BACK IN THE TEXAN’S BED – Naima Simone
Texas Cattleman’s Club: Heir Apparent , Book 1
Harlequin Desire #2785
ISBN: 978-1-335-23270-0
February 2021
Contemporary Series Romance

Royal, Texas – Present Day

Three years ago, chef Charlotte Jarrett had a blistering—and secret—affair with oil heir Ross Edmond, the son of her then employer, Rusty Edmond. She had abruptly ended their affair and moved away, and Ross had moved on. But one day, he runs into her at one of Royal’s newest restaurants. She is the head chef. Their “reunion” is stilted at first, but his ears prick up when he learns that she has a child. Curious, Ross shows up at her house and discovers she has a two-year-old son, and Ross is the father.

Ross is angry at what he sees as Charlotte’s refusal to inform him about the existence of his son, but it’s more complicated. Turns out, she did try to contact him, but his father interceded and tried to pay her off. Seeing that Ross had moved on, Charlotte did too. Ross confronts his father about what he did, but Rusty’s response is to demand that Ross have “nothing to do with that woman and child.” Ross, of course, defies his father. He wants to build a future with his son, and maybe Charlotte.

Maybe getting involved with her boss’s son wasn’t the wisest move, but there was no denying the intense attraction between them—one that clearly is still there three years later. Rusty Edmond is a horrible man, and she would rather not have her son around his grandfather. After Ross gets over his anger with Charlotte, he works on trying to win her over, wanting to convince her that he’d be a great father and wants to be there for his son. Slowly, she begins to relent, but will she cave into the sizzling attraction that simmers between them? Getting involved with Ross—again—can only lead to heartbreak.

Ross is soon juggling between getting to know his son and trying to “fix” things with his father. He has some of his own funds but his job at the company is his main source of income. After Ross refuses to abandon Charlotte and his son, Rusty literally locks him out of their home and his access to the company. Rusty makes it clear that he won’t change his mind until Ross chooses him over Charlotte. Part of the problem is that Ross isn’t sure who to trust the most. He was abandoned by his mother when he was a child. Charlotte already did it once—will she do it again? His father has been the one constant in his life.

Trust issues and a secret baby are the main themes in BACK IN THE TEXAN’S BED, the first tale in the newest Texas Cattleman Club series. Ross and Charlotte will need to learn to trust each other—forever—before they can make a life together. Don’t miss this intriguing tale.

Patti Fischer