The Man of Her Dreams
Julie Shaw is up to her ears in parade preparations…and cowboys! As the mayor’s daughter, she needs to make sure the centennial celebrations for her beloved hometown of Jasper Gulch, Montana, go off without a hitch. Surely that’s why she’s feeling so flustered. It couldn’t have anything to do with the handsome Ryan Travers. Of course she’d noticed the visiting rodeo star with the sparkle in his eye. But Julie is way too sensible to fall for his obvious appeal. As the town gossips about a century-old mystery, Julie’s thoughts keep drifting to the charming cowboy. Despite her father’s objections, she may soon find herself roped in…by love.
Big Sky Centennial: A small town rich in history…and love.
Mayor Jackson Shaw,
the Jasper Gulch Centennial Committee,
and the Good Citizens of Jasper Gulch, Montana,
Cordially Invite You
to the Grand Opening Ceremonies
of the Jasper Gulch Centennial.
Featuring the Jasper Gulch Centennial Rodeo
and the Official Unveiling of the
Jasper Gulch Time Capsule
Happy birthday, America! Happy birthday, Jasper Gulch! As the tiny all-American town prepares to celebrate its one hundredth anniversary, folks are expecting pomp, circumstance and hometown pride. What they aren’t expecting is a six-month whirlwind of romantic surprises. Opposites will attract, sweethearts will reunite, secrets will be revealed and mysteries unraveled. It all begins when debonair rodeo rider Ryan Travers ambles down Main Street and steals off with small-town girl Julie Shaw’s heart….
* * *
Big Sky Centennial:
A small town rich in history…and love.
VALERIE HANSEN
was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. In the years that followed, she worked with young children, both in church and secular environments. She also raised a family of her own and played foster mother to a wide assortment of furred and feathered critters.
Married to her high school sweetheart for many years, she lives in an old farmhouse they renovated with their own hands. She loves to hike the wooded hills behind the house and reflect on the marvelous life she’s been given. Not only is she privileged to reside among the loving, accepting folks in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, she also gets to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart in Love Inspired Books.
Life doesn’t get much better than that!
Her Montana Cowboy
Valerie Hansen
He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.
—Psalms 95:7
To my Joe, who is with me in spirit, looking over my shoulder and offering moral support as I write. He always will be.
Contents
Chapter One
The glorious day! Finally!
“Here they come!” Julie Shaw jumped up and down, clapped her hands, whistled and shouted with the rest of the spectators lining the parade route.
After months of preparation and thousands of volunteer hours, the Jasper Gulch centennial celebration was finally kicking off with their Fourth of July parade.
Proud beyond words, Julie placed her hand over her heart to honor the American flag as the mounted color guard rode beneath one of the vibrant banners spanning the street and passed the reviewing stand filled with local dignitaries. Seeing the entire two-block stretch of old-town Main Street decked out in red, white and blue, with myriad flags flying, brought tears to her eyes. What a country. What a town. And what a beautiful state Montana was.
Her eldest brother, Cord, was one of the riders chosen to carry the fluttering Stars and Stripes and open the festivities, following a short speech from their father, Mayor Jackson Shaw, and a prayer by the new pastor, Ethan Johnson.
Feeling blessed, Julie watched the passage of the various homemade floats bearing veterans, the Little League team, 4-H members and many others. Her happy heart was beating in time with the drums of the Jasper Gulch Bobcat Band as it marched by. Those kids might not have fancy, matching uniforms, but they were all dressed in their best Western wear, as was she, and their enthusiasm was contagious.
Following the float bearing Miss Jasper Gulch came a mounted group of rodeo participants, led by the clowns, who much preferred to be referred to as bullfighters. Of all the events scheduled for the six-month-long celebration, it was the rodeo Julie loved best.
Her sister, Faith, elbowed her in the ribs. “Hey, look.”
“I know. I’m looking.” Julie blushed and fanned herself with her straw Stetson to exaggerate her reaction. “Wow!”
“And you said there were no handsome men in Jasper Gulch.”
“Not exactly. What I said was, there’s nobody around here I’d consider marrying, no matter what Dad wants.”
“It’s the same thing.”
Julie