Healing the Rancher by Mary Sue Jackson

When rancher Carter Janus first sets eyes on the live-in physical therapist he’s hired to get him back in the saddle, he almost sends her packing. Willow Spalding is just too darned pretty, and too much of a distraction to have around his ranch. But when her young son, Tavish, lights up around the horses, Carter just can’t bring himself to disappoint the little guy. He convinces himself that enduring her presence is worth it if he can just get well enough to ride again. His grievous injury has left him cranky and miserable, forced to walk with a cane when he wants nothing more than to get back to work. Carter hadn’t really thought about how torturous it would be to have her touching him all the time. It’s all business to her, but his body sure isn’t listening to reason. Worse, he didn’t realize just how lonely he was until Willow and Tavish came into his life. He just has to remind himself Willow’s not on his ranch for romance.

Recently divorced, Willow jumps at the chance to get away from her abusive ex and spend some time working on a remote ranch—even if the sexy rancher is a grump. Besides, it’s immediately clear that something about this ranch is making her boy glow with happiness like nothing else has since he witnessed his mom being beaten by his dad. And soon she realizes her feelings for Carter are becoming more than just therapist and patient; feelings she doesn’t want and certainly doesn’t need, especially with an angry ex stalking her. Her ex is her problem and dragging a man she’s beginning to care about into her messed up life is not in the plan. With all her problems, Carter’s better off without her. As for her? She’ll get over her cowboy love—even if she’s beginning to believe he’s the man she was always meant to be with.