Soft Place to Fall

Good ol’ cowboys, loss, and lust more powerful than a bucking bronco are at the heart of this tender romance from Tortuga (Stetsons and Stakeouts). Stetson Major’s dying mother, who has Alzheimer’s, keeps asking why rodeo star Curtis Traynor isn’t visiting her, having forgotten that he and Stetson broke up eight years earlier. Stetson reluctantly calls his former lover, though they hadn’t spoken since their breakup. Curtis quickly agrees to visit, and when he arrives at the hospital in Santa Fe, he’s shocked to see how old and broken-spirited Stetson’s become—and how quickly his feelings for his ex resurface. Curtis stays as long as he can, and the two make plans for Curtis’s return at Christmas, but then tragedy strikes. The wrenching emotions around Stetson’s complicated relationship with his mother are balanced by his supportive neighbors and some quirky friends, together with Curtis’s unwavering support. This potentially somber cowboy story has plenty of heart and humor. Agent: Sartiza Hernandez, Corvisiero Literary. (Apr.)