“The next is coming in seven or so months.”
Wha...? He stared at his little daughter. Soon a mother. “All this because you kicked over a bucket of milk.”
Janet patted his arm. “Shush.”
* * *
THE WEDDING CEREMONY went along much like all the others Dana had attended this summer, including her own. She and Keith had aimed for spontaneity, simplicity...and speed. He and Austin had taken up residence that night in her home, and she’d woken the next morning married and a mother.
She tightened her arms around the soft sturdiness of her son. Her son. Austin gave a huffed squeak, and Keith slid them a questioning look. As Will and Krista were pronounced married, their eyes met, and she mouthed what for years she’d denied herself: I love you. He smiled and blushed, like a bride.
Like a typical bride, anyway. Not like Krista. She and Will were stripping.
Dana turned to Janet and Dave, who seemed as confused as her. Guests laughed, hooted. Camera phones came out like umbrellas in a downpour.
Krista’s dress fell away to reveal a tiny one-piece swimsuit at the same time that Will, already in bare feet, shimmied out of his pants. He wore a pair of black swimming shorts. Together, they turned away from the audience.
The black lettering on Krista’s backside and the white lettering stenciled on Will’s shorts read Just Married.
* * *
KRISTA AND WILL, holding hands, walked to the edge of the pier. “You are fine,” Krista whispered, “with not wearing a life jacket?”
“I’m good. We’ve practiced. Besides, my wife’s within arm’s length.”
“Ready?” Krista whispered, hardly believing that the man, the life she’d always wanted was hers from this day forward.
Will peeked down into the dark, cold waters. He’d surface. With Krista beside him, he always would. “I am.”
And together, hand in hand, they took the plunge.
* * * * *
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM
Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.
Connect with uplifting stories where the bonds of friendship, family and community unite.
4 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!
Love Harlequin romance?
DISCOVER.
Be the first to find out about promotions, news and exclusive content!
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
Instagram.com/HarlequinBooks
Pinterest.com/HarlequinBooks
ReaderService.com
EXPLORE.
Sign up for the Harlequin e-newsletter and download a free book from any series at
TryHarlequin.com
CONNECT.
Join our Harlequin community to share your thoughts and connect with other romance readers!
Facebook.com/groups/HarlequinConnection
ISBN-13: 9781488074615
Her Rodeo Rancher
Copyright © 2021 by S. M. Stelmack
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For questions and comments about the quality of this book, please contact us at [email protected].
Harlequin Enterprises ULC
22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada
www.Harlequin.com
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM
Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.
Connect with uplifting stories where the bonds of friendship, family and community unite.
4 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!
Love Harlequin romance?
DISCOVER.
Be the first to find out about promotions, news and exclusive content!
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
Instagram.com/HarlequinBooks
Pinterest.com/HarlequinBooks
ReaderService.com
EXPLORE.
Sign up for the Harlequin e-newsletter and download a free book from any series at
TryHarlequin.com
CONNECT.
Join our Harlequin community to share your thoughts and connect with other romance readers!
Facebook.com/groups/HarlequinConnection
ISBN-13: 9781488074622
Copyright © 2021 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
Rocky Mountain Baby
Copyright © 2021 by Patricia Johns
An Alaskan Homecoming
Copyright © 2021 by Beth Carpenter
A Family for the Firefighter
Copyright © 2021 by Jacquelin Thomas
Her Rodeo Rancher
Copyright © 2021 by M. K.Stelmack
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com
Harlequin Heartwarming June 2021 Box Set Page 95
