South of True North | Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

Hi! I’m sharing an excerpt from my second new December release, South of True North, featuring Cade and Faith. You’ll finally meet Faith in her POV.

Book Description

Townsfolk cheered when they fell in love. Then they destroyed them with rumors and lies.

Rancher Cade Outlaw and his ex-fiancée share custody of their daughter. After a heartbreaking breakup seven years ago, they’re growing close again. Seven years ago, Faith’s ex-boyfriend’s vengeful attack on her destroyed Cade and Faith’s happily ever after. When he asks for a do-over, he vows to protect the relationship from the pain that separated them—to keep her and their child safe from their past. But how can he take a step back if he gets the chance to settle the score? Is his love for Faith and Nadia strong enough to hold on to the second chance they deserve?

Heartbroken, pregnant, fired from her job, and Cade’s focus on avenging the assault took a toll on Faith Ribeiro. To heal, she’d left him. Years later, a Fundraising Executive and single mom, she lives with emotional and physical scars. Cade is the only man she’ll love, and she can’t deny the powerful chemistry between them. However, rekindling a relationship may invite wickedness back into their lives. What will she do this time if Cade still wants to pay back her abuser? How much will her heart break if Nadia gets swept up in their chaos after striving to keep her from it?

They’re stronger together, though they need to overcome the challenges standing in their way of a peaceful life—hate, heartache, vengeance, and family betrayal. But how will they hang on to the profound love they once shared if they don’t come out of this unscathed?

Available at Amazon.

Setup: Faith hasn’t stepped a foot on Cade’s ranch for over seven years. Today, she put on her brave face and took their daughter, Nadia, to the Two-Five to get a school project she had started with her dad.

A nauseous stomach overtook her as she drove up the ranch road. An unfamiliar horse to her grazed near the porch.

“Grandma’s horse. Hurry, let me out.”

Faith passed the porch, pulled off to the side, and stopped. “Please rush, Nadia. Grab it and come back. We have to get home.”

“Why? Wanna see my pony?”

“Not today. Hurry.” Cade’s horse grazed close to one of the barns. She sent a text: Are you near your house? I’m parked by the porch. A few moments later, he headed this way from the barn office. She rolled down her window.

“Hey, is anything wrong?”

She smiled. “Nope.”

He leaned in to kiss her. “This is a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?”

“Nadia needed her project. I didn’t think anyone would be here, then Nadia said that was your mom’s horse.”

He looked back. “It is. Mom’s talking to Ronni about finances.”

“Can you please hurry Nadia along?”

“You’re fine here. Settle down. Nobody’s going to bother you.”

She glanced in her rear mirror. Nadia came out the door with Ruth. Cade put his hand on Faith’s shoulder, and she placed her right hand over it. Nadia and her grandmother stood on the porch checking out the pictures on her board. “You haven’t told me what went down between you and your mom yet.”

“Leave it alone. Some things never change.”

As she expected. Their daughter called from the porch. “Daddy, Mom wants the hot picture of you and Mommy on the beach.”

Cade chuckled. “I’m sorry,” he muttered to Faith, “but that kid kills me. I’ll bring the pictures tonight, but they are not to be put on her board.”

“Don’t worry!” Faith winked. “Your picture is going in my secret stash.”

“Yeah? I’d like to see your secrets.” He ran his gaze over her, his eyes lowering and lingering on her chest in a low tee.

She glanced down. “My secrets belong to you. Go get your daughter, or let me leave.”

“Don’t go anywhere. Come on, Nadia,” he called.

Faith glimpsed the side mirror as his mom peered at Cade.

“Don’t be in such a rush. Let her stay and spend time with Grandma today. We’ll go for a horseback ride. Does she have a day off?”

“Not today, Mom. Come on, sweetheart.” Cade went toward the porch, up the steps, and took her hand and the board. “They’re in a hurry. Nadia needs to finish her school assignment.” He returned to the SUV where he opened the back door for her. “Buckle your belt.”

She waved to her grandma. “By Granny. Love you.”

Ruth said she loved her back. Faith hadn’t wanted to fold in on herself, but it tore at her heart that she wasn’t a part of this, though it thrilled her to see Nadia so accepted.

Ronni, Cade’s sister and a friend to Faith, came out and stood beside her mom. “Hello, Faith! Nice to see you. Have fun with your board, Nadia.”

Faith made eye contact with Cade. “Scoot over.” She stepped out and waved. “Hi, Ronni. Have a nice day. You, as well, Ruth.”

She got back in, and he clutched the door frame with both hands. “I’m proud of your confidence. I’ll see you later.” He leaned in and kissed her on the mouth, and Faith wrapped her hand around the back of his warm, sweaty neck. “Thank you,” she whispered, leaving her cheek to rest against his. “I’ll see you soon. Buckled in, Nadia?”

“Yep! I can’t wait to work on my board. Come on. Bye, Daddy. You kissed Mom.”

Faith hooked her seat belt and met Cade’s gaze with happiness in hers. “It’s nice to see you smile. Don’t work too hard.”

“Uh, then they’ll fire me.” He winked at Nadia, “Guess what? I’m kissing Mom again.” He leaned in the window and planted a long-lasting kiss on Faith’s lips that she thoroughly enjoyed. “See ya.”

“Soon, cowboy.” Faith turned the SUV around, lifted her hand, and gave a subtle wave to Ronni and Ruth as she passed the porch. “It looks like you have a lot of pictures. I’m excited to look at them.”

Nadia asked, “Why didn’t you come in?”

End of Excerpt

Faith’s reasons for not going inside can’t be explained to a six year old. Making it as far as the driveway is a big deal for her. Find a recent snippet for another new release, Blue Snow in the Moonlight HERE.

Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful weekend! ~MJ

About me board images: Created @ Picmonkey by yours truly with Shutterstock Images

Hi! I could wait until Short Snippet Saturday to post this, but I should keep “short” snippets for that topic. This one isn’t short. I’m sharing an excerpt from my second new release, South of T rue North, featuring Cade and Faith. Faith isn’t in this, but she’s the topic of discussion.

Book Description

Townsfolk cheered when they fell in love. Then they destroyed them with rumors and lies.

Rancher Cade Outlaw and his ex-fiancée share custody of their daughter, and they’re growing close again. Her ex-boyfriend’s vengeful attack on her seven years ago destroyed Cade and Faith’s happily ever after. When he asks for a do-over, he vows to protect the relationship from the pain that separated them—to keep her and their child safe from their past. But how can he take a step back if he gets the chance to settle the score? Is his love for Faith and Nadia strong enough to hold on to the second chance they deserve?

Available at Amazon

Setup: On the way home from an auction, Cade’s dad, one brother, and his sister are with him, so he decides it’s a good time to blast some news.

As they pulled out of the diner, a truck horn bellowed. Their big rig hauling new cows pulled around to the larger parking area. Jesse waved. Cade chatted with Nadia at her bedtime before blasting his news. They neared home now. Time ran out.

He rubbed his hands on his knees as chatter from Ronni and Dusty blurred in the back seat. He turned the volume down and gave a sidelong glance to his dad leaning against the front door. “Listen up. I have news to share you aren’t going to like, but keep it to yourselves until we get home, or I’ll put you out of my truck.”

“Uh, this is my truck. Nobody’s getting out, son.”

He took a deep breath. “Faith and I are considering a second chance. We have a daughter together and want it to work between us.”

His dad canted his head toward the side window. “It’ll kill your mama.”

“Daddy,” Ronni said from the back. “No, it won’t. I agree with Cade. Nadia needs a mother and a father to parent her together. We don’t want to see another man raising our flesh and blood. You talk to Mom.”

Cade dragged his palm across the steering wheel. For sure he didn’t want another man parenting his kid. “Thanks, Ronni, but I’ll tell her myself.”

Dusty shoved the seat behind Cade. “You sleep together for two nights and think you can start over?”

He just about blew a brain gasket. Cade slid to a stop on the shoulder of the road, got out, and pulled the seat forward. “I haven’t slept with nobody. Get your ass out of the truck.”

Dusty narrowed one eye and remained sitting. “I told you you’d start a shit-storm. Happy now?”

Jesse raised his voice. “Get in the truck. Your brother isn’t walking home. You’re a grown-ass man. Act like it!”

“You can join him, Dad. I mean it. Pay attention.” Idiot. Shit. He kicked his dad out of his own truck. He grabbed his hat off his head and shoved his fingers through his hair and repeated Faith’s phrase. “You don’t have to like her, but you need to accept she’s with me.”

“Get in the damn truck, Cade Lee Outlaw, or I’m coming around there to drive, and I don’t see well at night.”

Cade turned his back on them and gazed upward. Then he faced his dad, lifted a foot to the running board, and laid his eyes on Dusty.

His dad continued, “All right. Fine. You’re back together. You’re old enough to make your own decisions whether they’re right or wrong. I know how we raised you, so most of them are right.”

“This one affects us all, Dad,” Dusty warned.

“Shut up, Dusty!” Ronni leaned forward. “What’s the big deal? Get your damn facts straight. Hear me, Dad? Here we are all these years later still hashing out the same shit. How do you see Faith being at fault when an asshole started the whole thing to get back at Cade? He beat her!”

“Calm down, darlin’.”

“No! I consider her a friend. If you want to turn your backs on me, go ahead. I’ll miss you all a hell of a lot if you do. Like Cade, I’ll come to work every day because my name is on the flippin’ business too.”

“Nonsense. You’ll always be my little girl. Ladies don’t curse like that, honey.”

“You raised me to be a cowboy, not a lady. Give Faith and Cade a chance. Why make it hard on them? Now, they have an innocent little child. I hope you can find it in your hearts to do the same.” She sat back and folded her arms. “I thought Outlaws stuck together.”

Well, obviously, Dusty wasn’t getting out, but wow, his sister let loose. Cade shoved the seat back and got behind the wheel, continuing to drive toward home. “I’ll have Nadia from after work tomorrow through the weekend. Please, for her sake, don’t bring this up because if you speak bad about her mom, you’ll lose her. If you can’t, I’ll keep her at Faith’s while she’s out of town.” He glanced in the mirror at Dusty who nodded. Wow.

“You have my acceptance,” Dusty said in a calmer tone. “You’re right. This foolishness has gone on long enough. Everybody should be able to love who the hell they want to love. Right, Dad?”

“No comment. You aren’t the one going home to talk to your mother.”

Cade scoffed. “She’s wrong about her, Dad, and always has been. Let me handle Mom.”

“No one handles your mother. You know, Cade Lee, I’d do anything for your little girl. If this is what it takes, so be it. I wish you the best, and I honestly mean it, but it’ll take time. Don’t expect miracles overnight, boy.”

“We’re determined to make it work this time. No matter what, and I’m telling you up front, if Garrett returns to town, he’ll pay for what he’s done to her.”

“I got your back, bro.”

“Appreciated.”

His dad laid his hand on Cade’s shoulder and flicked his gaze back to Ronni. “We do stick together, honey. And, Cade, if the day comes when Faith becomes your wife, she’s included. You’ve got my word. However, I repeat… Don’t expect us to change at the snap of your fingers.”

Cade’s throat closed up in emotion at his dad’s words. He could’ve done this the first time. “Don’t worry. I know better. It’ll break my heart if I leave my family. I’ve had a broken heart before.”

Ronni tapped his shoulder with her water bottle. “Here’s to no more heartaches for us Outlaws.”

End of Excerpt.

I try not to post long excerpts like this, but since South of True North and Blue Snow in the Moonlight are new releases, I made an exception. Find a recent snippet for Blue Snow HERE.

Thank you for reading. Have a peaceful rest of your week. ~MJ