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Praise for Jessica Clare

“The residents of Painted Barrel are just as lovely as ever.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[A] steamy holiday confection that equally delivers heartwarming laughs and heart-melting sighs.”

—Booklist

“Great storytelling. . . . Delightful reading. . . . It’s fun and oh-so-hot!”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Jessica Clare found a balance in developing the characters and romance with banter, heart, and tension. [She] introduced colorful new characters along with Eli, Cass, Clyde, and the dogs from All I Want for Christmas Is a Cowboy.”

—Harlequin Junkie

“[Clare is] a romance writing prodigy.”

—Heroes and Heartbreakers

“Blazing hot.”

—USA Today

Titles by Jessica Clare

Wyoming Cowboys

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A COWBOY

THE COWBOY AND HIS BABY

A COWBOY UNDER THE MISTLETOE

THE COWBOY MEETS HIS MATCH

Roughneck Billionaires

DIRTY MONEY

DIRTY SCOUNDREL

DIRTY BASTARD

The Billionaire Boys Club

STRANDED WITH A BILLIONAIRE

BEAUTY AND THE BILLIONAIRE

THE WRONG BILLIONAIRE’S BED

ONCE UPON A BILLIONAIRE

ROMANCING THE BILLIONAIRE

ONE NIGHT WITH A BILLIONAIRE

HIS ROYAL PRINCESS

BEAUTY AND THE BILLIONAIRE: THE WEDDING

Billionaires and Bridesmaids

THE BILLIONAIRE AND THE VIRGIN

THE TAMING OF THE BILLIONAIRE

THE BILLIONAIRE TAKES A BRIDE

THE BILLIONAIRE’S FAVORITE MISTAKE

BILLIONAIRE ON THE LOOSE

The Bluebonnet Novels

THE GIRL’S GUIDE TO (MAN)HUNTING

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF AN ALPHA MALE

THE EXPERT’S GUIDE TO DRIVING A MAN WILD

THE VIRGIN’S GUIDE TO MISBEHAVING

THE BILLIONAIRE OF BLUEBONNET

Dedication

For Mick and Jen—

we’ve emailed one another a million times, and may we email one another a million times more. Please know I’m singing the Golden Girls theme in my head at this moment.

CHAPTER ONE

February

Sometimes it was hard to live in a town like Painted Barrel. The community was small and intimate and supportive, but it was impossible to have secrets. Worse than that, everyone seemed to think they knew what was best for you, even if you didn’t agree.

Which meant Becca heard a lot of well-meaning advice daily, no matter how many times she tried to escape it.

“You really should get out there and start dating again,” Mrs. Williams told her for the seventh time in the last hour. “A pretty thing like you? You don’t want all your good years going to waste. If you want to start a family, you need to move fast.”

And wasn’t that just depressing? Becca did her best to smile as she plucked foils off Mrs. Williams’s head, as if the woman’s kind words weren’t stabbing her in the heart. “I’m not sure I’m ready to date. I’ll know when I meet the right person.”

Her customer tsked. “Like I said, don’t wait too long. You don’t want to be the oldest mother at the PTA meetings.” She nodded into the mirror at her reflection as if this was the worst thing in the world to happen. “It’s very difficult for the children.”