Janet Tronstad - Dry Creek Daddy

He never knew he had a son…

Reawakening lost love in Dry Creek

Four years ago, an accident put Mark Nelson into a coma—before Hannah Stelling could tell him she was pregnant with their child. Now she’s back in town, and Mark’s recovered. But even before his injury, Hannah felt Mark’s ambitions pulling him away. While Hannah knows their little boy needs his father, can she trust Mark with her son’s heart…and hers?

JANET TRONSTADgrew up on her family’s farm in central Montana and now lives in Turlock, California, where she is always at work on her next book. She has written more than thirty books, many of them set in the fictitious town of Dry Creek, Montana, where the men spend the winters gathered around the potbellied stove in the hardware store and the women make jelly in the fall.

Also By Janet Tronstad Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Bible Verse 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

Love Inspired

Dry Creek

Dry Creek Sweethearts

A Dry Creek Courtship

Snowbound in Dry Creek

Small-Town Brides

“A Dry Creek Wedding”

Silent Night in Dry Creek

Wife Wanted in Dry Creek

Small-Town Moms

“A Dry Creek Family”

Easter in Dry Creek

Dry Creek Daddy

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Dry Creek Daddy

Janet Tronstad

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08592-2

DRY CREEK DADDY

© 2018 Janet Tronstad

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.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

“I know about Jeremy—our son.”

Mark had learned about Jeremy’s existence only a few months ago.

“I’m sorry,” Hannah said softly.

“Don’t be. I’m glad to be a father. Very glad. I’m anxious to meet Jeremy.”

He didn’t want to pressure Hannah, but he could hardly wait to see the boy.

“He’s a good boy. He’ll want to know you, but I have a lot to talk to him about before I do anything to unsettle him.”

“Of course.” He didn’t want to cause his son any distress. Then a suspicion came to him. “Does Jeremy even know about me?”

“He’s never asked. I read a book by this doctor who recommended waiting until a child asks about a missing parent—especially if...”

“You thought I was going to die.”

Hannah flushed guiltily. “I prayed you wouldn’t.”

“And I didn’t,” Mark said, clipping the words. Everyone else had thought that he was going to die; he didn’t know why Hannah should have believed otherwise. It still felt like a betrayal, though.

Dear Reader Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Bible Verse 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 ,

I am delighted you picked up this book to read. I love telling stories set in my small fictitious town of Dry Creek, Montana, and am delighted when readers like you choose to share the adventure with me. Over the years, the themes of my Dry Creek books have varied, but this is the first one that has fatherhood front and center. Being a parent probably changes everyone who takes the role seriously. In Dry Creek Daddy , Mark Nelson has the added challenge of having been in a coma for the first few years of his son’s life. His young son isn’t even sure he wants a father.

I like to hear from my readers and, if you’d like to contact me after reading the book, I would be very pleased. You may email me through my website at www.janettronstad.com.

May you be blessed with all good things.

Sincerely,

Janet Tronstad

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

—James 5:16

This book is dedicated with gratitude to those who make possible the many libraries in the places where I have lived—the latest being the women who staff the small volunteer library at the Covenant Retirement Village in Turlock, California. Their work brightens my days. Thanks to Jan A., Marge P. and Alice M.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text He never knew he had a son… Reawakening lost love in Dry Creek Four years ago, an accident put Mark Nelson into a coma—before Hannah Stelling could tell him she was pregnant with their child. Now she’s back in town, and Mark’s recovered. But even before his injury, Hannah felt Mark’s ambitions pulling him away. While Hannah knows their little boy needs his father, can she trust Mark with her son’s heart…and hers?

About the Author JANET TRONSTAD grew up on her family’s farm in central Montana and now lives in Turlock, California, where she is always at work on her next book. She has written more than thirty books, many of them set in the fictitious town of Dry Creek, Montana, where the men spend the winters gathered around the potbellied stove in the hardware store and the women make jelly in the fall.

Booklist Also By Janet Tronstad Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Bible Verse 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 Love Inspired Dry Creek Dry Creek Sweethearts A Dry Creek Courtship Snowbound in Dry Creek Small-Town Brides “A Dry Creek Wedding” Silent Night in Dry Creek Wife Wanted in Dry Creek Small-Town Moms “A Dry Creek Family” Easter in Dry Creek Dry Creek Daddy Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk