The black sheep of the family might be the one worth keeping.

Owen Thompson swore he’d never come back.

Fifteen years ago, he left Mason, Texas, with nothing but a chip on his shoulder and his father’s voice in his head telling him he’d never measure up. He built a life on oil rigs across the globe, as far from Thompson land as he could get. But his father’s death has dragged him home to claim an inheritance he never wanted—and face the town that remembers him as nothing but trouble.

Aurora Walker has spent her whole life in Mason, fighting to be seen as more than the mayor’s granddaughter. Her environmental research is finally gaining recognition, and she won’t let some prodigal cowboy destroy the conservation land she’s worked years to protect—even if his unexpected inheritance sits right in the middle of it.

When they’re forced into a partnership neither wants, Aurora discovers Owen’s rough exterior hides secrets he’s spent a lifetime concealing. And Owen learns that the passionate scientist might be the first person who’s ever seen him clearly.

She thinks he’s here to exploit the land. He thinks she’s just another person who’s already judged him. They’re both about to be proven wrong.

The Prodigal Cowboy is Book 4 in the Thompson Cousins Series, a spin-off of the beloved Thompson Valley Ranch Series. Return to Mason, Texas for more steamy cowboy romances featuring the extended Thompson family. Each book features a different couple with a guaranteed happily ever after and can be enjoyed as a standalone, but reading in order offers the richest experience as beloved characters reappear throughout both series.