Judy Duarte: The Lawman's Convenient Family

“Will you marry me, for a while?”

Adam Santiago’s always been a lone ranger. But when the detective teams with music therapist Julie Chapman to save two young orphans, pretty soon his heart’s a goner, too! Julie’s willing to do anything—even become Adam’s pretend bride—to keep a brother and sister together. But as she falls head over heels for her polar opposite, will this marriage of convenience become an affair of the heart?

“Judy really has a way with Western romances and handsome cowboys!” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller

Since 2002, USA TODAY bestselling author JUDY DUARTE has written over forty books for Mills & Boon, earned two RITA® Award nominations, won two Maggie Awards and received a National Readers’ Choice Award. When she’s not cooped up in her writing cave, she enjoys traveling with her husband and spending quality time with her grandchildren. You can learn more about Judy and her books on her website, judyduarte.com, or at Facebook.com/judyduartenovelist.

Also by Judy Duarte Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright 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 Extract About the Publisher

Roping in the Cowgirl

The Bronc Rider’s Baby

A Cowboy Family Christmas

The Soldier’s Twin Surprise

Wed by Fortune

From Fortune to Family Man

No Ordinary Fortune

The Boss, the Bride & the Baby

Having the Cowboy’s Baby

The Cowboy’s Double Trouble

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

The Lawman’s Convenient Family

Judy Duarte

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09060-5

THE LAWMAN’S CONVENIENT FAMILY

© 2018 Judy Duarte

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.

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.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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To the amazing women who bore my

precious grandchildren: Bree Colwell,

Myrlett Colwell, Sarah Colwell and Christy Jeffries.

You are the best mothers ever.

Thank you for the beautiful babies and kiddos.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text “Will you marry me, for a while?” Adam Santiago’s always been a lone ranger. But when the detective teams with music therapist Julie Chapman to save two young orphans, pretty soon his heart’s a goner, too! Julie’s willing to do anything—even become Adam’s pretend bride—to keep a brother and sister together. But as she falls head over heels for her polar opposite, will this marriage of convenience become an affair of the heart? “Judy really has a way with Western romances and handsome cowboys!” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller

About the Author Since 2002, USA TODAY bestselling author JUDY DUARTE has written over forty books for Mills & Boon, earned two RITA® Award nominations, won two Maggie Awards and received a National Readers’ Choice Award. When she’s not cooped up in her writing cave, she enjoys traveling with her husband and spending quality time with her grandchildren. You can learn more about Judy and her books on her website, judyduarte.com , or at Facebook.com/judyduartenovelist .

Booklist Also by Judy Duarte Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright 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 Extract About the Publisher Roping in the Cowgirl The Bronc Rider’s Baby A Cowboy Family Christmas The Soldier’s Twin Surprise Wed by Fortune From Fortune to Family Man No Ordinary Fortune The Boss, the Bride & the Baby Having the Cowboy’s Baby The Cowboy’s Double Trouble Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Title Page The Lawman’s Convenient Family Judy Duarte www.millsandboon.co.uk

Copyright ISBN: 978-1-474-09060-5 THE LAWMAN’S CONVENIENT FAMILY © 2018 Judy Duarte 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. 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. ® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries. www.millsandboon.co.uk Version: 2020-03-02