Healing the Cowboy's Heart

Under the cowboy's hat lies a past filled with heartache. Can a stranger bring light to his darkest days?

Savannah Mercer never imagined her journey home for the the holidays would leave her trapped in the heart of a blizzard, and into the life of a rugged cowboy. Stranded in his small Oklahoma town, Savannah finds shelter and warmth at the home of the single father who is as guarded as the stormy skies above.

Luke Maverick built walls around his heart after the tragic loss of his wife. Raising his young son alone, he prefers the solitude of his ranch and the company of his horses to the painful reminders of his past. But when a kind-hearted stranger stumbles into his life, she brings the light he's been missing.

As Savannah and Luke grow closer, her warmth and faith begin to thaw Luke's frozen heart. Yet, his pain runs deep. Savannah must decide if she's strong enough to help him heal, and Luke must find the courage to let her in.

As they face their feelings and the wounds that bind them, they must discover if love can truly heal all wounds. Can they find the strength to build a future together?
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Clenching the wheel, Savannah Mercer fought to control her car against the snowstorm. Her heart pounded in sync with the rhythm of the windshield wipers, each thump a reminder of her racing pulse.

Doubt gnawed at her mind, intertwining with the cold tendrils of fear as she wondered if she’d make it through. She leaned close to the windshield, desperate to see beyond the mere ten inches of visibility the storm allowed.

Thick snow flurries swallowed the road she traveled. A shiver ran down her spine as the frigid air seeped into the car. She desperately wanted to try again to fiddle with the heater to get it to work, but her concentration stayed with the road ahead. Would she be able to get through the night without incident?

“Please, God, let me make it safely.” Savannah’s words came out in soft trembles. She started wondering if she should pull over—at least for the night. No cars were around, and if she stalled or crashed, she wasn’t sure how long it’d be until she was found.

She should have listened to her friend. Charlotte had begged her to stay a little while longer until the predictions of the storm passed by. But Savannah was eager to get home. After three weeks visiting with her friend, she was ready to get home to Georgia for the holidays and snuggle into her own bed.

She continued to drive at a snail’s pace, hoping an armadillo, a raccoon, or a jolly snowman with a corn cob pipe wouldn’t waddle into her path. The absurdity of the thought almost made her smile, but it quickly faded as the gravity of her situation sank back in. A Frosty the Snowman strolling down a snowy highway would be a strange sight, but right now, she couldn’t afford any distractions.

Unable to take the cold any longer, she reached for the knob to fiddle with the temperature, keeping her eyes on the road.

On the dashboard, her phone’s screen lit up and began to trill as a call came through, but Savannah didn’t answer it. She made it a habit to not talk on the phone when she was driving, and doing so now would be all kinds of stupid. Whoever it was that was trying to call, she’d get back with them when she could.

A yawn escaped her as she passed a sign welcoming her to Whispering Willow, Oklahoma, a town that according to the sign’s motto, she’d never forget.

As she pulled onto the main road, her car sputtered, and the persistent check engine light flared bright orange. “Why now?” she muttered. Ignoring the oil changes and her brother’s warnings had caught up with her, and as the car jerked to a stop, she realized she was about to become stranded.

“No!” She slapped the steering wheel with a groan. The engine sputtered feebly with each turn of the key. Her palms pressed harder against the wheel as if she could will the car to obey her command.

Savannah looked around the snowy landscape. A dark outline of mountains stood as a backdrop against the snowstorm, its ominous shadows matching the mood of her surroundings. Inside the car, it was deadly silent. Outside the car, she heard the howl of the wind. No one was around.

Savannah grabbed her cell phone from the dashboard. Who would she call? Charlotte was the closest to her, but even her best friend was two hours away. Should she call 9-1-1? But where would she say she was?

Looking around, she tried to find a sign, but against the thick flurries still falling, the white words against the green borders blurred. She could still call Charlotte. Her friend might have an idea of what to do.