The Maverick's Baby Arrangement

by Kathy Douglass

  “No, thanks.” He looked around and she got the feeling he wasn’t seeing her condo but was rather using the time to gather his thoughts. He didn’t seem his usual confident self. “I guess I should just get to the point.”

  She nodded.

  “I made a mistake and I need your help. You’re the only one who can help me fix it.”

  “Okay.” Her heart sank as she realized she’d hoped that he’d come here for personal reasons. Instead, it was business. Thank goodness she hadn’t said or done anything to let him know how she felt. That would be too embarrassing for her to ever live down. “How can I help?”

  He rubbed his hands over his denim-clad thighs. “I—” He cleared his throat. Obviously he was nervous which only made her more uncomfortable. She needed him to spit it out already before she lost what little composure she had.

  Daniel inhaled and blew out his breath then spoke quickly, the words running together. “I made a mistake and let someone that I love walk away.”

  “What?” He’d spoken so quickly Brittany wasn’t sure what he’d said.

  He sighed and looked her in the eyes. The emotion she saw there made her heart skip a beat. “I said, I made a mistake when I let you go without telling you that I love you. I should have told you the morning after we made love, but you wanted to leave, and I knew it would be unfair to hold you. But I do love you, Brittany.”

  Her heart began to soar.

  “I know that marriage and motherhood weren’t in your plans,” he continued. “And I’ve tried to respect that and let you live the life you chose. The thing is, I can’t live without you.”

  “What?” Brittany knew she was repeating herself, but she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Did he really mean it?

  “I love you.”

  The simply spoken vow healed the hurt that had been piercing her heart ever since they’d parted.

  “You’re right, Daniel. I never planned on getting married and having children. My career was all I’d needed. All I’d imagined wanting.” The hope in his eyes faded and he stiffened, seeming to withdraw into himself. She realized how easily a carelessly spoken word could hurt him which was the last thing she’d ever want to do. “But that all changed when I married you and became Hailey’s mother. Then I realized there was room in my life and my heart for more than a career.”

  His eyes warmed and his smile grew as she spoke. “Does that mean you’ll consider giving us a second chance? I’ll do the best that I can to be a good husband and show my love to you every minute of every day. Do you think you might want to try being married again? For real this time.”

  “Yes! Oh, yes.”

  They reached for each other and kissed. The love she’d been feeling for him filled her heart to overflowing. The life that she’d planned was nice, but it was no longer the one she wanted. Now she wanted a life that included Daniel and Hailey and the love they’d found.

  They joined hands and walked to her bedroom together. She had a feeling that her bed was going to be a lot more comfortable with him in it.

  Epilogue

  November...

  Daniel stepped into the front room, then stopped and looked at Brittany and Hailey. The two special women in his life were playing with one of Hailey’s favorite toys, the plastic doughnuts. Brittany held up the rings one at a time and told Hailey the color. Hailey babbled or laughed in return.

  The past few weeks had been the best of his life. Once he and Brittany had confessed their love for each other and pulled down the walls that they’d each been holding up, their marriage had become even better than he’d ever dreamed. Every day was happier than the one before.

  As planned, Brittany had started working on a business plan for her own event planning business. For now, she was busy at Bronco Elite, but eventually she wanted to be ready to go her own way.

  She’d been working diligently on the upcoming Denim and Diamonds fundraiser, which would take place in two weeks. Cornelius Taylor had been thrilled by her proposals and had been singing her praises far and wide. Brittany was well on her way.

  Brittany looked up as he entered the room. The radiance of her smile rivaled that of the sun. He couldn’t believe his luck in finding her.

  “How did the fence repairing go?” she asked, standing and giving him a hug.

  “Fine. It feels good to be back working the ranch.”

  “Even with the resort guests?”

  He laughed. “We’ll see. The first guests won’t be arriving for a few more weeks.”

  They returned to where the baby played and sat back down. He set Hailey on his lap.

  “How do you feel about tomorrow?” Brittany asked.

  “I’m excited. And a little bit nervous.” The Larimars were coming for a weeklong visit tomorrow. He and Brittany had been in touch with them ever since the older couple had dropped the custody suit. They spoke on the phone regularly. Daniel had offered to bring Hailey to see them, but they’d preferred coming to Montana. Daniel had a feeling they wanted to see where Hailey was living. Best of all, the social worker had filed her report approving Hailey’s adoption by Daniel and Brittany.

  “They’re going to love you,” she said, cupping his cheek.

  He turned his face, kissing her palm. “Us. They’re going to love us.”

  The doorbell rang and he gave her Hailey and then jumped to his feet. A minute later he returned to the room. “What’s behind your back?” Brittany asked as she stood up, Hailey in her arms.

  He revealed a bouquet of red roses. “It occurred to me that I’ve never brought you flowers or given you gifts.”

  She kissed Hailey’s forehead. “I beg to differ.”

  His heart warmed knowing that she considered Hailey a gift. Of course, she’d proved that several times over these past weeks. Together they’d managed to balance work and caring for Hailey.

  “I guess it’s more accurate to say that I didn’t woo you. Our marriage began as a business arrangement. We fell in love, but that doesn’t change the way things started. I know our marriage is real, but I want to do some of the things I would have done if we’d had a more traditional beginning. I would have courted you. I would have given you flowers and candy. I would have taken you out to dinner. Bought you jewelry. You deserve those things.”

  Brittany stood on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss against his lips. Her lips lingered against his, giving him a taste of what he would enjoy that night. Anticipation was a wonderful thing.

  “Thank you.”

  He handed her the bouquet and she handed Hailey to him. She sniffed the roses and closed her eyes for a moment, as if in bliss.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Brittany smiled at Hailey and pointed at Daniel. “Who’s that wonderful man?”

  Hailey looked from Brittany to Daniel. Then she grinned and said clearly, “Dada.”

  * * *

  Look for The Cowboy’s Promise by Teresa Southwick, the next book in the new Harlequin Special Edition continuity Montana Mavericks: What Happened to Beatrix?

  On sale October 2020, wherever Harlequin books and ebooks are sold.

  And catch up with the previous Montana Mavericks titles:

  In Search of the Long-Lost Maverick by New York Times bestselling author Christine Rimmer

  The Cowboy’s Comeback by Melissa Senate

  Available now!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from The Last Man She Expected by Michelle Major.

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  The Last Man She Expected

  by Michelle Major

  Chapter One />
  As a cool September breeze tickled the hair at the nape of her neck, Mara Reed drew in a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves. There was no reason for the bead of sweat rolling between her shoulders, but it tracked its way down her spine with little regard for the mild fall weather.

  Colorful balloons bobbed on strings tied to the front-porch rail of the two-story brick house as she and her daughter approached. The sound of voices drifted toward her from around back—happy laughter and children shouting in pleasure. She could imagine the group of family and friends gathered, an involuntary shudder snaking down her spine in response.

  Sometimes forcing a smile and putting on her best social face was a real pain in the—

  “Mommy, what’s wrong?” Evie’s feathery brows drew together under the frames of her glasses as she squeezed Mara’s hand. Her brown eyes, tinged with worry, looked impossibly large behind the lenses. “We’re late for Anna’s party. Do you wanna not go?”

  Mara smiled down at her five-year-old daughter, ignoring the slight ache in her cheeks. “Of course we’re going to the party. We’re here, and it’s going to be so much fun. There will be cake and ice cream and Josh said they have a bounce house.”

  “I don’t want to mess up my new dress,” Evie said, her hand slipping from Mara’s.

  “The dress will be fine,” Mara assured her daughter. “You look beautiful, sweetie. Let’s go in. Anna will be waiting for you.”

  “She has lots of friends here.” Evie bit down on her lower lip as she studied the front door, and Mara hated the uncertainty she could feel radiating from her daughter. Hated how familiar it felt. She refused to believe that she’d somehow transferred her own nerves to her precious girl.

  “But only one best friend,” Mara reminded the girl, “and that’s you.”

  Evie gave a small nod then flashed a gap-tooth grin and headed up the stairs in her sparkly ballet slippers and poufy-skirted party dress.

  Smoothing a hand over the peplum blouse she’d chosen for the afternoon, Mara followed, her smile set firmly in place. She hated this reaction in herself, the uneasy mix of anxiety and dread she had in social situations.

  No one would guess it, of course. In the past year she’d become a master at hiding her feelings, stuffing them down and locking them away until she barely had to acknowledge them herself. Only sometimes she could still feel their slippery tendrils tugging at her resolve.

  She’d moved to the picturesque town of Starlight, Washington, nestled at the base of the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle, a year ago and had immediately started working at the coffee shop her aunt owned in town. Her nerves didn’t plague her at Main Street Perk. During her shifts making coffee and serving food to the shop’s loyal client base, she could ignore—if not forget—the way her life had so spectacularly imploded.

  She wasn’t the divorced single mother who’d failed at almost everything. The coffee shop patrons didn’t care that she was a wreck on the inside or couldn’t make small talk to save her life. She provided the caffeine and pastries they needed to get through the day, and that was enough at Perk.

  Outside of work, she struggled with the affable camaraderie inherent in small town life. She had to remind herself she’d chosen Starlight for Evie, so that her daughter could have as close to an ideal childhood as Mara could provide on her own. The divorce had been brutal, and Mara knew she’d never truly release the guilt over her inability to give her daughter the gift of being raised by parents who loved each other.

  Her love for Evie would have to be enough.

  They entered the house, and Evie called out a shy greeting to her best friend, Anna. The precocious birthday girl, with wide blue eyes and a brilliant smile, ran forward and reached out a hand that Evie grabbed with so much enthusiasm it made Mara’s heart clench.

  Josh Johnson, Anna’s dad, waved from across the kitchen as Anna led Evie out onto the patio behind the house. As a child, Mara had been like Anna, bold and fearless, ruling the school lunchroom and playground like it was her own little kingdom.

  Oh, how times had changed. She was doing her best to make this town her home but feared she’d never regain the self-assurance she’d had before her life fell apart. If only she could whip up confidence as quickly as she could manage a complicated drink order.

  Josh excused himself from the group of women surrounding him and moved toward Mara. “They won’t bite, you know,” he admonished gently when he got to her side, inclining his head toward the quartet of hipster-stylish young moms.

  “I’d feel better if I could just make them a cappuccino and call it a day.” Mara crossed her arms over her chest. “They’re nice to you.”

  “They feel sorry for me.” Josh ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. “I hate that.”

  Mara didn’t know Josh’s ex-wife Jenn, but she still harbored an intense hatred for the woman. She’d walked out on Josh and Anna shortly before Mara moved to town. Anna had been undergoing chemotherapy to battle her leukemia diagnosis. According to Josh, the girl’s mom left the day of her final treatment. Mara had been through enough in her life to manage empathy for almost any person, but she couldn’t imagine anything so heartless as deserting a sick child.

  “You don’t need pity from anyone.” Mara waved a hand toward the French doors open to the backyard. “You’re rocking the Mr. Mom detail. Look at those decorations. It’s a princess paradise out there.”

  “Two-day shipping and a call to the rental company for the unicorn bounce house,” Josh answered. “Easy enough.”

  “Give yourself a break, buddy, and take a compliment. I don’t hand them out like candy.”

  Josh sighed. “Good point. Besides, this party is the only thing I’ve done right in a long time.” He nudged her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here. Both you and Evie. At the party and in Starlight.”

  “Me, too.” Mara smiled, ignoring the sidelong glances she could feel from the moms huddled near the island. She knew parents at the elementary school liked to speculate on her relationship with Josh. Evie’s first day at the local preschool last September had coincided with Anna’s return after chemo. Although the two girls were opposites in personality, they’d formed an immediate bond. Evie didn’t care about Anna’s shorn head or the stigma of cancer the way some of the kids had. Mara’s quiet, reserved daughter was simply happy to have a friend.

  Mara liked Josh right away and appreciated how hard he worked to take care of Anna and reduce the fallout from his ex-wife leaving him. Despite what certain people wanted to believe, their friendship was strictly platonic. He was handsome enough, with dark hair, boyish features and an easy, open smile despite everything he’d been through.

  She valued the gift of having a friend who understood the struggles unique to single parenting, but there wasn’t a single spark of attraction between them. Even if she’d been ready to date after her divorce, she had a brotherly affection for Josh that suited them both.

  She returned the nudge, the closest either of them came to a friendly hug. “Let’s head outside and you can bask in the rosy glow of all those pink balloons.”

  “I’m going to talk to some of the parents from the girls’ soccer team,” Josh said. He’d volunteered to coach the newly formed team for the fall season, which made him a hero on several different levels. “Want to come with me?”

  Mara made a face. “I think I might stick a fork in my eye instead.”

  “They’re nice,” Josh said with a laugh.

  “It’s a fact universally agreed upon,” she answered, rolling her eyes, “that soccer moms aren’t ‘nice,’ even when the team is in kindergarten. I’m sure that goes double for the dads.”

  “You need to branch out more. Make friends.”

  “I made a friend in town,” Mara countered. “And she has a friend who I also like. That’s two new friends, which means I’m full up at this point. Go be the go
od coach. I’m going to check on Evie in the bounce house.”

  She skirted around several small groups of parents, forcing herself to smile at a few people she recognized from the coffee shop. It would be easy to join in a conversation and probably the right thing to do. The whole reason she’d chosen Starlight was for the community. It felt like a place where Mara and Evie could thrive. Mara had come to town last year for her cousin’s wedding and had quickly decided to make the town her permanent—or at least permanent-for-now—home.

  It still amazed her that Aunt Nanci had been so willing to take them in. Nanci Morgan and her sister, Mara’s mother Nina, had been estranged for years. Mara’s parents hadn’t bothered to show up to Nanci’s daughter’s wedding. But Mara had been happy to attend her cousin Renee’s celebration, grateful for a weekend escape from the disappointment that infused every conversation with her mom and dad since she moved in with them after her divorce.

  Everything about Starlight called to her, from the quaint downtown to the mountains rising up from the valley floor, as if they cocooned the town in a massive embrace. She’d wanted a place to start over but shedding the anger and bitterness of having her heart broken, stomped on and her life upended in a divorce so brutal that some days she still felt the pain like a physical blow, was no easy task.

  Starlight welcomed her, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to accept the invitation, always waiting for the proverbial rug to be pulled out from under her.

  She couldn’t say how much of Evie’s reticence was inherent in her personality and how much was a result of the emotional trauma of watching her parents rip each other apart. Mara had tried to hide it, to speak only kind words about Paul or not to say anything, but she knew she was a terrible actor. Her daughter was insightful in the way introverted children could be, observant and wise beyond her years.