Three Little Callahans!
You could knock Rafe Callahan over with a feather. He and the very prim, very proper judge Julie Jenkins are having triplets! Rafe doesnât expect their precious news to end the bad blood between the Callahans and Jenkinses. And as for saving his familyâs New Mexico ranch, with three brothers married off, Rafeâs in fourth place. But that doesnât stop the die-hard bachelor from proposingâfeud or no feud.
Julie always had a soft spot for the long, lean cowboy. But Rafeâs still a Callahan, and if she says âI do,â sheâll be dealing with an army of bad-tempered in-laws and out-laws. Rafeâs promised her it wouldnât be foreverâjust until their baby girls are born. That doesnât stop the mother-to-be from dreaming of a future at Rancho Diabloâwith Rafe as the happy father!
Rafe took a deep breath. âJulie, marry me.â
That got her attention. âAre you crazy?â
âYes. It doesnât have to be a forever thing. It doesnât have to be a romantic thing. But letâs get married so that the babies will have the best start we can give them.â
She raised her brows. âMarrying you is a best start?â
âYes. I know you donât have a whole lot of reasons to trust me right now, but we need to do this for the children.â
âNot really. And donât start with the fatherâs-last-name machismo. Jenkins is a fine name, a better name in this town than Callahan.â
Dear Reader,
Valentineâs Day is such a romantic dayâa bright spot in cold February! For Rafe Callahan, romance was always a no-go with the beautiful Judge Julie Jenkins, his next-door neighbor and the bane of his existence. He found himself in quite a fix, falling for the one woman he knew he could never haveâJulie simply didnât think much of footloose, handsome Rafe. In Julieâs opinion, the man totally deserved the fifty red hearts she drew on his face while he was asleepâa practical joke his brothers heartily endorsed! But it seems that waking up covered in red ink was just the beginning, and somehow, sweet Valentine triplets were the next big surprise Julie had for the sexy cowboy!
I hope you enjoy this fourth book in the Callahan Cowboys series. Itâs my great wish that His Valentine Triplets will add happiness and romance to your reading during this special season!
All my best,
Tina Leonard
www.tinaleonard.com
www.facebook.com/tinaleonardbooks www.twitter.com/tina_leonard
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tina Leonard is a bestselling author of more than forty projects, including a popular thirteen-book miniseries for Harlequin American Romance. Her books have made the Waldenbooks, Ingram and Nielsen BookScan bestseller lists. Tina feels she has been blessed with a fertile imagination and quick typing skills, excellent editors and a family who loves her career. Born on a military base, she lived in many states before eventually marrying the boy who did her crayon printing for her in the first grade. Tina believes happy endings are a wonderful part of a good life. You can visit her at www.tinaleonard.com.
There are so many people I can never thank enough for the success in my writing career, but at the top of the list are my patient editor, Kathleen Scheibling; the magical cast of dozens at Harlequin who unstintingly shape the final product; my family, who are simply my rock; and the readers who have my sincere thanks for supporting my work with such amazing generosity and enthusiasm. Thank you.
Chapter One
âRafe is too smart for his own good.â
âMolly Callahan, recognizing the seeds of mayhem in her too-bright toddler
As Augusts in New Mexico went, it was a hot one. Rafe Callahan stared at Judge Julie Jenkins in her black robe in the Diablo courtroom and felt a bit of an itch. Was it the heat, or was he just thinking about what theyâd done in July when his steer had gotten tangled in her fence?
âCounsel,â Julie snapped to his brother, Sam. âWhy should I recuse myself from hearing State v. Callahan? Have you any substantive reason to assume that I could not hear proceedings in this matter fairly?â
âJudge Jenkins,â Sam said deferentially, âas you know, your father, Bode Jenkins, has brought suit against our ranch, invoking the law of eminent domain.â
âNot my father,â Julie said, her tone stiff. âThe State handles matters of eminent domain.â
Yeah, Rafe thought, and everyone but Julie seems to understand that her father is in it up to his neck with every government official and thief in the local and state governments. Good olâ Dad can never do anything wrong in his little girlâs eyes, and vice versa.
Julieâs gaze flashed to him, then away. Guilt. It was written all over her beautiful face. He knew what was under that prim black robe, and it was the stuff of dreams, a body made for the gods. Heâd been lucky enough to find the chink in her sturdy armorâa testament to the fact that she couldnât resist him, Rafe thought smugly.