Lisa Jackson - Million Dollar Baby

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson brings you a reader-favorite story of love, compassion and redemption.

When Chandra Hill is awakened by a cry in the night, she is shocked to discover an abandoned newborn in her barn. She takes him to the hospital, but as a former pediatrician her instincts have already kicked in. Before she knows it, she’s discussing options for the baby with the emergency room doctor, Dallas O’Rourke.

Dallas finds himself bonding instantly with the baby—and with the intriguing woman who brought him in. And when the baby’s adoption becomes national news, Dallas realizes that what he really wants is a life with them both.

Praise for #1 New York Times bestselling author

“[B]estselling Jackson cranks up the suspense to almost unbearable heights in her latest tautly written thriller.”

— Booklist on Malice

“When it comes to providing gritty and sexy stories, Ms. Jackson certainly knows how to deliver.”

— RT Book Reviews on Unspoken

“Provocative prose, an irresistible plot and finely crafted characters make up Jackson’s latest contemporary sizzler.”

— Publishers Weekly on Wishes

“Lisa Jackson takes my breath away.”

—#1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller

Million Dollar Baby

Lisa Jackson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Cover

Back Cover Text #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson brings you a reader-favorite story of love, compassion and redemption. When Chandra Hill is awakened by a cry in the night, she is shocked to discover an abandoned newborn in her barn. She takes him to the hospital, but as a former pediatrician her instincts have already kicked in. Before she knows it, she’s discussing options for the baby with the emergency room doctor, Dallas O’Rourke. Dallas finds himself bonding instantly with the baby—and with the intriguing woman who brought him in. And when the baby’s adoption becomes national news, Dallas realizes that what he really wants is a life with them both.

Praise Praise for #1 New York Times bestselling author “[B]estselling Jackson cranks up the suspense to almost unbearable heights in her latest tautly written thriller.” — Booklist on Malice “When it comes to providing gritty and sexy stories, Ms. Jackson certainly knows how to deliver.” — RT Book Reviews on Unspoken “Provocative prose, an irresistible plot and finely crafted characters make up Jackson’s latest contemporary sizzler.” — Publishers Weekly on Wishes “Lisa Jackson takes my breath away.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller

Title Page Million Dollar Baby Lisa Jackson www.millsandboon.co.uk

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

EPILOGUE

Copyright

THE DOG STUCK his wet nose in Chandra’s face. He whined and nuzzled her jaw.

“Go ’way,” Chandra grumbled, squeezing her eyes shut. She burrowed deeper into the pillows, hoping Sam would get the message, but Sam didn’t give up. The persistent retriever clawed at her covers and barked loudly enough to wake the neighbors ten miles down the road. “Knock it off, Sam!” Irritated, she yanked a pillow over her head and rolled over. But she was awake now and couldn’t ignore Sam’s whining and pacing along the rail of the loft; the metal licenses hanging from his collar rattled noisily.

When she didn’t respond, he snorted loudly and padded quickly down the stairs, whereupon he barked again.

So he had to go out. “You should’ve thought of this earlier.” Reluctantly, Chandra pulled herself into a sitting position and shoved a handful of hair from her eyes. She shivered a little and, yawning, rubbed her arms.

Sam barked excitedly, and she considered letting him out and leaving him on the porch. As Indian summer faded into autumn, the nighttime temperature in the Rocky Mountain foothills had begun to dip toward freezing. “It would serve you right,” she said ungraciously as she glanced at the clock on the table near the bed. One forty-three. Still plenty of time to fall asleep again before the alarm clock was set to go off.

Grumbling under her breath, she had leaned over and was reaching under the bed, feeling around for her boots, when she heard it: the sound that had filtered through her dreams and pierced her subconscious over Sam’s insistent barking. The noise, a distant wail, reminded Chandra of the hungry cry of a baby or the noise a Siamese cat would make if it were in pain. Chandra’s skin crawled.

You’re imagining things! she told herself. She was miles from civilization….

The cry, distant and muffled, broke the silence again. Chandra sat bolt upright in bed. Her heart knocked crazily. Clutching the quilt around her shoulders, she swung her feet to the floor and crossed the worn wood planks to the railing, where she could look down and survey the first floor of the cabin.

Moonlight streamed through the windows, and a few embers glowed behind the glass doors of the wood stove. Otherwise the cabin was cloaked in the darkness that night brought to this isolated stretch of woods.

She could barely see Sam. His whiskey-colored coat blended into the shadows as he paced beside the door, alternately whining and growling as he scratched on the threshold.

“So now you’re Lassie, is that it?” she asked. “Telling me that there’s something out there.”

He yelped back.

“This is nuts. Hush, Sam,” Chandra commanded, her skin prickling as her eyes adjusted to the shadows. Straining to listen, she reached for the pair of old jeans she’d tossed carelessly across the foot of the bed hours earlier. The familiar noises in this little cabin in the foothills hadn’t changed. From the ticking of the grandfather clock to the murmur of the wind rushing through the boughs of the pine and aspen that surrounded the cabin, the sounds of the Colorado night were as comforting as they had always been. The wind chimes on her porch tinkled softly, and the leaky faucet in the bathroom dripped a steady tattoo.

The cry came again. A chill raced up Chandra’s spine. Was it a baby? No way. Not up here in these steep hills. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Most likely some small beast had been wounded and was in pain—a cat who had strayed or a wounded raccoon…maybe even a bear cub separated from its mother….

Snarling, Sam started back up the stairs toward her.

“Hold on, hold on.” Chandra yanked on her jeans and stuffed the end of her flannel nightshirt into the waistband. She slid her feet into wool socks and, after another quick search under the bed, crammed her feet into her boots.

Her father’s old .22 was tucked into a corner of the closet. She hesitated, grabbed her down jacket, then curled her fingers over the barrel of the Winchester. Better safe than sorry. Maybe the beast was too far gone and she’d have to put it out of its misery. Maybe it was rabid.

And maybe it’s not a beast at all.

By the time she and the retriever crept back downstairs, Sam was nearly out of his mind, barking and growling, ready to take on the world. “Slow down,” Chandra ordered, reaching into the pocket of her jacket, feeling the smooth shells for her .22. She slipped two cartridges into the rifle’s cold chamber.