When the man who got away delivers shocking baby news⦠Only from USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard!
Simone Parker will soon be a single mom, thanks to a sperm donor. But when the doctor tells her not one but three babies are on the way, Simone is floored. Especially since the good doctor is none other than the first love who broke her heart, Troy âHutchâ Hutchinson.
Touched by tragedy on an overseas humanitarian mission, Hutch has returned a changed man. What hasnât changed is the fiery chemistry he shares with Simone. But will Simoneâs secret reason for conceiving destroy their second chance?
âYouâre a gorgeous man.
With a kind heart. Iâm sure I wonât be the only woman in Royal who appreciates your sterling qualities.â
âAw, hell. Youâre making fun of me, arenât you?â
âMaybe a little.â She smiled gently. âSix months ago your virtue might have been in danger. But now I have three babies to consider. Their welfare has to come before anything else in my life.â
âEven romance?â
âEspecially romance.â
âThen I guess weâve cleared the air.â
âI guess we have.â
âI should go,â he said. But he didnât move.
Simone stood up, swaying a bit before she steadied herself with a hand on the back of the chair. âYes, you should.â
Squaring his shoulders, he nodded. The urge to kiss her was overpowering.
She kept a hand on the chair, either because she felt faint or because she intended to use it as a shield. Either way, it didnât matter. He wanted to taste her more than he wanted his next breath.
* * *
Triplets for the Texan is part of the series Texas Cattlemanâs Club: BlackmailâNo secretâor heartâ is safe in Royal, Texas...
For Charles Griemsman, editor extraordinaire.
Thanks for all your hard work and your commitment to making stories shine. The Texas Cattlemanâs Club wouldnât be the same without you!
One
Royal, Texas, was a great place to call home. Running her own ad agency, being a member of the esteemed Texas Cattlemanâs Club and maintaining a hectic social life kept Simone Parker plenty busy. Busy enough not to worry about the ghosts of lost loves.
Today, her luck had run out. Five years. It had been five long years since sheâd last laid eyes on Troy Hutchinson. Now here she sat in a freezing exam room at Royal Memorial, naked but for a thin paper hospital gown, and in walked the man who broke her heart. Pressing her knees together instinctively, she gripped the edge of the exam table and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.
âWhereâs Dr. Markman?â
Hutchâalmost nobody called him Troyâstared at her impassively. âHe took a position in Houston. Iâm the new head of the maternal-fetal medicine department.â
Made sense. Royalâs state-of-the-art hospital hired only the best.
It occurred to her that Hutch didnât look at all surprised to see her. But then again, heâd obviously glanced at her chart before entering the room. He was as gorgeous as everâchocolate eyes, closely cropped black hair and mocha skin. The only thing missing was his killer smile.
Tall and lean, in his physical prime, the man was impressive even without the lab coat. Wearing it, he exuded authority and masculinity. Making Simone feel small and stupid.
Her stomach curled with nausea. Todayâs situation was volatile enough without having to confront old lovers. As if the term applied. Sheâd been a twenty-two-year-old virgin when she and Hutch first hooked up. Sheâd had only one relationship after that, and it had been brief and unexceptional.
For most of her life sheâd chosen to hide behind her reputation as a shallow party girl. Even Hutch had believed it in the beginning. Until heâd realized he was the first. Then there had been hell to pay.
Her palms started to sweat. âYou canât be my doctor.â
âOf course not,â he said. âDr. Markman left rather abruptly. Weâve been in the process of notifying his patients. Somehow, your appointment fell through the cracks. Dr. Janine Fetter has agreed to take over your case...with your permission, of course.â
âThatâs fine,â Simone said impatiently. âBut that doesnât explain why youâre here.â
A faint smile lightened his face. âDonât shoot the messenger. Scheduling should have postponed your ultrasound until next week. Dr. Fetter doesnât have any openings until then. Sheâs not even here today.â