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Promise from a Cowboy

by C.J. Carmichael

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The Appalachian Trail, A Dog, A Covert Operative and Life

Rocky Start Book 4
Argh Ink, LLC
March 2026
On Sale: March 17, 2026
ISBN: B0G94V2HRC
Kindle: B0G94V2HRC
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Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer

Jennifer Crusie
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A gruff ex‑operative. A hiking trail. And a dog.

Max Reddy has spent his career as a covert operative doing what he does best: completing missions, avoiding emotions, and treating every human interaction like a tactical operation. It's worked great—until he met Rose Malone in Rocky Start. She stole his wallet and his heart and made him almost human; but he’s still basically a well‑trained robot with minimal social skills.

He’s helping her renovate the old cottage in the woods across the river from Rocky Start when days of rain combined with the remnants of a storm flood the town and they are forced to evacuate. The only roads into it are shut for weeks before they can rebuild.

Rose suggests that Max finally finish his through‑hike on the Appalachian Trail. Max agrees. What could go wrong?

Between dodging someone stalking him from his former life, building fires in the rain, talking people off ledges (literal and metaphorical), and reluctantly learning that humans are more than just “mission parameters”, Max discovers that the hardest trail to navigate isn't the one under his boots—it's the one leading back to his own humanity.

Rocky Road: Hiking the Appalachian Trail, one awkward conversation at a time.

An excerpt from Bob Mayer and Jenny Crusie's next book, Arresting Anna, is at the end.