Leaving Noah is a heartwarming tale of love, loss, second chances, and the power of the written word.
When a rodeo accident leaves Rock Creek Ranch shorthanded, Connie MacKay travels from South Dakota to Montana to visit her daughter and help with the neighboring ranch's cattle roundup. Raised on a ranch and comfortable in the saddle, she is determined to help.
After decades of working ranches throughout the northwest, Noah Parker heads home to Rock Creek to stay?maybe. That all depends on the reception he gets from family. When he arrives, the last person he expects to see there is Connie.
Several months earlier at Sarah MacKay's wedding, Noah and Connie shared a clandestine night together. Neither have seen nor spoken to the other since.
It's been a little over a year since Connie's husband's death, and no matter how attracted she is to the rough stock cowboy, she can't let herself get swept away by Noah's charm and old-fashioned cowboy ethics. Figuring out the next chapter of her life is her priority?and one she must do alone.
Noah has baggage of his own he's not sure he can get past, let alone heap on top of hers. He has known love, and lost love, and doesn't want to live out the rest of his days alone. He loves her, but following Connie to South Dakota is not the answer, so he tries another tack?old fashioned love letters designed to share his story, and perhaps woo her heart.
Autorentext
Maddie James writes to silence the people in her head. They finally quiet down when their stories are told. Author of 50+ romantic novels, novellas, and short stories, Maddie writes romantic fiction in contemporary, paranormal, and romantic suspense worlds. She's mighty partial to her cowboys.
Maddie began her romance writing career as a traditionally published author in 1997 and has published with several traditional and small press publishers. Currently, she works as an independent author publishing through her own imprint. Besides writing romance fiction, Maddie writes non-fiction under another name.
Winner of the Calico Trails Cameo Award (Roses & Rawhide) and the Romance Book Scene's Best Novella Award (Red: A Cajun Seduction Tale), Maddie has been listed as a Top 100 Contemporary Romance author at Amazon, and a Rising Star of Western Romance at iBooks. Affaire de Coeur says, "James shows a special talent for traditional romance," and RT Book Reviews claims, "James deftly combines romance and suspense, so hop on for an exhilarating ride."
Klappentext
When Connie MacKay travels from South Dakota to Montana to visit her daughter, she ends up helping the Rock Creek Ranch cowboys round up their cattle. Raised on a cattle ranch and quite comfortable in the saddle, Connie is determined to help the Rankin family when an accident leaves them shorthanded. Noah Parker, uncle to Parker and Callie Rankin, shows up to the ranch as they prepare for the round-up. He's been gone too many years and wonders how his return will be received. His answer comes quickly when he's told to get his gear and horse and help with the cattle drive. The days are long and the nights short, but Connie and Noah gravitate toward each other-until an unfortunate conversation gives Connie pause. She returns to South Dakota immediately after returning to the ranch without a word to Noah. Noah is devastated. While he doesn't feel comfortable going to South Dakota, he tries another tack-old fashioned love letters designed to woo Connie's heart. **** My Dearest Connie, As I write this, I do so with a conflicted heart. On one hand, my heart is so full of love for you I fear it may burst. On the other, I fear it will never burst and put me out of my misery. I miss you. I miss your face, your smile, your soft kisses. Knowing I will never see you again, weighs heavy on my chest and in my gut. But I will take the memories of you with me every day. I will wake up with them in the morning and go to sleep with them each night. I'm so sorry. I was wrong. About everything. Chalk it all up to an old fool who doesn't know what he's doing half the time. Hell, I'm just an old man who has lived with more old men and horses for too many decades. What do I know about women or falling in love? Nothing. Apparently. And that's my loss. But I'll still see your pretty smile every time I close my eyes. I'll still feel you in my heart, my soul, with every breath I take. Having known you… Having had you in my life for a moment, was the best part of my life. I hope you can forgive me. Love, Noah