Substitute Daddy

Substitute Daddy
Kate Welsh

BABY BEQUESTWealthy playboy Brett Costain met virginal Melissa Abell at their siblings' wedding…but their one stolen kiss led to disaster and humiliation. Now, years later, a tragedy reunited them, forcing Brett to find the woman he'd coldly spurned, a woman with a secret only the two of them shared.She was pregnant with the Costain heir.Being a surrogate for her sister had been a selfless act, and Brett was determined that Melissa not be alone. So he traded his courtly estate for a quaint farm and quickly discovered that he wanted to be much more than his brother's substitute….

Brett’s eyes lit with amazement as the baby kicked exactly where he pressed his hand.

The look on his face was one she knew she’d never forget. Wonder. Joy.

Brett’s eyes rose to meet Melissa’s, and there was something else written there. It was hot and needy and had nothing whatsoever to do with the baby. Slowly, as if forcing himself, he pulled his hand away.

The feel of his fingertips just before they broke contact sent a spiraling shaft of desire through her. The pull between them was stronger. She could feel it. She knew he could, too. And though they both fought it and never spoke of it, it grew. But she was as wrong for Brett and his lifestyle as he was for hers. Besides, Brett was never going to be more to the baby than an uncle, and Melissa knew she had to stop hoping things could be different. They couldn’t.

Could they?

Dear Reader,

Not only does Special Edition bring you the joys of life, love and family—but we also capitalize on our authors’ many talents in storytelling. In our spotlight, Christine Rimmer’s exciting new miniseries, VIKING BRIDES, is the epitome of innovative reading. The first book, The Reluctant Princess, details the transformation of an everyday woman to glorious royal—with a Viking lover to match! Christine tells us, “For several years, I’ve dreamed of creating a modern-day country where the ways of the legendary Norsemen would still hold sway. I imagined what fun it would be to match up the most macho of men, the Vikings, with contemporary American heroines. Oh, the culture clash—oh, the lovely potential for lots of romantic fireworks! This dream became VIKING BRIDES.” Don’t miss this fabulous series!

Our Readers’ Ring selection is Judy Duarte’s Almost Perfect, a darling tale of how good friends fall in love as they join forces to raise two orphaned kids. This one will get you talking! Next, Gina Wilkins delights us with Faith, Hope and Family, in which a tormented heroine returns to save her family and faces the man she’s always loved. You’ll love Elizabeth Harbison’s Midnight Cravings, in which a sassy publicist and a small-town police chief fall hard for each other and give in to a sizzling attraction.

The Unexpected Wedding Guest, by Patricia McLinn, brings together an unlikely couple who share an unexpected kiss. Newcomer to Special Edition Kate Welsh is no stranger to fresh plot twists, in Substitute Daddy, in which a heroine carries her deceased twin’s baby and has feelings for the last man on earth she should love—her snooty brother-in-law.

As you can see, we have a story for every reader’s taste. Stay tuned next month for six more top picks from Special Edition!

Sincerely,

Karen Taylor Richman

Senior Editor

Substitute Daddy

Kate Welsh

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

To my daughter, Heather.

May you and your hero live happily ever after. Happy first anniversary.

Mom

KATE WELSH,

a lover of all things romantic, has been writing romance for nearly twenty years. She is a three-time finalist and two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s coveted Golden Heart and was a RITA

Award finalist in 2000. Substitute Daddy is her first Silhouette Special Edition novel but her tenth published novel.

Kate lives just outside Philadelphia in Havertown, Pennsylvania, with her husband of over thirty years, her daughter and her Chesapeake Bay retriever, Ecko. And Kali the family cat, who didn’t want a playmate when the puppy moved in two years ago and still doesn’t!

Dear Reader,

Every once in a while a scene comes into my head, and if I am lucky a book evolves. The prologue of this book was just such a moment for me and Substitute Daddy was just such a book. I’m so excited to have had such a magical experience evolve into my first book for Silhouette Special Edition.

As a writer I do a lot of “what if” thinking. I don’t think there is a better way to enrich a story than to insert a few dire “what ifs” to an interesting scene. So I set about upping the heroine’s conflict and added a hero from the other side of the fence. I made him a man in transition and gave him a lot to lose and learn and a lot of love to give.

And Substitute Daddy was born. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Contents

Prologue

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

Chapter Nineteen