In the high country of Colorado, there’s nothing more important than loyalty . . . except maybe love.

Hazel Noble loves her job managing the mares at High Country Ranch. As the foaling season begins, she gets to spend even more time with the horses . . . and with her secret crush, Maverick Oakley, the owner of High Country Ranch and her brother Sterling’s best friend.

When Maverick unwittingly ruins Sterling’s wedding, he goes from best friend to worst enemy. With the rift between their families, Maverick is faced with the possibility of losing Hazel, and he can no longer deny how much he’s always cared about her. The trouble is that he and Sterling made a vow not to court each other’s sisters, and he doesn’t want to break his word and cause further problems.

Maverick gathers the courage to speak with Sterling about their vow, but Sterling demands that he stay away from Hazel. When a tragic accident strikes, Maverick is forced to finally choose where his loyalties lie—with his best friend or his best friend’s sister. After pushing Hazel away, will he be too late to win her heart?

• Charming flirt
• Best friend’s sister
• Friends to more
• Secret crush
• Emotional scars
• Unexpected injury
• Horse ranch

“This one’s worth rounding up.” —Booklist, on Falling for the Cowgirl

*All of the books in the High Country Ranch series are sweet, closed-door romances with plenty of sizzle. The inspirational themes are light, and the romance is the main focus of the books.

Reviews for Waiting for the Rancher

• Sylvia: I’ll never get tired of Jody Hedlund’s Westerns! Each story is new and exciting, and Waiting for the Rancher is a great start to Jody’s High Country Ranch series. I am so excited for more stories about the Oakley siblings—there is quite a lot going on in their lives that captivates the reader in the current book, but also gets them excited for the next.
• Sabrina: If you love swoony western romances with heartthrob cowboys and strong and caring heroines, this is the perfect book for you!
• Laura: The sparks fly between Maverick and Hazel throughout the story but intertwined throughout is some good old-fashioned fist fights as well. The tension between romance and relationships is strong in this story and I can’t wait to read how the series unfolds.
• Brittany: Maverick was an honorable man and tried his best to stay away from Hazel and honor her brother’s wishes. This definitely upped the romantic longing between these two and made it even sweeter when they were finally able to admit their love and be together.
• Kathryn: Fans of her previous western series will delight in seeing familiar characters return to support a new cast that quickly embeds themselves into your heart. In this story featuring Hazel and Maverick, not only does romance abound, but also tragedy and healing. Prepare to be whisked away into Hedlund’s captivating tale – you will not be able to put this book down!!
• Carolyn: The well-structured, fast-paced plot with some surprising twists kept me absorbed from the beginning to the delightful ending. Expertly crafted, relatable characters captured my heart and imagination. 
• Melissa’s Bookshelf: Hold on to your hats! Waiting for the Rancher’s the first book in a new sizzling, closed door Western romance series from Jody Hedlund. This book grabbed me from the very beginning and I easily binged it in a day. The chemistry was off the charts in this one and I found myself frequently blushing over the flirtatious Maverick Oakley. It’s a childhood friends to more, best friend’s little sister romance that had me glued to my kindle.