Lucky Number Thirteen: An Inspirational Western Romance Novella (Three Rivers Ranch Romance Book 9)

by Isaacson, Liz

  “But you love the rodeo.”

  “I do,” he admitted. “But I know now that it’s not my whole life. My family needs me. I need you.”

  She pressed her cheek to his chest again, completing him, making him feel whole and alive. “What are you going to do?”

  “I need to be here for a while,” he said. “I’ll keep the apartment in Three Rivers. If I send a credit card number with you, can you pay the rent for me?”

  “Sure, but—”

  “For a year,” he said. “Then I’ll have somewhere to stay when I come.”

  “How often will you come?”

  “I don’t know.” A wave of exhaustion rolled over him. “As much as I can, sweetheart, okay? As much as I can.” He’d told her about Bill’s broken leg, his blood clotting issues. And Kamry had two little boys to tend to. One with a broken arm, one with minor cuts and bruises. Not to mention a four-month-old baby. Tanner could help. Tanner would help.

  “You could stay with me when you come,” she said. “It seems silly to pay for an empty apartment.”

  “Your place has one bedroom,” he said. “So unless you plan on marryin’ me, that’s not gonna work.”

  She jerked in his arms like she’d been jolted with a dose of electricity. “You think we should get married?”

  “I think that’s what people do when they’re in love.” He chuckled. “We can go on a few more dates if you have a requirement for that.”

  She giggled and snuggled into him. “I love you.”

  “And I choose you,” he said, pressing his lips to her temple. “I’d like to go to sleep now.”

  “All right, cowboy,” she whispered. “You do that.”

  So he did.

  14

  The chirping of Summer’s phone woke her. An intense heat next to her made her groan before she realized that heat came from Tanner. The man was a living, breathing furnace. She eased out of his arms without waking him and hurried over to her phone as it chimed again.

  There are 41 medical facilities in Colorado Springs. The text from Belinda made Summer blink rapidly to make sure she’d read it correctly.

  She started to type out a response when another text came in. Margie Googled it. Just thought you might want to know.

  Summer erased her previous message and wrote, Why would I need to know that?

  Because I’m sure some of them need a good nurse.

  Her arms fell to her sides as if someone had tied bricks to her hands. Questions streamed through her mind: When did Margie Google anything? How did Belinda come up with the wildest ideas that actually had merit? Could she really move to Colorado Springs?

  The thought seemed ridiculous at first. She lived and worked in Three Rivers. She loved Three Rivers. Her parents were there. Her friends. Her job. Her life.

  But her heart belonged to Tanner Wolf, and he couldn’t go back to Three Rivers, at least not right now.

  It wasn’t a choice at all, really. She’d follow Tanner from here until the end of the Earth if it meant they could be together.

  He groaned and she spun back to him. His eyes fluttered open as she moved to his side. “Hey, baby.” She swept his hair off his forehead. “You awake? I want to talk to you about something.”

  He sat up and wiped the sleepiness from his face. “I think I’m awake. I feel like I’ve been run over.” He exhaled and yawned. “What time is it?”

  She checked her phone. “Almost nine o’clock.”

  “I told my mom I’d pick her up at ten and we’d go see how Bill was doing.” He rubbed his eyes.

  Summer nodded, a smile quickly dancing across her face. “Okay. Can we talk about me moving to Colorado Springs first? I can get a job here. There are forty-one health care facilities in this city.”

  He stared at her, those dark eyes drinking her in, considering her words. “You want to move to Colorado Springs?”

  “It’s better than you paying for an apartment you won’t live in.” She shrugged like she didn’t have anything to lose by leaving Three Rivers. “It’s easier for me to move right now. I want to be with you.”

  He smiled, but it dimmed quickly. “It won’t be forever. There’s nothing for me to do here.”

  She glanced around his house, in awe of its magnificence. “You obviously don’t need to work.”

  “Maybe not for the money,” he admitted. “But I’m not one to just sit around all day.”

  “We can move every year if you want. Right now, you need to be here, and I need you.”

  He leaned forward and cupped her face in his hands. “I got really lucky that you were my nurse.” He kissed her with desire, with heat, with love.

  She giggled. “Yes, you sure did, cowboy.”

  One Year Later:

  “So take that box over there.” Summer nodded toward a pile already in front of the hearth. Ethan moved in that direction, a dark look on his face. Tanner followed him, adding another box to the pile. She’d sold her house and moved to Colorado Springs, but it felt good—right—to be back in her hometown.

  Tanner had come down himself, picked out the house she now stood in. It was around the corner from Brynn and Ethan’s, built by the same general contractor, and it was the most beautiful house Summer had ever lived in. Well, the most beautiful house she’d live in after tomorrow’s wedding.

  “I can’t believe y’all are movin’ and gettin’ married in the same week,” Ethan said. “It’s more excitement than Three Rivers has seen in a long time.”

  “Sure.” Tanner slung his arm around Ethan’s shoulders. “And your baby’s due when? Oh, that’s right. On Friday.”

  Ethan grinned, a look of wonder on his face. Summer hoped Tanner would wear a look like that when he was about to become a father. “Brynn’s already having contractions. He could be here any day now.”

  “Make ’im wait until after the wedding,” Tanner said. “We get tomorrow. He can have any day after that.”

  “I’ll talk to him,” Ethan said dryly. “It’s not like I asked you to move and get married at the same time my first son is being born.”

  “Ditto,” Tanner shot back as the men moved out the front door. Summer smiled as she watched them go. It would be good for Tanner to be back in Three Rivers, back with Ethan, back on the ranch. He started his job there in just two weeks—immediately upon their return from their honeymoon.

  Happiness sped through Summer at the thought of being Mrs. Tanner Wolf. The past year had been filled with challenges, but none of them seemed to be her own. She’d supported, she’d worked hard, and most of all, she’d prayed for patience. She’d needed it.

  But now…now it was her turn to be in the spotlight. Her turn to be the bride. Her turn to start the life she’d always hoped she’d have.

  “You ready for this?” Tanner’s heated breath floated over the back of her neck, and she shivered.

  “Totally ready.” She turned into his arms and leaned in for a fantastic kiss with her soon-to-be husband. “Are you?”

  “Sweetheart, I’ve been ready to marry you since the day I met you.”

  Warmth spread from Summer’s toes to the top of her head. “I’m glad we chose the thirteenth to get married. I don’t care what anyone says about bad luck every seven years.”

  “Lucky number thirteen,” he murmured just before kissing her in a way that testified of his love for her.

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  Meet the books of Three Rivers Ranch Romance series by Liz Isaacson!

  Second Chance Ranch: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance (Book 1): After his deployment, injured and discharged Major Squire Ackerman returns to Three Rivers Ranch, wanting to forgive Kelly for ignoring
him a decade ago. He’d like to provide the stable life she needs, but with old wounds opening and a ranch on the brink of financial collapse, it will take patience and faith to make their second chance possible.

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  Third Time’s the Charm: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance (Book 2): First Lieutenant Peter Marshall has a truckload of debt and no way to provide for a family, but Chelsea helps him see past all the obstacles, all the scars. With so many unknowns, can Pete and Chelsea develop the love, acceptance, and faith needed to find their happily ever after?

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  Fourth and Long: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance (Book 3): Commander Brett Murphy goes to Three Rivers Ranch to find some rest and relaxation with his Army buddies. Having his ex-wife show up with a seven-year-old she claims is his son is anything but the R&R he craves. Kate needs to make amends, and Brett needs to find forgiveness, but are they too late to find their happily ever after?

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  Fifth Generation Cowboy: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance (Book 4): Tom Lovell has watched his friends find their true happiness on Three Rivers Ranch, but everywhere he looks, he only sees friends. Rose Reyes has been bringing her daughter out to the ranch for equine therapy for months, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Her challenges with Mari are just as frustrating as ever. Could Tom be exactly what Rose needs? Can he remove his friendship blinders and find love with someone who’s been right in front of him all this time?

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  Sixth Street Love Affair: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance Novella: After losing his wife a few years back, Garth Ahlstrom thinks he’s ready for a second chance at love. But Juliette Thompson has a secret that could destroy their budding relationship. Can they find the strength, patience, and faith to make things work?

  All newsletter subscribers will get this novella for free!

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  Read now!

  The Seventh Sergeant: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance (Book 5): Life has finally started to settle down for Sergeant Reese Sanders after his devastating injury overseas. Discharged from the Army and now with a good job at Courage Reins, he’s finally found happiness—until a horrific fall puts him right back where he was years ago: Injured and depressed. Carly Watters, Reese’s new veteran care coordinator, dislikes small towns almost as much as she loathes cowboys. But she finds herself faced with both when she gets assigned to Reese’s case. Do they have the humility and faith to make their relationship more than professional?

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  Eight Second Ride: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance (Book 6): Ethan Greene loves his work at Three Rivers Ranch, but he can’t seem to find the right woman to settle down with. When sassy yet vulnerable Brynn Bowman shows up at the ranch to recruit him back to the rodeo circuit, he takes a different approach with the barrel racing champion. His patience and newfound faith pay off when a friendship—and more—starts with Brynn. But she wants out of the rodeo circuit right when Ethan wants to rejoin. Can they find the path God wants them to take and still stay together?

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  Christmas in Three Rivers: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance Novella Collection: Isn’t Christmas the best time to fall in love? The cowboys of Three Rivers Ranch think so. Join four of them as they journey toward their path to happily ever after in four, all-new novellas in the Amazon #1 Bestselling Three Rivers Ranch Romance series.

  THE NINTH INNING: The Christmas season has never felt like such a burden to boutique owner Andrea Larsen. But with Mama gone and the holidays upon her, Andy finds herself wishing she hadn’t been so quick to judge her former boyfriend, cowboy Lawrence Collins. Well, Lawrence hasn’t forgotten about Andy either, and he devises a plan to get her out to the ranch so they can reconnect. Do they have the faith and humility to patch things up and start a new relationship?

  TEN DAYS IN TOWN: Sandy Keller is tired of the dating scene in Three Rivers. Though she owns the pancake house, she’s looking for a fresh start, which means an escape from the town where she grew up. When her older brother’s best friend, Tad Jorgensen, comes to town for the holidays, it is a balm to his weary soul. A helicopter tour guide who experienced a near-death experience, he’s looking to start over too—but in Three Rivers. Can Sandy and Tad navigate their troubles to find the path God wants them to take—and discover true love—in only ten days?

  ELEVEN YEAR REUNION: Pastry chef extraordinaire, Grace Lewis has moved to Three Rivers to help Heidi Ackerman open a bakery in Three Rivers. Grace relishes the idea of starting over in a town where no one knows about her failed cupcakery. She doesn’t expect to run into her old high school boyfriend, Jonathan Carver. A carpenter working at Three Rivers Ranch, Jon’s in town against his will. But with Grace now on the scene, Jon’s thinking life in Three Rivers is suddenly looking up. But with her focus on baking and his disdain for small towns, can they make their eleven year reunion stick?

  THE TWELFTH TOWN: Newscaster Taryn Tucker has had enough of life on-screen. She’s bounced from town to town before arriving in Three Rivers, completely alone and completely anonymous—just the way she now likes it. She takes a job cleaning at Three Rivers Ranch, hoping for a chance to figure out who she is and where God wants her. When she meets happy-go-lucky cowhand Kenny Stockton, she doesn’t expect sparks to fly. Kenny’s always been “the best friend” for his female friends, but the pull between him and Taryn can’t be denied. Will they have the courage and faith necessary to make their opposite worlds mesh?

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  The First Lady of Three Rivers Ranch: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance (Book 7): Heidi Duffin has been dreaming about opening her own bakery since she was thirteen years old. She scrimped and saved for years to afford baking and pastry school in San Francisco. And now she only has one year left before she’s a certified pastry chef. Frank Ackerman’s father has recently retired, and he’s taken over the largest cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle. A horseman through and through, he’s also nearing thirty-one and looking for someone to bring love and joy to a homestead that’s been dominated by men for a decade. But when he convinces Heidi to come clean the cowboy cabins, she changes all that. But the siren’s call of a bakery is still loud in Heidi’s ears, even if she’s also seeing a future with Frank. Can she rely on her faith in ways she’s never had to before or will their relationship end when summer does?

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  Lucky Number Thirteen: A Three Rivers Ranch Romance Novella: Tanner Wolf is in Three Rivers, a changed man, to compete in the rodeo. He’s glad to be forgiven of the misdeeds he’s done, and he looks to his friends in Three Rivers as examples. He’s ridden hundreds of bulls over the years, but when he draws Lucky Number Thirteen, the personal stakes for winning go up. He’s never made it to the eight-second bell on this bull.

  And he doesn’t this time either. In fact, he makes it to the hospital with career-ending injuries.

  But not everything is lost, as his nurse, Summer Hamblin, seems to bring a balm to his weary soul—and meds for his broken ribs. When Summer is assigned as Tanner’s home-health nurse, he wonders if they can take their relationship beyond the walls of the hospital. Has God brought him to Three Rivers to stay?

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  Books in the Gold Valley Romance series, a spinoff from the Three Rivers Ranch series

  Before the Leap: A Gold Valley Romance (Book 1): Jace Lovell only has one thing left after his fiancé abandons him at the altar: his job at Horseshoe Home Ranch. He throws himself into becoming the best foreman the ranch has ever had—and that includes hiring an interior designer to make the ranch owner’s wife happy. Belle Edmunds is back in Gold Valley and she’s desperate to build a portfolio that she can use to start her own firm in Montana. She applies for the job at Horseshoe Home, and though Jace and Belle grew up together, they’ve never seen eye to eye on much more than the sky is blue. Jace isn’t anywhere near forgiving his fiancé, and he’s not sure he’s ready for a new relationship with someone as fiery and beautiful as Belle. C
an she employ her patience while he figures out how to forgive so they can find their own brand of happily-ever-after?

  Read now — available everywhere!

  After the Fall: A Gold Valley Romance (Book 2): Professional snowboarder Sterling Maughan has sequestered himself in his family’s cabin in the exclusive mountain community above Gold Valley, Montana after a devastating fall that ended his career. Lost, with no direction and no motivation, the last thing he wants is company. But Norah Watson has other plans for the cabin. Not only does she clean Sterling’s cabin, she’s a counselor at Silver Creek, a teen rehabilitation center at the base of the mountain that uses horses to aid in the rebuilding of lives, and she brings her girls up to the cabin every twelve weeks. When Sterling finds out there’s a job for an at-risk counselor at Silver Creek, he asks Norah to drive him back and forth. He learns to ride horses and use equine therapy to help his boys—and himself. The more time they spend together, the more convinced Norah is to never tell Sterling about her troubled past, let him see her house on the wrong side of the tracks, or meet her mother. But Sterling is interested in all things Norah, and as his body heals, so does his faith. Will Norah be able to trust Sterling so they can have a chance at true love?

  Available now!

  Through the Mist: A Gold Valley Romance (Book 3): Landon Edmunds has been a cowboy his whole life. An accident five years ago ended his successful rodeo career, and now he’s looking to start a horse ranch of his own, and he’s looking outside of Montana. Which would be great if God hadn’t brought Megan Palmer back to Gold Valley right when Landon is looking to leave. As the preacher’s daughter, Megan isn’t that excited to be back in her childhood hometown. Megan and Landon work together well, and as sparks fly, she’s sure God brought her back to Gold Valley so she could find her happily ever after. Through serious discussion and prayer, can Landon and Megan find their future together?

  Coming on April 3, 2017!

  Preorder now to have the book delivered on release day!

  Between the Reins: A Gold Valley Romance (Book 4): Twelve years ago, Owen Carr left Gold Valley—and his long-time girlfriend—in favor of a country music career in Nashville. Married and divorced, Natalie teaches ballet at the dance studio in Gold Valley, but she never auditioned for the professional company the way she dreamed of doing. With Owen back, she realizes all the opportunities she missed out on when he left all those years ago—including a future with him. Can they mend broken bridges in order to have a second chance at love?