Pregnant By The Colton Cowboy
A cowboy puts his life on the line for the woman expecting his child!Determined to steer clear of the horrors of his family, rancher Thorne Colton keeps to himself – which means resisting Maggie Lowell. Last time they were together, he succumbed and passion took control. But when an explosion nearly claims her life, Thorne discovers their night together yielded more than just sizzling memories.Pregnant and under Thorne's protection, Maggie isn't sure where the bigger threat lies. Out in the open, she's a killer's target. On his ranch, she's in close quarters with the man who's driven to keep her and their child safe, but broke her heart once and might do it again…
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A cowboy puts his life on the line for the woman expecting his child in The Coltons of Shadow Creek!
Determined to steer clear of the horrors his villainous mother brought on his family, rancher Thorne Colton keeps to himself. That means resisting Maggie Lowell. The last time he succumbed, passion took control. But when an explosion nearly claims her life, Thorne discovers their night together yielded more than sizzling memories.
Pregnant and under Thorneâs protection in Shadow Creek, Maggie isnât sure where the bigger threat lies. Out in the open, sheâs a killerâs target. On his ranch, sheâs in close quarters with the man whoâs driven to keep her and their child safe but broke her heart once and might do it again...
âHelp!â
Her mind raced as she searched for something, anything, she could use to carry water back to her car. She needed the fire department, but they would take too long to get here. Maybe she could dump enough water on her trunk to put the fire out before it spread? But why was it on fire in the first place? Cars didnât spontaneously combust...
âHelp!â she yelled again. Where was everyone?
âMaggie?â She heard her name, barely audible over the rush of blood in her ears. There was a bucket sitting a few feet away, full of grain. She dumped it out and scooped up water from the trough.
âMy car,â she yelled, not bothering to look back. âCall the fire department!â
She ran back outside, water sloshing over the sides of the bucket and soaking her clothes. Smoke was pouring out of her trunk in earnest now, the stench of it filling the air and burning her nose. There was a shout behind her but before she could respond, the world exploded in a ball of heat and light.
* * *
The Coltons of Shadow Creek: Only family can keep you safe...
LARA LACOMBE earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. Her day job as a college science professor gives her time to pursue her other loveâwriting fast-paced romantic suspense with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. She loves to hear from readers! Find her on the web or contact her at [email protected].
This book is for Elizabeth, friend extraordinaire.
Contents
The rain started just as Maggie Lowell finished the last entry in the account book. The drops fell in a gentle patter, but a quick glance at the dark sky outside made it clear the sky wouldnât stay peaceful for long. Time to go home.
She quickly packed up her laptop and papers with one hand and pecked out a text to Mac with the other.
All done. Everything looks good.
Maggie normally didnât come to a clientâs home to work on their books, but she made an exception for Joseph âMacâ Mackenzie. He was impossible to refuseâalways smiling, always kind. Heâd been one of her first clients in Shadow Creek, and he hadnât hesitated to promote her bookkeeping services to all his friends. Since Mac was a deservedly popular man, it hadnât taken long for Maggie to build a solid roster of clients. Macâs actions had essentially ensured her success here, and Maggie never forgot it. Dropping by his ranch to work on his books every quarter was a small way to repay him for his kindness.
And if she happened to run into Macâs son, Thorne, while she was at the ranch? That was just a bonus.
Maggie glanced around as she left the office, hoping to catch a glimpse of Thorne while she made her way to her car. The rich scent of horses and hay hit her nose as she stepped into the barn, and one of the animals whickered softly in response to the sound of the office door being shut. There was no sign of Thorne, but it was clear heâd been there recentlyâa set of wet boot prints marred the otherwise clean floor of the barn, and since Mac was in San Antonio on business, the prints could only belong to Thorne.
Would she see him as she dashed to the car? The thought made her heart flutter, and a sense of anticipation warmed her limbs. Even a drive-by sighting of Thorne was better than no sighting at all.
Maggie knew her crush on Thorne was irrational, but she couldnât help herself. The man was her personal catnip, and every time she saw him she fell a little bit more in love with him. How could she not? His smile lit up a room, and when she saw those dimples in his cheeks she went weak in the knees. His light brown eyes were full of a quiet intelligence that drew her in and made her want to learn more about him. And the fact that he had the body of a man who made his living working with horses didnât hurt, either. His long, lean frame filled out a pair of jeans in all the right places, and his dark skin contrasted nicely with the light blue work shirts he often wore. Thorne Colton was the total package, and ever since she had first laid eyes on him, Maggie had thought of little else.
