Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“I have!” Amelia replied, holding up a new book that Lou had just put out the other day.
I smiled at my younger daughter and focused back on Winnie. Liam had walked over to her, and now he was staring out the window.
“What are you guys looking at? Is it snowing?”
Amelia jumped with excitement. “Oh, I hope it snows tonight! It would be so beautiful to see fresh snow on the ground tomorrow morning!”
I squeezed her shoulder and made my way over to the front of the store. “What are you two…”
My voice trailed off, and I drew in a sharp breath.
“What? What is it?” Amelia asked, coming to a stop next to me.
“Don’t anyone move,” Liam softly said.
The most enormous moose I had ever seen in my entire life stood outside facing the bookstore.
“It’s Perry the Moose,” Winnie whispered. “Dad, it’s Perry!”
Amelia reached up and took my hand in hers. “Mommy, is that Perry?”
Tears pricked at the back of my eyes as I fought to find my voice. The majestic, large bull moose simply stood there and stared at us.
“He really is real!” Amelia said with pure awe in her voice.
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life,” I whispered as I moved closer to the front of the store. The desire to go out and touch him was almost overwhelming. I would never do something so silly, of course.
Liam let out a breath. “He’s stunning.”
“Wait until I tell everyone we saw Perry the Moose—and on Christmas Eve!” Winnie exclaimed. “This is the best day of my life!”
I laughed, then froze. The feeling of water running down my leg caused me to slowly look down. When I glanced back up, the moose was watching me.
“Mom, he’s looking directly at you!” Winnie said.
“He knows a beautiful woman when he sees one,” Liam said.
My eyes met the moose, and something I will never be able to put into words happened. I felt so completely at ease. I wasn’t worried about the baby, who had chosen Christmas Eve to decide to come early. I wasn’t even afraid of the pain I knew I would be experiencing soon when labor would start. Instead, I was filled with a sense of peace I had never experienced before in my life.
I smiled and the moose bobbed its head before turning and walking up Main Street as a soft shower of white fell over him.
“It’s snowing,” Amelia said, moving to the door and pressing herself against it to get one last look at Perry.
“That was…the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced!” Liam said as Winnie and Amelia giggled.
He turned and faced me and smiled. “Should we head on home?”
I slowly shook my head and placed my hand on the side of my belly. “I think we need to call my parents.”
Confused, Liam asked, “Why?”
I wasn’t due until January tenth, so I wasn’t surprised Liam wouldn’t think I might be in labor.
“My water broke.”
His head tilted to the side. “Your water broke?”
A laugh slipped free. “Yes! The baby is coming.”
“What!” Winnie cried out. “But he’s early!”
Amelia started jumping around and doing twirls as Liam quickly made his way over to me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I laughed. “Yes! But he’s early.”
Liam, trying not to look stunned, replied, “I’ll say!”
Still twirling and chanting. “The baby is coming! The baby is coming!” She suddenly stopped and faced her father and me.
“You should name the baby Perry!”
Winnie clapped her hands. “Oh my gosh, yes! We have to name the baby Perry! He can even borrow my stuffed Perry!”
“And mine too!” Amelia added.
My eyes moved from our two beautiful girls to Liam. I had to give him credit; he wasn’t freaking out like the first time I went into labor with Amelia. Or he was better at hiding it this time.
He smiled at me, and I knew in that moment this heart of mine couldn’t grow any bigger. I nodded. “I can’t think of a better name!”
Laughing, Liam cupped my face and kissed me as our two girls cheered behind him.
Only a few hours later, Perry Nathan Turner was born at exactly 11:59 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Wilde Cowboy Sneak Peek
Chapter One
Ladd
River Falls Cattle Ranch, River Falls, Colorado
1988
I sat in my father’s office in silence as he stared out a window while my mother sat in her usual chair, knitting a blanket.
My father, Gus Gatlin Wilde, was a third-generation rancher. It was in his blood. It was in my blood. My mother, Nellie Anne Wilde, also had ranching in her blood. Her father was a fourth-generation cattle rancher. She was the only daughter in a long line of sons and grew up being able to do everything her brothers could do, and then some. She was a formidable woman, and I often wondered who ran our family ranch. My father or my mother? According to my grandmother, Lileth Wilde, it was my mother.