A Mustang River Christmas

It might be getting colder in Mustang River, but for chef Laney Forrester and ranch hand Pike Malone the nights are starting to heat up…

Laney Forrester has never met a challenge she couldn’t tackle with determination and sheer force of will. So when she agrees to co-chair Painted Ridge Resort’s charity Christmas displays—and create a spectacular gingerbread replica of the resort for the lobby—she’s confident she’ll figure it out.

There’s just one problem. Laney may be a talented chef, but she is definitely not a pastry chef. And with Christmas fast approaching, her masterpiece is looking more like a holiday disaster.

Then Pike Malone comes to her rescue. The charming ranch hand with the easy smile was once the executive pastry chef at a luxury Wyoming resort. He agrees to help Laney after hours, on one condition—she gives his twenty-two-year-old daughter, Chloe, a chance to train in the Painted Ridge kitchen.

Laney is happy to agree. She and Pike have had electric chemistry from the start, and after love cost her her livelihood, her home and her heart, a hot holiday fling is exactly what she needs.

But Pike’s past is more complicated than anyone knows. An injury ended his career and sent him spiraling, costing him his marriage and his relationship with his daughter. He came to Mustang River hoping to rebuild what he lost—and he can’t afford another mistake.