Joan Johnston transports us to rugged present-day Texas—a place of wide-open prairies and unbridled ambitions—where two ranching families, the Blackthornes and the Creeds, are locked in a bitter century-old feud. Here, Johnston brings to life a breathtaking love story—between the Blackthornes' oldest son and the Creeds' beautiful daughter—a magnificent novel of passion, vengeance, and star-crossed love. Trace Blackthorne was taught from the cradle to take what he wanted. And he wanted Callie Creed. Eleven years ago, the feud between their families had torn them apart. But now Trace has come home, a ruthless hard-eyed stranger, making her an offer she couldn't refuse: marry him and save her struggling family from financial ruin. But the secrets of the past return to haunt them. And Callie is once again compelled to make an impossible choice—between the family who desperately needs her and the only man she has ever loved. Setting: Present-day Texas Sensuality Rating: 7 The Blackthornes and the Creeds had been at war for generations, and when Trace Blackthorne and Callie Creed fell in love as college students, the hostilities didn't stop. Family loyalty eventually drove the two young lovers apart; Trace disappeared from their small Texas town while Callie married her father's foreman, bore two children, and became a young widow. It isn't until Trace's father has a heart attack that he returns to Texas and comes looking for Callie, the one woman he's never been able to forget. But although Callie has never stopped loving Trace, she harbors a secret that could destroy any chance of a future with him. Just when it seems that the two lovers may work out a solution, tragedy strikes the Creeds. Once again their family problems may be a direct result of the bitter feud with the Blackthornes that has so badly damaged the family in the past. And this time, the stunning truth may drive Trace and Callie apart forever. With The Cowboy , Johnston has concocted a compelling story of jealousy and greed, passion and hate, combined it with an intriguing look at the world of cutting horse competition, and set the tale against the backdrop of working Texas ranches. Readers will be delighted to know that The Cowboy is only the first in a trilogy about the Blackthornes and Creeds that will soon be continued in The Lone Wolf , the story of Owen Blackthorne and Bayleigh Creed. --Lois Faye Dyer "Joan Johnston [creates] unforgettable subplots and characters who make every fine thread weave into a touching tapestry."— Affaire de Coeur "Like Lavyrle Spencer, Ms. Johnston writes of intense emotions and tender passions that seem so real that readers will feel each one of them." — Rave Reviews n transports us to rugged present-day Texas--a place of wide-open prairies and unbridled ambitions--where two ranching families, the Blackthornes and the Creeds, are locked in a bitter century-old feud. Here, Johnston brings to life a breathtaking love story--between the Blackthornes' oldest son and the Creeds' beautiful daughter--a magnificent novel of passion, vengeance, and star-crossed love. Trace Blackthorne was taught from the cradle to take what he wanted. And he wanted Callie Creed. Eleven years ago, the feud between their families had torn them apart. But now Trace has come home, a ruthless hard-eyed stranger, making her an offer she couldn't refuse: marry him and save her struggling family from financial ruin. But the secrets of the past return to haunt them. And Callie is once again compelled to make an impossible choice--between the family who desperately needs her and the only man she has ever loved. Joan Johnston transports us to rugged present-day Texas--a place of wide-open prairies and unbridled ambitions--where two ranching families, the Blackthornes and the Creeds, are locked in a bitter century-old feud. Here, Johnston brings to life a breathtaking love story--between the Blackthornes' oldest son and the Creeds' beautiful daughter--a magnificent novel of passion, vengeance, and star-crossed love. Trace Blackthorne was taught from the cradle to take what he wanted. And he wanted Callie Creed. Eleven years ago, the feud between their families had torn them apart. But now Trace has come home, a ruthless hard-eyed stranger, making her an offer she couldn't refuse: marry him and save her struggling family from financial ruin. But the secrets of the past return to haunt them. And Callie is once again compelled to make an impossible choice--between the family who desperately needs her and the only man she has ever loved. Joan Johnston  is the  New York Times  and  USA Today  bestselling author of more than sixty historical and contemporary romance novels. She received a master of arts degree in theater from the University of Illinois and graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law at Austin. She is currently a full-time writer living in Colorado. "You Blackthornes are all greedy, thieving sons-of-bitche