Carrie Nichols - His Unexpected Twins

Twins on the way change everything!

Firefighter Liam McBride is back in Loon Lake for the summer. Ellie Harding, his sister’s childhood friend—and cancer survivor—is perfectly willing to shelve her dreams of a forever family while they have a fling. But then they find out she’s pregnant—with twins! Are they on the path toward happiness? Or a collision course toward heartbreak?

CARRIE NICHOLSgrew up in New England but moved south and traded snow for central AC. She loves to travel, is addicted to British crime dramas and knows a Seinfeld quote appropriate for every occasion.

A 2016 RWA Golden Heart® Award winner and twotime Maggie Award for Excellence winner, she has one tolerant husband, two grown sons and two critical cats. To her dismay, Carrie’s characters—like her family—often ignore the wisdom and guidance she offers.

Also by Carrie Nichols

The Marine’s Secret Daughter The

Sergeant’s Unexpected Family

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

His Unexpected Twins

Carrie Nichols

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09144-2

HIS UNEXPECTED TWINS

© 2019 Carol Opalinski

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.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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In loving memory of my cousin

Captain Donald “Chuck” Elliott

of the Springfield (MA) Fire Department.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

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

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

“How about that new guy from—”

“No.” Ellie Harding paused mid-slice in the sheet cake she was dividing into equal squares to scowl at her friend’s attempts at matchmaking.

Meg McBride Cooper stood on the opposite side of the rectangular table, a stack of plain white dessert plates cradled against her chest. Ellie and Meg were volunteering at the payment-optional luncheon held weekly in the basement of the whitewashed clapboard church on the town square in Loon Lake, Vermont.

“I don’t need or want help finding a date,” Ellie said, and considering what she’d survived in her twenty-seven years, going solo to a friend’s wedding shouldn’t even be a blip on her radar. Did her friends think she couldn’t find a date on her own? Memories surfaced of how she’d sometimes been treated after her cancer diagnosis. She knew her friends didn’t pity her, but experiencing being pitied behind her back as well as to her face as a child had made her more sensitive as an adult.

Ellie pushed aside memories and went back to slicing the chocolate frosted cake with vigorous strokes. Heck, guys called her. Yep. They called all the time. Slice . They called when they needed a shortstop for a pickup softball game or a bowling partner. Slice . One even called last month, asking if she had a phone number for that new X-ray tech. Slice .

Meg plopped the plates onto the table with a thunk and gnawed on her bottom lip as she gazed at Ellie. Yeah, Meg was feeling guilty and wanted to confess something.

“Spill it,” Ellie ordered.

“Now, don’t get mad, but...” Meg sighed. “I asked Riley if he knew anyone who might be interested in being your date for the wedding.”

“Uh-oh. Is Meg trying to set you up with arrestees...again?” A fellow volunteer, Mary Carter, came to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ellie, another sheet pan clutched in her hands. Mary was the future bride in question and a transplant to their close-knit central Vermont community, but she had jumped into town life and activities with enthusiasm. “Really, Meg, don’t you think Ellie can do better than a felon? I’m sure if I asked, Brody could contact one of his old army buddies. I’ll tell him to only choose ones that have never been arrested.”

Meg rolled her eyes. “I’m sure asking Brody won’t be necessary, Mary.”

“Just in case...” Mary set the cake next to the stack of plates. “Ellie, what are your feelings on speeding tickets, because—”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Meg interrupted and made an impatient sound with her tongue.

Ellie stifled a giggle at their antics but couldn’t decide if she was grateful or annoyed. Now that her two besties had found happily-ever-afters, they seemed to think it their sworn duty to get her settled, too. So what if she hadn’t found Mr. Right yet? Between long shifts as a nurse in the ER and studying for a more advanced degree, she led a full, busy life, thank you very much.

Mary winked at Ellie. “At least I’m not trying to set her up with someone who’s been arrested.”