âI should have just slept with him,â she murmured, the declaration sounding unbearably loud in the silent house.
Then at least sheâd have a good reason to regret her actions.
âItâs not too late to change your mind,â a low male voice said from the doorway.
Startled, Hadley whirled in Liamâs direction. Heat seared her cheeks. âI thought you went out.â
âI did, but it wasnât any fun without you.â He advanced toward her, his intent all too clear.
When his arms went around her, pulling her tight against his strong body, Hadley stopped resisting. This was what she wanted. Why fight against something that felt this right?
âKiss me quick before I change my mind,â she told him, her head falling back so she could meet his gaze. âAnd donât stop.â
* * *
Nanny Makes Three is part of the series Texas Cattlemanâs Club: Lies and LullabiesâBaby secrets and a scheming sheikh rock Royal, Texas.
One
Shortly after the 6:00 a.m. feeding, Liam Wade strode through the barn housing the yearling colts and fillies, enjoying the peaceful crunching of hay and the occasional equine snort. It was January 1, and because of the way horses were classified for racing and showing purposes, regardless of their calendar age, every horse in every stall on the ranch was now officially a year older.
Dawn of New Yearâs Day had never been a time of reflection for Liam. Usually he was facedown in a beautiful womanâs bed, sleeping like the dead after an evening of partying and great sex. Last year that had changed. Heâd left the New Yearâs Eve party alone.
His cell phone buzzed in his back pocket, and he pulled it out. The message from his housekeeper made him frown.
Thereâs a woman at the house who needs to speak to you.
Liam couldnât imagine what sort of trouble had come knocking on his door this morning. He texted back that he was on his way and retraced his steps to his Range Rover.
As he drove up, he saw an unfamiliar gray Ford Fusion in the driveway near the large Victorian house Liamâs great-great-grandfather had built during the last days of the nineteenth century. Liam and his twin brother, Kyle, had grown up in this seven-bedroom home, raised by their grandfather after their mother headed to Dallas to create her real estate empire.
Liam parked and turned off the engine. A sense of foreboding raised the hair on his arms, and he wondered at his reluctance to get out of the truck. Heâd enjoyed how peaceful the last year had been. A strange woman showing up at the crack of dawn could only mean trouble.
Slipping from behind the wheel, Liam trotted across the drought-dry lawn and up the five steps that led to the wraparound porch. The stained glass windows set into the double doors allowed light to filter into the wide entry hall, but prevented him from seeing inside. Thus, it wasnât until Liam pushed open the door that he saw the infant car seat off to one side of the hall. As that was registering, a baby began to wail from the direction of the living room.
The tableau awaiting him in the high-ceilinged room was definitely the last thing heâd expected. Candace, his housekeeper, held a squalling infant and was obviously trying to block the departure of a stylish woman in her late fifties.
âLiam will be here any second,â Candace was saying. With her focus split between the child and the blonde woman in the plum wool coat, his housekeeper hadnât noticed his arrival.
âWhatâs going on?â Liam questioned, raising his voice slightly to be heard above the unhappy baby.
The relief on Candaceâs face was clear. âThis is Diane Garner. Sheâs here about her granddaughter.â
âYouâre Liam Wade?â the woman demanded, her tone an accusation.
âYes.â Liam was completely bewildered by her hostility. He didnât recognize her name or her face.
âMy daughter is dead.â
âIâm very sorry to hear that.â
âShe was on her way to see you when she went into labor and lost control of her car. The doctors were unable to save her.â
âThatâs very tragic.â Liam wasnât sure what else to say. The name Garner rang no bells. âDid she and I have an appointment about something?â