Buch lesen: «A Baby And A Betrothal»

To the Special Edition readers.

You are the best ever, and I feel blessed

to be part of your world!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

It was pretty much a given that a first date was a disaster when getting ready for it had been the best part of the evening.

Katie Garrity picked at the pale pink polish on her fingernails as she tried to look interested in the man sitting across from her. Owning a bakery was tough on her hands, so she’d tried to make them look more feminine tonight. She’d blown out her hair, applied makeup and even worn a dress and heels. All to look datable, the kind of woman a man would want to marry and have babies with. Her stomach squeezed at the time and effort she’d wasted. Or maybe it was her ovaries clenching.

Her date tapped his fingers on the table and her gaze snapped to his. “I have a couple of friends who are on gluten-free diets,” she said, hoping she was responding to the question he’d asked. “I’ve been working on some recipes that would appeal to them.”

“I’m talking about more than gluten-free.” Her date shook his head. “I mean a full overhaul to a raw-foods diet. You would not believe how fast your colon cleans out when—”

“Got it,” Katie interrupted, looking over his shoulder for the waitress. The man, Mike, the project manager from nearby Aspen, had already given her too many details on what happened to his digestive system after a few bites of bread.

Why had she agreed to this date in the first place?

Because one of her customers had offered to set her up, and Katie wanted a date. A date that might lead to more, might give her the future she so desperately craved but couldn’t seem to manage on her own.

She knew almost everyone in her hometown of Crimson, Colorado, but her popularity hadn’t helped her love life in recent years. Men might be addicted to the pastries she created in her bakery, Life is Sweet, but that was where their interest in her ended.

“You should think about changing your shop to a raw-foods restaurant. The one in Aspen is doing quite well.”

Katie focused on Mike, her eyes narrowing. “Are you suggesting I close my bakery? The one I inherited from my grandmother and has been in my family for three generations?” She had nothing against vegetables, but this was too much.

“Sugar could be considered a drug,” Mike continued, oblivious to the fact that steam was about to start shooting from her ears. “It’s like you’re running a meth lab.”

She felt her mouth drop open. “Okay, we’re done here.” She stood, pulled her wallet out of her purse and threw a few bills on the table. “Thank you for an enlightening evening. Have a safe drive back to Aspen.”

Mike blinked, glanced at his watch then up at her. “Should I call you?”

“I’ll be busy,” she answered through gritted teeth. “Baking in my ‘meth lab.’”

She turned for the bar. Although they’d met for dinner at the brewery that had opened in downtown Crimson a few months ago, Mike had insisted they both order water while droning on about the contaminants in microbrewed beer. She needed a good dose of contaminants right about now.

The doors to the brewery’s patio were open, letting in fresh mountain air on this early-summer night. The days were warm in Crimson in June, but because of the altitude the temperatures dropped at night. Still, there was a crowd out front, and Katie was glad for it. Crimson was a quaint, historic town nestled at nine thousand feet deep in the Rocky Mountains, with streets lined with Victorian-era houses. Crimson attracted a fair number of visitors, and anything that brought more people into downtown was good for all the local businesses, including her bakery.

Turning back to the bar, her gaze snagged on a set of broad shoulders hunched over the polished wood. Katie felt her ovaries go on high alert. Down, girls, she admonished silently.

She walked closer, ordered a pale ale from the bartender and nudged the shoulder next to her. “Hey, Noah. When did you get to town?”

“Katie-bug.” Noah Crawford’s deep voice washed over her. Then he smiled, turning her insides to mush. Of course, she’d had this response to Noah since high school, so she was used to functioning as a glob of goo. “I got in a few days ago to see my mom. What are you doing out tonight?”

“I had a date,” she mumbled, taking a drink of the beer the bartender set in front of her.

“A date?” Noah’s cobalt blue eyes widened a fraction. He normally had a good six inches on her, but while sitting on the bar stool while she stood, they were the same height.

“Yes, Noah, a date.” She grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl on the bar and popped a few in her mouth. “It’s when a man and a woman go out together in public. It usually involves more than alcohol and meaningless sex, so you might not be familiar with the term.”

“Ouch.” He shifted toward her, turning on the bar stool so his denim-clad knee grazed her hip. She felt the connection all the way up her body and gripped her beer glass harder, gulping down half the amber liquid.

“Did I do something to you, Bug? Because I thought we were friends. Hell, you’ve been one of my best friends since we were sixteen. Lately... I’m not the most observant guy, but it seems like you kind of hate me.”

She took a breath through her mouth, trying to ignore the way Noah’s scent—the smell of pine and spice—washed over her. “We’re still friends, Noah,” she whispered. “But stop calling me Bug. That was a nickname for a kid. I’m not a kid anymore.”

“I know that, Katie.” His tone was teasing and he poked her shoulder gently. “How was the date?”

“Stupid.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, not trusting herself to look straight at him and keep her emotions hidden. One beer and she was tipsy. She signaled the bartender for another.

Yes, she and Noah were friends, but she’d always wanted more. Noah had never acknowledged her silly infatuation. She wasn’t sure he’d even noticed.

“Stupid, huh?” She felt rather than saw him stiffen. “Do I need to kick his butt? Was he out of line?”

“Nothing like that. Just boring.”

“So why’d you go out with him in the first place?” The bartender brought refills for both of them. Katie watched Noah’s fingers grip the pint glass. His hands were big and callused from the work he did as a division chief for the United States Forest Service. He spent his days outside, and she knew he was in great shape. She did not sneak a glance at the muscles of his tanned forearm as he raised the glass to his mouth. Nope, that would get her nowhere except more frustrated than she already was.

“I’m going to have a baby.” She took a sip of beer as Noah choked and spit half of his beer across the bar. “I should say I want to have a baby.”

“Going to or want to?” Noah pulled on the sleeve of her lightweight sweater, spinning her to face him. “There’s a big difference.”

She rolled her eyes. “Want to. Would I be in a bar drinking if I was pregnant now?”

“Good point.” He lifted the hem of his olive green T-shirt to wipe his mouth just as she handed him a napkin. His lips quirked as he took it from her. His dark blond hair was longer than normal, curling a little at the nape of his neck. The top was messed as though he’d been running his hands through it. Which she knew he did when he was stressed. “Aren’t these things supposed to happen naturally?”

“Easy for you to say.” She took another drink, the beer making her stomach tingly and her tongue too loose. “You smile and panties all through the Rocky Mountains spontaneously combust.”

He tilted back his head and laughed then flashed her a wide grin. A glass shattered nearby, and Katie turned to see a young woman staring slack-jawed at Noah. “See what I mean?”

He winked at the woman then turned his attention back to Katie. “Are your panties combusting?” He leaned in closer, his mouth almost grazing her jaw.

Katie resisted the urge to fan herself. “My panties are immune to you.”

“That’s why we can be friends,” he said, straightening again.

Katie felt a different kind of clenching than she had earlier. This time it was her heart.

“Seriously, though, why would you agree to a date with a loser?”

“I didn’t know he was a loser when I agreed. I’m at the bakery by four every morning and in bed most nights by nine. My social life consists of pleasantries exchanged with customers and the occasional girls’ night out.”

“Have one of your girlfriends set you up.”

“I’ve asked. They’re looking.” She propped her elbows on the bar and dropped her head into her hands. “Everyone is looking. It’s a little embarrassing. People are coming out of the woodwork with men for me to date. I feel like a charity case.”

“It’s not that.” His hand curled around the back of her neck, massaging the tight muscles there. It shamed her how good even such an innocent touch felt. How it ignited the rest of her body. “Locals in Crimson love you, just like they loved your grandma when she ran the bakery. You help everyone, Bug. It’s time to let them return the favor.”

She started to correct his use of the nickname he’d given her so long ago when he added, “You deserve to be happy.”

Something in his tone made her head snap up. Through the haze of her slight buzz, she studied him. Fine lines bracketed his blue eyes, and although they were still brilliant, she realized now they also seemed tired. The shadow of stubble across his annoyingly chiseled jaw looked not careless but as if he’d been too busy or stressed to shave.

“What’s going on, Noah? Why are you in town?”

“I told you, to visit my mom.”

She’d seen that look in his eyes before. A decade ago, the year his father died of cancer. “Because...”

He crossed his arms over his chest, the soft cotton of his T-shirt stretching around his biceps. He was wound tight enough to break in half. “She has a brain tumor.” The words came out on a harsh breath, and she could tell how much it cost him to say them out loud. A muscle throbbed in his jaw.

“Oh, no. I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes for a moment then met his guarded gaze.

For all her mixed emotions toward Noah, she loved him. Not just romantically, but deep in her soul, and she hated to see him hurting. Katie knew better than most how difficult his dad’s illness had been, the toll it had taken on the entire Crawford family and Noah in particular. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around his wrists, tugging until she could take his hands in hers. Despite the beating her hands took in the bakery, they looked delicate holding his. “What can I do?”

“It’s okay.” He shook his head but didn’t pull away. “It’s called a meningioma. Based on the results of the MRI, it’s benign. Apparently she’d been having symptoms for a while and finally went to Denver for an MRI. She didn’t call Emily or me until she had the results so we wouldn’t worry.”

“That sounds like your mom.” Meg Crawford was one of the strongest women Katie had ever met. She’d seen her husband, Noah’s father, Jacob, through stage-four pancreatic cancer with grace and optimism. No matter how bad things got, Meg’s attitude had never wavered. “Is Emily back in town, too?” Noah’s younger sister lived on the East Coast with her attorney husband and young son.

“I picked up her and Davey in Denver earlier today.”

Katie had never met Emily’s four-year-old son. “How long will the two of you be here? What’s the treatment? Your mom’s prognosis?”

“Slow down there, Bug.” A hint of a smile crossed his face. “I mean Katie.”

“You get a free pass tonight. Call me whatever you want.” She squeezed his hand.

“I’ll take her to Denver early next week for a craniotomy. They’ll biopsy the tumor to confirm that it’s benign. She’ll have follow-up cognitive testing. The first couple of weeks are when she’ll need the most help, but it’ll be at least six until she’s back to normal. If all goes well, it’s just a matter of regular MRIs going forward.”

“She’ll recover completely? No long-term side effects?”

“That’s what her doctor is saying now, although there are a lot of variables. The brain is complex. But she’s... We’re hopeful.”

“She’s going to be fine, Noah. Your mom is strong.”

“So was my dad.”

“Do you two want another round?” The bartender spoke before Katie could answer.

“Not for me.” She drew her hands away from Noah’s, suddenly aware of how intimate they looked sitting together. She caught the jealous glare of the woman who’d dropped her drink earlier. That woman was Noah’s type, big bust and small waist—a girl who looked as if she knew how to party. Opposite of Katie in every way.

Noah followed her gaze and the woman smiled.

“Your next conquest?” Katie couldn’t help asking.

“Not tonight.” He stood and took his wallet from the back pocket of his faded jeans, tossing a few bills on the bar. “I’ll walk you home.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I want to.” He shrugged. “Sitting here drinking is doing me no good. I...I don’t want to be alone right now, you know?”

She nodded. “Want to watch a movie?”

“Elf?” he asked, his expression boyishly hopeful.

“It’s June, Noah,” she said with a laugh. The two of them shared a love for all things Will Ferrell.

“Never too early for some holiday cheer.”

“Elf it is, then.”

He flashed a grateful smile and chucked her on the shoulder. “What would I do without you, Bug?”

Katie ignored the butterflies that skittered across her stomach at his words. Noah was a friend, and no matter what her heart wanted, she knew he’d never be anything more.

Chapter Two

As they walked along the street that led away from downtown, Noah couldn’t think of anyone he would have been happier to see tonight than Katie. His yellow Lab, Tater, clearly felt the same way. The dog stuck close to Katie, nudging her legs every few steps. He’d adopted Tater after some hikers found the tiny puppy sick and shivering near a trailhead outside of Boulder almost five years ago. Katie had been the one to name the dog when Noah had brought the pup to Crimson for Christmas that year, saying she looked like a golden tater tot. She was still his go-to dog sitter when he traveled to DC for meetings or conferences.

Now Katie laughed as Tater trotted in front of them, flipping the tennis ball she carried out of her mouth then rushing forward to catch it again. He was relieved the tension between them had disappeared. His work for the United States Forest Service kept him busy and normally he was in the Roosevelt National Forest, about two hours east of Crimson near Boulder. He tried to get back to his hometown on a regular basis to visit his mom, but Katie recently made excuses as to why she couldn’t hang out like they used to in high school and college.

Although he wasn’t in town often, he loved Crimson. Tonight the sky above the mountain was awash in shades of purple and pink, soft clouds drifting over the still-snowcapped peak. At least he’d be able to enjoy the view this summer. It had been too long since he’d spent any time in the forests in this part of the state, so he tried to focus on the only positive in this whole situation with his mom’s illness.

As if reading his mind, she asked, “What are you doing about your job?”

“I’ve been transferred temporarily to White River. I’ll be running the division office out of Crimson for the summer.”

“Oh.” Her step faltered, and he glanced at her. “That will make your mom happy.”

“But not you?”

Her smile didn’t meet her eyes. “I’m swamped at the bakery right now and helping to coordinate the bake-off for the Founder’s Day Festival.”

“Plus you have to make time for dating all the men being offered up.” A horn honked and he waved to one of the guys he’d been friends with in high school as a big black truck drove by.

“No need to make it sound like they’re lambs being led to the slaughter.”

“Marriage and fatherhood...” He gave a mock shiver and was rewarded with a hard punch to his shoulder. “I’m joking. Any guy would be lucky to have you.”

She huffed out a breath and increased her pace, flipping her long dark hair behind her shoulder. Now it was Noah’s step that faltered. The thought of Katie Garrity belonging to another man made a sick pit open in his stomach. He wasn’t lying when he said any guy would be lucky. Katie was the kindest, most nurturing person he knew.

Now, as he watched her hips sway in her jeans, he realized she was also gorgeous. The pale yellow sweater she wore hugged her curves and its demure V-neck highlighted her creamy skin. For so long she’d been like a sister to him, but the way his body was reacting to her all of a sudden made his thoughts turn in a totally different direction. He shook his head, trying to put brakes on the lust that rocketed through him. This was Katie-bug.

She wanted more than he was willing to give.

Deserved more, and he’d do well to remember that.

“Are you staying at your mom’s farm?” She turned, her brows furrowing as she took in his expression.

He quickly schooled his features and took a few steps to catch up to her. “No. Tonight I’m using the garage apartment at Logan and Olivia’s place. I have to spend a few days out on the trail starting tomorrow to get caught up on things in this section of the forest. There will be no nights away for me once Mom has the surgery. When I get back from this survey trip, I’ll move out to the farm but...”

“You haven’t stayed a night at the farm since your father died.”

There were good and bad things about someone knowing you so well.

“Every time I’m there it reminds me of how much I failed him when he was sick.”

“You didn’t—”

“Don’t make excuses. I couldn’t handle watching him die. I spent as much time away from home as possible our senior year.”

“You were a kid.” They turned down the tree-lined street where Katie lived. Noah had been to the house only once since she’d inherited it from her grandmother. That spoke poorly of him, he knew. He’d been a lousy son and was quickly realizing he was also a lousy friend.

“Bull. Emily had just turned sixteen when he was diagnosed. She was there, helping Mom with his care every step of the way.”

“You’re here now.” Katie turned down the front walk of a cute wood-shingled bungalow and Noah stopped. He barely recognized her grandmother’s old house.

Katie glanced back at him over her shoulder and seemed pleased by his surprise. “I made some changes so it would feel more like mine.”

The house was painted a soft gray, with dark red shutters and a new covered front porch that held a grouping of Adirondack chairs and a porch swing painted to match the maroon trim. “I like it. It fits you.”

A blush rose on her cheeks. “Thanks. I hope Gram would approve.”

“In her eyes you could do no wrong.” He followed her up the steps and waited as she unlocked the front door.

“I miss her,” she said on a sigh then crossed the threshold into the house. She pointed toward the cozy family room off the front hall. “The DVDs are in the TV cabinet. Will you set it up while I get snacks together?”

Noah felt his remaining tension melt away. There was something about this house and this woman that put him at ease. Always had.

She made hot chocolate to go with the Christmas theme of the movie and brought in a plate of the bakery’s famous chocolate-chip cookies. They watched the movie in companionable silence. It was nice to forget about his life for a couple of hours. “I can’t even count the number of your grandma’s cookies I ate that last year of high school.” On the screen, Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf was working his magic in the movie’s department-store Santa display.

Katie gave a small laugh. “Every time you and Tori had a fight, you’d end up here or at the bakery.”

Noah flinched at the name of his high school girlfriend. The girl he’d expected to spend the rest of his life with until she broke his heart the weekend before graduation. “It made her even madder. Since the two of you were such good friends, she felt like you belonged to her.”

“I’d get in trouble for taking your side. Tori and I lost touch after she left for college.” Katie used her finger to dunk a marshmallow in her mug of hot chocolate. “I’ve heard her interior-design business is successful. Someone said she was working on a project in Aspen this summer.”

“Huh.” That was all Noah could think to answer. He’d purposely put his ex-girlfriend as far out of his mind as possible for the past decade. Now, watching Katie lick the tip of her finger, he could barely even remember his own name. He concentrated on the television, where Santa’s sleigh was flying over the rooftops of New York City.

When the movie ended, Katie flipped off the television. His whole body was humming with desire, inappropriately directed at the woman next to him, but he couldn’t seem to stop it. He didn’t move, continued to watch the dark screen that hung on the wall above the antique pine cabinet where the DVD player sat. Clearly misunderstanding his stillness—maybe believing it had something to do with memories of Tori or thoughts of his mother—Katie scooted closer and placed her fingers on his arm. That simple touch set him on fire.

“If there’s anything you need, Noah,” she said into the quiet, “I’m here for you.”

He turned, studying her face as though he was seeing her for the first time. The smooth skin, pert nose and big melted-chocolate eyes. Her bottom lip was fuller than the top, and there was a faint, faded scar at one edge from where she’d fallen out of bed as a girl. That was what she’d told him when he’d asked about it years ago, but now he wanted to know more. He wanted to explore every inch of her body and discover each mark that made her unique.

As if sensing his thoughts, she inhaled sharply. His gaze crashed into hers, and her eyes reflected the same flame of desire he felt. Had it always been there and he’d been too blind to notice it? Now he couldn’t see anything else.

But this was Katie, and her friendship meant something to him. More than any of his casual flings. She mattered, and despite his raging need for her, Noah didn’t want to mess this up. Which was how it worked with him—as soon as a woman wanted more than he was capable of giving, he bailed.

He couldn’t do that with Katie, but would he be able to offer her anything more?

He lifted his hand, tracing his thumb across her bottom lip. “Katie,” he whispered, “I want to kiss you right now.”

Her eyes widened a fraction and he expected her to jump up or slap away his hand. To be the voice of reason when he couldn’t.

Instead she leaned forward, her eyes drifting shut as he moved his hand over her face then wound his fingers through her mass of thick hair. His own eyes closed, anticipating the softness of her lips on his. They flew open again when she nipped at the corner of his mouth then traced her tongue along the seam of his lips.

Although he didn’t think it was possible, his need for her skyrocketed even more. Where the hell had Katie Garrity, who claimed not to have time for a social life, learned to kiss like this? He pulled her against him, deepened the kiss further and fell back against the couch, taking her with him.

His hands ran down her sweater before hiking up the hem so he could touch her skin. He smoothed his callused palms up her back until he felt the clasp of her bra strap under his fingers. With one quick movement, he unhooked the clasp.

He felt Katie giggle against his mouth. His hands stilled as she lifted herself on her elbows, amusement mingling with the desire in her eyes. “Somehow, I knew you’d be good at that.”

“At unhooking a bra?”

She nodded, her tone teasing. “Loads of experience, I imagine.”

To his embarrassment, Katie didn’t have to imagine. Noah made no secret of the fact that he loved women. He’d had more than his share of no-commitment flings and one-night stands, many of which Katie had witnessed, at least from a distance. Now he felt a niggling sense of shame that he traded quantity for quality in his relationships with the opposite sex. Once again, the thought that Katie deserved better than him filled his mind.

He shifted and she sat up, straddling his hips in a way that made it hard to do the right thing. “Maybe we shouldn’t—”

She pressed her hand over his mouth. “I want to know what else you’re good at, Noah.” Her voice caught on his name, and the fingertips touching his lips trembled.

Before he had time to form another halfhearted protest, Katie yanked up her sweater and whipped it over her head, taking her unfastened bra along with it. She held her arms over her breasts.

“You are beautiful,” he said softly, amazed that he hadn’t noticed it before. “Drop your hands, Katie.”

She did as he asked, revealing herself to him. He covered her with his hands, running his thumbs across her nipples and hearing her sharp intake of breath as he did.

He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to her puckered skin as she pulled off his T-shirt. He shucked it off and drew her to him once again, flipping her onto her back then easing his weight onto her. “The bedroom,” he managed on a ragged breath.

“Here, Noah,” she said against his mouth. “Now.”

* * *

Katie watched as Noah dropped to his knees next to the couch and tugged on the waistband of her jeans, undoing the button and pulling the fabric, along with her underpants, down her hips. She wasn’t sure where she’d got her courage in the past several minutes. Stripping off her sweater as Noah watched? That was totally unlike her.

But when Noah had said he wanted to kiss her, something in Katie’s world shifted. It was all she could ever remember wanting, and there was no way she was going to let this moment pass her by, no matter how out of her element she felt. She knew if she revealed her doubts and insecurities, Noah would stop. The women she’d watched him choose throughout the years were experienced and worldly, able to keep up with him and his desires. Katie found that what she lacked in experience, she made up for in the magnitude of wanting him. It made her bold, and she wasn’t about to let this night end now.

She bit down on her bottom lip as his jeans and boxers dropped to the floor. She hadn’t seen his bare chest since the summer after college and Noah had filled out every bit of the promise his younger body had held. He was solid muscle, broad shoulders tapering to a lean waist and strong legs. She tried to avoid looking too closely at certain parts of him—big parts of him—afraid she’d lose her nerve after all.

A tiny voice inside her head warned her this was a mistake. Noah had been drinking and he was an emotional wreck between worry over his mother and memories of his father. The thought that she might be taking advantage of him slid through her mind and she fervently pushed it away. If anyone was destined to be hurt in this situation, it was Katie. Yet she couldn’t stop.