Merry Christmas, Baby Maverick!

Merry Christmas, Baby Maverick!
Brenda Harlen

RUST CREEK RAMBLINGSThere’s no place like home for the holidays. But Trey Strickland’s house is about to become a bit more crowded than he anticipated. Merry Christmas, Baby Daddy! The sexy Thunder Canyon rancher has no idea he will soon be a father.But just who is carrying Trey’s baby? Dear readers, the answer may shock you! Let’s just say that it is someone well known to this reporter. Our mystery mama can’t figure out how to tell Trey she is in a family way after their one night together. What will happen when the truth comes out? Will her cowboy crush race off for parts unknown, or will he deliver the perfect Christmas proposal in a tiny velvet box?

“How have you been?” he asked.Pregnant.

The word was on the tip of Kayla’s tongue because, of course, that reality had been at the forefront of her mind since the little plus sign had appeared on the test she’d bought at the pharmacy in Kalispell. But she didn’t dare say it aloud, because she knew he couldn’t understand when he didn’t even remember sleeping with her.

“Fine,” she said instead. “And you?”

“Fine,” he echoed.

She nodded.

An awkward silence followed.

“I wanted to call you,” he said, dropping his voice to ensure that his words wouldn’t be overheard by any passersby. “There were so many times I thought about picking up the phone, just because I was thinking about you.”

Her heart, already racing, accelerated even more. “You were thinking about me?”

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we danced at the wedding.”

Since we danced?

That was what Trey remembered about that night? She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

* * *

Montana Mavericks:What Happened at the Wedding? A weekend Rust Creek Falls will never forget!

Merry Christmas,

Baby Maverick!

Brenda Harlen

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

BRENDA HARLEN is a former attorney who once had the privilege of appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada. The practice of law taught her a lot about the world and reinforced her determination to become a writer—because in fiction, she could promise a happy ending! Now she is an award-winning, national bestselling author of more than thirty titles for Mills & Boon. You can keep up-to-date with Brenda on Facebook and Twitter or through her website, www.brendaharlen.com (http://www.brendaharlen.com).

For loyal readers of all the Montana Mavericks series, from Whitehorn to Thunder Canyon and Rust Creek Falls.

This book is also dedicated to Robin Harlen (May 8, 1943–December 20, 2014)—a wonderful father-in-law to me and granddad to my children. He would be pleased to know that I finished this book on schedule.

Contents

Cover (#uf5183288-9db2-5d7d-aa7f-2cb1f07446f3)

Introduction (#u2bfc8728-9ed3-53cc-8412-cba379d074de)

Title Page (#u5f1da2a7-3096-5b56-bf8d-8dfd98396edb)

About the Author (#u51dbf5bc-75bf-54e5-bec0-6f6defb4f581)

Dedication (#u89efeff6-8db8-5c90-8492-6ac88055fbd0)

Prologue (#u8ee9979c-af1f-57b7-ba21-8ff6c23b0a6a)

Chapter One (#u3749e564-2daa-585e-bacd-aae565af39a1)

Chapter Two (#ub644b26f-e4c7-5efa-820b-067e6d9194b0)

Chapter Three (#u97637f4e-71a0-59ff-bd08-2330d37c3b03)

Chapter Four (#uf866d401-9431-59fe-82ec-c11a91e3d4ec)

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)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Prologue (#ulink_0fc97ede-19dd-5220-85a2-1d522dc00f42)

Fourth of July

Trey Strickland did a double take when he first spotted Kayla Dalton at the wedding of local rancher Braden Traub to Jennifer MacCallum of Whitehorn.

Although Trey was only visiting from Thunder Canyon, his family had lived in Rust Creek Falls for a number of years while he was growing up. His best friend during that time was Derek Dalton, who had two older brothers, Eli and Jonah, and two younger sisters, twins Kristen and Kayla.