Now, holding the tiny being that belonged to her, opening the blanket to count fingers and toes, Jesse experienced a new level of awe, even if baby Allie did sleep through the whole examination. âSheâs beautiful.â
âPrettiest baby in the hospital,â Brock agreed. âShe takes after her mama.â
He tucked a burnished red curl behind her ear. âHow are you doing?â
âMy babyâs here.â She flashed him a half-shy glance. âYouâre here. Iâve never been better.â
Dear Reader,
I read my first romance when I was twelve. I was shopping with my mother and I begged and pleaded for her to spend fifteen cents to buy me this pretty pink book in a special display at the front of the store. An attractive couple faced off on the cover and the back teased me with the prospect of a marriage of convenience. My mother gave in, and Iâve never looked back. In fact, my latest story, Her Baby, His Proposal, is a marriage-of-convenience story. What an honor if it catches the imagination of a young reader.
Harlequin Romance>® celebrates life, family and the power of love. I admire and respect this genre of fiction because no matter the hardship or loss the characters suffer, they choose to fight, to survive and to triumph.
Teresa Carpenter
Her Baby, His Proposal
Teresa Carpenter
TORONTO ⢠NEW YORK ⢠LONDON
AMSTERDAM ⢠PARIS ⢠SYDNEY ⢠HAMBURG STOCKHOLM ⢠ATHENS ⢠TOKYO ⢠MILAN ⢠MADRID PRAGUE ⢠WARSAW ⢠BUDAPEST ⢠AUCKLAND
From bump to baby and beyondâ¦.
Whether sheâs expecting or theyâre adopting, a special arrival is on its way!
Follow the tears and triumphs as these couples find their lives blessed with the magic of parenthoodâ¦.
Look out for more bumps and babies coming soon to Harlequin Romance>®.
Next month:
Adopted: Outback Baby
by Barbara Hannay
With her baby grandson in need of her care and her former sweetheart back in town, Nell finds, at the age of thirty-nine, she may finally become a wife and motherâ¦.
Teresa Carpenter believes in the power of unconditional love and that thereâs no better place to find it than between the pages of a romance novel. Reading is a passion for Teresa, a passion that led to a calling. She began writing more than twenty years ago and marks the sale of her first book as one of her happiest memories. Teresa gives back to her craft by volunteering her time to Romance Writers of America on a local and national level. A fifth generation Californian, she lives in San Diego within miles of her extensive family and knows with their help she can accomplish anything. She takes particular joy and pride in her nieces and nephews who are all bright, fit, shining stars of the future. If sheâs not at a family event, youâll usually find her at home reading, writing, or playing with her adopted Chihuahua, Jefe.
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Hey Babe,
Itâs been fun but itâs over. I canât be a father. Like you keep telling me, I havenât grown up yet myself. Have a happy future. Good luck with the kid.
Tad
P.S. I used Tracyâs computer to set up online banking for you and took the money you owed me. Your password is goodbye.
JESSE Manning pulled the sticky note off the unopened early pregnancy test and crushed it in her fist.
Message received.
With a sick feeling of dread she rushed to Tracyâs computer, booted up and logged on to her bank account. Heâd cleaned her out.
Heâd left her. Taken her money and left her alone and possibly, probably, oh-God-she-prayed-she-wasnât pregnant.
Dragging in a deep breath, she swept her red hair behind her ears and tried to regroup.
She hadnât owed Tad any money. As always heâd owed her. A half-hysterical laugh escaped her tear-clogged throat. How ironic that he was the one who had always chided her for keeping her money in a shoebox rather than the bank. And when she finally followed his advice, he wiped her out in one swipe.
On top of that Tracy had hit her up this morning for $150 because she was short on the rent. Tadâs fond farewell along with Tracyâs shortage left Jesse reeling, emotions and finances both strained to the breaking point.
She called the bank to see if she could reverse the transaction. They advised her to put the complaint in writing and contact the police regarding the theft.
She would, too.
No more protecting Tad, no more making excuses for him. Heâd gone too far this time.
His desertion didnât surprise her. His timing could have been better, but in reality, theyâd been over for a long time. But this time he hadnât just taken from her, he could potentially have stolen from his child.
Sheâd made a break a year ago when sheâd left him and the Midwest behind for a new beginning in San Diego. Her mistake was in believing heâd changed when heâd shown up on her doorstep three months ago.
Her spirits sank further as she realized heâd stolen her dream along with her money. Again. She wanted to teach, and had been saving for tuition and books while she gained California residency status.