Cowboys.
Need we say more?
Okay, we know we don’t have to, but we will. You see, there are few heroes as enduring as the cowboys of the American west. Strong, resilient, upright men of honor, a cowboy knows how to get down and dirty, but he also knows exactly how to treat a lady.
There have been many, many memorable cowboys in fiction and film. Today, we’d like to share a few of our favorites with you!
Maggie Wells:
Will Kane, former Marshal of Hadleyville, and the law man determined to face his destiny in High Noon. Strong without being overbearing, Marshal Kane was a man with a strong dedication to duty. He placed the good of the town above his own personal well-being, and will willing to sacrifice his deepest desires for what he felt in his heart was the right thing to do. Oh, and it didn’t hurt that Marshal Kane was portrayed by the incomparable Gary Cooper, either!
Christina Thacher:
Well, it has to be Clint Eastwood for me. But which of his many cowboy roles would I pick? I think I have to go with Hogan, his drifter/mercenary/romantic hero in Two Mules for Sister Sara. I love the plot of Hogan being confused by Shirley MacLaine’s Sister Sara, who smokes cigars and drinks his whisky. Eventually he learns that she’s a prostitute pretending to be a nun. It’s not quite screwball comedy, but funny and sweet as well as dramatic and exciting. Not a great movie, perhaps, but when they ride off together, I’m rooting for them. And that’s a cowboy I can love. (Plus Maggie already bagged Gary Cooper, darn her.)
Emily Cale:
Will the others kill me if I say that I’m too young to remember most of these? The one I do remember watching was Guy Williams in the TV show Zorro. Even as a little kid, there as something about him that summed up exactly what I wanted in a guy. He was chivalrous, always after the bad guy and super dreamy. Even now, when the word Zorro comes up, I am immediately in (even if I am usually disappointed by what shows up on these screen these days).
Ginny Glass:
My pick may be a little unconventional – one of my favorite “cowboys” is Kevin Kline as Paden in Silverado. As a former gambler and outlaw, you see him first in dire circumstances, robbed and left in the desert to presumably die. Have no, fear, though, our man eventually makes it to the nearest town with the aid of the equally awesome Scott Glenn and this leads into one of the best scenes in the film – Kline has a showdown with his attackers dressed in nothing but long, red underwear.
I love the character’s mix of humor, swagger, and even of moral conflict. Part comedic, part dramatic, intelligent and sensitive with hints of a rogue past, Kline is super-smokin’ in this movie – just enough bad boy and just enough hero to make the cowboy lover in all of us swoon a bit.
But the gals reminded me of a few other hot cowboys, too – guess I’ll have to hit up my Netflix queue and brush up on some hot outlaws and lawmen. Hope you’ll all check out the final volume of Love Letters and enjoy some of our heroes as well!
Love Letters Volume 6: Cowboy’s Command – available now from Carina Press!
These men know how to ride! Meet red-hot ranchers and captivating cowboys in five new short stories in Love Letters Volume 6: Cowboy’s Command.
V Is for Vindicated by Maggie Wells
Barrel-racing queen Michelle Kelly likes to ride wild–but her old flame Cole Powell might have what it takes to rope the woman he loves once and for all.
W Is for Wanted by Ginny Glass
When Samuel Thrasher is forced to return to his family’s ranch, he doesn’t want to revisit his past…except when it comes to Merrit Hightower, who’s definitely not the innocent girl he left behind!
X Is for XXX Ranch by Maggie Wells and Emily Cale
Jane Richardson is stunned to discover that the property she’s inherited isn’t the working ranch she imagined. Handsome neighbor Clive Boland offers to buy the XXX Ranch–and proposes more than just a business deal.
Y Is for Yearning by Christina Thacher
Cowboy Ben Hastings is everything Diana wants in a man. He may be quiet, but their passion between the sheets is anything but. Yet making a place for her in his bed and life may be a challenge…
Z Is for Zeal by Emily Cale
Rancher Aaron Lyons hates when tourists take over his local bar during rodeo week–until he meets Nathan Howell, and their encounter turns into a one-night stand neither of them will forget.
Learning the alphabet has never been so sexy. New to the Love Letters series? Start reading today!
