Deb Kastner - A Christmas Baby For The Cowboy

’Tis the season for a new start

But can he be a daddy in Cowboy Country?

With a baby on the way and Christmas around the corner, disgraced rodeo rider Cash Coble returns to Serendipity hoping to fix his reputation. Cash never imagined that pretty Alyssa Emerson would inspire him to cowboy up—let alone open his heart. But will she agree to be part of his new family once she learns his dark secret?

A Publishers Weekly bestselling and award-winning author with over 1.5 million books in print, DEB KASTNERwrites stories of faith, family and community in a small-town Western setting. She lives in Colorado with her husband and a pack of miscreant mutts, and is blessed with three daughters and two grandchildren. She enjoys spoiling her grandkids, movies, music (The Texas Tenors!), singing in the church choir and exploring Colorado on horseback.

Also By Deb Kastner 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 Extract About the Publisher

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

A Christmas Baby for the Cowboy

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

A Christmas Baby for the Cowboy

Deb Kastner

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08646-2

A CHRISTMAS BABY FOR THE COWBOY

© 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.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

“I hope I didn’t frighten them too much.”

Cash crouched beside the box and ran the tips of his fingers across the kittens’ soft fur. “I suspect the mama cat is going to be the most difficult to deal with.” He flashed the back of his left hand. Angry red claw marks etched the skin.

“Your poor hand,” Alyssa murmured sympathetically. “Between the cat and your hammer…” She was serious, but she added a teasing note in her voice.

“Rub it in, why don’t you?”

She chuckled. “Can I help it if you’re a walking accident just waiting to happen?” Who also happens to save kittens.

He snorted. “That about sums it up.”

Their gazes met and locked for a moment before she looked away.

Her heart was rapidly beating, and she took a deep breath, concentrating on slowing her pulse to its normal rate.

She tried to tell herself that it was just the adrenaline of having found the litter of kittens, but deep inside, she knew better...

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 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.

It’s amazing how one second can change everything. For Cash Coble, the death of his best friend Aaron imploded his world. For Alyssa Emerson, her dear brother Aaron’s death broke apart her family. It’s only when the two of them connect and support each other that they learn to move forward.

No matter what the situation, the one cornerstone we can always count on is Jesus. He never moves but is right beside us all the way. Sometimes it’s harder to see and feel Him there with us, but the Bible assures us we can always count on His divine love and mercy.

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 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

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

—Isaiah 55:6–7

To the choir

at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

You are my tribe and I’m incredibly blessed to be a part of this wonderful, talented group.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text ’Tis the season for a new start But can he be a daddy in Cowboy Country? With a baby on the way and Christmas around the corner, disgraced rodeo rider Cash Coble returns to Serendipity hoping to fix his reputation. Cash never imagined that pretty Alyssa Emerson would inspire him to cowboy up—let alone open his heart. But will she agree to be part of his new family once she learns his dark secret?

About the Author A Publishers Weekly bestselling and award-winning author with over 1.5 million books in print, DEB KASTNER writes stories of faith, family and community in a small-town Western setting. She lives in Colorado with her husband and a pack of miscreant mutts, and is blessed with three daughters and two grandchildren. She enjoys spoiling her grandkids, movies, music (The Texas Tenors!), singing in the church choir and exploring Colorado on horseback.

Booklist Also By Deb Kastner 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 Extract About the Publisher 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 A Christmas Baby for the Cowboy 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