âTripp, Iâm not going to lie to your parents and make believe we have a relationship that doesnât exist.â
His almost frantic gaze met hers. âAnna, do it for my mother. For my dad. Give them a little happiness.â
âSpell it out. Tell me exactly what youâre proposing.â
âWe start dating. In a month or so, when my dad is better, I tell them we had a falling out and are no longer together.â
âWeâre talking thirty days,â Adrianna repeated, wanting to make sure they were clear on this point.
âOne month,â he said, his gaze never leaving hers.
Adrianna considered his proposition for a long moment. Would she be able to keep herself from falling in love when her feelings for him already ran so deep?
CINDY KIRK has loved to read for as long as she can remember. In first grade she received an award for reading one hundred books. As she grew up, summers were her favorite time of year. Nothing beat going to the library, then coming home and curling up in front of the window air conditioner with a good book. Often the novels she read would spur ideas, and sheâd make up her own story (always with a happy ending). When sheâd go to bed at night, instead of counting sheep, sheâd make up more stories in her head. Since selling her first story in 1999, Cindy has been forced to juggle her love of reading with her passion for creating stories of her own ⦠but she doesnât mind. Writing for the Mills & Boon>® Cherish⢠series is a dream come true. She only hopes you have as much fun reading her books as she has writing them!
Cindy invites you to visit her website, www.cindykirk.com.
Adrianna Lee took a step back, her heart in her throat. As a nurse midwife, watching parents ooh and aah over their little one was her favorite part of the birthing process.
This time had been extra special because the baby sheâd delivered was the new son of her friends Betsy and Ryan Harcourt. Seeing Ryanâs dark head pressed against Betsyâs blond strands as they carefully checked out their new sonâs fingers and toes brought a quiver of longing.
When would it be her turn? When would she find a man to love and stand by her? A man eager to build a life with her? Sheâd imagined the scenario many times. But the man in her dreams wasnât some faceless entity. He had a face. And a name. Tripp Randall.
There was only one little problem. Okay, one big problem. He wasnât interested in her.
âI heard the good news.â
Adrianna turned toward the deep voice and there he stood. The man whoâd captured her heart at fourteen by gallantly carrying some branches to the curb for her. At the time heâd been a hunky seventeen-year-old capable of turning her knees to mush with a single glance. As the steady boyfriend of her neighbor, heâd also been unattainable.
These days he was the CEO of the Jackson Hole Hospital, a widower and still unattainable.
Tripp stepped close, keeping his voice low, as if not wanting to disturb the sleeping baby nestled in Betsyâs arms. âHow did everything go?â
âPerfect.â Adrianna couldnât keep the pride from her voice. âHeâs a healthy eight-pound-six-ounce boy and Betsy barely broke a sweat.â
âSo not true,â Betsy called out from the rocker. âTrust me, thereâs a good reason itâs called labor.â
Her dark-haired husband brushed a strand of hair back from his wifeâs face, his eyes filled with concern. âI didnât like seeing you in such pain. Even when Adrianna assured me everything was proceeding normally, I worried.â
Beside her, Adrianna felt Tripp stiffen. Pregnancy was a natural occurrence but not without risk. Tripp knew that better than most. Heâd lost his wife, Gayle, and their unborn baby three years ago when the placenta had abruptly separated from the uterine wall. Adrianna raised her hand to touch his arm in a comforting gesture but pulled back at the last second.
Tripp rarely spoke of his loss. Adrianna remembered the moment sheâd heard the news as if it were yesterday.
âIâm happy for you both,â she heard Tripp say. If there was any inner turmoil, his voice gave nothing away. âHave you decided on a name?â
âNathan.â Betsyâs radiant smile lit up the entire room. âIt means âhe whom God has given.ââ
âNate Harcourt.â Tripp cocked his head and appeared to roll the name around on his tongue. âI like it. Great name for a bull rider.â
Ryan had been a champion bull rider before hanging up his spurs to attend law school.
Betsyâs mouth widened in a perfect O and she glanced at her husband in horror. Obviously the thought of her baby boy one day straddling the back of a big bad bull didnât sit well with the new mom.
Ryan shot Tripp a glinting âyouâll pay for that commentâ before patting his wifeâs shoulder. âNo need to think of that now, sweetheart. Thatâs a lot of years away.â
âCâmon.â This time, Adrianna let her fingers curve around Trippâs arm. âYouâve caused enough trouble for one day. Letâs give Betsy and Ryan time alone with their son.â