Lara Lacombe - The Coltons of Roaring Springs

The family she’s always wanted is under siege

A Coltons of Roaring Springs thriller

Molly Gilford has worked hard to rescue her family legacy from the Colton name. But she can’t help but put her professional life to the side when she meets her cousin Blaine’s sexy BFF, former soldier Max Hollick. Their torrid affair yields an unexpected baby bump...and when a dangerous enemy’s fury is unleashed, Max and Molly must fight the elements and a mysterious villain to save their growing family.

LARA LACOMBEearned a PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. Her day job as a college science professor gives her time to pursue her other love—writing fast-paced romantic suspense with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. She loves to hear from readers! Find her on the web or contact her at laralacombewriter@gmail.com

Also by Lara Lacombe

Ranger’s Justice

Ranger’s Baby Rescue

Colton K-9 Bodyguard

Enticed by the Operative

Dr. Do-or-Die

Her Lieutenant Protector

Pregnant by the Colton Cowboy

Colton Baby Homecoming

Deadly Contact

Fatal Fallout

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Colton’s Covert Baby

Lara Lacombe

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09403-0

COLTON’S COVERT BABY

© 2019 Harlequin Books S.A.

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

About the Publisher

I ’m not going to make it.

Molly Gilford walked quickly through the main floor of The Lodge, headed for the gondola dock at the back of the massive structure. As the only five-star resort located on Pine Peak, The Lodge catered to guests who enjoyed winter sports. Skiing, snowboarding, hiking, even camping—the outdoor activities were designed for every skill level, from beginner to expert. And when the guests were done playing in the snow, they came inside to enjoy all the luxuries The Lodge had to offer.

As director of guest services, Molly couldn’t help but view the space with a critical eye, even as she dashed past. There was snow packed into the weave of the mat by the main entrance, tracked in by guests and staff alike. A few discarded coffee cups sat on a table in one of the many conversation nooks arranged throughout the room. One of the curtains was askew, and was that a...nose print on the window? Molly squinted, pausing in her journey. Yes, it looked like the glass bore a smudge from what was likely a dog’s nose, given its location on the window and the extent of the smear. She shook her head and set off again, her low heels sounding out a rapid tattoo on the pale gray marble tiles. Overall, not a bad state of affairs, but not up to the lofty standards of The Lodge, either.

She took her phone out of her purse as she stepped into the gondola carriage, typing out her observations in a message to the head of housekeeping. Nadia Carrington was Molly’s right-hand woman, and she knew the older lady would ensure that the small issues Molly had noticed would be addressed within minutes.

That task done, she checked the time. Two fifty-seven. Three minutes until departure. She’d meant to take the ride down the mountain an hour ago, but time had gotten away from her. There was nothing to do about it now. Her doctor’s appointment was at three thirty. It took fifteen minutes to ride down, giving her the same amount of time to find her car and make the drive into town. She was going to be late for certain, but hopefully the same could be said for Dr. Allen, who offered Sunday appointments once a month as a courtesy to her patients.

With nothing to do but wait, Molly glanced around the interior of the gondola carriage. It was a large space, big enough to hold twenty people at a time. A few small tables and chairs were arranged along the curve of the glass wall at the front of the carriage, which maximized the view for guests as they glided down the mountain. The soft gray carpet and matching drapes ensured that the interior of the gondola did nothing to distract from the scenery—if you stood at the front of the carriage, with the sky above you and the snowy slopes below, it was easy to imagine you were floating down the mountain.

Molly had the carriage to herself, which wasn’t too surprising. At this time of day, most guests were either enjoying the outdoors or staying inside to pamper themselves at the spa. Traffic would pick up again in the evening as guests from The Lodge made their way to The Chateau or the town beyond for dinner.

There was a small refrigerator next to the gondola entrance. Molly retrieved a bottle of water and sank onto the seat of a chair. It felt good to get off her feet, if only for the short ride.