Apb: Baby

Apb: Baby
Julie Miller

After a near-fatal shootout at his sister’s wedding, third-generation lawman Niall Watson comes home to a baby in distress. The abandoned newborn in his neighbor’s apartment sends the Kansas City PD criminologist into rescue mode once again.Social worker Lucy McKane will do whatever it takes to protect the infant boy entrusted to her care. The tall, sexy ME next door may be clueless about her feelings for him, but Niall’s the only one who can keep them safe. As a vengeful killer targets them, desire draws Lucy and Niall dangerously closer. Together, can they find justice and safeguard their newly created family?

“So we agree to work as a team. For Tommy’s sake.”

“For Tommy’s sake.” Lucy took a step closer, and Niall inhaled the scents of baby powder and something slightly more exotic that didn’t have anything to do with the infant she was pushing into his arms.

“Since I’ve convinced you that we’re on the same side now, would you feel comfortable watching him for about ten minutes? That’s all the time I’ll need to freshen up and change so we’re ready to go.”

Her fingers caught for a moment between Tommy and the placket of Niall’s shirt, and even through the pressed cotton, his stomach muscles clenched at the imprint of her knuckles brushing against his skin. But she pulled away to drape a burp rag over his shoulder, apparently unaware of his physiological reactions to her touch and scent.

APB: Baby

Julie Miller

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

JULIE MILLER is an award-winning USA TODAY bestselling author of breathtaking romantic suspense—with a National Readers’ Choice Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award, among other prizes. She has also earned an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award. For a complete list of her books, monthly newsletter and more, go to www.juliemiller.org (http://www.juliemiller.org).

For my husband, Scott E. Miller.

I’m so proud of you for writing your stories and getting them published.

(Welcome to the joys and headaches of being an author.)

Contents

Cover (#u1c0b71f9-1485-5e64-a79f-f86b03b1a81f)

Introduction (#u7d7054de-2796-56d3-a55b-d5c5bdd351ee)

Title Page (#ubea7eacb-70a7-5dfd-b4bf-533223b1051f)

About the Author (#uccf0960a-2eb9-5039-be7c-f84d550be1d5)

Dedication (#ue52d64ba-19ea-5e74-82bf-0a59955fb65b)

Prologue (#ua952ab7f-9050-5cf0-a069-61cf99951c22)

Chapter One (#u076fd94e-bcfa-5e40-be07-1b9905731c95)

Chapter Two (#u71b19431-d447-5cf2-9bcb-669a617d93e2)

Chapter Three (#u505c180e-5186-5127-8b94-ca4c33957e7a)

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)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Prologue (#ulink_2284024a-a093-54fb-abab-12acbca9b241)

Dr. Niall Watson would rather be at the crime lab conducting an autopsy instead of standing at the altar, babysitting his brothers.

But saying no to his baby sister on the day of her wedding wasn’t an option. Putting on the groomsman’s suit and facing the crowd of smiles and tears that filled the church was as much a gift to Olivia and her fiancé as the sterling silver tableware he’d bought at the online department store where they’d registered. If Olivia, the youngest of the four Watson siblings, and the only sister, asked him to keep older brother Duff and younger brother Keir in line today, then Niall would do it. It was a brilliant strategy on her part, he silently admitted. Not only would their rowdier brothers be kept in check, but asking the favor of him was sure to keep Niall engaged in the ceremony. It was smart to give him a specific task to focus on so his mind didn’t wander back to the dead body he’d analyzed yesterday morning at the lab in southeast Kansas City, and the follow-up notes he wanted to log in, or to the facts on a drowning victim he wanted to double-check before turning his findings over to the detectives supervising those particular cases.

As a third-generation cop in a close-knit family of law enforcement professionals, it was practically impossible not to be filled with investigative curiosity, or to have dedication and responsibility running through his veins. When it came to work and family, at any rate. And for Niall, there was nothing else. Work filled his life, and the Watson family filled his heart.

Except when they were screwing around—like Duff beside him, running his finger beneath the starched collar of his white shirt and grumbling something about Valentine’s Day curses while he fiddled with the knot on his cherry-red tie. Or Keir, chattering up the aisle behind Niall, saying something outrageous enough to the bridesmaid he was escorting to make her giggle. Then Keir patted her hand on his arm and turned to wink at Millie, the family housekeeper-cook they’d all grown up with, as he passed the silver-haired woman in the second pew. The older woman blushed, and Keir blew her a kiss.

Niall adjusted the dark frames of his glasses and nailed Keir with a look warning him to let go of the bridesmaid, stop working the room and assume his place beside him as one of Gabe’s groomsmen, already.

“Natalie is married to Liv’s partner, you know.” The tallest of the three brothers, Niall dropped his chin to whisper under his breath.

“Relax, charm-school dropout.” Keir clapped Niall on the shoulder of the black tuxedo he wore, grinning as he stepped up beside him. “Young or old, married or not—it never hurts to be friendly.”

Olivia might be the youngest of the four siblings, all third-generation law enforcement who served their city proudly. And she might be the only woman in the tight-knit Watson family since their mother’s murder when Niall had barely been a teen. But there was no question that Liv ran the show. Despite Duff’s tough-guy grousing or Keir’s clever charm or Niall’s own reserved, logical prowess, Olivia Mary Watson—soon to be Olivia Knight—had each of them, including their widowed father and grandfather, wrapped around her pretty little finger. If she asked Niall to keep their headstrong Irish family in line today, then he would do exactly that.

With Keir set for the moment, Niall angled his position toward the groom and best man Duff. He didn’t need to adjust his glasses to see the bulge at the small of Duff’s back beneath the tailored black jacket. Niall’s nostrils flared with a patience-inducing breath before he whispered, “Seriously? Are you packing today?”

Duff’s overbuilt shoulders shifted as he turned to whisper a response. “Hey. You wear your glasses every day, Poindexter. I wear my gun.”

“I wasn’t aware that you knew what the term Poindexter meant.”

“I’m smarter than I look” was Duff’s terse response.

Keir chuckled. “He’d have to be.”

Duff’s muscular shoulders shifted. “So help me, baby brother, if you give me any grief today, I will lay you out flat.”

“Zip it. Both of you.” Niall knew that he was quickly losing control of his two charges. He scowled at Keir. “You, mind your manners.” When Duff went after the collar hugging his muscular neck again, Niall leaned in. “And you stop fidgeting like a little kid.”

A curious look from the minister waiting behind them quieted all three brothers for the moment. With everything ready for their sister’s walk down the aisle, the processional music started. Niall scanned the rest of the crowd as they rose to their feet. Their grandfather Seamus Watson hooked his cane over the railing as he stood in the front row. He winked one blue eye at Niall before pulling out his handkerchief and turning toward the aisle to dab at the tears he didn’t want anybody to see.