Charles Town, West Virginia - Present Day

Alexis Cunningham figured her little speeding ticket would cost her, but she had no idea how much she was going to have to pay. She’s back in West Virginia to care for her father, who is recovering from a stroke, and she’ll need to be able to drive. So as an alternative to losing her license for six months, the judge sentences Alexis to one hundred hours of community service. Hmm, maybe she shouldn’t have been so insulting when Eddie, who is now the judge, asked her out in high school. Her community service hours are going to be completed at a cattle ranch owned by Buddy Beckett. Upon arriving, Lexi learns that her job is going to be cleaning stalls and shoveling manure. Hmm, maybe she shouldn’t have been so insulting when Buddy asked her out in high school...

Buddy Beckett can’t believe that the snobby girl who broke his teenage heart will now be at his mercy. His plan to give her the worst jobs on the ranch backfires though, when Lexi turns into a one-woman demolition crew. Somehow, even the simplest of chores results in disaster. But even worse than the chaos she’s causing to his ranch, Buddy finds himself falling for her all over again. Thirteen years ago, the newly arrived Lexi couldn’t wait to get back to the city, and this time is no different. As soon as her father is well, she’ll be back to her life in Baltimore; will she be taking his heart with her this time also?

Murphy’s Law was never so prevalent as it is in LOCKING HORNS, leading to some very humorous situations. Lexi never intends for things to go wrong, but somehow they always do. She also sees more in Buddy than she had while in high school and starts to feel sorry for how she treated him. When she was sixteen, her father decided to quit his job and follow his dream, dragging Lexi and her mother along for the ride. She was less than thrilled with the change and couldn’t wait to get back to the city. As an adult, Lexi can see how snobbish and rude she was but, though she is interested in Buddy, she has no intention of sticking around, so is there any chance for them? Buddy is perfectly content with the life of a rancher in a small town and, while he’d like nothing more than to get together with Lexi, he knows that she won’t be sticking around.

Secondary characters include Lexi’s father; Maria, a woman helping with her father’s care; Buddy’s large and often offbeat family; and Randy, a scene-stealing calf who falls for Lexi as fast as Buddy does. A fun, romantic tale, check out LOCKING HORNS.

Jennifer Bishop