Please welcome to Cowboy Kisses, guest author Hebby Roman. Hebby
has a new book releasing April 1, 2020. She joins us today to give a peek
inside: Zach: The Bachelors and
Babies Series—Book 11.
Will their love for an orphaned baby forge a lasting
bond between a widowed sheep rancher and a battle-scarred drill sergeant?
Sergeant
Zacharias Armstrong survived the massacre of his family and the starvation of
his baby brother but lost his faith. After being rescued and raised by mountain
men, Zach joins the Army. Disciplined and introverted, he doesn’t form personal
attachments. Instead, he makes the Army his new home and family, rising in rank
to sergeant. But when he rescues a baby, his life takes an unexpected turn.
Johanna
Gunter, an immigrant from Germany, survived the murder of her husband and
eldest son. Johanna clings to the ranch she and her husband carved out of the
Texas wilderness, and she wants to be left in peace to raise her other two
children. But her neighbors, the Jackson brothers, are determined to terrify
her, making her give up her land.
When
the Army sends Zach to investigate the murder of one of Johanna’s shepherds and
his wife, he finds their baby. Johanna offers to raise the child, but Zach
doesn’t want to give up the baby. When
he learns the murder is part of the ongoing terror Johanna faces, he joins
forces with her. A bond develops between them, their mutual attraction grows,
and Johanna helps Zach find his faith again. But can they forget their painful
pasts and open their hearts to allow their newfound attachment to forge a
lasting family?
Excerpt:
Johanna
felt a spark of lightning sizzle along her arm when the sergeant touched her.
She inhaled, remembering how she’d felt when Wilhelm used to waltz her across
the dance floor. Why was Wilhelm, her childhood sweetheart, on her mind today?
She hadn’t thought of him in years. It must be the lieutenant—with his blond
good looks and charm—he reminded her of Wilhelm.
On
the porch, the lieutenant turned to her and took her hand. “We’ll do all we can
to find the murderers. You have my word on it.”
“Thank
you,” she said.
“And
I want to thank you, too, Lieutenant,” the sergeant said. “I didn’t expect your
help.”
“I
want to do it,” the lieutenant replied. “To help Mrs. Gunter.” He waved at them
and clattered off. “I’ll see you at mess, Sergeant.” He threw the words over
his shoulder.
She
bowed her head, wondering why she didn’t respond to his touch when he reminded
her of Wilhelm. But it was the sergeant, the man she’d dubbed as arrogant and
rude, who drew her, putting her into a rare tizzy, like a silly smitten
schoolgirl.
She
stole a look at him from the corner of her eye. He wasn’t handsome as Wilhelm
had been, though, he had a pleasant face with a strong jaw and warm brown eyes.
Where Wilhelm was slim and lithe, the sergeant was stocky with impossibly broad
shoulders. Strength radiated from him, from his physical presence as well as
the firmness of his convictions. She found his nearness soothing, making her
feel safe for the first time in a long time.
With
her feelings in a muddle and her heart pounding in her ears, she tried to pull
away from him, but his grip was firm. She bit her lip and realized she liked
him touching her. Changing her mind, she leaned against him, drawing on his
strength.
“That
was very kind of you, Sergeant, to put up your own money for a reward.” She
tried a small smile. “And kind of the lieutenant, too.”
He
stopped and turned to her, but he didn’t let her go. His voice was soft. “It’s
the least I can do for Kurt.”
This
time, her smile came readily, realizing how easily he’d changed the baby’s
name. First, Josiah, and now, Kurt. He really was attached to the child, and
his obvious tenderness left her feeling all squishy inside.
“Can
I escort you to the Bauers’ resting place. They were buried this morning after
reveille. We could stop in the adjoining meadow and gather some wildflowers for
their graves.”
“Ja,
uh, yes, er, I mean, nein. Maybe later, if that’s fine with you.” She
lifted her head and snagged his gaze. “Can you take me to see Kurt first?”
“It
would be my pleasure. He’s with his wet nurse, Guadalupe, at the laundry.” He
stopped and changed course, gently steering her.
“Does
she take him home at night?” she asked.
“No,
the commander let me have a room behind the schoolhouse. I’m with Kurt at
night.”
She
gazed at him, trying to puzzle out this unusual man, though, it was difficult
to see much with his hat pulled low. She thought she detected dark shadows
beneath his brown eyes. “How did that work out last night?”
He
pursed his lips and then grinned. “Not so good, but I’ve laid in a few more
supplies. Hoping tonight will go better.”
She
wanted to ask about the brother he’d lost, Josiah. But she doubted he would
tell her much on their short acquaintance. Instead, she decided to ask about
his unusual background.
“You
were a fur trapper before you joined the cavalry?” she inquired.
Zach
stopped and gazed at her. Her wideset eyes were blue-gray with flecks of green
in them. Hazel eyes. Interesting, especially since her hair, peeking from
beneath a rather unflattering poke bonnet, was so blonde as to be almost
silver-white in the sunshine. She had a pert nose with freckles across it, and
a wide mouth, almost lush in its contours.
She
had to be over thirty, given the ages of her daughter and deceased son, but she
didn’t look her age. Except for a few laugh crinkles at the corners of her
eyes, her skin was a smooth, alabaster color. And beneath her rather shapeless
dress, he could guess at the contours of her body. She was full-breasted but
slim after having birthed three children.
He
was drawn to her, and he was seldom drawn to women, having witnessed some rough
wooing at the mountain men’s annual rendezvous. Squaws and white captive women
were kept to serve their masters in bed and out. Those memories had left a bad
taste in his mouth, especially after his upbringing.
Mostly,
he felt pity for women, knowing how vulnerable they were. It was partially why
he’d offered a reward—that and because of Kurt. The boy’s parents’ deaths
deserved a thorough investigation. When the boy was grown, Zach wanted to tell
him that he’d brought the killers to justice.
He
liked touching Johanna, could feel the warmth of her body, and he enjoyed the
way she smelled of lavender. The scent reminded him of the pomanders his mother
used to make to keep their clothing fresh. And Johanna had a way about her, a
directness and open honesty he’d seldom encountered with most women. Not to
mention how brave she’d been, facing down the commander.
How much did he want to tell her?
He’d
seldom told anyone about his past, except the barest of outlines. He took her
arm again, and they proceeded across the parade ground. “I wasn’t exactly a fur
trapper, though, I did learn how to trap beaver, fox, and wolves.”
She
nodded. “Isn’t the Sierra Nevada mountain range out west somewhere?”
“Yes,
in California.”
“But
you don’t sound like a westerner.”
“I
grew up in Pennsylvania until I was eight years old. Then we moved west.”
Hebby Roman is a New York traditionally
published, small-press published, and Indie published #1 Amazon best-selling
author of both historical and contemporary romances. She was selected
for the Romantic Times "Texas Author" award, and she won a national
Harlequin contest. Her book, BORDER HEAT, was a Los Angeles Times Book Festival
selection. She has been a RONE Finalist three times and in three different
categories.
Hebby is blessed to have all her family living
close by in north Texas, including her two granddaughters, Mackenzie Reese and
Presley Davis. Hebby lives in Arlington, Texas with her husband, Luis, and
Maltipoo, Maximillian. To learn more about Hebby, visit her website at: www.hebbyroman.com
