Book 1 in the Blackwell Belles Series
(Book 16 in the Blackwell Series)
Even the best cowgirl falls. When it’s the right cowboy.
Rodeo cowgirl Maggie Blackwell doesn’t need her estranged family. She’s got Clem Coogan—her best friend, rodeo buddy and absolute rock. But when a rodeo accident leaves Clem with a terrible concussion, he’s convinced they’re a romantic item…and proposes to her. Now until his memory comes back, Maggie’s playing along. But can she keep this headache from turning into heartache for both of them?
Excerpt:
Kiss me, Maggie. I love you.
The words stuck in Clem’s throat.
Words always stuck in his throat when it came to his feelings toward Maggie. They were good friends. And she never gave him any indication that they could be something more.
But he’d never drawn her close like this, never dared to kiss her.
And Maggie looked like she expected him to do just that and was waiting for it.
For a moment.
And then a cowboy with a swaggering walk and colorful chaps bumped their shoulders as he made his way to the arena, and the moment to kiss Maggie passed Clem by.
“Don’t be tripping into me, Mags.” Clem tried to make a joke of it. “People will think you’re looking for a clown kiss.”
As intended, she rolled her big, beautiful brown eyes. “I hardly ever trip.” She tugged on leather riding gloves. The light breeze teased her shoulder-length brown hair before she turned away. And stumbled over her own feet.
The loudspeaker above them squawked. “First up in bull riding today is Cord Patterson. He’s drawn Tornado Tom, a doozy of a bull that’s thrown him three times in his career. Let’s give Cord a round of applause to show our support.”
“Great. You’re distracted and the misbehaving bull is up first.” Worry filled Clem’s chest, making his breath ragged.
“I’ll be fine.” Maggie held up her palms for double high fives, a tradition of theirs before preparing for a shift at the rodeo. “Come on. Let’s make a pact. Be smart, be safe, be entertaining.”
Clem popped his palms against hers. “Funny how you kept your family’s performance mantra.”
Maggie pretended not to hear him, skipping toward the center of the arena like the carefree clown she was supposed to be. She stumbled over her own two feet once more.
“Watch out!” someone called from back by the gate.
A riderless black horse galloped around the edge of the arena.
Maggie didn’t hesitate. She started running a diagonal intercept course with the runaway. She was always racing toward danger—bar fights, drunken cowboys, jealous cowgirls—and giving Clem a heart attack.
“Hey,” Clem called, running after her. But even though his legs were longer, Maggie had a head start.
Nearing the horse, she leaped into the air, grabbed onto the saddle horn, planted her boots on the ground and bounced up into the saddle, easy as you please, to the delight of the fans. In seconds, she brought the horse under control and returned it to a red-faced cowboy at the gate before skipping back to Clem like a happy schoolgirl.
“You made that look like it was part of the act,” Clem told her, huffing from the sprint.
“Maybe it should be.” Maggie grinned from ear to ear. That joy wasn’t an act.
This is what she should be doing.
“You should perform with your family,” he told her. “You truly love it.”
That wiped the smile off her face. Maggie glanced back toward the gate where her mother, grandmother and great-uncle sat. “For someone who hasn’t talked to his own mother in twenty years, you sure are full of advice.”
“Grouch.”
“Pollyanna.”
The loudspeaker squawked. “Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like Cord is finally ready.”
Without further comment, Maggie and Clem took their places within arm’s reach of crash barrels.
The gate swung free, and the bull began to buck. Clem and Maggie moved forward, trying to stay within ten feet of the bull in case the cowboy was thrown, and the bull needed a distracting target. Time slowed. Dust kicked up in their faces. The bull bucked toward the center of the ring. They followed. The bull did the bucking spin cycle. They gave him space.
Tornado Tom was a monster of a bull, tall and long. And Cord managed to stay on him until the buzzer. The cowboy bailed, but his hand caught in the rigging. Unable to free himself, Cord was tossed around like a rag doll.
As one, Clem and Maggie moved in front of the bull, waving their arms, intent upon distracting him so he’d stop bucking and make a run at them. At the same time, one of their cowboy coworkers rode in from the right, twirling a rope, and another tried to ride close to the bull to pick up the caught rider.
Without warning, Maggie tripped and rolled into the dirt just as the bull changed directions and bore down on her.
Clem shouted and waved his long, red bandanna like a red flag, diving in between Maggie and more than a ton of angry beef.
Oof.
Tornado Tom tossed Clem into the air.
The world spun by in slow motion. Blood rushed in Clem’s ears. He was going to die.
I should have told Maggie I loved her.
The Story Behind the Story
The five authors, including me, in the original Blackwell series had so much fun writing together, that we created another set of Blackwells. This time, the Blackwell Belles - 5 sisters in a western trick riding act - had a disastrous performance and all went their separate ways.
My sister is Maggie. Her best friend Clem is secretly in love with her. And after he lands in the scene above, Clem has amnesia and thinks he and Maggie are dating! This is my second amnesia book (the first was A Small Town Memory) and it was just as fun to write as before. LOL!
Grab your copy today!
Learn More About The Blackwell Series HERE.
