SEALING THEIR DEAL WITH A KISS
He's been in Horseback Hollow for only a couple of months, but sexy Cisco Mendoza has already made quite an impression! Little does anyone know his real reason for being herea top secret deal that could shake the foundations of the small Texas town
and one important family
When Delaney Fortune Jones agrees to help Cisco win some hearts and minds, suddenly the tables turnand the permanent playboy finds himself pining for the innocent cowgirl and her heart of gold. As business veers dangerously close to pleasure, Mr. Mendoza better hang on to his hatthe pint-size Delaney might just teach him a lesson in the art of falling in love
Fortune-style! USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com. A warm breeze blew across the Texas plains as Cisco Mendoza adjusted his cowboy hat. A thin bead of sweat trailed its way down his back. The temperature remained pleasant so early on this April morning, which meant the sweat was from nerves instead. He rolled his shoulders to force himself to relax. Cisco didn't do nerves. Back in Miami, he was known for his ability to manage even the most contentious real estate deals with his signature mix of coolness and charm. But Horseback Hollow, Texas, was a far piece from South Florida. Still, a deal was a deal and if Cisco was good at one thing in his life, it was closing the deal. "This project takes vision," he said to the man standing next to him. "And we both know Alden Moore has vision. It's one of the ways he's built Moore Entertainment to be the success it is now." Kent Stephens, the regional VP of Marketing and Development for Moore Entertainment, not to mention Cisco's new boss, nodded. "Mr. Moore has vision, all right, and these condos are a big part of it. He has high expectations for Cowboy Country, but the pushback from the locals in town has become a thorn in all of our sides." He flipped a rock off to the side with the toe of his expensive loafer. "Those Fortunes won't give us a chance and their influence seems to run all the way to Lubbock." He pointed at Cisco. "Which, as we discussed, is where you come in. You've got pull with them and we need you to use it." "Right." Cisco gave Kent a reassuring smile. "My sister is married to Jude Fortune Jones and you know that branch of the family wields a lot of power around town." Before Kent could respond, Cisco walked back toward his truck, across the open land he planned to help develop into luxury condos. It was true his younger sister, Gabi, had married Jude a couple of months ago right here in town, but as far as the Fortune influence in Horseback Hollow, that was pure guesswork. Jude had a bunch of brothers and sisters plus a horde of Fortune cousins in the area, so Cisco figured he couldn't be too far off the mark. He'd originally come to Horseback Hollow just for Gabi's wedding, but when he'd heard about Moore's plans to develop the Western-themed amusement park and related real estate, Cisco had decided to stick around. He was busy and successful with his real estate projects in Miami. But recently he'd begun feeling restless and a little bored with the endless stream of business lunches, rounds of golf and nights spent with the who's who of South Beach. He loved his life but attributed his change in attitude to a childhood spent moving from place to place as his family followed his father's career in the air force. Cisco wasn't the type of guy to put down roots, and he always enjoyed the thrill of a new challenge. Too bad his expertise in Miami didn't mean much to his new bosses in Horseback Hollow. What had been more important to them was his connection to the influential Fortune familya connection that was tenuous at best. Gabi loved her new in-laws, and his father, Orlando, seemed a bit smitten with Josephine Fortune Chesterfield, the matriarch of the British branch of the clan. Cisco hadn't gotten close to any of the Fortunes personally, something he knew was going to need to change quickly. "When can we get a meeting on the books with your Fortune friends?" Kent followed him across the empty field. "Cowboy Country is scheduled to open next month, and Mr. Moore wants to break ground on the condos by the end of the summer. The condos are new territory for Moore Entertainment, so we want outside investors to support this project. They need to be lined up in short order and catching a Fortune will go a long way toward attracting other important players around this part of Texas." Cisco glanced over his shoulder at the other man. Moore Entertainment had bought this huge tract of land near the planned amusement park for the express purpose of developing condos to expand the Cowboy Country bran