A Cowboy for Keeps

Drake’s third Chestnut Creek romance (after Home at Chestnut Creek) takes the series to a new level of nuance and emotional impact. Diner manager Lorelei West is devastated when her younger sister, Patsy, dies in a car accident—and shocked to discover Patsy had a six-month-old daughter, Sawyer, who she hadn’t told Lorelei about. Sawyer’s father also died in the crash, leaving Lorelei to become her legal guardian. She agrees, unaware that Sawyer has another living relative: her father’s twin brother, rancher Reese St. James, the heir to an oil fortune. Reese also didn’t know about the baby, but, unable to father kids himself, he’s thrilled to discover that he’s not the only remaining member of his family. He tracks down Lorelei and Sawyer, immediately bonding with his baby niece and finding himself drawn to Lorelei as well. Their very different lifestyles, economic situations, and the responsibilities of parenthood present refreshingly realistic obstacles in the path to a happy ending. Readers will be taken with the beautifully written moments of heartache and happiness. Agent: Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Assoc. (Aug.)