Deb Kastner - And Cowboy Makes Three

Booklist Also By Deb Kastner Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Bible Verse 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 Extract About the Publisher Love Inspired Cowboy Country Yuletide Baby The Cowboy’s Forever Family The Cowboy’s Surprise Baby The Cowboy’s Twins Mistletoe Daddy The Cowboy’s Baby Blessing And Cowboy Makes Three Christmas Twins Texas Christmas Twins Email Order Brides Phoebe’s Groom The Doctor’s Secret Son The Nanny’s Twin Blessings Meeting Mr. Right Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Title Page And Cowboy Makes Three Deb Kastner www.millsandboon.co.uk

Copyright ISBN: 978-1-474-08428-4 AND COWBOY MAKES THREE © 2018 Debra Kastner 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

Introduction She looked beautiful. That much hadn’t changed. But it was the only thing that hadn’t changed. “How’s Toby doing?” she asked as she popped the top on a can of Rowdy’s favorite soda. “Sleeping again. He’s really cute. Still sucking his fist, even when he’s napping.” Angelica handed Rowdy the soda and took Toby into her arms, landing a soft kiss on her baby’s cheek before gently placing him in his car seat so she and Rowdy would have their hands free to eat. “Still your favorite?” she asked, gesturing toward his soda can. He lifted the can in salute. “I’m surprised you remembered.” Another flash of pain crossed her gaze. “I remember a lot, if truth be told.” So did he. And he really, really wished he didn’t. Because with every unexpected glimpse into their past, every unanticipated memory, it became harder and harder to catch a breath. He hadn’t been ready to see her again. And he wasn’t sure he ever would be.

Bible Verse But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand. —Psalms 31:14–15

Dear Reader Dear Reader Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Bible Verse 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 Extract About the Publisher , What fun it is to head back into Serendipity, Texas, and auction off yet another bachelor for the town’s First Annual Bachelors and Baskets Auction benefiting the senior center. I took a bit of a detour with this book. Serendipity is a cattle town and, generally, cattle ranchers and sheep farmers don’t mix. But after I read an article about raising sheep, complete with adorable pictures of newborn lambs, I decided Rowdy’s and Angelica’s families would be exceptions to that rule. They say art often imitates life. In this case, Angelica’s bird phobia? Yeah, that would be me. Dive-bombing hummingbirds rank right up there as one of my worst nightmares. I’m always delighted to hear from you, dear readers, and I love to connect socially. You can find my website at www.debkastnerbooks.com, where I hope you’ll join my mailing list to learn of new projects and special offers. Come join me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/debkastnerbooks , and you can catch me on Twitter @DebKastner . Please know that I pray for each and every one of you daily. Love courageously, Deb Kastner

Dedication To my dear friend Lisa Palmer. We’ve kept each other sane through the years and I am blessed to call you my friend. You are one of the strongest people I know. Keep fighting the good fight!

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

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Angelica May Carmichael had been duped.

By her own grandmother.

She looked around and sighed in exasperation. This wasn’t a picnic.

Or rather, this wasn’t just a picnic, though there were brightly colored baskets covered in ribbons dotting the lawn all across the community green.

Not a picnic. Picnics.

And this wasn’t a quiet, personal outing with Granny’s best friend, Jo Spencer, as Angelica had been given to expect, either. Not that an outing with the boisterous old redhead who owned Cup O’ Jo’s Café could ever be labeled as quiet . That woman wouldn’t know quiet if it bit her on the nose.

But a private picnic?

Yeah, not so much.

In hindsight, Angelica realized she should have gone with her gut feeling and headed straight to Granny’s ranch instead of stopping in at Cup O’ Jo’s to let Jo know she’d arrived safely. A phone call would have sufficed.

But no. Jo had been adamant she come straight to the café, sounding a bit too enthusiastic about seeing her again. Everything about Jo Spencer was enthusiastic, but her suggestion had been overanimated even for Jo.

She’d even anticipated Angelica’s hesitation, telling her to slip through the back door of the café. She’d assured her that she wouldn’t be seen by any customers, and that her nephew, Chance, the cook who would no doubt be in the kitchen, would keep their secret. He wasn’t much of talker, anyway.

If only she hadn’t been in such a hurry to get into town and out again without being seen that she hadn’t recognized the signals, the internal alarms blaring in her head.

Their meeting was only supposed to be her and Jo. Having been Granny’s best friend, Jo understood Angelica’s dilemma at returning to Serendipity at all—or at least Angelica had thought she had.

“Oh, honey, welcome back,” Jo had said, hugging her so hard it pressed the breath right out of her lungs. “And let me see sweet Toby.”