Patricia Thayer - Baby, Our Baby!

www.millsandboon.co.uk

has written for over twenty years and has authored more than thirty books. She has been nominated for both the National Reader’s Choice Award and the prestigious RITA ®Award. Her book Nothing Short of a Miracle won an RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice award.

When not working on a story, Patricia can be found traveling the United States and Europe, taking in the scenery and doing story research while thoroughly enjoying herself with her husband of more than thirty-six years. Together, they have three grown sons and three grandsons.

To Mindy Neff,

you always seem to be there when I need you.

Thank you for your time and talent

and especially for your friendship.

To Joe and Kim Rangel,

for sharing your special love story.

And to Aunt June. We’ll miss you.

Prologue

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

Epilogue

She knew he’d be here.

Ali Pierce brought her car to a screeching halt next to Jake Hawkins’s Porsche with the Just Married sign still on the back. She shut off the engine and jumped out.

She could hardly make out the area surrounding the cottage on this dark, moonless night, but that didn’t stop her. Ali picked up the skirt of her long bridesmaid’s dress and hurried around the side of the small structure, concentrating on the steep grassy slope as she made her way toward the front porch.

Her concern was Jake. He’d been so angry when he’d left the church, Ali was scared that he’d do something crazy.

Damn you, Darcie, for always leaving messes for me to clean up.

When Ali reached the front of the cottage, she kicked off her satin heels and began climbing the familiar steps that led to the wooden deck. She’d started across the porch when a shadow caught her attention. A tall figure stood motionless at the railing. Ali didn’t need any moonlight to recognize Jake Hawkins. Since the age of fourteen, she had all but memorized his physical features, from the slant of his broad shoulders to his tapered waist and slim hips. She also knew he had a coffee-colored birthmark on his left side just below the waist, a scar on his right leg just below the knee and a slightly crooked nose that had been broken by Randy Foster in the eleventh grade.

No one knew more about Jake “Hawk” Hawkins than Ali, except…her sister. And Darcie was gone.

A string of curses suddenly echoed across the silent lake as Jake raised his arm and flung a long-neck beer bottle toward the water. Then, one by one, he shoved the heavy clay pots off the railing, their impact resounding in the night.

Like a caged animal, he paced the deck. His words were mumbled, but Ali could hear the pain in his voice. He was fighting back. Fighting the pain that had started only hours ago when Ali had handed him the letter from Darcie. Ali hadn’t read it, but she knew what it said.

Her twin sister had decided that she didn’t want to be married to a man with no future. At least not the future Darcie wanted, or that she thought was her right.

And Darcie wanted it all. Not only did her sister have the love of the best man in town, but she also wanted the money, prestige and the big house on the hill to go along with it. And Darcie had waited four patient years for Jake Hawkins to return from his hitch in the army, and for him to take over Hawk Industries to complete the perfect picture.

But Jake had other ideas, and running his father’s company wasn’t in his plan. Last night, at the rehearsal dinner, he’d told Darcie that he wanted to reenlist. Darcie got hysterical. Even after Ali took their grandmother home, the couple was still arguing. And just as the wedding was about to start, Darcie told Ali that she couldn’t go through with it. Ali thought her sister was kidding. But when the wedding dress came off, Ali began to panic. Darcie loved Jake Hawkins. How could she walk out on the biggest wedding in Webster, Minnesota, history? But Ali’s older sister by eight minutes handed her a note and begged her to give it to Jake. Ali agreed and watched her identical twin hurry out of the bridal room and drive off.

That had been four hours ago.

Ali watched helplessly as Jake continued choking out his anger. She wanted desperately to hold him…to help him get through this.

Ali swallowed back the threat of fresh tears and walked to the railing.

Jake raised his head, and his eyes widened. “Darcie!”

“No, it’s me. Ali.” Ali was used to being mistaken for her sister. But it was the first time Jake had done it.

“Oh. Did you come to see the fool?”

She shook her head. “I was worried. You took off before I could talk to you. I’ve been driving around everywhere.”

He turned away from her and stared out at the lake. “Was I supposed to greet the guests in the receiving line…alone?”

No. Ali and her grandmother had been left to explain to everyone why there would be no wedding.

“Oh, Jake.” She took a step closer and reached a hand out, then pulled it back. She knew how much he loved Darcie. She also knew how her sister had used Jake. “Maybe it’s for the best,” she offered.

His hands balled into fists. “Best for who? Not me. Ali, what did I do that was so terrible? She knew I’d been thinking about reenlisting. She wasn’t happy about it, but she knew I couldn’t come home and work with my dad. I told her that a hundred times.”

Ali didn’t know what to say to Jake. Darcie was selfish; she wanted what the Hawkins money could buy her. An army captain’s salary wouldn’t do. “Jake, she’s probably gone off for a few days to think things through.”

He shook his head. “I should have realized last night that we want different things. But…we’ve been together so long. Oh, God, I’ve loved her forever.”

Ali glanced away. She didn’t want Jake to see her true feelings—feelings she’d kept hidden. Even though she was Darcie’s twin, Jake had never given her a second look, never thought of her as anything more than a friend. And he never would. Darcie would always be his true love.

“You’ve had fights before,” Ali admitted.

Jake walked to the patio table and took another beer from the carton. After twisting off the cap, he took a long pull.

“Yeah, but this was different. This was important enough for her to walk out on our wedding.” He looked at Ali, and she could see the pain etched in his face. He took another drink of beer and wiped a hand across his mouth. “My dad is probably having a field day with this.” His laughter was cold. “I bet if I went home right now, I’d get an earful of ‘I told you so.’”

“Since when did you care what your father thinks?”

Jake’s dark eyes searched her face. “Oh, Ali-cat.” He breathed the nickname he’d given her the first day he walked through the door of Gran June’s house. She and Darcie had been freshmen and Jake the good-looking senior at Webster High School.

That same day Ali had lost her heart to Jake Hawkins.

“What am I gonna do without her?” he finished.

You’ve got me, she wanted to cry. “You’re gonna get through it, Jake.” She tried to sound wise for twenty-three.

Ali heard Jake’s strangled sob. “I can’t. Darcie was the only thing…”