A Christmas kiss from a cowboy…
Ben Radcliffe reckons it’ll be a cold day in hell before he considers a serious relationship or family of his own—with good reason. When he delivers a “secret” present to the Last Chance Ranch, however, Ben catches a glimpse of what family could be. And suddenly this lone cowboy finds himself under the mistletoe…planting one heck of a kiss on a stunning woman!
Genealogist and academic Molly Gallagher is all about family. And even if Ben’s secrets make him as skittish as a wild mustang, there’s nothing Molly loves more than an enigma. Especially a ridiculously sexy one! But the magic of Christmas—and the Last Chance Ranch—might not be enough to wrangle a cowboy who can’t trust himself…
Praise for Vicki Lewis Thompson’s Sons of Chance
“Cowboy Up is a sexy joy ride, balanced with good-natured humor and Thompson’s keen eye for detail. Another sizzling romance from the RT Reviewers’ Choice award winner for best Blaze.”
—RT Book Reviews on Cowboy Up
“Vicki Lewis Thompson has compiled a tale of this terrific family, along with their friends and employees, to keep you glued to the page and ending with that warm and loving feeling.”
—Fresh Fiction on Cowboys and Angels
“Intensely romantic and hot enough to singe…her Sons of Chance series never fails to leave me worked up from all the heat, and then sighing with pleasure at the happy endings!”
—We Read Romance on Riding High
“If I had to use one word to describe Ambushed! it would be charming.… Where the story shines and how it is elevated above others is the humor that is woven throughout.”
—Dear Author on Ambushed!
“Top Pick! Thompson continues to do a great job with her popular Sons of Chance series by bringing the entire town of Shoshone and the Last Chance Ranch environment alive in this wonderfully engaging installment.”
—RT Book Reviews on Wild at Heart
With a mixture of nostalgia and anticipation I give you the final Sons of Chance book as my Christmas present to the Chance-savvy readers and the newcomers who’ve just discovered the series. To those who’ve been with me all the way, we’ve had a great time, haven’t we? To those just joining us, you have some catching up to do!
This moment is nostalgic because I love the Last Chance Ranch. I’ve mentally lived here for several years, and if the ranch suddenly appeared in 3-D, I’d know exactly where everything is and recognize all the folks. I know many of you feel the same!
But I’m also filled with anticipation, because next summer we’ll venture to a cozy ranch outside Sheridan, Wyoming. Don’t worry, I won’t abandon the Chance brothers! They’ll show up occasionally in the new series—Thunder Mountain Brotherhood—debuting in June 2015. You’ll also see more of Ben Radcliffe, this book’s hero, who lives in Sheridan.
I predict you’ll love Thunder Mountain Ranch, which for many years housed foster boys and now needs some help from those guys. But this holiday season, let’s focus on the Last Chance! The entire family invites you to a big holiday celebration that includes Sarah’s seventieth birthday. You don’t want to miss that!
So stay, enjoy and reminisce. Next summer, I invite you to take the half-day drive over to Thunder Mountain Ranch and meet the new gang. In the meantime, let’s all raise a glass to a Last Chance Christmas!
Nostalgically yours,
Vicki
A Last Chance
Christmas
Vicki Lewis
Thompson
VICKI LEWIS THOMPSON’s passion for travel has taken the New York Times bestselling author to Europe, Great Britain, the Greek Isles, Australia and New Zealand. She’s visited most of North America and has her eye on South America’s rainforests. Africa, India and China beckon. But her first love is her home state of Arizona, with its deserts, mountains, sunsets and—last but not least—cowboys! The wide-open spaces and heroes on horseback influence everything she writes. Connect with her at vickilewisthompson.com, facebook.com/vickilewisthompson and twitter.com/vickilthompson.
To the Lone Ranger, my first crush.
A white horse, a deep voice and a mask.
What more could a girl want?
Contents
Praise
Dear Reader
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Epilogue
Christmas Night, 1990 From the diary of Eleanor Chance
MY BROTHER SETH called tonight from Arizona, and we spent a good amount of time bragging about our grandchildren. Seth and Joyce ended up with four kids—three sons and a daughter—while Archie and I only had Jonathan. So it’s not surprising that Seth has ten grandchildren to my three.
Not that I’m comparing or complaining. In fact, ten grandchildren on Christmas Day had worn Seth to a frazzle, even though he’d never admit it. I can only imagine.
We had enough ruckus with Jack, Nicky and Gabe trying out their new games. And don’t get me started on the subject of NERF footballs. Yes,