His Shotgun Proposal
Texas Sheikhs: Though their veins course with royal blood, their pride lies in the Texas land they call home!THE SECOND SONA hurricane of hot remembrance crashed against Mac Coleman. The one-night seductress who'd vanished, then commandeered his dreams, was suddenly at his ranch house door, pregnant, penniless and prettier than ever. Ironclad honor demanded that the wealthy horseman take Abbie Jones into his protection. And her family was not far behind, insisting Mac give Abbie his noble name. No one could force this wild Texas prince to do anything, least of all marry. But Mac would take Abbie as his bride–his heart and soul decreed it. Yet would Abbie see his marriage offer as a mandate…or a loving promise of forever?
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“Holy Maloney, this is awkward.”
“And here I am, thinking that seeing you after five months is such a pleasure,” Mac responded.
“Yes, well, you haven’t seen that much of me yet,” Abbie said.
“How have you been since…December?”
Abbie’s blue eyes shifted doubtfully to him, she opened her mouth, closed it again, then sucked in a deep breath, squared her shoulders and said in a rush, “Pregnant. How have you been?”
Mac’s smile faded, along with the excitement and possibility that seeing her again had evoked. Pregnant? Had she said…? “Pregnant?” he said, his gut clenching in protest as his gaze dropped helplessly to her midsection.
“Pregnant,” she confirmed, thrusting the suitcase at him and revealing the unmistakably rounded contours of her belly beneath the oversize white shirt. “Congratulations, it’s yours.”
Dear Reader,
This month, Harlequin American Romance delivers your favorite authors and irresistible stories of heart, home and happiness that will surely leave you smiling.
TEXAS SHEIKHS, Harlequin American Romance’s scintillating continuity series about a Texas family with royal Arabian blood, continues with His Shotgun Proposal by Karen Toller Whittenburg. When Abbie Jones surprised Mac Coleman with the news of her pregnancy, honor demanded he give her his name. But could he give his shotgun bride his heart?
Another wonderful TOTS FOR TEXANS romance from bestselling author Judy Christenberry is in store for you this month with Struck by the Texas Matchmakers, in which two children in need of a home and several meddling ladies play matchmakers for a handsome doctor and a beautiful lawyer. Harlequin American Romance’s theme promotion, THE WAY WE MET…AND MARRIED, about marriage-of-convenience romances, begins this month with Bachelor-Auction Bridegroom by Mollie Molay. And old passions heat up in Leandra Logan’s Family: The Secret Ingredient when Grace North’s first crush, now a single father, returns to town with his precocious little girl and ends up staying under the heroine’s roof.
Enjoy this month’s offerings and come back next month for more stories guaranteed to touch your heart!
Wishing you happy reading,
Melissa Jeglinski
Associate Senior Editor Harlequin American Romance
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Toller Whittenburg is a native Oklahoman who fell in love with books the moment she learned to read and has been addicted to the written word ever since. She wrote stories as a child, but it wasn’t until she discovered romance fiction that she felt compelled to write, fascinated by the chance to explore the positive power of love in people’s lives. She grew up in Sand Springs (a historic town on the Arkansas River), attended Oklahoma State University and now lives in Tulsa with her husband, a professional photographer.
Books by Karen Toller Whittenburg
HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
197—SUMMER CHARADE
249—MATCHED SET
294—PEPPERMINT KISSES
356—HAPPY MEDIUM
375—DAY DREAMER
400—A PERFECT PAIR
424—FOR THE FUN OF IT
475—BACHELOR FATHER
528—WEDDING OF HER DREAMS
552—THE PAUPER AND THE PRINCESS
572—NANNY ANGEL
621—MILLION-DOLLAR BRIDE*
630—THE FIFTY-CENT GROOM*
648—TWO-PENNY WEDDING*
698—PLEASE SAY “I DO”
708—THE SANTA SUIT
727—A BACHELOR FALLS
745—IF WISHES WERE…WEDDINGS
772—HOW TO CATCH A COWBOY
794—BABY BY MIDNIGHT?
822—LAST-MINUTE MARRIAGE
877—HIS SHOTGUN PROPOSAL
Contents
Chapter One
A steady stream of travelers lugged baggage of every shape, size and color out of the air-cooled Austin airport and into the muggy Texas heat. Mac Coleman tugged the brim of his cowboy hat down low on his forehead, shielding his face from the blazing haze of afternoon sun as he leaned against his Silverado and watched for his passenger. Not that he had even a faint hope of recognizing her. He’d been volunteered to pick up Abigail Jones because he had business in the city on the day she was scheduled to arrive and because his cousin, Jessica, had an annoying way of getting around arguments. His last-ditch effort to avoid chauffeur duty had met with a confident “Don’t worry, Mac, Abbie will find you. I told her to look for a scowling cowboy next to a black truck.”
His wasn’t the only black truck parked outside the baggage claim area and he certainly wasn’t the only man wearing a Stetson, but if she showed, he was here. And if not? Well, he’d wait a reasonable while, then head back to the ranch. Visitors to the Desert Rose weren’t his responsibility and he planned to keep it that way.
A sassy blonde passed him, displaying enough leg and flirty tosses of her tresses to attract his attention. He watched her sashay by, caught the full effect of the smile she flashed not quite accidentally in his direction and touched the brim of his hat in the half hope she might be his pickup.
She changed direction and came back toward him, tugging her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and giving him a thorough looking over from above the tortoiseshell frames. He could all but hear her internal calculator chi-ching as her glance moved past him to note the Desert Rose crest on the side of the truck and then quickly returned to take in what his older brother, Alex, laughingly called the Coleman ask-me-the-size-of-my-ranch look. “Do you know where I might find the Four Seasons shuttle?” she asked in a sultry voice, lightly stressing the name of the hotel.
