Baby In Her Arms

Baby In Her Arms
Judy Christenberry

What was she going to do about Josh? (#ue903e52f-9b5d-5e15-bf22-e4abfd1e6322)Letter to Reader (#u94c33c24-c106-5a4f-9a38-fc2c15cf4760)Title Page (#u8813144a-d22a-5615-82c5-5dc86e2526e2)About the Author (#uffd50573-53b6-5656-b9cc-88c1bb7d05c2)Chapter One (#ud8ed3384-e3d7-5b4b-9d82-55288cdee00f)Chapter Two (#uc93bbf93-4110-54aa-91f3-1c3c805ec996)Chapter Three (#ucb75925f-5dd1-5ae1-8acd-803c7dab39af)Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

What was she going to do about Josh?

That was number one on Maggie’s list of interesting topics.

Sunday morning, when she woke up in his arms, she’d figured out that she loved him. She hadn’t wanted to leave his embrace. But she had—even though she’d had to work her anger to fever pitch to do it. Without that anger, she would have melted into his arms.

And now he was offering her a permanent place in his life. At least for a while.

But he wasn’t offering love.

Which meant she couldn’t ever be in his bed.

Could she live with the man and not plead for his touch? She didn’t know. And that was what she would have to decide before she could give him an answer to his latest proposal....

Dear Reader,

Happy Valentine’s Day! What better way to celebrate than with a Silhouette Romance novel? We’re sweeter than chocolate—and less damaging to the hips! This month is filled with special treats just for you. LOVING THE BOSS, our six-book series about office romances that lead to happily ever after, continues with The Night Before Baby by Karen Rose Smith. In this sparkling story, an unforgettable one-night stand—during the company Christmas party!—leads to an unexpected pregnancy and a mustread marriage of convenience.

Teresa Southwick crafts an emotional BUNDLES OF JOY title, in which the forbidden man of her dreams becomes a pregnant woman’s stand-in groom. Don’t miss A Vow, a Ring, a Baby Swing. When a devil-may-care bachelor discovers he’s a daddy, he offers the prim heroine a chance to hold a Baby in Her Arms, as Judy Christenberry’s LUCKY CHARM SISTERS trilogy resumes.

Award-winning author Marie Ferrarella proves it’s Never Too Late for Love as the bride’s mother and the groom’s widower father discover their children’s wedding was just the beginning in this charming continuation of LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER. Beloved author Arlene James lends a traditional touch to Silhouette Romance’s ongoing HE’S MY HERO promotion with Mr. Right Next Door. And FAMILY MATTERS spotlights new talent Elyssa Henry with her heartwarming debut, A Family for the Sheriff.

Treat yourself to each and every offering this month. And in future months, look for more of the stories you love...and the authors you cherish.

Enjoy!

Mary-Theresa Hussey

Senior Editor, Silhouette Romance

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

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Baby in Her Arms

Judy Christenberry

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

JUDY CHRISTENBERRY

has been writing romances for fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. She’s a bestselling writer for Harlequin American Romance, but she has a long love of traditional romances and is delighted to tell a story that brings those elements to the reader. Judy quit teaching French recently and devotes her time to writing. She hopes readers have as much fun reading her stories as she does writing them. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy’s a native Texan, living in Plano, a suburb of Dallas.

Chapter One

“Wahhhh!”

Josh McKinley stared down at the baby in the car seat next to him as if she were an alien newly arrived on earth.

“Listen,” he began, desperation in his voice, “I know you’re not happy, but I’m not, either. I mean, it’s not that I don‘t—that is, I know you’re—hell. I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”

A little sob was the only response. Not that he expected conversation from an eight-month-old, but he didn’t have anyone else to talk to. And it made the baby stop crying.

At least, he’d thought it had. She’d apparently only been taking a breather so she could scream louder.

Nervously he leaned over and snapped on the radio. The hard rock he usually listened to didn’t seem appropriate, and he scanned several stations until he found one playing a soothing melody.

Again the baby—his baby—stopped crying.

His baby.

When Child Protective Services had called his office earlier that day, he hadn’t gotten back to them right away. He was busy. Besides, he didn’t do kids.

Joshua McKinley, Private Investigator, was one of the top private eyes in Kansas City. He could pick and choose among the many cases offered.

They called back, leaving another message.

He’d had a client consultation that was tricky. He’d call them later. They probably only wanted a donation or something.

At five-thirty he had wrapped up the details of several cases and was chatting on the phone with a model he’d dated a time or two when call-waiting had interrupted. He’d almost ignored it. But the model seemed to have rocks in her head instead of brains. Besides, the call might have been a new case.

“Hello?”

“Is this Joshua McKinley?”

“Sure is. What can I do for you?”

“You could try returning your calls,” the female voice had said indignantly.

“Who is this?”

“Abigail Cox, Child Protective Services. Didn’t you get my messages?”

Even his mother hadn’t chastised him as determinedly as this stranger. He’d straightened his shoulders. “Yes, I did, but I’m running a business here.”

“And I have a very unhappy baby who needs her daddy.”

“Lady, if the case isn’t too complicated, I can take it on, pro bono, in a couple of days. Send me the details.” He wasn’t an unfeeling monster.

“Mr. McKinley, it won’t take the detective skills of Sherlock Holmes for you to find the baby’s father. It’s you.”