Stephanie Dees - Their Secret Baby Bond

He wanted roots. She chose career.

Can a baby bring them back together?

Wynn Sheehan planned to change the world—not return to Alabama alone and pregnant. Her life is in shambles, but at least she can help take care of Latham Grant’s ailing grandpa. Latham isn’t ready to trust the woman who eagerly left him and their small town behind. But can they ignore the spark rekindled by unexpected Family Blessings?

Award-winning author STEPHANIE DEES lives in small-town Alabama with her pastor husband and two youngest children. A Southern girl through and through, she loves sweet tea, SEC football, corn on the cob and air-conditioning. For further information, please visit her website at stephaniedees.com.

Also By Stephanie Dees

Love Inspired

Family Blessings

The Dad Next Door

A Baby for the Doctor

Their Secret Baby Bond

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Their Secret Baby Bond

Stephanie Dees

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08244-0

THEIR SECRET BABY BOND

© 2018 Stephanie Newton

Published in Great Britain 2018

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.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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A man’s heart deviseth his way:

but the Lord directeth his steps.

—Proverbs 16:9

“Move your hand over just a little bit.”

His hand settled on her belly and she had to remind herself to breathe. The baby kicked again. “There. Did you feel it?”

“Wynn,” he said, his voice quiet. “It’s a baby.”

It was crazy and weird and somehow perfect, to have this little life growing inside her. She nodded. “Yeah, she’s really there. Isn’t that just the coolest thing?”

The look of wonder in his eyes nearly undid her. She took a couple of steps away and he tugged her back, scooping her into his arms again. “Break’s over. Now you’re going in the pond.”

“What? No!” She gave him her sternest face. “Latham, you can’t throw me in the pond.”

“Oh, all right.” He set her on the ground. “Come on, Mama, let’s go paint your door.”

She followed him onto the porch, heart slamming in her chest. No, no, no, no. It was not possible for her to be falling for Latham Grant again.

Not possible at all.

Dear Reader,

I knew Wynn was a larger-than-life character when she first appeared in A Baby for the Doctor. She’s a world-changer with big dreams...and she’d made a big mistake. She needed a hero who could show her that even big mistakes can be redeemed by the God of restoration! Thankfully Latham (and his grandpa) were up for the job!

I hope you’ve enjoyed your time in Red Hill Springs as much as I have. I love hearing from readers! If you’d like to connect, you can contact me via my website at www.stephaniedees.comor facebook at www.facebook.com/authorstephaniedees.

Stephanie

To my family

Love is real and it looks a lot like you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Bible Verse

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

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

Epilogue

Extract

Chapter One

Wynn Sheehan unlocked the back door and stepped inside the dark storage room. In less than an hour, the quiet would be overwhelmed by clanging pots, sizzling bacon, coffeepots hissing and the murmur of simultaneous conversation. For now, though, she had the Hilltop Café all to herself.

She tucked her long blond hair into a knot and started the morning checklist. Open the blinds, turn on the lights, start the first pot of coffee and the first batch of cinnamon rolls, scramble the eggs, make the batter. She’d watched her mother go through these same motions, and there was something comforting about it. No matter where she had gone, or what she had done, things here, at least, stayed the same.

Measuring flour, shortening and buttermilk, she made the biscuits from a recipe she would’ve sworn she’d long ago banished from her memory. She’d had plans, a sackful of dreams to leave this little town and make her mark on history. She was going to change the world. She’d been passionate and driven.

And naive. So unbelievably naive.

Never would she have thought she would be back at the Hilltop, or back in Red Hill Springs, for that matter, but the Wynn who left for college with stars in her eyes, never planning to come back, was gone.

She’d found herself with no choices and worse, no friends. She didn’t even know when it had happened, how she’d gotten so isolated. Well, looking back, she did know how. She’d been so focused on her job and her boss, the charismatic congressman from Virginia, that she hadn’t had time for anyone else.

She hadn’t even seen anyone else.

The timer dinged and she pulled the cinnamon rolls out of the oven, then slid the first pan of biscuits into place. Next up, the frosting for the cinnamon rolls.