Teresa Carpenter: Baby Under The Christmas Tree

Gift-wrapped family

San Diego hockey team’s PR director Elle Austin goes beyond the call of duty to keep their rebel captain in check—even playing nanny to his son!

Max Beasley knows nothing about looking after a baby, so he enlists Elle’s help after little Troy is left on his doorstep by his irresponsible ex.

Maybe it’s the spirit of Christmas, or seeing Max’s softer side, but Elle wishes he saw her as more than just an employee, and that they could give Troy the best gift of all—a family!

“I’m going to bring Troy to live with me. Ray said you’d help me.”

Elle stopped and spun around. “Are you serious?” She didn’t know whether to applaud his decision or be worried for Troy’s welfare.

“Dead serious.” He glanced around to where Troy squirmed under the covers. “Will you help?”

Elle bit her lip and reluctantly nodded. For Troy’s sake, she’d help Max. She really had no choice if Ray had already committed her.

“I’ll talk to Ray. We’ll put together a plan. But first I need to go home to shower and change.”

“You can do that here,” he insisted. “I’m sure I can find something for you to wear.”

“No, thank you.” She continued on her journey toward freedom.

His hand wrapped around hers, derailing her escape.

“Max! Stop it.” She pushed at his shoulders. “Are you insane?”

“I was hoping to change your mind about leaving.”

“Well, you haven’t.” She tried to step back, but his arms tightened as he stared into her eyes.

“Come on, Elle, we both know the animosity between us is a defense against an inconvenient attraction.”

“I know nothing of the kind.”

She refused to accept that the sizzle between them held any depth. Even if she agreed with him, there were too many complications for them ever to consider acting on a mutual attraction.

Praise for Teresa Carpenter

“Teresa Carpenter’s Her Baby, His Proposal makes an oft-used premise work brilliantly through skilled plotting, deft characterization and just the right amount of humor.”

—RT Book Reviews

“This is a fun read with lovable characters whose situation is emotionally compelling and believable.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Boss’s Surprise Son

“The writing brings to life a lot of heart, emotion and feelings that make this contemporary romance shine and readers should find what they’re looking for when they want a quality romance.”

—Long and Short Reviews Romance on The Sheriff’s Doorstep Baby

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Teresa Carpenter believes in the power of unconditional love, and that there’s no better place to find it than between the pages of a romance novel. Reading is a passion for Teresa—a passion that led to a calling. She began writing more than twenty years ago, and marks the sale of her first book as one of her happiest memories. Teresa gives back to her craft by volunteering her time to Romance Writers of America on a local and national level.

A fifth-generation Californian, she lives in San Diego, within miles of her extensive family, and knows that with their help she can accomplish anything. She takes particular joy and pride in her nieces and nephews, who are all bright, fit, shining stars of the future. If she’s not at a family event, you’ll usually find her at home—reading, writing or playing with her adopted Chihuahua, Jefe.

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Now 30 years strong.

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Thank you for being my friends, my colleagues, my fans. The journey isn’t over yet.

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

Excerpt

PROLOGUE

ELLE AUSTINSAT very still in the corner of her bunk, knees tucked up to her chest under the yellow satin of her Belle princess dress. Retreating from the chaos reigning in the room, she smoothed her hand over the soft material. She loved her Belle dress.

Mama had made the gown just for her and she liked it better than the costume that came with her admission to Princess Camp. Mostly because Mama didn’t do anything girlie, but when her parents had agreed to let Elle come to camp, Mama took a class and made the dress. Elle figured Mama got a lot of help from the teacher, but she didn’t care. Her Belle dress shimmered and flowed and was the most beautiful in camp. Everyone said so.

“What’s wrong, Elle?” Amanda came to sit on the edge of Elle’s bed. Posture straight, hands clasped in her lap amid the full skirt of her Rapunzel dress, Amanda’s serene smile brought a moment’s calm to the chaotic activity dominating the cabin.

Elle wanted to cover her ears but she wasn’t a baby anymore. At eleven she was big enough to come to Princess Camp alone. That meant she was big enough to handle a little friendly bustling.

“Everyone is talking at once.” She forced a smile for Amanda. “How can anyone hear what anyone else is saying?”

“With all your brothers I’d think you’d be used to a lot of noise and activity.”

“I am.” Elle pleated her skirt between tense fingers. She loved her family, knew they loved her, but she often felt the misfit among the athletic, boisterous crowd. She confessed to her friend something she’d never told anyone. “But I don’t like it. It makes me nervous. I like order.”

“Me, too.” Amanda nodded. “But this is fun noise. Everyone is excited about the talent show. They’re just sharing their ideas and claiming their spots.”

“But no one is paying attention.” Wasted noise, wasted energy, it made everything in her go tight. And her stomach hurt.

“I know.” Amanda stood and wound her way through the six girls dancing and twirling in the middle of the room. At her bunk she bent and pulled a book out of her backpack. A minute later she was back and handing Elle the book, which was actually a journal, and a purple pen.

“For you. To take down what everyone is saying. My grandmother says organization is the foundation of greatness. And my grandfather says chaos is merely random patterns that need to be put in order.”

“I can take notes.” Elle sat forward and took the book. She didn’t really want to try to make sense of the excited chatter, but it had to be better than hiding in the corner. Amanda and Michelle were so pretty and so smart. Elle refused to be a sissy baby in front of them.

She nodded and began to listen for the different voices, pulling individuals out of the mix. Michelle first; her melodic voice made her easy to discern.

Elle noted her friend’s choice of singing a song from Sleeping Beauty. Of course.

Next the Little Mermaid twins were enthusing together about a tap-dance routine.

Cinderella wanted to talk costumes.

And Mulan did a kick as she announced she’d be doing martial arts.