Books We Love Insider Blog: A Christmas Gift to my BWL Readers (Free short story) "Rachel and Lynx--Rodeo Romance" By Connie Vines #A Cowboy For Christmas, #Lynx #Rodeo Bull Rider

Saturday, December 28, 2024

A Christmas Gift to my BWL Readers (Free short story) "Rachel and Lynx--Rodeo Romance" By Connie Vines #A Cowboy For Christmas, #Lynx #Rodeo Bull Rider

canva book cover

Readers have emailed me and posted messages on my social media accounts over the years requesting a sequel to Lynx and Rachel's story...

I've always hesitated. This was my first published romance. And Lynx Maddox and Rachel Scott will forever hold a special place in my heart.

This month, I've been dreaming of thunder, lightning, and the freezing winds of Amarillo, Texas. The scent of rain drenching the Great Plains was a magical moment from my nomadic childhood.

So, during this time of Christmas and Hanukkah, I am giving my readers a long-awaited short story.

Rachel listened to the wind wrap itself around the ranch house. It shook the double-paned windows, and the icy cold penetrated the glass. Lynx had warned her that the Texas Panhandle had the harshest winds in the country. And the family ranch was miles from civilization.

Rachel said it didn't matter.

She'd adapt.

And so she had.

Until now.

Adjusting her fleece robe, Rachel leaned over the sofa to check on Mattie. Borrowed beneath a hill of blankets and quilts, her four-year-old daughter was toasty warm and blissfully asleep. Resisting the urge to stroke her daughter's soft auburn curls, she glanced back out the window.

Lynx was due back from San Angelo yesterday. He reminded her that a Texan always kept his promises.

"You had better keep that promise, cowboy."

Minutes passed. Rachel continued to pace across the room, holding back tears.

The crackling fire from the brick fireplace warmed the room.

Rachel felt the baby kick, and she placed her palm protectively against her stomach. "Everything will be alright," she whispered.

Winters in the Bittterroot Valley of Montana were different. She lived in a small town, and her neighbors were nearby.

She considered herself strong and self-reliant.

After she married Lynx, she changed. They shared life's burdens and joys, and she felt safe.

Until now.

She was on a ranch. Located in the coldest county in Texas. It was snowing. She had a three-year-old daughter and a baby who was due to be born in nine days.

"Lynx Maddox, you'd better not leave me alone with two..."

There was a loud thumping sound at the door.

Mattie jumped from the sofa before Rachel could process the sound and headed to the door. "Daddy. Daddy!"

Lynx stepped inside the room, followed by a guest of wind and snow.

He closed the door while their daughter scampered around him in delight.

Rachel stared at him. She was angry, frightened, and unable to speak.

Lynx walked over and gently kissed her tears away. "How often must I remind you to lock the door?"

Rachel laughed, and a deep, rumbling chuckle erupted from Lynx's throat.

"Welcome home, Wild Cat," she whispered.

The End (for now)