One Night with a Cowboy

Richardson delights in her heart-tugging second Silverado Lake romance (after First Kiss with a Cowboy). Military widow Thea Davis struggles with shame over a devastating secret: she and her husband, Dylan, were on the verge of divorce when he died in Afghanistan. Since his death, she’s devoted herself to her two preteen children and thrown herself into organizing Colorado mountain getaways for other military families. Weston “Wes” Harding channels his grief at losing his father by working his way up the rodeo circuit while his sister, Jane, manages the family ranch’s budding hospitality business in Silverado Lake, Colo. After pregnant Jane goes into premature labor, Wes must temporarily fill in at the ranch—just as Thea and her group arrive. Wes falls hard and fast for both Thea and her children; Thea feels the same, but struggles with guilt that won’t allow her to move on. She’s determined to keep Wes at arm’s length—until an accident forces her to examine what is truly important in life. Richardson has a gift for creating empathetic characters and charming small-town settings, and her taut plotting and sparkling prose keep the pages turning. This appealing love story is sure to please. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary. (Mar.)