by HELEN HARDT
She tossed the phone on the bed and then took Zach’s mouth with hers. His heart hopped. Maybe it was good news. He broke away.
“What is it? Tell me.”
She smiled, a wide smile he had never seen before. Always before, something had been clouding her smile. Now she was letting the sun itself shine through her. “It’s wonderful news.”
“I’m sitting on pins and needles here.”
“I’m all right. My blood test came back normal.”
“Thank God. What about the elevated white count earlier?”
“I was fighting a cold or something. Totally normal.”
“Yee haw!” Zach stood up with her in his arms and swung her around. “Everything’s going to be fine now. We’re going to Colorado to start our life.”
“Yes, we sure are.”
“See? You were feeling sick because of nerves. Or maybe even a little virus.”
“Or maybe a little something else.” She smiled impishly.
“What have you got up your sleeve, darlin’?”
“Nothing up my sleeve. Just a little something in my belly. Do you still want to marry me today?”
“You bet I do. Just name the time and the place.”
“As soon as possible. Unless you want our child to be born out of wedlock. I’m pregnant, Zach.”
For the first time in his life, Zach McCray was speechless.
* * *
Zach’s face was a shocked white. Wasn’t he happy?
“Sweetheart, are you all right?”
He shook his head. “Fine, darlin’. Fine. But how?”
“Surely you don’t need to ask that question. You certainly put a lot of effort into it.”
He smiled sheepishly. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know. I guess I’m not technically infertile. I do still get periods, just not very often. In order to get a period, I have to ovulate first. Evidently, I would have gotten a period right about now. Only you got to me first.”
“But you were on the pill.”
“No, I was never on the pill. You just assumed I was, and…I guess I let you believe it.” Oh God, what if he thought…“I-I really didn’t think I could get pregnant,” she stammered, her face warming. “I never would have tried to trap you.”
He cupped her cheeks and kissed her lips. “You don’t have a deceptive bone in your gorgeous body, darlin’. I know you didn’t mean to get pregnant. But I’m so damn glad you did. It’s a miracle.”
“Not a miracle. You’re just a major stud who can impregnate an infertile woman.” She kissed his cheek. “This is the most wonderful gift you could have ever given me.”
“You’re giving me the gift, darlin’. I’m so happy for you. For us. I’m not letting you out of my sight. I’m going to take such good care of you.”
“You’re going to smother me, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely. No barrel racing and no roping. And especially no bull riding!”
“Zach—”
“I mean it, Dusty. This may be our only chance for a child.”
“You’re right, and I agree with you.”
“You’re acquiescing that easily? Where’s my little spitfire?”
“Oh, she’s still here. But she wants to have your baby more than anything in the world. I can’t believe it, Zach. This is the happiest day of my life. I reached my five year mark. I’m cured. I’m in love, I’m getting married, and I’m having a baby.” She began to cry.
“No crying allowed. You’re happy, remember?”
“Oh, I am.”
“Me too. More than ever.”
“Zach, do you think he’ll have your eyes?”
“God, I hope not.”
“I hope so. Your eyes are so unique and wonderful. I love them. And I love you.”
“I love you too, darlin’. Now let’s get into Black Eagle and get hitched. I want to be your husband. And then we’re heading straight home to McCray Landing. Your wedding gift is waiting there.”
Dusty squealed. “Wedding gift? What have you done?”
“Not too much. Let’s just say Harper Bay drives a hard bargain.”
“Regina! Oh Zach! Now I have to get you something really special.”
Zach smiled and rubbed his hand over her abdomen. “You already have, darlin’. You already have.”
Epilogue
One year later
The beauty of the sun setting behind the Rocky Mountains never ceased to amaze Dusty. Vibrant hues of fuchsia and amethyst and then softer shades of lavender, rose, and tangerine. The Rockies themselves seemed translucent as the solar rays slowly faded and disappeared for another day. The redwood rocking bench on the front porch had been a gift from Zach when their son was born, and Dusty spent each evening there, enjoying the Colorado sunset.
Sean Jason McCray nursed urgently at his mother’s breast. At three months old, he had more than doubled his birth weight, and he was thriving. Though born with a thick shock of dark hair, the peach fuzz growing in now was red-gold, like his mama’s, and his eyes had turned light blue, the exact color of his daddy’s left one.
“You’re going to be a heartbreaker someday,” Dusty cooed to him.
“That’s a beautiful sight,” Zach said as he came out the front door, his unique eyes reflecting the love that, to Dusty, seemed to grow stronger every day.
“You say that every evening.” She smiled.
“It’s a beautiful sight every evening, darlin’.” He sat down beside her and stroked his son’s soft head. He leaned down and kissed Dusty softly on the cheek. “Hey.”
“Hey what?”
“Hey, I love you.”
“I love you too, Zach.”
“I have something to tell you. Two things, actually.”
“What?”
“I’ve been doing some research.”
“On what?”
“Oh, on colleges for my sweet, smart wife.”
“Zach?”
“I want you to start taking classes this fall. The University of Central Colorado is only about an hour’s drive from here. You can get your records transferred and get your degree in math and zoology. Then we’ll see about vet school.”
Dusty’s heart leaped. Her wonderful husband would do anything to make her happy, but she had different dreams now. Different desires. Different goals.
“You’re a sweetheart.” She turned to kiss his soft lips. “But I don’t want to leave Sean with a stranger. I want to be the one to raise my child, to put bandages on his scrapes and kiss them to make it better.”
“But, darlin’—”
“Besides, the closest vet school is in Fort Collins, and I’d never leave here, so what’s the point?”
“The point is that I don’t want your brain to atrophy. You have an incredible intelligence, Dusty. You should use it.”
“I will. Raising a child is the most important job in the world, and I plan to use my brain. Besides, you need my brain here. You know I can tend to the animals almost as well as any vet.”
“True enough,” Zach said, stroking her thigh. “Only if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure, and if I change my mind in the future, school will still be there. Now what’s the other thing you wanted to tell me?”
“I just got a phone call from Dallas.”
“And?”
“He and Chelsea have separated, and he’s filing for divorce.”
“Oh, Zach, I’m so sorry.”
“Hell, I’m not. The woman’s a bitch.” Zach cleared his throat. “Dallas and I have never been close. He was always such an overbearing know-it-all, but…”
“He’s still your brother.”
“Yeah. He’s still my brother, and he deserves better than Chelsea.” He smoothed the soft down on Sean’s head. “He’s been different since this little critter came along.”
“He has. I think he really loves Sean. And he really loves you, Zach. He just wanted what was best for you.”
“I have wh
at’s best for me.” He kissed Dusty’s cheek. “He knows that now. He’s grown to love you, darlin’. Hell, anyone who gets to know you can’t help but love you.”
“I think you’re a little bit biased.”
“Nah.” He sighed and stared straight ahead. “Beautiful sunset tonight.”
“Isn’t it?”
“More beautiful because I can share it with you and Sean.” He grabbed a throw from the cedar table next to the bench and tucked it around the three of them.
Dusty smiled, the warmth in her heart flowing through her veins into every cell of her body. “We’ll have many more sunsets together, sweetheart,” she said.
They rocked silently as Sean nursed, and the soft darkness of the Colorado night enveloped them.
Continue The Temptation Saga with Book Two
* * *
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Message from Helen Hardt
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Tempting Dusty. If you want to find out about my current backlist and future releases, please like my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HelenHardt and join my mailing list: http://helenhardt.com/signup/. I often do giveaways. If you’re a fan and would like to join my street team to help spread the word about my books, you can do so here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hardtandsoul/. I regularly do awesome giveaways for my street team members.
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I wish you all the best, and keep reading!
Helen
Also by Helen Hardt
The Sex and the Season Series:
Lily and the Duke
Rose in Bloom
Lady Alexandra’s Lover
Sophie’s Voice
The Perils of Patricia (Coming Soon)
* * *
The Temptation Saga:
Tempting Dusty
Teasing Annie
Taking Catie
Taming Angelina
Treasuring Amber
Trusting Sydney
Tantalizing Maria
* * *
Daughters of the Prairie:
The Outlaw’s Angel
Lessons of the Heart
Song of the Raven
* * *
The Steel Brothers Saga:
Craving
Obsession
Possession
Melt
Burn
Surrender
Shattered (August 29, 2017)
Twisted (Coming Soon)
* * *
The Cougar Chronicles:
The Cowboy and the Cougar
Calendar Boy
* * *
Collections:
Destination Desire
Her Two Lovers
* * *
Non-Fiction:
got style?
Acknowledgments
The Temptation Saga is very special to me, and I’m grateful to Waterhouse Press for acquiring it and taking it to this new level. Formerly my Bakersville Saga, this series has had several incarnations, and the first four books in the series are award winners and/or finalists.
Tempting Dusty (formerly Ivy League Cowboy) is especially important to me, not only because it’s the first book in the series and the most decorated—most notably winning the RomCon Readers’ Crown Award in 2012—but also because the two main characters are named after the first two dogs I had as an adult. Dusty was a golden retriever, and Zach was half German Shepherd and half Husky…and yes, he had black hair and one brown eye and one blue eye!
So many people helped along the way in bringing this book to you. Celina Summers, Michele Hamner Moore, Jenny Rarden, Coreen Montagna, Kelly Shorten, David Grishman, Meredith Wild, Jonathan Mac, Kurt Vachon, Yvonne Ellis, Shayla Fereshetian—thank you all for your expertise and guidance.
And thanks most of all to you, the readers. I hope you love Zach and Dusty’s story. Up next is Zach’s brother Dallas, who meets his match in a feisty veterinarian from New Jersey. Don’t miss Teasing Annie!
