Laura Altom - A Baby in His Stocking

Daddy material?

Wyatt Buckhorn is only a pal. If sharing scorching kisses that leave a woman feeble-brained means they’re pals! But that’s all the oilman-slash-rancher can be to Natalie Lewis. Five months pregnant and recently jilted, Natalie refuses to trust any man, least of all a man who is the definition of playboy. Throw in that every run-in turns into a fiery encounter, and “just friends” gets complicated. Which is a shame, because Natalie’s life is messy enough.

Besides, she knows Wyatt’s secret—he’s sterile, and so enforces a strict kid-free rule. But when circumstances have them caring for a whole clan of Buckhorn youngsters over the holidays, Natalie sees a side of Wyatt that’s definitely kid-friendly. Weakening defenses, and even weaker knees, have Natalie determined to destroy Wyatt’s anti-family policy…before he leaves town for good.

“Just help me with a kiss, okay?”

Wyatt’s lips hovered above hers. Then, in true Buckhorn style, Wyatt claimed what he wanted. And then he wasn’t just kissing her, but transporting her to another world.

A place where she wasn’t alone and trying to hide that she was five months pregnant. When he finally released her, it was a struggle for Natalie to keep her rubbery knees from buckling.

“Damn...” Wyatt looked a little dazed himself. “Um, that went better than expected.”

Natalie managed a nod.

“We good?”

“Ah, in what sense?” she asked.

“You know, like we’re still pals?”

Pals? She choked back a laugh. If this was how he kissed a woman he thought of as his pal, she couldn’t fathom what he’d do to an actual lover. “Um, sure.”

“Thanks.” After landing a sucker punch to Natalie’s right shoulder, he nodded toward his scowling blonde date. “Pretty sure that did the trick.”

Dear Reader,

Wyatt and Natalie’s story marks the end of marriage-eligible Buckhorns! This makes me sad, but on the flip side, when I’m old and all the Buckhorn babies are grown, I suppose the saga can start over with all the new adult singles. For those of you who’ve read the whole series, can you even imagine what terrors Bonnie and Betsy will be while dating?

Looking back, it’s interesting to see how as my fictional family has changed, my own has followed suit. In the year it’s taken to write the four stories, my children have graduated from high school and gone on to college. I’ve gone from being an emotional train wreck over them leaving to now being buried under the pile of stuff they brought back home for summer! It’s taking some adjusting, getting back in the habit of grabbing all of their favorites from the grocery store, but I think I’ll manage just fine, as happy as I am to have them all snug in my nest.

In this last Buckhorn installment, Mama Buckhorn takes some grief from her offspring. They’re put out with her for always having an opinion. But as a fellow mom, I say they should just behave and do what their mother tells them. Ha! Fat chance. Wyatt and Natalie have proven to be my most stubborn couple yet!

Happy reading,

Laura Marie

Laura Marie Altom

A Baby in His Stocking

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After college (Go, Hogs!), bestselling, award-winning author Laura Marie Altom did a brief stint as an interior designer before becoming a stay-at-home mom to boy-girl twins and a bonus son. Always an avid romance reader, she knew it was time to try her hand at writing when she found herself replotting the afternoon soaps.

When not immersed in her next story, Laura teaches art at a local middle school. In her free time, she beats her kids at video games, tackles Mount Laundry and of course reads romance!

Laura loves hearing from readers at either P.O. Box 2074, Tulsa, OK 74101, or by email, BaliPalm@aol.com.

Love winning fun stuff? Check out www.lauramariealtom.com.

For eighteen-year-old dachshund Noodle Alisch.

You were a good dog and we loved you. Hope you’re off chasing a tennis ball on a never-ending beach!

Contents

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

Chapter One

If Natalie Lewis felt any more emotionally battered, she’d dissolve into a teary puddle right there in the middle of Georgina Buckhorn’s garden. Pregnant. Abandoned. Surrounded by dozens of happy, October-sun-drenched guests whose very presence dictated she force a smile. Around these parts, the christening of Josie and Dallas Buckhorn’s new baby was huge. But how was she supposed to get into a celebratory frame of mind when hours earlier Craig had shattered her world?

She’d loved him and had assumed they’d be married and raise a family together. But then, silly her, she’d only been waiting for that ring on her finger for three years. What was wrong with her that she’d ignored every sign that Craig avoided commitment the way some folks steered clear of root canals? From not wanting to even hold hands in public to bailing on too many important occasions to count, Craig made a habit of reminding her just how little she meant in the overall scheme of his life. He even refused to sleep over on the Friday nights they made love. Oh, he’d invented his own art form when it came to stringing her along. Promising to spend more time with her when his work slowed. Explaining he’d just bought a calendar to help remember their dates. Ha! Fat lot of good that’d had done when he’d left it in a junk drawer. And he worked for UPS! Did they ever slow down? God, she was such an idiot.

“I need a favor.”

Natalie glanced up to see Wyatt Buckhorn standing before her in all his glory. “I’m busy.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” He pried her cookie-filled plate from her hands, setting it on the table alongside her wicker love seat.

“Hey,” she protested. “If ever there was a girl in need of cookie-therapy, it’s me.”

He rolled his eyes. “Cry me a river. Craig’s been an ass before, and I’m sure he will again. This is important.” Drawing her to her feet, he tugged her against him—tightly enough together a playing card couldn’t have been slid between them. Though Natalie and Wyatt had been pals since their first day in Weed Gulch Elementary’s kindergarten class, she couldn’t ever remember touching him—not like this. He was a Buckhorn, and had everything that came with the name. Criminally handsome, filthy rich, with enough charisma to charm a rattler into being a lap pet. That said, she’d always viewed him as someone to study from afar. He moved in vastly different circles than she did, which was fine. Back in high school he dated only cheerleaders and she’d had no wish to break her arm in a cheerleading pyramid, or, now that they’d grown, his usual date’s stiletto heels.

“Yeah,” she snatched a cookie from her plate, “so is my strict comfort-food regime.”

Fingers around her wrist, he playfully growled before biting off a good three-quarters of her treat. Before she’d worked up a protest speech, he finished it off.

“Back to business,” he said upon swallowing. “In about thirty seconds, I’m going to kiss you. If you play along, I’ll forever be in your debt.” With a tip of his cowboy hat, he looked as matter-of-fact as if he’d asked directions to the nearest bar.

Natalie lurched back far enough for the pool deck’s wrought-iron fence to bite into her lower vertebrae. “How much champagne punch have you had?”