Yesterday was one of two National Wildlife Days that we celebrate in the United States. I’m not sure why there are two days, but I am all for it! I love researching and writing about wildlife, and there are wildlife conservation efforts in my Heroes of Shelter Creek books. My new book, Second Chance Cowboy, has one of my favorite wildlife scenes I’ve written.

Emily Fielding and Wes Marlow are both veterinarians. Wes wants to work with Emily in her practice and Emily definitely needs help. As the only veterinarian in Shelter Creek, as well as the consulting vet with the Shelter Creek Wildlife Center, she has way more on her plate than she can handle. However, Wes Marlow broke her heart and abandoned her family years ago. He’s the last person she wants to work with!

Except, they actually work really well together. If it weren’t for her painful memories and her desire to protect her heart, they could be the perfect partners. When an injured eagle needs help, Wes jumps in, literally, to catch it, showing Emily that he will do anything for an animal in need. And that is the way to her heart!

Here is a sneak peak into the eagle rescue scene.

They were only a few feet from the eagle now. Its white head was wet and disheveled but still looked impressive, with the huge yellow hooked beak protruding from it. Maybe the males were smaller, but this guy sure seemed big to Wes.

Emily raised her blanket and crept forward by inches. She managed to get right behind the eagle and it still didn’t move. She leaned forward, brought the blanket down and the eagle skittered away with a high-pitched screech. “Get it,” Emily gasped as she lost her balance and sprawled into the mud.

The eagle was heading toward Wes, scrambling and flapping its good wing as it floundered in the marshy grass.

Wes held his pink sheet open and walked as slowly and stealthily as he could toward the bird. It stopped struggling, perhaps stuck in the mud. He could see that the side of its white head was streaked with dirt and possibly some blood. Its bright eyes were wide and wild.

Wes tried to calm his heartbeat and let go of his own adrenaline, just like he did with a frightened horse. “Easy,” he murmured. “You’re okay.”

The eagle folded its bad wing as best it could. Hunched over, the battered bird tilted its head and looked up at Wes with one eerie yellow eye. It was gathering energy, getting ready for its next escape attempt. 

Wes didn’t give either of them a chance to think. He pounced, sheet outstretched, and enveloped the eagle in a gentle bear hug. His hat went flying off as he twisted his body so as not to land on the bird. Instead he landed with a splash on his back in the shallow muddy water, the eagle struggling frantically on his belly.

Wes managed to hold the enormous bird by the wings, but the eagle’s talons were bicycling in the air. Stuck on his back, Wes couldn’t see exactly where its razor claws were, and no way was he going to feel around for them. “Need a little help, here,” he called.

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Second Chance Cowboy is available on the Harlequin website now! It will be out in ebook at all online retailers on March 1st, and available in paperback March 9th. It will also be featured on Walmart shelves in April!

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He was her first love… but some things she can’t forget

Busy small-town veterinarian Emily Fielding is finally ready to take on some help. The best man for the job, however, is Wes Marlow—who broke her heart in high school. Though Wes has a way with horses and a way of melting her resolve, Emily needs to keep things purely professional. Wes left her once—will he do it again? Because she can’t lose her heart a second time…