The Maverick's Holiday Surprise
Rust Creek RamblingsA WEDDING IN THE WORKS?We here at the Gazette are amazed to report that trust fund cowboy Hudson Jones may soon be off the market. The boyish billionaire has been spending more time than ever with Bella Stockton, who manages his daycare centre. It seems impossible that quiet, reserved Bella would have captured the fancy of such an alluring specimen of manhood.Bella finds it hard to believe herself, and she keeps pushing Hudson away. What are the odds the footloose cowboy will stick around once he finds out she can’t have kids? Don’t tell Bella, but our sources report Hudson has his heart set on a Christmas proposal. When he finds out the truth, will it still be a holiday to remember?
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A Wedding In The Works?
RUST CREEK RAMBLINGS
We here at the Gazette are amazed to report that trust-fund cowboy Hudson Jones may soon be off the market. The boyish billionaire has been spending more time than ever with Bella Stockton, who manages his day-care center. It seems impossible that quiet, reserved Bella would have captured the fancy of such an alluring specimen of manhood.
Bella finds it hard to believe herself, and she keeps pushing Hudson away. What are the odds the footloose cowboy will stick around once he finds out she canât have kids? Donât tell Bella, but our sources report Hudson has his heart set on a Christmas proposal. When he finds out the truth, will it still be a holiday to remember?
âYou went to an awful lot of trouble for me today. I guess I have to wonder why.â
âI didnât want you dropping from exhaustion at the day care center,â Hudson said wryly, skirting the question.
Still, she kept her gaze on him. âSo youâd do this for any of your employees?â She motioned to the meal and the house and he knew what she meant.
âNo, I wouldnât. Youâre special, Bella.â
Her pretty brows arched. âUsually when a man does something like this, he wants something in return.â
He put down the wing he was about to eat. âMaybe I do. That kiss just didnât happen out of the blue. Thereâs been something simmering since we met. Donât you agree?â
She looked flustered. âI donât know what you mean. Iââ
âBella, tell me the truth. If you can honestly say you donât feel any sparks between us, Iâll drop the whole thing, take you home, not approach you again with anything in my mind other than a boss-and-employee relationship.â
âThatâs what we should have,â she reminded him.
âMaybe. Are you going to answer my question?â
* * *
Montana Mavericks:
The Baby Bonanzaâ
Meet Rust Creek Fallsâ newest bundles of joy!
USA TODAY bestselling author KAREN ROSE SMITHâs eighty-seventh novel was released in 2015. Her passion is caring for her four rescued cats, and her hobbies are gardening, cooking and photography. An only child, Karen delved into books at an early age. Even though she escaped into story worlds, she had many cousins around her on weekends. Families are a strong theme in her novels. Find out more about Karen at www.karenrosesmith.com.
To my dad,
who would have been 100 years old this year. With his 35 mm camera, he gave me my love of capturing memories with photography. I miss you, Daddy.
Contents
Hudson Jones was used to getting his own way. But as he stood in the doorway of his office at the Just Us Kids Day Care Center, he had a feeling he wouldnât get his way this time. Bella Stockton had him stymied.
The day care manager was beautifulâtall and willowy with wispy short blond hair. Heâd tried to flirt with her over the past month that heâd been here to see to the day-to-day running of the center. After all, a cowboy could get lonely underneath the big Montana sky. But unlike the other pretty women heâd flirted with over his thirty years, Bella didnât respond to him.
He studied her as she talked with a mother, one whoâd apparently been involved in the parent-teacher conferences scheduled at Just Us Kids after normal business hours. Hudson recognized the expression on the parentâs face. Over the last couple of months, heâd dealt with his share of upset parents. An outbreak of RSVârespiratory syncytial virusâhad hit Just Us Kids, sending one of the children to the hospital, which had prompted her parents to file a lawsuit. The day care had been cleared, but the damage to its reputation had been done.
He moved a little closer to the main desk in the reception area where Bella sat.
Marla Tillotson was pointing her finger at Bella. âIf I even see another child here with sniffles, Iâm pulling Jimmy out and enrolling him in Country Kids.â She turned on the heels of her red boots, gave Hudson a glare and headed for the door.
Although Hudson usually didnât commit too much time to any one place, he had taken this job more seriously than most. After all, it was an investment he didnât want to fail. He owned the property the day care sat on; his brother Walker owned the franchise. Heâd let his brother talk him into staying for a while in Rust Creek Falls to oversee the staff and handle the PR that would put Just Us Kids back in the publicâs good graces. But, to be honest, mostly he stayed in town because he wanted to get to know Bella better.
As soon as he saw Bellaâs face, he didnât hesitate to step up to her desk. âIt wasnât your fault,â he said adamantly.
As day care manager, Bella ran a tight ship. She enforced policies about not signing in sick kids, incorporated stringent guidelines for disinfecting surfaces and educated the staff. But it seemed she couldnât put the whole awful experience of the lawsuit behind her.
