New York Times bestselling author Catherine Anderson, known for “blending sweetness and sensuality in a poignantly written story”( Booklist ), delivers a contemporary-set romance that joins the Coulter and Harrigan families…   When Samantha Harrigan attends the local rodeo, she doesn't expect to wind up in jail. But that’s precisely what happens when she tries to stop a drunkard from abusing his horse. At least she isn’t alone. Tucker Coulter, a handsome local veterinarian, comes to her defense—and is arrested too. The charges are dropped, but Sam’s troubles have only started. Her champion quarter horses are falling ill and the culprit is poison. As the insurance beneficiary, Sam is the prime suspect. Unswayed by the rumors floating around town, Tucker offers to help prove her innocence. Sam, though, is uneasy about accepting his assistance—and about the way he makes her feel. If only she could believe in him the way he seems to believe in her... “In Samantha, Anderson has created a strong and gentle heroine, and a cast of family and friends proves charming throughout. This smart, wholesome tale should appeal to any fan of traditional romance.” —Publishers Weekly “Anderson's latest contemporary romance featuring the popular Coulter family offers an insider's perspective on the intriguing world of horse breeding and should be popular with her longtime readers. ”—Booklist More Praise for Catherine Anderson “One of the finest writers of romance. Her stories make you believe in the power of love.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber “An amazing talent.”— New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell   “Count on Catherine Anderson for intense emotion.”— New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz  “Catherine Anderson has a gift for imbuing her characters with dignity, compassion, courage, and strength that inspire readers.”— RT Book Reviews  “A major voice in the romance genre.”— Publishers Weekly Catherine Anderson  is the author of more than thirty  New York Times  bestselling and award-winning historical and contemporary romances including the Harrigan Family series, the Coulter Family series, the Comanche series, and the Mystic Creek series. She lives in the pristine woodlands of Central Oregon. Chapter One For as long as Samantha Harrigan could remember, she had loved going to the rodeo. Now that she'd found the courage to come again, she could scarcely believe that she had deprived herself for so long of something she enjoyed so much. Thus far, she hadn't even glimpsed her ex-husband, a dyed-in-the-wool rodeo cowboy who had been her reason for staying away. He was probably too busy flirting with blond buckle bunnies to mingle with the masses. Early on in the marriage, his infidelities had broken Samantha's heart. Now she felt only relief that the divorce was final and Steve Fisher was out of her life. As she worked her way through the crowd to reach the concession stand, the hot August sun beat down on the fairgrounds, creating a gigantic potpourri of scents within the circle of buildings. The sawdust underfoot sent up a woodsy musk that blended pleasantly with the pungent odors of livestock, a motley assortment of perfume and aftershave, and the mouthwatering aroma of junk food trailing on the breeze. With each breath, Samantha was transported back to her childhood. Some of her earliest memories were of going to the rodeo with her dad and older brothers. Pictures flashed through her mind-of her father swinging her up to ride on his hip, of herself all decked out in brand-new rodeo finery, and of her brothers holding her up to see over the crowd while their dad competed in an event. To this day, she could remember the stickiness on her fingers from eating cotton candy, and how she'd hated having her face washed afterward with a spit-dampened handkerchief. The memory made Samantha grin. Oh, how she had adored cotton candy--and still did, truth told. Being the ripe old age of twenty-nine didn't mean she no longer appreciated life's simple pleasures. Before she left the compound today, she would buy herself an extra-large cloud of cotton candy, and she would eat it just as she had years ago, pulling off big chunks and letting them melt in her mouth. For now, though, she had a tall iced tea in mind, something cold and wet to soothe her throat, which was raw from yelling at the top of her lungs for her brothers, who had performed in some of the morning rounds. She mustn't be too hoarse to cheer when her stallion, Blue Blazes, and eldest brother, Clint, took first place in the cutting horse competition. Heck, no. She'd be in the front row, screaming for all she was worth. Her only regret would be that she wasn't in the arena herself. Next year, she thought determinedly. With another twelve months to distance herself from the painful memories of her marriage, she would be ready to compete again, without any fear that a glimpse of Steve's face in