Hey, y’all! I’m BA Tortuga, resident redneck and cowboy fanatic. Come Back Around is the fourth in the Leaning N Series in the Dreamspun line. It’s the story of two estranged dads, a wedding, two little girls, and the universe conspiring to bring a family together.
*grins*
Because the best stories are about that, right?
“Earth to Reid….”
“What?” He blinked over at Jen, and suddenly he could see how happy she was.
“You do remember you’re driving, right? The turnoff is just up ahead.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry. I was somewhere else.” He slowed down and turned into a road marked Leaning N Ranch Road.
That was nice, he guessed, having your own road. Mat’s parents had that outside Santa Fe. Mat’s mama’s people had been there forever, so they were on Viejo de la Torres Road.
His folks lived in a little condo with a pool, and card games in the common room every afternoon. Both girls were ready to head back home.
Maybe the ranch would be a nice change. There would be other kids too. Both families had tons of cousins for the girls to play with.
Reid intended to spend his time in his room, hiding. Reading. Sketching. Working, not hiding. He was no coward.
God.
“Oh, Lucia, look! Elk!” Jennifer pointed out the window, and Lucia squeaked.
“Daddy! Daddy, look!”
At the sound, Daniela startled awake and started crying.
Lord, three was hard.
“Shhh, baby. We’re almost there. Look out the window, huh? There’s elk.” A whole damn herd. Crazy.
“Cows?” She sniffled softly. “Cows, Daddy?”
“Yes, baby. Cows.” They called female elk cows, didn’t they? Jennifer shushed Lucia, so no one got started crying again.
“Moo, Daddy.”
“Yes, ma’am. Moo-ooo-ooo.”
That earned him a soft giggle. Yay. Just a startled cry, then.
“Aunt Jenny, is Uncle Alej here?”
“He is. He came in with your papi.”
Reid sighed. Here it went.
“Papi? He’s here? Yay! Yayayayayayay.” Lucia bounced in her car seat, and sure enough, Daniela began to cry again.
He parked the SUV, and then turned to find a smile for Jen. “Can you find out what cabin we have, please? The girls need some time out of the car.”
“You bet.” She gave him a gentle smile in return, and a knowing one too. Then she fled.
“Would you like to get out of the car? You both have to promise to be good. This is a parking lot with cars.” Hell, it was beautiful, but it didn’t seem terribly little-girl-friendly.
“Okay. I promise,” Lucia said immediately.
Dani hiccupped. “Papi? I want Papi.”
“I don’t know where he is, baby.” God dammit.
“Daddy, please! We’ll be so good—me and the baby.”
“Okay….” This was a mistake.
As soon as he opened the car door, Dani started screaming. “Papi! Papi, I here!”
***
Much love, y’all.
BA
Come Back Around blurb:
Leaning N
Can two divorced dads get a second chance at a redneck wedding?
When Reid Porter agrees to be his best friend’s man of honor, he never considers that his ex, Mateo, will be there too. Which is ridiculous, because Jennifer is marrying Mat’s brother. Reid would never let Jen down, though, so he finds himself at the Leaning N Ranch with his two daughters and a whole lot of baggage about seeing Mat again.
Mat loves his baby brother and would do anything for him, including face the love of his life, whom he’s sure has moved on. When he and Reid come face-to-face after more than two years apart, they realize they’ve never let go. Now they have to do what they never could before—balance work, home, and children, while finding a way to come back around to each other’s love.
Available July 2
About BA Tortuga
Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds and her beloved wife, knitting, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friends, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.
Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has heard the call of the high desert and lives in the Sandias. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head. Find her on the web at www.batortuga.com