Her Secret Cowboy
by Marin Thomas
Published in 2014
Years ago, Will Cash wasn’t interested in being a dad. So Marsha Bugler left town to raise her baby alone. But when her father’s health begins to fail, she realizes she needs to return to Arizona—and introduce Will to his boy. Marsha is nervous to face Will not only because she lied, but because she’s never stopped thinking about her cowboy crush.
Will is shocked to discover he has a son. And he can hardly believe the changes in Marsha. She’s strong, sexy and a Ph.D. while Will’s still a part-time cowboy living in a bunkhouse with his brothers. What does he have to offer her and his teenage son? Will has a lot to prove if he’s going to get what he wants—the family he never knew he had.
I read this book as part of Harlequin's 'Just Can't Get Enough' Campaign. I must say that I really enjoyed it! Our main characters are Marsha and Will. They only had one date - prom night their senior year. Marsha had had a crush on Will forever, and had arranged the date through Will's brother Buck. You see, she was a pastor's daughter and he was the resident bad boy. This one night would change the course of their lives forever.
Marsha leaves town to go to college, letting Will believe she has 'taken care of the baby'. In reality, she goes off to college, without even telling her parents that she is pregnant. She is determined to do it on her own, and get the degree that she has always wanted. Her parents don't find out about the baby, Ryan, until he is already born, and they soon stop asking her who the father is. She does come back for visits, but always manages to stay clear of Will -- until she decides not to.
You see, her father is dying of cancer, and she has decided that Ryan will need another male in his life. You see a pattern here? Marsha has taken all the decision making away from Will, and now that Ryan is a teenager she is going to introduce him to his father? And what about how Will is going to react to having a son that he is just now finding out about? As you can see, this is a recipe for what could be a huge disaster.
What Marsha or Will doesn't count on is that they might actually have feelings for each other. With them both tiptoeing around trying not to upset Marsha's dad or Ryan you wonder if the truth is ever going to come out!
This was a quick read and had a lot of heart. Both families, Marsha's and Will's were very close knit and you could see that they cared deeply for one another. I liked the way the story was resolved and look forward to reading more about the Cash brothers in the future!
