The Cowboy and the Lady

The Cowboy and the Lady is a contemporary romance set in eastern Oregon where Wade Rhodes owns a ranch called Rodeo Run. Wade supplies livestock to the summer rodeo circuit. The story begins in Reno, Nevada at the Reno Livestock Center where Wade is waiting for a relief driver for his stock truck. His usual driver went to the hospital with an appendicitis attack and will be out of commission for the summer. To Wade’s dismay the driver the company sends is Shanna Kelly--a woman.
Although Wade is attracted to the classy lady he is chauvinist enough to feel that a woman doesn’t belong in the ranching world and doesn’t hesitate to let Shanna know his feelings. Unfortunately, he needs her to drive his stock home. This starts the sparks flying in a humorous relationship that escalates into a summer sizzle.
Discovering she is to remain on the ranch all summer to drive the stock truck doesn’t make Shanna happy, but she thinks it will give her a chance to explore her unusual attraction to Wade despite her overwhelming fear of animals.
The one bright spot in her enforced stay in the country is Wade’s little motherless boy. Five year old Justin is a joy and she spends her spare time with him learning about the ranch and together they get into mischief, much to Wade’s dismay.
The housekeeper is a grumpy old ranch hand who can no longer work on the ranch after a knee injury so he is retired to the house. A job he is very inept at—he also hates housework. Not long after Shanna arrives the old man suffers a stroke, leaving no one to take care of Justin or do the housework. Shanna steps in to lend a hand, but Wade isn’t happy with the arrangement since it puts him in the position of relying more on Shanna. Much to his unease, it also shows him how well she could fit into his life. Wade has been burnt once and doesn’t want to take a chance on being hurt a second time. He has Justin to think about now.
When a storm threatens his much needed winter hay crop, Wade has no choice but to accept Shanna’s help. To add to his miseries, his younger brother, Cord, comes for a visit between competing at a local rodeo. Cord is a carefree ladies man and flirts with Shanna, making Wade jealous. With all of them working together they beat the storm but Wade is even more determined to fight his attraction for Shanna after seeing her with Cord.
Shanna gets a puppy for Justin on one of her runs to the rodeo which doesn’t set well with Wade. Not because he didn’t want Justin to have the puppy, but because Shanna was the one to think of getting his son a puppy. Shanna is thrilled that she could conquer her fear of animals even if the puppy was little.
Shanna and Wade share the miracle of birth when one of his horses foals, pulling them closer together as they wait for the birth. They confide in each other and Shanna is sure she is making progress with Wade.
The family attends a barn dance. Wade and Shanna go home early together and make love. The night of love drives Wade further away when he fears his feelings are getting out of hand. To add to the problem, Justin’s mother returns with a proposition that she be allowed to ‘borrow’ Justin for awhile so she can get her father’s inheritance.
Cord is severely injured during his bull riding event and Wade blames Shanna for distracting Cord during his ride. He is insulting with his accusations and tells her she needs to leave Rodeo Run. Cord changes Wade’s attitude toward Shanna. Despite her fear of the horses, Shanna rescues Justin from Wade’s prize stallion. Admitting his feelings for Shanna, Wade asks Shanna to forgive him and to stay on Rodeo Run with him and Justin.