed. “If I were you, I’d be hoping Ruby does go.”
Beau looked at her as though she’d lost it.
“That way you could start to show her momma how good you can be with her.”
Beau shuddered. “No way. I’d rather not go. In fact, I’m thinking I won’t.”
“And that’s what got you all pissy. You want to go.”
“Yeah, but either way it’s not worth it.”
Wanda gave him a stern look. “Just like I said. A toddler in a tantrum.”
“Yeah. Thanks for the understanding. Glad I opened up to you. This little chat is over.”
Wanda laughed. “No, it isn’t. I’ll tell you when it’s over. You’re so closed up you never let anyone in. I’ve barged my ample ass through the walls you keep up, and I ain’t leaving till I’ve said my piece.”
Beau wanted to laugh. She was right. He didn’t let anyone in, didn’t confide in anyone. This was weird, opening up to Wanda of all people, but he kind of liked it.
“You listen to me, Beau Remington. You’re a good man. You’re smart, and you’re used to making things happen. You’re not used to things getting out of your control and because you’re not used to it, you don’t know how to deal with it. Right now you’re stropping around like a little kid who can’t have things his own way. And I’m only telling you that so that you’ll see the truth of it and quit it. When you do admit it, then you can man up and deal with it. Either you’ll decide that this Corinne is worth you getting used to Ruby for, or you’ll accept—graciously—that you can’t have what you want this time and move on.”
When she’d finished Beau stared at her for a long moment.
Eventually she cocked her head to one side. “So say something already. Even if it’s just that you’re firing my ass!”
He laughed. “Sorry. It’s hard.”
“What is?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “I might choke on the thing I have to say.”
“Which is what?”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
She grinned at him “You are more than welcome. I really thought I’d blown it for a minute there. No one talks to you like that, do they?”
“No and it’s not easy to hear. But that doesn’t make it any less true.”
“What in hell’s name is wrong with you today?” asked Wanda.
Beau turned to scowl at her. “Is that any way to talk to your boss?”
She laughed. “It is when he’s behaving like a butt hurt five year old. What’s your problem?”
“I don’t have a problem. Unless you count having an assistant who can’t keep her nose out of my personal business as a problem. Then I’d say you’re my problem.”
Wanda shook her head. “Okay, so it’s your personal business that’s got you in a tizzy, is it? As long as you’re not losing money, or about to go bankrupt. I need this job. I didn’t know you had a personal life. I thought you just locked yourself inside your fancy house at the end of the day and ceased to exist until business needed you again in the morning. So come on, tell your Auntie Wanda. What’s upsetting my Beau-Beau?”
Beau pushed his chair away from his desk and leaned his head back against the wall. He looked up at the ceiling and let out a reluctant laugh. “You know I should fire your ass?”
Wanda smiled. “Apart from two small details. For one, you wouldn’t know what to do without me anymore, and for two, no one else in this town would work for you. You’re screwed, you’re stuck with me. So why don’t you tell me why you’ve been stomping around all day like a toddler in a tantrum?”
“A toddler in a tantrum?”
Wanda folded her arms across her ample bosom and leaned in the doorway to his office. She nodded her head firmly.
“That’s harsh.”
“It’s true is what it is.”
Beau sighed. “If you really want to know, I’m supposed to go to dinner at Carter and Summer’s place tonight.” He stopped. He wasn’t really going to explain to Wanda what had on him on edge, was he?
“And?” She raised an eyebrow. “I thought dinner with your brothers was one of the few things in life you actually enjoy?”
“It is. Usually.”
“So what’s different about this time? What’s got your panties in a wad?”
He had to laugh. “Okay. If you really want to know…” He stopped again, not quite believing he was going to admit it.
“I do. So spill. Tell your Auntie Wanda all about it.”
He shook his head at her. “I can’t believe I’m going to tell you. We both know you’re only going to give me shit.”
She nodded eagerly. “Just tell me already.”
He blew out a sigh. “Okay. Well, you know Shane brought in a new manager for the lodge at the ranch?”
Wanda nodded. “She’s the one who came from California. Carly’s sister? Corinne, is that her name?”
Of course Wanda had dealt with Corinne’s sister Carly when she was here looking at property. “Yeah. That’s her. Well, she’s invited to dinner, too.” The glint in Wanda’s eye made him nervous.
“And this is a problem because…?”
Beau scooted his chair back up to his desk, folded his arms on it and leaned forward. “Because she is the mother of the two-foot tyrant. You remember that little kid that was running around with Carly and James?”
“Ruby? She’s a little sweetheart.”
Beau snorted. “She’s a little demon.”
“And she’s going to dinner too? You’re going to let a five year old scare you away?”
“I don’t even know if she’s going to be there.”
Wanda came into the office and pulled up a chair. She was trying to conceal a grin, but she wasn’t succeeding. “Okay, so let me get this straight. You’re not happy that Corinne is going to be at the dinner. The only thing you have against her is that she’s Ruby’s mom, but you don’t know if Ruby is even going to be there. So…” She folded her own arms on the desk and leaned toward him. “Why would it be a problem that she’s Ruby’s mom?”
He shrugged.
“Come on now, tell me. You like her, don’t you?”
He shrugged again.
A victorious smile spread across Wanda’s face. “I knew it. You’ve been weird all week.”
“No, I haven’t!”
“Yes, you have! And now I know why. This Corinne’s caught your eye, and you’re pissed that you finally met an attractive woman, but she has a five year old kid in tow. Am I right or am I right?”
“You’re right.” There was no point denying it. “But I don’t know what you’re looking so pleased about. It sucks.”
She patted his hand. “Aww, poor Beau.”
He shook his head at her. “It’s not funny, Wanda. I managed to thoroughly piss her off.”
“Uh-oh. What did you do?”
“Well, I didn’t know Ruby was hers.”
Wanda raised her eyebrows and waited.
“I may have mentioned that Ruby was a monster and that she gives kids a bad name.”
“Why the hell would you say something like that?”
“Because it’s true!”
Wanda shook her head. “So you haven’t exactly endeared yourself to her then.”
“That’s an understatement if ever I heard one. I think she hates me. So even if Ruby doesn’t go tonight, it’s not exactly going to be comfortable to be around Corinne. And if Ruby does go…”
Wanda laughed. “If I were you, I’d be hoping Ruby does go.”
Beau looked at her as though she’d lost it.
“That way you could start to show her momma how good you can be with her.”
Beau shuddered. “No way. I’d rather not go. In fact, I’m thinking I won’t.”
“And that’s what got you all pissy. You want to go.”
“Yeah, but either way it’s not worth it.”
Wanda gave him a stern look. “Just like I said. A toddler in a tantrum.”
“Yeah. Thanks for the understanding. Glad I opened up to you. This little chat is over.”
Wanda laughed. “No, it isn’t. I’ll tell you when it’s over. You’re so closed up you never let anyone in. I’ve barged my ample ass through the walls you keep up, and I ain’t leaving till I’ve said my piece.”
Beau wanted to laugh. She was right. He didn’t let anyone in, didn’t confide in anyone. This was weird, opening up to Wanda of all people, but he kind of liked it.
“You listen to me, Beau Remington. You’re a good man. You’re smart, and you’re used to making things happen. You’re not used to things getting out of your control and because you’re not used to it, you don’t know how to deal with it. Right now you’re stropping around like a little kid who can’t have things his own way. And I’m only telling you that so that you’ll see the truth of it and quit it. When you do admit it, then you can man up and deal with it. Either you’ll decide that this Corinne is worth you getting used to Ruby for, or you’ll accept—graciously—that you can’t have what you want this time and move on.”
When she’d finished Beau stared at her for a long moment.
Eventually she cocked her head to one side. “So say something already. Even if it’s just that you’re firing my ass!”
He laughed. “Sorry. It’s hard.”
“What is?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “I might choke on the thing I have to say.”
“Which is what?”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
She grinned at him “You are more than welcome. I really thought I’d blown it for a minute there. No one talks to you like that, do they?”
“No and it’s not easy to hear. But that doesn’t make it any less true.”
Click a button to get your copy now