Tall, Dark & Western
When widowed rancher Marty Stryker placed an ad for a wife, the last thing he expected was a second chance at love. His little girl needed a loving mom– and he needed someone to share his long-empty marriage bed.But he certainly hadn' t counted on his new bride, Juliette Duchenay, bringing her own bundle of joy. Yet, from their first kiss, Marty knew all his willpower might not stop the surrender of his well-guarded heart….
Читать Tall, Dark & Western онлайн беплатно
Heâd Have Liked Nothing More Than To Climb Right Into That Shower With Her, But He Had Things To See To.
A baby to deal with.
Normally heâd have hesitated to enter the room where the baby slept, but anxiety and adrenaline pushed him into the room. He leaned over the crib and looked down at the tiny, red-faced occupant. âHey, little man, whatâs the matter?â
Bobby stopped crying. And then he smiled. Not a tentative smile, but a wriggling, fist-waving, feet-kicking, face-splitting grin.
Martyâs throat grew tight. A shaft of the familiar pain speared his heart, but he forced himself to reach down and slide his hands beneath the baby, lifting him up and settling him against his chest. The baby snuggled in as if he belonged there.
Maybe he did. Marty blinked, trying to clear vision suddenly suspiciously blurred. This child was a member of his family, his child now.
Dear Reader,
Happy New Year from Silhouette Desire, where we offer you six passionate, powerful and provocative romances every month of the year! Hereâs what you can indulge yourself with this Januaryâ¦.
Begin the new year with a seductive MAN OF THE MONTH, Tall, Dark & Western by Anne Marie Winston. A rancher seeking a marriage of convenience places a personals ad for a wife, only to fallâhardâfor the single mom who responds!
Silhouette Desire proudly presents a sequel to the wildly successful in-line continuity series THE TEXAS CATTLEMANâS CLUB. This exciting new series about alpha men on a mission is called TEXAS CATTLEMANâS CLUB: LONE STAR JEWELS. Jennifer Greeneâs launch book, Millionaire M.D., features a wealthy surgeon who helps out his childhood crush when she finds a baby on her doorstepâby marrying her!
Alexandra Sellers continues her exotic miniseries SONS OF THE DESERT with one more irresistible sheikh in Sheikhâs Woman. THE BARONS OF TEXAS miniseries by Fayrene Preston returns with another feisty Baron heroine in The Barons of Texas: Kit. In Kathryn Jensenâs The Earlâs Secret, a British aristocrat romances a U.S. commoner while wrestling with a secret. And Shirley Rogers offers A Cowboy, a Bride & a Wedding Vow, in which a cowboy discovers his secret child.
So ring in the new year with lots of cheer and plenty of red-hot romance, by reading all six of these enticing love stories.
Enjoy!
Joan Marlow Golan
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
ANNE MARIE WINSTON
has believed in happy endings all her life. Having the opportunity to share them with her readers gives her great joy. Anne Marie enjoys figure skating and working in the gardens of her south-central Pennsylvania home.
For Harold, who keeps all my parts in working order.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Epilogue
Prologue
When he saw the letter addressed in a looping, unfamiliar feminine handwriting, Marty Stryker withdrew the mail from his post office box in Kadoka, South Dakota, as if it might be poisonous. Stopping by the trash barrel in the corner to get rid of the junk mail, he held up the envelope, weighing it in his palm.
Should he even read it? The last few had been so goofy he hadnât even bothered to answer them. Quickly, he slit one envelope and scanned the contents.
Dear Rancher,
How much would I have to know about children to marry you? I am eighteen years old. I know you might think thatâs a little young butâ
With a snort, Marty tossed the letter into the trash. And another one bites the dust.
Dispiritedly, he pushed open the heavy door and stepped out into the icy winter afternoon. His truck was parked at an angle just a few steps away on Main Street and he quickly strode over and folded his big frame inside, starting the engine and sitting there for a minute while it warmed up. He took off his hat and tossed it onto the seat, running his fingers through his gold-tipped curls.
A mild depression settled over him. Heâd placed an ad in several Rapid City, South Dakota, papers nearly a year ago for a wife. Whoâd have thought it would be so difficult to find a good woman?
He reached for the keys and cranked the engine, then started the drive south out of town to the Lucky Stryke, the outfit he worked with his brother Deck. All Marty wanted was a capable, friendly woman to share the raising of his daughter and help with the work around the ranch. Someone whoâd enjoy a good romp between the sheets a few nights a week. She didnât have to declare undying love; in fact he wouldnât even consider marrying anyone who did.
No, heâd had love once. And losing Lora had been unbearable. All he wanted now was a partner, someone he liked enough to live with and make a life with. He didnât want more children, so sheâd have to be someone who didnât hanker after babies. But other than that, he didnât have a lot of requirements.
Or maybe he did. He thought back over the past few months to some of the disastrous encounters heâd had. Drunken women, priggish women, women who said they were thirty when they were closer to sixtyâ¦the one that took the cake, though, was the one who had declared that she could never live in a Godforsaken place like Kadoka.
