TEMPTED BY A FAMILYâ¦
Travis Read never wanted to settle down anywhereâwith anyone. Heâs in Rodeo, Montana, just long enough to fix up a house for his sister and heâll be on his way. Then he meets Rachel McGuire. Beautiful and kindâand with magnetic whiskey-colored eyesâRachel is everything that Travis could want. Except that Rachel is also very, very pregnant.
A struggling widowed mom, Rachel wants to give her family the stability sheâs never had. Travis dashed those hopes by buying her dream house. Okay, she can start over. But she wasnât counting on such a fierce attraction between them. And this cowboy was never meant to settle downâ¦
âYou can let go of me nowâ¦â
Cripes. Travis was holding Rachel with his other arm, tucked against his body and out of harmâs way.
âOhâ¦sorryâ¦ah, Iââ He didnât know what to say because he didnât know what heâd been thinking.
A small handful, a perfect fit, her belly hard and warm against him, she belonged in his arms.
It felt natural and good to hold her.
No! No, no, no. He didnât need a woman in his life right now, especially not one laden with burdens he didnât want to bear.
A funny smile curled her lips. âI truly can take care of myself, Travis. I deal with stuff like this most nights.â
âI really didnât know I was doing that.â
âI know. I could tell.â
The feeling of well-being, and the sense of rightness she engendered in him, shook him so badly that he rushed to let her go.
Before he could, the softest of touches flitted across his ribs. Wonder filled him.
The touch had come from Rachelâs big belly.
Dear Reader,
Rodeo Father is my very first Harlequin Western Romance and I am thrilled to be a new member of the Western family.
I have a soft spot for cowboys and babies, so Western fits the bill perfectly for me!
In Rodeo Father, nomadic loner Travis Read arrives in yet another town, determined to stick around only long enough to make a home for his sister and nephews. He will move along the second they are settled.
He doesnât count on having his heart stolen by the appealing widow who lives across the street, and by her little girl, too. Travis has had enough burdens to last a lifetime, so he doesnât need this attraction to a pregnant woman.
What he doesnât realize is the profound depth of his own loneliness and the desire to set down roots he didnât know existed.
Travis has lived on the outside looking in for too long. When the widow invites him into a world of tenderness and affection he thought existed only for others, he canât resist.
He has always thought the life of a family man, and of fatherhood, was restricted to others and never meant for him.
Rachel McGuire turns out to be the answer to dreams he wouldnât admit heâd been having. Rodeo, Montana, becomes home.
I absolutely loved writing Travis and Rachelâs story. I hope you enjoy reading it!
Mary Sullivan
A city girl born and raised, MARY SULLIVAN found her motherâs anecdotes about growing up in rural Canada fascinating. Maryâs first career as a darkroom printer fueled her creativity. When traditional darkrooms disappeared with the advent of computers, she learned enough about the machines to use them to fuel her other passionâwriting. Once she redirected her energy to creating stories of romance, her motherâs tales came back to her and now she devotes her time to writing about rural life. She chooses cowboys and cowgirls for many of her stories. Her Harlequin Superromance books have won awards and earned wonderful reviews. She is now thrilled to write Harlequin Western Romances, too! She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website, marysullivanbooks.com.
To my wonderful agent,
Pamela Hopkins, who continues to have faith in me book after book after book. Offering you a profound Thank You.
Chapter One
Travis Read stood on the outskirts of Rodeo, Montana, and stared at the sorriest excuse for a midway heâd ever encountered.
Heâd pulled his truck over for a closer look.
Old rides littered the prairie like a county fair graveyard. Rusty signs hung askew.
A hint he should hightail it out of town before heâd even arrived? Maybe, save for one ride. Front and center, a spit-shined carousel stood out from the other decaying machines as though risen fresh from the grave.
Merry-go-rounds werenât usually on Travisâs radar, whimsy being a stranger in his life, but he had his nephews to think about now.
Heâd bet both his old Stetson and broken-in cowboy boots the boys would be tickled by the carousel. He was.
Gleaming in the meager late-October sunshine, the merry-go-round seemed like a good omen.
No way, Travis.
Grimly, he straightened his spine. He didnât believe in omens, good, bad or otherwise.