An emotional and captivating love story filled with gritty cowboys, strong-willed women, and a whole lot of heart in the Wild West. Fans of Linda Lael Miller, Jodi Thomas, and Rosanne Bittner will be drawn to Laurie and Jared as they grow―together and apart―through heartbreak, anger, greed, and most of all, love. Laurie Spencer should not feel relieved after burying her husband, but she does. But in order to truly gain her independence from the man who controlled her, Laurie must make an offer to a sexy rancher that she hopes he can't refuse. Jared Smith's determined to make it in Texas, but with the local banker turned against him, it looks like his dream may be slipping through his fingers. When unconsciously sensual Laurie offers a partnership, his luck may be changing…but when she throws herself in as part of the deal, Jared's not sure he'll be able to respect the terms of their agreement and keep his eyes―and his hands―to himself. There's something about Laurie that awakens every protective instinct Jared has…and when all hell breaks loose, there's nothing and no one who'll be able to keep this cowboy from her side. Cactus Creek Cowboys Series: To Have and to Hold (Book 1): Naomi Kessling is certainly grateful to Colby Blaine for saving her family and agreeing to lead their train to safety―but she doesn't trust him. Both plagued by a past they can't leave behind, will love be enough to save them both. To Love and to Cherish (Book 2) Forever and Always (Book 3): Logan Holstock's search for his long-lost brothers brings him to the quaint town of Cactus Creek and into the life of a beautiful young widow. " To Love and To Cherish is a well written and endearing story and I hope to read more from Leigh Greenwood in the future." ― Romance @ Random "To Love and To Cherish is the type of Western romance I love; a smart heroine and a kind hero find love in a small town filled with lovable side characters and plausible villains. I look forward to the next installment. " ― Heroes and Heartbreakers "Greenwood’s talent for emotional inner conflict shines in the second book of the Cactus Creek Cowboys series... This is a solid, enjoyable western from a veteran storyteller." ― RT Book Reviews "TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH is a well written and endearing story and I hope to read more from Leigh Greenwood in the future." ― Book Obsessed Chicks Book Club "Leigh Greenwood has once again proven he can write a compelling and romantic Western, and I recommend TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH to readers looking for a romantic and adventurous Western." ― Fresh Fiction "This is one of those stories that ends perfectly even though you never want it to end. " ― Pure Jonel Leigh Greenwood is the USA Today bestselling author of the popular Seven Brides, Cowboys, and Night Riders series. The proud father of three grown children, Leigh resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. He never intended to be a writer, but he found it hard to ignore the people in his head, and the only way to get them out was to write. Visit him at www.leigh-greenwood.com. One Cactus Corner, 1868 Laurie stared numbly as hard, dry lumps of dirt fell into the open grave and struck the pine casket with hollow thuds. Her husband's death had been sudden and unexpected―a shock to the whole town. The doctor said his heart just gave out, most likely brought on by stress. To everyone else, Noah had seemed like a calm, quiet, sensible man who led a calm, quiet, sensible life married to a calm, quiet, sensible wife. Not even his brother knew that Noah lived on the edge of a precipice, petrified that any moment he would be catapulted into the abyss beyond. Only Laurie knew that she was the abyss. Laurie was surrounded by her parents, her cousins and brother-in-law, and by neighbors she had known all her life, but she had never felt more alone. The ice-cold wind blowing in from the desert failed to drive away the lead-hued clouds that hung low on the horizon. Not since the day she arrived had this land of pines and sagebrush felt so little like home, so much like an alien world into which she'd been pitched against her will. On either side, her cousins Naomi and Sibyl gripped her hands tightly in theirs. Both knew Laurie had been forced to marry a man she didn't love, but neither knew how many times she'd prayed for his death. It had seemed the only means of escape from a life that was an impregnable prison despite the absence of walls. Guilt battled with relief. It was joined by fear of the future and a nearly mad need to escape the past. The conflict left Laurie weary, unsure of what to do, where to go, who to trust. For the first time since the day of her birth, her life was her own. The prospect thrilled and frightened her. It had come too fast. She wasn't expecting it. Despite years of aimless daydreams about possible escape, she had no plan for what to do if it should happen, no goal beyond freedom from a marriage that was slowly smothering her. Even now, she found