Cowboy Firefighter Christmas Kiss is out just in time for Christmas. In Wildcat Bluff County, folks are gearing up for the holidays, but trouble is on the horizon. Fernando, the Wonder Bull, as eight-year-old Storm Steele calls him, makes his debut in Book 5 of Smokin’ Hot Cowboys when cattle rustlers snag him. Storm insists Fernando will be home in time for Christmas… and soon there are sightings of the Angus bull across North Texas.

Publishers Weekly said: “With a little help from Fernando the bull, an overabundance of sweetness, and a healthy dose of mischief, this Christmas story is certainly memorable.”

Carolyn Brown, New York Times Bestselling Author, said: “Cowboy Christmas reading at its very best.”

When Ivy Bryant arrives at Wildcat Hall, she goes from website designer by day to honkytonk manager by night. How to handle it all? Enter Slade Steele—rancher, firefighter, and proprietor of the Chuckwagon Café—who offers his services. Add his award-winning pies and a fiery chili recipe with chocolate to the menu, and folks will stream in the front door. It’s an offer Ivy can’t refuse, even though the passion between them is already at the boiling point.

 Excerpt from Cowboy Firefighter Christmas Kiss

Early the next morning, Ivy sat on the sofa looking at her glittery Christmas tree while Slade started coffee in the kitchen. She had pretty presents under her tree in bags and boxes she’d bought the day before at Morning’s Glory and Adelia’s Delights. She’d be giving them all away, but for now, she simply took pleasure in looking at them and knowing her new friends would enjoy them on Christmas.

     New friends. She was still a little amazed at the idea of having friends in Wildcat Bluff County. It’d happened so fast. She’d always thought life in the city was fast, but so far, life in the country was even faster. She glanced at Slade as he poured coffee into two mugs. Fast, yes, but oh so right.

     He sat down beside her and handed her a mug.

     “Thanks.”

     “Not much to eat here.”

     “That’s okay. I’ll get coffee and cookies down at Wildcat Hall later.”

     “Sugar cookies?” He chuckled as he took a sip of coffee.

     She couldn’t resist teasing him because he’d earlier burned the sugar cookies.  “At least your cowboy cookies are good.”

     He laughed, leaned over, and kissed her. “I get it. You like cookies. You just don’t care for the charred ones.”

     “That’s so true.” She patted his jean-clad knee, then stroked it, feeling the hard muscle contract under her touch. “I do care a great deal for the new bed.”

     “The bed or the activity on the bed?”

     She stroked the inside of his thigh, up and down, up and down. “What do you think?”

     “It’s a fine bed.” He covered her hand with his own, urging her higher. “But it’d be nothing without you.”

     “We made it all our own, didn’t we?”

     “We created enough heat to brand it. That’s for sure.”

     She leaned in close for another kiss.

     He obliged, then stood up, cradling his mug in both hands. “If we don’t stop now, we’ll be right back in that bed.”

     “Quickie?”

     He shook his head. “Not enough…not nearly enough for me.”

     She nodded, understanding as she sipped her coffee. “Guess we don’t have that kind of time, do we?”

     “I need to get to work, but I wanted to mention something before I left.”

     “Not much time to talk last night, was there?”

     He chuckled, blue eyes alight. “Our focus was on the bed.”

     “And Fernando.” She contemplated her coffee a moment. “I’m thinking of making a map of Fernando sightings and putting it up on his Instagram page. He’s getting lots of likes and DMs…and not just from our state. I can add to the map to show everyone where he is in Texas as he makes his way home for Christmas.”

     “Great idea.”

     “Good. I’ll get it put up today.” She stood up, glancing at the kitchen. “We never did eat that soup. Are you sure you aren’t hungry?”

     “I’ll get something later. And you can have the soup.”

     “Thanks. I’ll eat it for lunch.” She wrapped her hands around her mug, enjoying the warmth. “What did you want to tell me?”

     “With everything going on with Fernando, the rustlers, and the fires, I want you to be more careful than ever.”

     “I will…but we can’t let those rustlers ruin Christmas.”

     “No, we can’t.”

     She walked across the room, picked up the Fernando flier, looked at it, and dropped it back on the countertop.

     “What is it?”

     “With so much going on this Christmas weekend, I’m concerned Wildcat Hall may get lost in the mix. We might even lose business.”

     “You mean Christmas in the Country in Old Town and Christmas at the Sure-Shot Drive-In in Sure-Shot?” he asked.

     “Yes. They’re such big, popular, well-known events. And now Fernando fever is taking up a lot of attention,” she said.

     “That’s true.”

     “I thought some folks who didn’t go to the traditional Christmas events might like something special at a honky-tonk. And like you say, it’d be a place to gather at night.”

     He nodded, smiling thoughtfully. “I see where you’re going with this and I like it. But what makes it special?”

     She shrugged, feeling as if she was groping toward something that she couldn’t understand or see yet.   

     “Maybe the dance hall and beer garden are special in their own right.”

     “What do you mean?”

     “Think back. Folks here originally would have met in their community center, as well as their churches, to celebrate Christmas,” he said.

     “Do you mean we dress up in period costumes and serve food and drink they would have had back then?”

     “Right.”

     “Let me think.” She paced across the room, then back again, thinking furiously. “Simple is usually best.”

     “I agree.” He smiled at her with encouragement.

     She stopped and looked at him, fixing him in her mind as her handsome, blond, tall, muscular cowboy. But that was simply his physical beauty. He was so much more…and that was what really drew her to him. He was kind and smart and strong. And still that didn’t do him justice. He was just so much more of everything than she’d ever known before in her life. She really did adore him.

     “What?” He looked at her in confusion, as if he’d caught the play of emotions across her face.

     “I think you’re a keeper.” And she gave him a hot look that promised a workout on their new bed later.

Smokin' Hot Cowboys series

A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas (Book 1)

Blazing Hot Cowboy (Book 2)

A Very Cowboy Christmas (Book 3)

Hot for a Cowboy (Book 4)

Cowboy Firefighter Christmas Kiss (Book 5)

Kim Redford is the acclaimed, bestselling author of Western romance novels. She grew up in Texas with cowboys, cowgirls, horses, cattle, and rodeos for inspiration. She divides her time between homes in Texas and Oklahoma, where she’s a rescue cat wrangler and horseback rider—when she takes a break from her keyboard. Visit her at Kim Redford.

Kim Redford's Cowboy Firefighter Christmas Kiss

Cowboy Firefighter Christmas Kiss will be released in November. I’m so excited to share this latest novel in my Smokin’ Hot Cowboys series. Here’s what Booklist (Jenna Friebel) said: “Redford (Hot for a Cowboy, 2019) delivers a country Christmas romance as sweet as pie and spicy as chili.”

 When Ivy Bryant arrives at Wildcat Hall, she goes from website designer by day to honkytonk manager by night. How to handle it all? Enter Slade Steele—rancher, firefighter, and proprietor of the Chuckwagon Café—who offers his services. Add his award-winning pies and a fiery chili recipe with chocolate to the menu, and folks will stream in the front door. It’s an offer Ivy can’t refuse, even though the passion between them is already at the boiling point.

Excerpt from Cowboy Firefighter Christmas Kiss

     “Oh no!” Slade Steele jerked up, rising swiftly to his feet.

     “We forgot the cookies.” Ivy Bryant straightened her clothes as she looked at him in wide-eyed horror.

     He ran into the kitchen, turned off the oven, grabbed a potholder, and jerked open the oven door. At the hit of oxygen, smoke and flames leaped out at him. He quickly stepped back and looked around for a fire extinguisher. He had a can in his truck, but that was too far and too long away.

     Ivy ran into the room and stopped beside him, hand over her nose at the smoke and fumes filling    the room.

     “Where’s the fire extinguisher?”

     “I don’t know.”

     “Let’s find it!” He slammed the oven door shut, tossed the pot holder on the countertop, and glanced around for a can. It couldn’t be far.

     She opened several cabinet doors without success. “Surely there’s one here someplace.”

     “Got to be.” He jerked open the doors under the sink and was relieved to finally see the telltale red container of an extinguisher. He grabbed it and pulled the pin.

     “What do you want me to do?”

     “Stand back till I get this under control.”

     When he was sure she was safely out of the way, he opened the oven again and took a closer look.  The cookies still burned but were now little black pieces of crisp dough. He sprayed the entire inside of the oven, including the cookies, then quickly opened the front door to let in fresh air.

     He walked back, set the canister on the countertop, picked up the pot holder, and opened the oven again. He eased the cookie sheet out, set it in the sink, and starred at the shriveled bits of black cookie covered in foam.

     Ivy moved in close and looked around his shoulder. “You think we might have a little trouble selling those in Wildcat Hall?”

     “Sell them?” He just shook his head, glancing at her. “They’re a disaster. I’m a disaster. I swear I’ve never burned cookies before in my entire life.”

     She put fingers over her mouth, shoulders shaking, as she tried to keep from laughing at his mess. “What would your granny say?”

     “Don’t you dare tell her, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

     Finally, she did chuckle, pointing at what was left of the cookies. “I guess you aren’t usually so distracted when you cook.”

     He smiled, picking up on her humor. “Can I place the blame on you?”

     “Anytime. I have no reputation riding on my cookie-baking prowess.”

     “I hate to think of the ribbing I’d get if any of my firefighter friends found out I’d burned a batch of cookies.”

     She laughed harder. “Maybe you need to bribe me to keep this cookie mess a secret.”

     “What would it take to ensure your silence?”

     She glanced from him to the cookies to him again. “Not cookies. After smelling these, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat another sugar cookie in my entire life.”

     He chuckled. “And there goes my grand plan to impress you.”

     “I think you better go another route.”

     “What would that be—maybe the same one that’d keep my secret safe?”

      She looked him up and down. “I do believe we can come up with a way for you to compensate me.”

     “Name it.”

     “Its name is Slade Steele.”

     He took a deep breath, feeling her words go straight to his heart. “You’ve got it, but we’re going to move to a better location.”

     “What do you mean?”

     “You can’t stay here, not when the whole place reeks of smoke and burnt food.”

     “It’ll air out.”

     “Not anytime soon.”

     “If we clean the oven and the cookie sheet, it’ll help.”

     “Somewhat, but not enough.” He grinned, thinking that he could still turn this disaster to his benefit—and hers. “Why don’t you pack an overnight bag and I’ll take you to my place? There’s a guest room, if you want it.”

     “Your home?” She appeared surprised, then she glanced out the front door, as if considering her options.

     “Yeah.”

     “As tempting as it sounds, I ought to stay here and clean up.” She put her arms around her waist, as if hugging herself for comfort. “Besides, I can stand the stench.”

     “No.” He put a fingertip under her chin and lifted her face so he could see her expression. “You’ve had more than enough stress since you moved in here. You need some tender loving care, and I’m going to give it to you.”

     “We can’t leave the mess, and you know it.”

     “I’ll toss the cookie sheet. There’s no point in trying to save it.”

     “The stove?”

     “Settelmeyers. No matter how good a job we do on the cleanup, it’d never be up to their standards. And I’d never intentionally upset them, particularly not on their turf. I’ll let them know, and they’ll be on it tomorrow.”

     “But that way, folks will find out about your cookie disaster.”

     “Our secret is safe with them. They never tell anything that goes on here. They protect Wildcat Hall Park like their own personal castle that needs defended against all harm.”

     “Are you saying they’re our knights in shining armor?”

     He nodded. “As close as we’re going to get in this lifetime.”

     She chuckled. “You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you?”

     “Wish I did, but tonight, I’m tired and I want to sleep in my own bed.”

     “Your injury?”

     “I won’t lie to you—I could use that comfort about now.” He hoped that idea might persuade her to go with him, because he really didn’t want to leave her alone with a mess she’d probably try to clean once he was gone. Besides, he just flat-out didn’t want to leave her.

     She hesitated, glancing around the room. “It won’t be the same here without you. It’ll feel so empty.”

     And he knew he had her just where he wanted her, so he slipped an arm around her waist. “I promise I have good food at home. And I’ll even let you sleep alone…if you want.”

     She laid her head against his chest for just a moment, as if in agreement, then stepped back. “I’ll go with you but just for tonight. And I’d better sleep in your guest room. Otherwise, what would your grandmother think?”

     “She’d think I was a lucky man.”

     Ivy simply shook her head.

     “Pack a bag…and let’s get out of here.”

Smokin' Hot Cowboys series
A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas (Book 1)
Blazing Hot Cowboy (Book 2)
A Very Cowboy Christmas (Book 3)
Hot for a Cowboy (Book 4)
Cowboy Firefighter Christmas Kiss (Book 5)

Kim Redford is the acclaimed, bestselling author of Western romance novels. She grew up in Texas with cowboys, cowgirls, horses, cattle, and rodeos for inspiration. She divides her time between homes in Texas and Oklahoma, where she’s a rescue cat wrangler and horseback rider—when she takes a break from her keyboard. Visit her at Kim Redford.