Surprise! Youre A Daddy!
Lifes been full of surprises lately for rancher Garrett Frostand not in a good way. His mother has just dropped a bombshell about his past, so Garrett takes some time away to come to terms with family secrets. And who should he run into but Arden Cade, the beautiful photographer who shared a single night of passion with Garrett six months ago. He is even more shocked when he discovers shes pregnantand hes the daddy.
To make matters worse, Arden hadnt even planned on telling Garrett about the baby. Despite her lies, Garrett is determined to be a good father. Hes not the type to cut and run, and he cant deny that hes falling for Arden all over again. But hell have to find a way to forgive her betrayal...and make peace with that skeleton in the family closet.
Arden swallowed, knowing that his real question had nothing to do with addresses or phone books.
Garrett was asking if his suspicions were accurate, and she couldnt bring herself to answer. There was a huge difference between not tracking down a man to deliver life-altering news he probably didnt want to hear and actually lying to his face.
He took a step closer. You seemed so startled to see me the other day. Terrified, as a matter of fact.
Feeling cornered, she took deep breaths, trying to lower her elevated blood pressure.
Maybe Im completely off base, he continued, but extenuating circumstances have made me more distrustful than I used to be. If Im wrong, you can laugh at me or indignantly cuss me out. But tell me the truth, Arden. Are you carrying my child?
Dear Reader,
I first visited Colorado when I was a teenager and have made numerous trips since then. Its a beautiful state full of wonderful communities, the perfect setting for my new trilogy, The Colorado Cades.
The Cade siblings, two brothers and the younger sister they raised after their parents deaths, really tugged at my heart. Its not easy to find happiness when youve experienced great lossbut with hope and faith, it is possible.
On an evening when she needed to escape grief and nostalgia, Arden Cade had an uncharacteristic one-night stand with cowboy Garrett Frost, an out-of-towner visiting Cielo Peak. She never expected to see him againand she certainly didnt expect to become pregnant from their night together!
Six months later, after receiving some shocking news of his own, Garrett returns to Cielo Peak to stay with a friend while making difficult decisions. When Garrett sees Arden, two things are quickly evidentthe chemistry between them is as potent as ever. And shes been keeping an unforgivable secret.
Im hard at work on the next two books in the trilogy. For behind-the-scenes looks at my process and anecdotes about the writing life, follow me on Twitter or like me on Facebook. I love interacting with readers!
Happy reading,
Tanya
Her Secret,
His Baby
Tanya Michaels
www.millsandboon.co.uk
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Three-time RITA® Award nominee Tanya Michaels writes about what she knowscommunity, family and lasting love! Her books, praised for their poignancy and humor, have received honors such as a Booksellers Best Bet Award, a Maggie Award of Excellence and multiple readers choice awards. She was also a 2010 RT Book Reviews nominee for Career Achievement in Category Romance. Tanya is an active member of Romance Writers of America and a frequent public speaker, presenting workshops to educate and encourage aspiring writers. She lives outside Atlanta with her very supportive husband, two highly imaginative children and a household of quirky pets, including a cat who thinks shes a dog and a bichon frise who thinks shes the center of the universe.
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Dedicated with gratitude to Barbara Dunlopwonderful author, friend and dinner companion.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Excerpt
Chapter One
Never in her twenty-five years had Arden Cade done anything so rash. What was I thinking? Although she usually woke in gradual, disoriented stages, this morning she was instantly alert, hoping to discover the previous night had been a dreama vivid, thoroughly sensual dream.
But there was no disputing the muscular arm across her midsection or the lingering satisfaction in her body.
Physically, she was more relaxed than shed been in nearly a year, her loose limbs at odds with her racing thoughts. Her first impulse was to bolt from the bed, putting distance between herself and the still-sleeping cowboy. She hesitated, not wanting to wake Garrett before shed had a chance to gather her composure. Besides, his body heat and the steady rumble of his breathing were soothing. Beckoning. It was so tempting to snuggle closer beneath the sheets and
Dont you learn?
Cuddling into his heat was what had landed her in this situation. But shed been cold for so long. Shed needed to feel something other than suffocating grief. If only yesterday hadnt been the ninth of March.... What the hell had made her think scheduling a photography job would keep her too busy to mourn?
Memories of the night before flooded herthe despair that had gaped like a chasm, the encounter with a charming stranger, the reckless bliss shed found in his arms.
If you dont mind my saying so, maam, people usually look happier at wedding receptions. The mans teasing tone was deep and rich, unexpectedly warming her.
She had to tilt her head to meet his clear gray eyes. Knowing her clients deserved better than a photographer who depressed the guests, she struggled for a light tone as she gestured toward the crowded dance floor. I was feeling sorry for myself because Im not out there, she lied. I love to dance.
A slow grin stole over his face, making him even more attractive. As the younger sister of two ridiculously good-looking brothers, Arden didnt impress easily, but this man made her pulse quicken.
Id be happy to oblige, he offered. I realize youre working, but I have some pull with the groom. Hugh was my best friend in high school.
His casual words pierced her. Arden had kept the same best friend from preschool into adulthood, rejoicing three and a half years ago when the sister of her heart married Ardens oldest brother and became her sister-in-law. This was the first March 9Natalies birthdaysince the car accident that had killed Natalie and her toddler son, the first March 9 in over two decades Arden hadnt spent with her friend.
Rain check, shed managed to respond, abandoning the stranger to snap shots of the twirling flower girl.
After the reception ended, Arden should have gone home, but facing her dark, empty apartment seemed unbearable. She packed her equipment, then sat in the hotel bar while ice melted in her untouched whiskey. Time passed with excruciating slowness.
Then Garrett Frost walked in, his earlier suit replaced with a casual button-down shirt and a pair of dark jeans that somehow made him even more devastatingly handsome.
Id offer to buy you a drink, but... He raised one jet-black eyebrow at the liquor she was clearly ignoring.
Guess I wasnt thirsty, after all.
Their gazes locked, and she wished she had a camera in hand to capture his mesmerizing eyes. Hes beautiful. Sculpted cheekbones, full mouth
If youre gonna look at me like that, hed drawled softly, its only fair you tell me your name.
Arden. Arden Cade.
He extended his hand. You still want that dance, Arden Cade?
Shed accepted. Sometimes what a woman needed most in the world was to be held....
Mornin. Tinged with sleep, Garretts voice now was every bit as compelling as it had been last nightwhen hed breathed her name as he slid into her.
Arden! Focus! Last nights impulsiveness was one thing. Shed been emotionally raw, had needed to feel alive in some primal way. But she couldnt rationalize a repeat performance. Shed had only two sexual partners before, and theyd both been serious boyfriends.
She scrambled for the edge of the bed, trying to secure the sheet around her as she moved. Yes, it is. Morning, I mean. Time for me to go.
Dont hurry on my account. He lay back on his pillow, grinning at her in utter contentment. His appeal was more than physical good looks. She was drawn to his easy confidence, how comfortable he seemed in his own skin.
Checkouts not til noon, he continued. Thought I might order us an obscenely large breakfast from room service. Im starvin.
So was she, Arden realized. After months of being numb, of having no appetite whatsoever, the hunger felt both foreign and exhilarating. I could eat, she blurted.
Good. Im gonna hop in the shower, then we can look at the menu. Ill only be a minute. Unless you want to join me? He gave her another of those lazy smiles that left her dizzy. Garrett made love the way he smiled. Completely and thoroughly, in seemingly no rush.
N-no. She ducked her head so that her long dark hair curtained her face. It was probably bad manners to look appalled at the thought of being naked with a man who had rocked your world mere hours ago. Ill, uh, wait.
He sauntered across the room nude, and Arden resisted the urge to sneak a final glance. Not that her resistance held for long. He was male perfection.
And hed been exactly what shed needed last night. As unplanned and perhaps unwise as her actions had been, she had to admit she felt...lighter. She could almost hear Natalies mischievous voice in her head. Damn, girl, you really know how to celebrate a birthday.
Arden squeezed her eyes shut. I miss you, Nat. That ache might never go away, but it was time Arden stopped letting it drag her down like a malevolent anchor. Natalie would have hated how listless shed become.
The sound of the shower in the adjoining bathroom pulled Arden from her reverie. Garrett had claimed hed be back in a minute. What was she going to say to him? All she really knew about him was that his family owned a cattle ranch several hours south of Cielo Peak and that hed come to town for the Connors wedding. She didnt know how to be glib about what theyd shared, and she didnt want to burden him with a heavy emotional explanation about the losses she and her brothers had endured. Wouldnt the simplest solution be to leave now, without an awkward goodbye?
She zipped her wrinkled dress, trying not to think about how shed look to anyone she passed in the lobby. Cielo Peak attracted plenty of tourists, especially during the Colorado ski season, but there were fewer than fifteen hundred year-round citizens. The Cades were well known in the community; gossip about Arden hooking up with a guest at an event she covered would not enhance her professional reputation.
Her hand was already on the door when she stopped abruptly, recalling how Garrett had touched her the night before, his maddening tenderness. Hed made her nearly mindless with desire, and it had been the first time in months the pain had receded. Among her many conflicted feelings this morning was gratitude. He would never truly understand how much hed given her, but she didnt want him to think she regretted being with him.
She grabbed the pen and notepad that bore the hotel logo and scribbled a quick note. It wasnt much, but it helped ease her conscience.
Garrett, thank you for last night. It was...
A barrage of words filled her mind, none of them adequate. Suddenly, the water stopped in the bathroom. Adrenaline coursed through her. She crossed out the last two words and wrote simply Ill never forget you.
Chapter Two
Six months later
Justin Cade shuddered at the brochures on the kitchen table. I will paint nursery walls, I will assemble the crib, I might be wheedled into a few hours of babysitting once the peanut is born, but no way in hell am I attending birth classes with you. Then he flashed his trademark grin, a mischievous gleam in his blue-green eyes. Unless you think there will be a lot of single women attending?
Arden ignored the question. Hed already proven he wasnt comfortable dating a single mom. Justin, the middle Cade sibling, had raised casual dating to an art form and steered clear of women with complicated lives. The ski patrolman didnt like being stuck in a relationship any more than he liked being stuck indoors.
Thank God hes a more dependable brother than he is a boyfriend. I didnt pull out the brochures to show you, dummy. Im going to ask Layla to be my labor coach. Shes coming over for dinner in a couple of hours.
Back in June, when the first trimester nausea Arden had thought would disappear actually intensified, shed hired a temporary assistant to keep up with the administrative side of the studio. High school Spanish teacher Layla Green had been happy to make some extra money over the summer. The womens friendship continued to grow even though Layla had quit to prepare for the new school year.