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Love Somebody Like You
Caribou Crossing #6
Susan Fox
Released Sept 29th,2015
Kensington: Zebra
With
its breathtaking terrain and welcoming people, the Western town of Caribou
Crossing is the perfect place for a heart to heal, and
for love to blossom once more…
Since the death of her husband three
years ago, young widow Sally Ryland has kept to herself and focused on her
struggling business, Ryland Riding. Folks assume she’s still grieving, because
Sally has never shared the truth about her abusive marriage, or the trust
issues that remain. But when a sexy rodeo rider from her past turns up for a
visit, he’s a reminder of the feisty woman she once was—and maybe still could
be…
Ben Traynor was always attracted to
Sally, but he didn’t move fast enough. Now what Sally needs is patience and
gentleness. With an injury keeping him from his next rodeo, Ben has the perfect
excuse to stick around and help with her chores—and her healing. And as Sally
finds the courage to face her demons and open her heart again, she’ll have to
decide if what she has with Ben is more than safety, gratitude, and short-term
passion, but a forever love…
“Fox knows how to strike just enough sway between sweet and bitter, homespun and steamy.” --Publishers Weekly
Moving
awkwardly and painfully, Ben got to work bringing the horses in, removing tack,
and giving them a light grooming. He enjoyed being with the animals even though
his shoulder ached something fierce.
He was finishing up when a
middle-aged couple in casual Western clothing entered the barn. “Can I help
you?” he asked them.
The pair gazed at him curiously. The
man said, “We board our horses here and we’re going out for a ride.”
“Need help with anything?”
“No, we’re good,” he said.
“You’re Sally’s new assistant?” the
woman asked.
Ah, that explained Sally’s air of
tiredness and strain. She’d had an employee who’d quit on her. Ben shook his
head. “Just an old friend, passing through.”
The couple gathered halters and left
the barn. Ben gave the horses a little water. Unsure whether Sally wanted them
turned out to pasture, he left them in stalls and went out to watch her lesson.
A smile lifted the corners of his
mouth at the sight that met his eyes.
She’d set up three barrels in the
cloverleaf pattern of a barrel racing course and she was urging a compact
buckskin around the first barrel and on to the second. She looked intensely
focused, yet vibrant and joyful— and years younger, like the old Sally. The
horse wasn’t a patch on that striking silvery quarter horse she used to own,
but Sally herself looked mighty fine.
When she finished, the sound of
clapping drew Ben’s attention to the petite, ponytailed girl atop a
black-and-white horse just outside the gate to the ring, and to the woman in
the bleachers.
“You still got it, Pantages,” Ben called.
Sally swung the horse around, her
gaze finding him where he stood near the barn. She shook her head, took off her
hat, and ran a hand through tousled redgold curls. “It’s been a long time since
I was in shape to compete.” She glanced away from him to the girl. “But Jude
here is a rising star. Come on into the ring, Jude, and you and Puffin give it
a run.”
For the next ten minutes, Ben sat
with the mom and enjoyed watching Sally work with her student, who did indeed
show promise. Following the doc’s instructions, he let his left arm hang free
in the sling rather than supporting it with his other arm, which could push the
broken bones into the wrong position. And he kept the fingers and wrist on his
left side moving, to help prevent stiffness and swelling.
By the time the lesson ended, two
more riders, a middle-aged woman and a teenaged girl, had arrived in separate
vehicles. Ben caught Sally for a moment, asking, “Anything I can do to help?”
Sitting atop the buckskin, she gazed
down at him. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m good. I’m using the same horses for
my lesson with Margaret, and it’s the last one of the day. The other rider,
Chrissie, boards her horse here and she’s going to work her in the small ring.
She’ll look after her own needs.” She rolled her shoulders, loosening them.
“Once I’m finished, you can tell me about Penny, okay?”
“How about I take you for dinner in
town? It’ll give us a chance to catch up.”
Her eyebrows pulled together. “I
don’t go into town.”
“Huh? Why not?”
A quick, dismissive flick of her
head. “Takes too long. I’m too busy.”
Wasn’t the town of Caribou Crossing
only fifteen or twenty minutes away? Before he could ask, she had ridden away
to join her new student, who was getting mounted.
As the lesson started in the ring,
Ben watched for a few minutes. The teenaged student wasn’t a barrel racer, just
working to improve her riding skills. Sally had her trot and lope the horse in
a variety of patterns around the barrels. She lacked natural talent, but had a
great attitude.
His stomach growled, reminding him
that lunch had been too long ago. He went to the trailer to get a handful of
cherries from the fridge. Sally hadn’t accepted his invitation. Nor had she
invited him to stay for dinner, but it was getting late and they both needed to
eat. Easy fix: he’d drive into town and pick something up. Takeout, some beer,
and a bunch of flowers.
Easy, friendly stuff. Hopefully, she
wouldn’t be offended.
Emotional read about a woman who still suffers the effects her abusive marriage. Even though Sally's husband has been dead for three years, she is still afraid of doing something he felt was wrong. Dressing a certain way, being friendly, drinking - these are all things that she still avoids. She's given up on her dream of having a family since she doesn't want anything to do with men. Ben is a sweetheart and is patient with Sally as she slowly finds her way back to the woman she once was. He gives her hope that she might one day have her dream of a family. It was wonderful to see Sally change as their relationship moved forward. Domestic abuse is a hard topic to talk about and I think the author did a wonderful job of incorporating into the story.
I received an ARC via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own.
Award-winning, international best-selling author Susan Fox (who also writes as Savanna Fox and Susan Lyons) is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor. Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor.
Jen, thank you so much for featuring my book - and for the lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed "Love Somebody Like You."
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