Terry Essig - What The Nursery Needs...

“Catherine, are you pregnant with somebody’s baby?” “Catherine, are you pregnant with somebody’s baby?” She blinked, startled. “What? For heaven’s sake. No. Of course not.” Jason observed her carefully. “Then what’s with the nursery? That’s a lot of work to go through for nothing. I know you mentioned wanting to become a mother. Maybe you’re planning on adopting?” Catherine twirled her hair. “Not exactly.” She took a deep breath. “Funny you should bring this up, Jason, because I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” His eyes never left her face. “What?” She sipped her coffee and studied the inside of the mug as though it held the secret of life. Finally she blurted out what she’d been holding inside all these weeks. “Jason, would you consider giving me a baby?” Letter to Reader Dear Reader, To ring in 1998—Romance-style!—we’ve got some new voices and some exciting new love stories from the authors you love. Valerie Parv is best known for her Harlequin Romance and Presents novels, but The Billionaire’s Baby Chase, this month’s compelling FABULOUS FEATHERS title, marks her commanding return to Silhouette! This billionaire daddy is pure alpha male...and no one—not even the heroine!—will keep him from his long-lost daughter.... Doreen Roberts’s sparkling new title, In Love with the Boss, features the classic boss/secretary theme. Discover how a no-nonsense temp catches the eye—and heart—of her wealthy brooding boss. If you want to laugh out loud, don’t miss Terry Essig’s What the Nursery Needs... In this charming story, what the heroine needs is the right man to make a baby! Hmm... A disillusioned rancher finds himself thinking, Say You’ll Stay and Marry Me, when he falls for the beautiful wanderer who is stranded on his ranch in this emotional tale by Patti Standard. And, believe me, if you think The Bride, the Trucker and the Great Escape sounds fun, just wait till you read this engaging romantic adventure by Suzanne McMinn. And in The Sheriff with the Wyoming-Size Heart by Kathy Jacobson, emotions run high as a small-town lawman and a woman with secrets try to give romance a chance.... And there’s much more to come in 1998! I hope you enjoy our selections this month—and every month. Happy New Year! Joan Marlow Golan Senior Editor Silhouette Books Please address questions and book requests to: Silhouette Reader Service U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269 Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3 Title Page What The Nursery Needs… Terry Essig www.millsandboon.co.uk Dedication To Stephanie Scharf, for all those long drives to Chicago’s Inner City to help me teach art. And to her husband, David Taber, for his help and support. You’re both the best. About the Author TERRY ESSIG lives in northern Indiana. She has six children, a wonderful husband and a crazy English setter. (Better the dog than the husband, although with all the music lessons, sport activities and general mayhem, the husband may more than occasionally feel like he’s losing his mind.) Terry finds it all, uh, good inspiration for her writing? Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Copyright

“Catherine, are you pregnant with somebody’s baby?”

She blinked, startled. “What? For heaven’s sake. No. Of course not.”

Jason observed her carefully. “Then what’s with the nursery? That’s a lot of work to go through for nothing. I know you mentioned wanting to become a mother. Maybe you’re planning on adopting?”

Catherine twirled her hair. “Not exactly.” She took a deep breath. “Funny you should bring this up, Jason, because I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

His eyes never left her face. “What?”

She sipped her coffee and studied the inside of the mug as though it held the secret of life. Finally she blurted out what she’d been holding inside all these weeks. “Jason, would you consider giving me a baby?”

Dear Reader,

To ring in 1998—Romance-style!—we’ve got some new voices and some exciting new love stories from the authors you love.

Valerie Parv is best known for her Harlequin Romance and Presents novels, but The Billionaire’s Baby Chase, this month’s compelling FABULOUS FEATHERS title, marks her commanding return to Silhouette! This billionaire daddy is pure alpha male...and no one—not even the heroine!—will keep him from his long-lost daughter....

Doreen Roberts’s sparkling new title, In Love with the Boss, features the classic boss/secretary theme. Discover how a no-nonsense temp catches the eye—and heart—of her wealthy brooding boss. If you want to laugh out loud, don’t miss Terry Essig’s What the Nursery Needs... In this charming story, what the heroine needs is the right man to make a baby! Hmm...

A disillusioned rancher finds himself thinking, Say You’ll Stay and Marry Me, when he falls for the beautiful wanderer who is stranded on his ranch in this emotional tale by Patti Standard. And, believe me, if you think The Bride, the Trucker and the Great Escape sounds fun, just wait till you read this engaging romantic adventure by Suzanne McMinn. And in The Sheriff with the Wyoming-Size Heart by Kathy Jacobson, emotions run high as a small-town lawman and a woman with secrets try to give romance a chance....

And there’s much more to come in 1998! I hope you enjoy our selections this month—and every month.

Happy New Year!

Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor

Silhouette Books

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Stephanie Scharf,

for all those long drives to Chicago’s Inner City

to help me teach art. And to her husband, David Taber,

for his help and support.

You’re both the best.

TERRY ESSIG

lives in northern Indiana. She has six children, a wonderful husband and a crazy English setter. (Better the dog than the husband, although with all the music lessons, sport activities and general mayhem, the husband may more than occasionally feel like he’s losing his mind.) Terry finds it all, uh, good inspiration for her writing?

Chapter One

The dark blue sedan drew up to the curb, its speed slowing to match the pace of the young preadolescent girl walking down the sidewalk. With a near silent whisper, the passenger side window slid down. The driver leaned over to call out through the opening, “Hey, you with the snazzy earrings, want a ride? I’ve got candy.” He let the temptation dangle in the air between them.

The child, temporarily forgetting the embarrassment of her barely burgeoning breasts, pulled her shoulders back and glared in the direction of the car. “No, thanks,” she said, adjusting her backpack strap on her shoulder and picking up her pace. “My father doesn’t want me talking to strange men.”

The man behind the wheel slumped briefly. The emphasis on the word father didn’t bode well. Whatever happened to daddy? He sighed and stepped slightly on the gas. The car surged just enough to keep him abreast of the girl. “Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. I’ve got a ton of candy in here. Wouldn’t you like a treat after a hard day at school?”

The girl stopped in her tracks and turned to face the car. “What kind of candy?” she asked.