Special Assignment: Baby

by Debra Webb

  Courteous, courageous and commanding—these heroes lay it all on the line for the people they love in more than fifty stories about loyalty, bravery and romance. Don’t miss a single one!

  AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2010

  A Vow to Love by Sherryl Woods

  Serious Risks by Rachel Lee

  Who Do You Love? by Maggie Shayne and Marilyn Pappano

  Dear Maggie by Brenda Novak

  A Randall Returns by Judy Christenberry

  Informed Risk by Robyn Carr

  Five-Alarm Affair by Marie Ferrarella

  AVAILABLE MARCH 2010

  The Man from Texas by Rebecca York

  Mistaken Identity by Merline Lovelace

  Bad Moon Rising by Kathleen Eagle

  Moriah’s Mutiny by Elizabeth Bevarly

  Have Gown, Need Groom by Rita Herron

  Heart of the Tiger by Lindsay McKenna

  AVAILABLE APRIL 2010

  Landry’s Law by Kelsey Roberts

  Love at First Sight by B.J. Daniels

  The Sheriff of Shelter Valley by Tara Taylor Quinn

  A Match for Celia by Gina Wilkins

  That’s Our Baby! by Pamela Browning

  Baby, Our Baby! by Patricia Thayer

  AVAILABLE MAY 2010

  Special Assignment: Baby by Debra Webb

  My Baby, My Love by Dani Sinclair

  The Sheriff’s Proposal by Karen Rose Smith

  The Marriage Conspiracy by Christine Rimmer

  The Woman for Dusty Conrad by Tori Carrington

  The White Night by Stella Bagwell

  Code Name: Prince by Valerie Parv

  AVAILABLE JUNE 2010

  Same Place, Same Time by C.J. Carmichael

  One Last Chance by Justine Davis

  By Leaps and Bounds by Jacqueline Diamond

  Too Many Brothers by Roz Denny Fox

  Secretly Married by Allison Leigh

  Strangers When We Meet by Rebecca Winters

  AVAILABLE JULY 2010

  Babe in the Woods by Caroline Burnes

  Serving Up Trouble by Jill Shalvis

  Deputy Daddy by Carla Cassidy

  The Major and the Librarian by Nikki Benjamin

  A Family Man by Mindy Neff

  The President’s Daughter by Annette Broadrick

  Return to Tomorrow by Marisa Carroll

  AVAILABLE AUGUST 2010

  Remember My Touch by Gayle Wilson

  Return of the Lawman by Lisa Childs

  If You Don’t Know by Now by Teresa Southwick

  Surprise Inheritance by Charlotte Douglas

  Snowbound Bride by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  The Good Daughter by Jean Brashear

  AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2010

  The Hero’s Son by Amanda Stevens

  Secret Witness by Jessica Andersen

  On Pins and Needles by Victoria Pade

  Daddy in Dress Blues by Cathie Linz

  AKA: Marriage by Jule McBride

  Pregnant and Protected by Lilian Darcy

  DEBRA WEBB

  SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT: BABY

  DEBRA WEBB

  wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the military behind the Iron Curtain and within the confining political walls of Berlin, Germany, that she realized her true calling. A five-year stint with NASA on the space shuttle program reinforced her love of the endless possibilities within her grasp as a storyteller. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Debra has been writing romantic suspense and action-packed romantic thrillers since. Visit her at www.DebraWebb.com or write to her at P.O. Box 4889, Huntsville, AL 35815.

  Writing has always been my dream for as long as I can remember. The opportunity to express myself in this art form and to touch my readers means more to me than words can convey. Life is far too short sometimes, and because of that injustice there are those who never fully reach the dream that lived so vibrantly in their hearts and souls. But we must believe that God holds a special place for them where their every dream will come true. This book is dedicated to a fine lady who dreamed of writing the stories that lived in her heart—Bobbie Waite, beloved mother and aspiring author. Though she is sorely missed, Bobbie’s hopes and dreams live on forever in the lives she touched.

  CONTENTS

  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

  PROLOGUE

  “WE’RE PLEASED TO have you with us, Court.” The man smiled, the kind of smile politicians used to get your vote. His voice was deep and disturbingly calm.

  Careful to analyze every move, every look, Court Brody grasped the hand Joshua Neely offered and shook it firmly. “I’m honored to be here, sir,” he said with as much sincerity as he could marshal.

  “My friends call me Joshua,” the older man returned with an ease that was both confident and knowing. “And I think you and I are going to be friends.” That smile again. “Raymond tells me that you’re very interested in our beliefs.”

  “I am.” Court resisted the urge to scrub his palm against his jeans when Neely released it. “I’ve been away for a long time. But now that I’m back home where I belong, I’d like to be a part of what your people are doing.”

  Neely nodded his understanding. “Raymond, take Court and show him around. We’ll give him his official welcome at the rally tonight.”

  “Yes, sir, Joshua.”

  Grinning as if he’d just accomplished a major coup, Raymond ushered Court toward the nearest exit. On the stoop leading out of the enormous meeting hall, he paused and slapped Court on the shoulder.

  “I knew he’d invite you to join us right away. I knew it,” Raymond repeated, his tall, thin frame fairly vibrating with excitement. “That’s why I wanted you to come today. We need more men like you, Court. We’ve got to fight if we’re gonna bring this country back to what it should be.”

  Court recalled the crowd of men, women and children gathered in the meeting hall for Neely’s speech. The hour-long monologue he’d just endured reminded him entirely too much of a Sunday morning fire-and-brimstone sermon. Only it was Saturday, and this place, with its security fence and armed guards, was no church. Yet, Joshua Neely certainly fit the bill of preacher. Court had a niggling feeling that the man was anything but godly. Tall, with just enough gray around the temples to look distinguished, Neely made an impressive picture. No wonder people around here were flocking to him as if he were the answer to the second coming.

  “I appreciate you bringing me, Raymond.” Court plowed his hand through his hair and settled his black Stetson into place, then shifted uncertainly, playing his part. Good old Raymond had swallowed the act hook, line and sinker the moment he and Court met at the Watering Hole. The guy was desperate to bring in a few new recruits. “I’ve been back a couple of weeks already and haven’t quite figured out what I want to do with myself. I’m sure glad I ran into you yesterday.”

  That wacky grin split the other man’s face again. “Whatever you’re looking for, buddy, you’ll find it right here.” Raymond ushered Court down the steps, anxious to show him around. “Joshua provides us with everything we need, and all he asks in return is loyalty.” He fixed Court with a you-know-what-I-mean look. “Complete loyalty.”

  Before Court could utter the response poised on the tip of his tongue, a tall f
igure, definitely female, rushed around the corner of the building and skidded to a stop directly in front of them. Raymond backed up a step to let the woman, who was clearly in a hell of a hurry, pass. Court surveyed her speculatively, then froze. His heart dropped all the way to his well broken-in boots.

  Sabrina.

  For a full ten seconds all he could do was look at her. Still tall and thin, with a luscious mixture of caramel-and-honey-colored hair falling around her shoulders, she stared right back at him. Those eyes—Court swallowed tightly—dark chocolate brown, wide with long lashes tipped in gold. Right now those gorgeous eyes were registering the same shock as Court’s own no doubt were. God, it felt like a lifetime since he’d seen her.

  “Court?”

  His name was hardly more than a whisper on her full lips, but the sound was enough to snap him out of the trance he’d drifted into.

  “What’re you doing here?” A questioning frown pleated her smooth brow.

  “Court’s my new recruit,” Raymond enthused before Court could fully gather his wits. “You know him, Sabrina?”

  She knew him, all right. Adrenaline pounded through Court’s veins. Sabrina Korbett was the only person in this godforsaken place that knew he was a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

  “Yes,” she said, confused. “But I thought—”

  “It’s been a long time,” Court interrupted smoothly as he grabbed her by the shoulders and jerked her against him. “Too long.” Inclining his head to the right, he closed his mouth over hers before she could fully comprehend his intent. She tensed, but in no time at all she surrendered to his kiss…just like before.

  She was soft, and warm, and her mouth opened for his as if two years hadn’t passed since they’d laid eyes on each other. As if…the past hadn’t happened at all. He accepted her instinctive invitation, his tongue sliding along hers, his fingers automatically tightening around her slender arms. The same need that had always filled him when he so much as looked at Sabrina washed over him now, making him weak with want, making his blood boil in his veins.

  “Guess you know each other pretty well. I’ll… ah…just wait over by the training center,” Raymond announced, breaking the fragile connection that had whisked Court back into the past he’d tried so hard to forget.

  Sabrina flattened her palms against his chest and tried to push him away. He knew he had to stop, but, damn, he didn’t want to. The feel of her touch, even knowing that she was pushing him away, arced through him.

  “Stop,” she managed to blurt between his stolen kisses.

  Court drew back just far enough to look into those wide, startled eyes. He focused his most intimidating glare down at her. “You don’t know me anymore, Brin, so don’t say anything we’ll both regret.”

  She wrenched out of his grasp and glared back at him. Court knew the instant she’d made her decision. He braced himself for the blow.

  Sabrina slapped him hard.

  He deserved it.

  “I don’t know what you’re doing back here, Court Brody,” she said hotly, her breath still ragged from his kiss. “And I don’t care, but I want you to stay away from me.”

  Court held her gaze for two beats longer, as difficult as that proved with her glaring daggers at him and his lips yearning to mate with hers once more. “Just remember what I said, and we’ll both be safe.”

  She blinked and uncertainty replaced some of the fury in her eyes. “Is…this some sort of undercover job?” Anxiety tightened the pretty features of her face. “You’re not…are you here to—”

  He forced a bitter laugh. “Hate to disappoint you, but I’m not that guy anymore. You don’t know me.”

  He walked away without looking back. His heart skipped a beat or two as he struggled to calm his breathing. Raymond was waiting, probably wondering what was up with the little episode of “remember when” that Court and Sabrina had just played out. Now he’d have to figure out a way to explain that kiss.

  Damn.

  Just what he needed—he swore again—to get his cover made before he even got started with this assignment. Court blew out a breath as he strode in the direction of the training center. It never once entered his mind that he might run into her at this militia compound. Sabrina should be married and raising a family by now. Court clenched his jaw at the thought of her with another man.

  She sure as hell didn’t belong to him. And Sabrina Korbett was a distraction he didn’t need right now. Especially not here.

  Getting into the compound had been easy.

  Now all he had to do was stay alive until he got the information he needed.

  But Sabrina knew his secret. If she told anyone what she knew, all the information in the world wouldn’t do Court any good.

  Because he’d be a dead man.

  CHAPTER ONE

  WHY HAD HE come back here?

  Halfway down the mile-long dirt-and-gravel driveway, Court Brody slowed the old truck he had purchased for this assignment to a stop and surveyed the Lonesome Pony ranch. Though not the same ranch he had grown up on, the scene was all too familiar. A wide stream curved through the property like a winding snake. The towering mountain ranges served as a backdrop for a picture straight off the pages of a calendar. A large barn and corral sat in the distance, beyond the trees that bordered the house and yard. Though more modern, the big rambling house with its sprawling front porch reminded him of the one he hadn’t lived in as a kid growing up in Montana.

  Nope. His family had occupied a much smaller place just far enough away from the big house to know he didn’t really belong, but not quite far enough away to ignore what he was missing. Court swallowed the bitterness that welled in his throat at the memories.

  His family had been dirt poor. Once his pathetic excuse for a father had died, he and his three bothers had scattered apart like so much dust in the wind. But he had landed on his feet. He’d gotten his college degree by working hard and earning a scholarship. Then he’d joined the Bureau. He had what he wanted now—money, prestige and a great condo as far away from this damned place as he could get and still remain in the continental United States. His brothers hadn’t done so badly either.

  “Enough, Brody,” Court grumbled. Coming back here wasn’t his idea, but he would make the best of it because it was his job. And Courtland Brody never failed at his job. He was good. He knew it, and the Bureau knew it as well. If Daniel Austin and the rest of his Montana Confidential crew didn’t know it yet, they soon would. Whether they ever wanted to admit it or not. Court knew the business of undercover work.

  A division of the Federal Department of Safety, Montana Confidential worked in a way the Bureau couldn’t. The agents lived and worked a ranch, thus blending in with the locals. The Bureau, acting as Big Brother, offered to lend a hand in getting the Montana operation off the ground. Translation: Court’s new assignment, infiltrate the militia and determine what leader Joshua Neely was up to. Not such a bad assignment had it been any place else on the planet. There were far too many memories here that he didn’t want to relive. Too many faces he didn’t want to see…couldn’t bear to see.

  Disgusted with himself for loitering in the past, Court drove the rest of the way to the house and parked behind Daniel Austin’s truck. It was Saturday and most of the crew appeared to be on the porch enjoying the late August afternoon. Thankfully it wasn’t as hot as it had been the past couple of days. He might as well get this over with. Court emerged from the vehicle and strode toward the house.

  Not surprisingly, Dale McMurty was the first to greet him. Dale and her husband, Patrick, were locals and friendly to a fault. Exactly the kind of people he’d left behind eleven years ago. He didn’t want anyone close, and the McMurtys liked to get close. The elderly couple served as caretakers for the ranch Montana Confidential used as a home base. Just one more reason he was glad to be bunking at the compound now.

  “Howdy, Court,” Dale shouted, hands propped on her apron-clad, ample hips. She apprais
ed him from head to toe as he stepped up onto the porch. “Now, that’s more like it, son. You look like you belong on a ranch instead of in some big fancy office.”

  Court couldn’t prevent the half smile that tilted one side of his mouth. Leave it to Dale to praise his thrift-store finds. He needed to fit in, therefore faded jeans and worn shirts were a must. But the boots and hat were his own. Some things a man couldn’t compromise on. No matter how long he lived in the city, he didn’t think he would ever find anything that wore better than a good pair of boots.

  “You look like the Marlboro man,” Whitney MacNair, Austin’s executive assistant, noted, approval in her crisp voice. As usual, she looked like a model off the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine.

  “Thank you, ladies,” Court acknowledged with a tip of his hat. Dale was likely just being nice, Court knew, but Whitney—the fashion queen—was another story. “I couldn’t exactly waltz into Neely’s compound wearing Armani, now could I?”

  Whitney pretended to consider that option for a moment, then grinned. “Guess not, cowboy.”

  Court resisted the wicked urge to ask her if she knew the UPS man on a first-name basis yet. The wilds of Montana might not offer a Gucci store for the diehard in-vogue shopper, but Whitney had discovered a direct connection to her favorite big-city shops on the Internet. And UPS was more than happy to deliver.

  Frank Connolly, one of the agents assigned to Confidential, nodded a hello in Court’s direction, but he was too busy attending to his new wife to pay Court any real mind. And C.J. definitely had eyes only for Frank. She shot Court a quick smile just the same. He had to admit that the two made a nice couple. A wistful feeling welled inside of him, but he brutally squashed it. He didn’t need a relationship like that…he had the Bureau.

  Jewel, the McMurtys’ usually vivacious twelve-year-old granddaughter, looked about as solemn-faced as a lonesome filly separated from the rest of the herd. Court wondered if Frank and C.J.’s wedding was the reason for her sad expression. The kid had herself a king-size crush on the ex-military pilot. Frank’s sudden marriage to C.J. obviously didn’t sit well with the kid. Well, Court could certainly sympathize with that.