Barb Han - Kidnapped At Christmas

This Christmas brings the revelation that he’s a father.

Now he needs to keep his little family safe when they become a target...

When the blonde beauty who shared his bed a year ago tells him he’s a father, Wyatt Jackson is stunned. But the attempted abduction of their newborn daughter drives the Texas cowboy to uncover the dangerous secrets of Meg Anderson’s past. Can Wyatt crack a twenty-year-old cold case before Meg’s Christmas becomes her last?

Crisis: Cattle Barge

USA TODAY bestselling author BARB HANlives in north Texas with her very own hero-worthy husband, three beautiful children, a spunky golden retriever/standard poodle mix and too many books in her to-read pile. In her downtime, she plays video games and spends much of her time on or around a basketball court. She loves interacting with readers and is grateful for their support. You can reach her at barbhan.com.

Also by Barb Han

Sudden SetupEndangered HeiressTexas GritStockyard SnatchingDelivering JusticeOne Tough TexanTexas-Sized TroubleTexas WitnessTexas Showdown

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Kidnapped at Christmas

Barb Han

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07936-5

KIDNAPPED AT CHRISTMAS

© 2018 Barb Han

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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Brandon, I’m amazed by your brilliance and kindness.

I’m so very proud of you. Jacob, I can’t wait to play the

games you’re working so hard to create. Tori, I love to

watch you dance. From Twinkle to Transformation to

It Is Done you have so many stories to tell.

Babe, my guy, for being my best friend and

partner in crime. I love you.

To Michelle Spall for helping me see a new way

to define home. I’m so grateful for your friendship

and am looking forward to many more dance mom

antics together.

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

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Extract

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

“Why can’t I think of one word to say to him?” Meg Anderson looked down at her sleeping angel, trying to psych herself up for the conversation that needed to take place with the baby’s father.

“You’re the best child advocate in Texas, Meg. The words will come.” Meg’s best friend and business partner, Stephanie Gable, walked over and ran her finger along two-month-old Aubrey’s cheek.

“He deserves to know about her, right?” Meg already knew the answer, but she asked anyway. She’d do just about anything to gain a few more minutes of courage before walking out the door.

“He does.” Stephanie’s sympathetic tone struck a chord.

“I’m being totally unfair to her by keeping her from her father.” Tears burned the backs of Meg’s eyes.

“That’s right. If you can’t do it for yourself, think of Aubrey.” Stephanie seemed to be catching on. “It’ll work out.”

“What if he rejects her?” Meg tamped down the panic causing her heart to gallop.

“Then it’s his loss.” Stephanie didn’t hesitate.

Meg made eyes at her friend. “You’re absolutely right.”

“What’s the worst he can say?” Stephanie shot her what was supposed to be a nerve-fortifying look.

“I don’t think I want to go there, not even in theory,” Meg answered honestly. The rejection from her mother still stung even ten years after she’d walked out.

“You face bigger challenges every day and win.” Stephanie was making good points, and yet Meg’s courage still escaped her.

“Work challenges. This is personal.” She twisted her fingers around the corner of the baby blanket swaddling her infant daughter, Aubrey. “And I’m pretty sure the statute of limitations and good taste has run out considering our daughter is two months old and I still haven’t told him about her. How am I supposed to explain that?”

“If he’s too stupid to figure out how you guys made a baby, he’s definitely not worth all this stress.” Stephanie laughed.

The joke was meant to ease the tension, so Meg smiled as she rolled the edge of the blanket in between her thumb and forefinger.

Normally the ploy would work. Not today. Not when Meg’s thoughts were careening out of control.

“Okay, I can see my bad attempt at humor isn’t helping. How about this? I’ll take Aubrey to the park while you feel him out. See if he’s ready.” Stephanie’s calm demeanor had little impact on Meg’s frayed nerves. “You had good reasons for waiting. And he’d be crazy to turn his back on that little girl.”

“A total nutcase,” Meg agreed, gazing down at the sleeping bundle.

“She’s perfect.” Stephanie could hold her own with anyone in an argument. She was a huge asset to One Child—One Advocate. “She might just be the best baby in the world, bar none, and it would be his loss if he walked away from her.” Stephanie smiled at Aubrey with the kind of sheer adoration reserved for aunts. She might not be a blood relative, but Stephanie was the closest thing to family Meg had aside from her daughter.