Mistletoe Match-Up (Romancing Wisconsin #3)
Page 10
A hint of disbelief touched Lisa’s smile. “Santa Butch?”
“Emphasis on Santa.”
“Hmm…well, it’s not like I’m going to complain.” The love in her eyes matched the emotion in his heart. Derek gave thanks for Santa Claus, the Riley Mistletoe Rules, and the wonderful promise of a brand new year.
The countdown began. “Ten…nine…eight…”
They didn’t wait for midnight.
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Thank you for reading!
Watch for more Romancing Wisconsin in the future! I started with Christmas, but will be branching out to include other holidays and seasons. Also, if you’re loving this series and want to help support my work, all reviews are greatly appreciated.
And another thing, all authors love hearing from their readers, so please feel free to drop me a note through my website. Or join my newsletter on the sidebar of my blog page and I’ll keep you apprised of any fun news, contests, and new releases.
Copyright © 2012 Stacey Joy Netzel
Mistletoe Match-Up, 2nd edition
(previous publication: The Wild Rose Press 2009)
Excerpt from CHASIN’ MASON
Copyright © 2012 Stacey Joy Netzel
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Website and Blog: http://www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/StaceyJoyNetzel
Twitter: http://twitter.com/StaceyJoyNetzel
Cover art: Laura Morrigan lauramorrigan.com
About Stacey Joy Netzel
I fell in love with books at a young age, so for me the graduation to writing them was natural. An avid reader and fan of movies with a happily ever after, I am happy to call myself a full-time writer after 20 years as a travel agent. I write romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and the occasional paranormal short story just for fun.
I live in my native Wisconsin with my husband and three children, a couple horses and some barn cats. In my limited free time I enjoy gardening, canning, and visiting my parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North) at the family cabin on the lake.
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Website and Blog: http://www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/StaceyJoyNetzel
Twitter: http://twitter.com/StaceyJoyNetzel
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Stacey Joy Netzel's Other Titles:
Welcome to Redemption Series
A Fair to Remember, book 2
Grounds for Change, book 4
The Heart of the Matter, book 6
Hold On To Me, book 8 (Fall 2012)
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Romancing Wisconsin Series
Mistletoe Mischief *
Mistletoe Magic *
Mistletoe Match-Up *
*originally published as Mistletoe Rules anthology.
2010 WINNER WisRWA's Write Touch Readers' Award
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More Than A Kiss
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Stacey Joy Netzel Novella Collection
(available as one book or individually)
Dragonfly Dreams
If Tombstones Could Talk
Ditched Again
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Romantic Suspense titles
Lost In Italy
2012 WINNER WisRWA’s Write Touch Readers’ Award
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Colorado Trust Series
Trust In The Lawe
Shattered Trust
Shadowed Trust
In the previous Mistletoe stories, I shared information about my small town romance series WELCOME TO REDEMPTION with Donna Marie Rogers, my other Christmas novella, DRAGONFLY DREAMS, and my contemporary romance MORE THAN A KISS. Now I’d like to share a short excerpt from my contemporary western romance,
CHASIN’ MASON
Catch the stallion ~ win the ranch. A simple competition between bitter enemies until passion flares in the simmering Texas heat.
When his father announced his engagement to a gold-digger with a lying, scheming fourteen-year old daughter, seventeen-year old Tripp Warner left Warner Ridge Ranch and never looked back. Until the day he got the phone call that his father had died unexpectedly.
Reggie Reed lives with her guilt every day but can't quite work up the courage to track down the son of the man who raised her as his own. When Tripp shows up at his father’s funeral eleven years later—and a hell of a man to be reckoned with—he has no interest in her too-late apology. Worse, they’ve inherited half shares of the family ranch—but only if they work together to catch Mason’s Gold, the stallion a young Reggie let escape and made sure Tripp took the blame for.
Tripp proposes a secret competition to the beautiful witch who stole his life: whoever catches the stallion first gets the ranch all to themselves. It sounds simple, but once they’re out on the range, tempers and passions flare in the Texas heat and nothing goes as either of them expects.
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“Stacey Joy Netzel is at the top of her game with CHASIN’ MASON. I was hooked at page one and stayed hooked until the end...you’ll love it!” ~ Becky, Dark Angel Reviews ~ 5 Stars
EXCERPT:
Reggie gave the kitchen counter one last swipe before tossing the dishcloth into the sink and dragging her exhausted body up the stairs. She couldn’t wait to crawl into bed and close her burning eyes. Between the funeral, facing Tripp again, and the reading of the will, it’d been one of the longest days of her life.
Her step faltered as she passed Tripp’s closed door. She couldn’t believe he’d agreed to help catch Mason. She couldn’t believe she’d have to spend God only knew how much time alone with him out on the range. Just the two of them, staring at each other across the flickering light of a campfire each night.
A little flutter tickled her stomach, making her frown.
“Get a grip, idiot,” she muttered in the silent hallway. The man hated her; he’d made that clear for everyone to see. It wasn’t as if they’d share some romantic interlude out beneath the stars. And if she could learn to control her body’s reactions whenever he got too close, she’d be just fine.
She hurried to her room and stepped inside, closing the door firmly behind her. Without bothering to turn on the light, she kicked off her shoes, made her way to the bed and flopped down with a weary groan. Only her head hit something a lot more solid than her pillow.
“Oomph.”
With a shriek, Reggie shot back up and nearly fell off the bed.
“Shh. My God, you’ll bring the whole house running.”
Tripp’s low, irritated voice did nothing to ease her racing heartbeat. She clicked on the bedside lamp.
“The whole house consists of Grandma Rosie, and she’s…”
The words died on her lips at the sight of him in a tight white T-shirt, gray sweatpants, and bare feet, lounging on her bed as if it were his own.
“She’s…?” Tripp prompted.
“She’s already sleeping. It’s been a long day.”
A shadow crossed his face. “What took you so long, anyway? I’ve been waiting over an hour.”
“I had a few things to take care of in the office, and I cleaned up the kitchen.”
He shook his head, his expression skeptical. “See, now that doesn’t fit, either, Princess.”
“What are you talking about? Doesn’t fit what?”
“Your name.”
Reggie’s overtaxed mind couldn’t keep up, and he looked entirely too good on her bed. A flash of peevishness made her swat at his feet. “Get off my bed, would you? And what does my name have to do with anything?”
“Princesses don’t do dishes.” He swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and stood in front of her.
“First of all…” Damn, he’s tall. She didn’t remember him being so tall eleven years ago. She took a step back. “My name is not Princess.”
“And second of all?”
“Second of all, this is my room, so get out.”
“Don’t kick me out before we get to the good stuff. I have a proposition for you.”
Her heart skipped a beat and honest to God, she couldn’t help it—her gaze went straight to the bed. Just as fast, she snapped her attention back up to his face.
“A what?”
He lifted one nicely muscled shoulder in a careless gesture that didn’t fool her one bit when she considered the calculating gleam in his eyes.
“Maybe competition is the better word.”
“And what exactly would we be competing for?” she asked.
“The ranch.”
Reggie would’ve laughed, except he was dead serious. She crossed her arms. “What have you got in mind?”
“Whoever catches Mason wins everything, simple as that. Loser leaves.”
Her stomach heaved with a sickening lurch. So, this is why he agreed to the terms of the will. She knew he’d flipped to the other side too fast. But Ernesto hadn’t lied when he said she’d been trying to catch the stallion for years, though how the older man knew about it, she’d love to know. Still, no way did she want to go up against Tripp like this, not with the ranch at stake. Mason was smarter than any horse she’d known.
Tripp stepped closer, crowding her personal space as he leaned in and taunted, “Afraid you can’t catch him?”
~~~
CHASIN’ MASON is available wherever ebooks are sold, and it’s also available in print.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Epilogue
Copyright
About the Author
Other Titles
Excerpt—Chasin’ Mason