Cowboys, Babies and Shotgun Vows

by Shirley Rogers

  Memories Of Their Lovemaking Assailed Ashley, And She Sank Down On The Sofa And Wrapped Her Arms Around Herself.

  Letter to Reader

  Title Page

  Dedication

  About the Author

  The Silhouette Spotlight

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Copyright

  Memories Of Their Lovemaking Assailed Ashley, And She Sank Down On The Sofa And Wrapped Her Arms Around Herself.

  What could one night hurt? Well, now she knew. Damn. If she hadn’t gotten sick this morning, Ryder would never have known about the baby. He’d have gone back to his ranch and would have forgotten all about her.

  But would she have forgotten all about him?

  Ryder McCall had gotten to her somehow. How could she have slept with him again?

  But she knew the answer to that. Chemistry. Whatever God had put in a woman and a man to attract them to each other, He’d given them a huge dose. There was something about Ryder McCall that Ashley just couldn’t resist....

  Dear Reader,

  The perfect treat for cool autumn days are nights curled up with a warm, toasty Silhouette Desire novel!

  So, be prepared to get swept away by superstar Rebecca Brandewyne’s MAN OF THE MONTH, The Lioness Tamer, a story of a magnetic corporate giant who takes on a real challenge—taming a wild virginal beauty. THE RULEBREAKERS, talented author Leanne Banks’s miniseries about three undeniably sexy hunks—a millionaire, a bad boy, a protector—continues with The Lone Rider Takes a Bride, when an irresistible rebel introduces passion to a straight-and-narrow lady...and she unexpectedly introduces him to everlasting love. The Paternity Factor by Caroline Cross tells the poignant story of a woman who proves her secret love for a brooding man by caring for the baby she thinks is his.

  Also this month, Desire launches OUTLAW HEARTS, a brand-new miniseries by Cindy Gerard about strong-minded outlaw brothers who can’t stop love from stealing their own hearts, in The Outlaw’s Wife. Maureen Child’s gripping miniseries, THE BACHELOR BATTALION, brings readers another sensual, emotional read with The Non-Commissioned Baby. And Silhouette has discovered another fantastic talent in debut author Shirley Rogers, one of our WOMEN TO WATCH, with her adorable Cowboys, Babies and Shotgun Vows.

  Once again, Silhouette Desire offers unforgettable romance by some of the most beloved and gifted authors in the genre. Don’t forget to come back next month for more happily-ever-afters’

  Regards,

  Joan Marlow Golan

  Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

  Please address questions and book requests to:

  Silhouette Reader Service

  U.S.: 3010 Warden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

  Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

  SHIRLEY ROGERS

  COWBOYS, BABIES AND SHOTGUN VOWS

  To my husband, Roger, who believed in me.

  And to Darlene, thank you for everything.

  SHIRLEY ROGERS

  is happily married and lives in the Tidewater area of Virginia, where she was born and raised. Being one of five children, she says, gives her lots of experiences to draw on when writing her stories. She is the proud mother of a son and a daughter, both of whom are in college. In her free time she likes reading romances, traveling, seeing movies and shopping with her daughter.

  The Silhouette Spotlight

  “Where Passion Lives”

  MEET WOMAN TO WATCH

  What was your inspiration for COWBOYS, BABIES AND SHOTGUN VOWS?

  SR: “I heard a song by Lome Morgan, and a line about understanding the word no just grabbed my attention. I could imagine the scene—a heroine being hit on by some jerk and having to think of a way out of a bad situation. The story just took off from there.”

  What about the Desire line appeals to you as a reader and as a writer?

  SR: “I love the fast-paced, character-driven stories in the Desire line. They get to the heart of the reader and just won’t let go.”

  What about this book is special to you?

  SR: “As part of his character, my hero uses ‘Darlin” often. This came about because my brother, Lonnie, calls every woman ’Darlin’,’ whether he’s opening a door for a stranger or talking to his wife, daughter or any other female. I’ve always thought that was sweet of him, and it just fit my hero, Ryder McCall.”

  One

  Distraught because her father had tried to sell her into a loveless marriage, she hadn’t been thinking straight

  “C‘mon, li’l filly. A pretty thing like you shouldn’t be sittin’ all alone.” Leering, the cowboy standing next to her lifted a long-necked bottle to his lips, chugged down the remainder of its contents, then swiped at his mouth with the back of his hand.

  Ashley glanced around the dimly lit room and swallowed hard, thinking what an idiot she’d been to come inside this Podunk bar. She’d been exhausted when she’d stopped outside of Sonora and registered at the motel connected to the bar.

  She’d paced in her room for a while, needing to calm her nerves before trying to get some sleep. The pills she’d taken from her stepmother’s medicine cabinet should have made her relax. Over an hour later, she’d still felt wired. She’d come into the bar thinking a drink would help.

  Since leaving San Antonio, she’d been in a continuous state of shock, stunned by the realization that her father had used her as a bargaining chip in a business deal and her fiancé had been a willing party to it. She’d spent her life trying hard to please her father and stepmother. And look where it had gotten her—in some hellhole with a drunken cowboy latched onto her.

  Her head was beginning to ache and the country music from the band made her feel like a jackhammer was pounding away inside her brain. A woozy feeling rushed through her. She blinked hard, then took another, a much slower, look around, bringing the room into hazy focus. If she could just get her bearings, she’d get the heck out as fast as she could.

  The smoke was thick enough to choke a horse, and the offensive odor stung her eyes and nostrils, creating havoc in her stomach. She started to get up, but stopped when the room slowly began to spin. Between the darkness and the smoke, she was barely able to make out the shadows of couples locked together on the small dance floor. Ashley flushed, swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced at the cowboy.

  “I already told you no,” she said, disgusted by the thought of him holding her like that. He didn’t appear the least bit dissuaded. Tasting fear, she reached for the beer in front of her and took a drink for courage. She put the bottle down and was surprised it was nearly empty. She didn’t remember finishing the first one.

  “Oh, I un‘erstand aw’right.” The cowboy closed his hand around the back of her neck and leaned close to her, his foul breath making her gag. “You’re a hot little number playin’ hard t’get.” His hand slid from her neck to her shoulder and squeezed it.

  Ashley swung her arm at him in an attempt to push him away, but he snared her wrist in a tight grip. “Look, I’m waiting for someone,” she snapped. It was the first thing that came to her mind. Please. oh, please. leave me alone, she prayed, trying to bank the panic taking hold of her.

  Deke McCall stopped talking, aware that he’d lost Ryder’s attention. He looked over at the bar, and his gaze took in the leggy female his older brother was watching. She was attractive in a
ritzy sort of way, but far from the kind of woman his brother usually went for. Everyone who knew Ryder McCall knew he liked his women blond and voluptuous, not tall and whisper thin.

  “Forget it, man.”

  Deke’s words barely registering, Ryder’s eyes narrowed as he watched the scene taking place at the bar. Apparently the cowboy was three sheets to the wind. It didn’t look as if the lady was too happy with his attention.

  “Oh, hell, Ryder,” Deke growled. “Not tonight. I just came in here to unwind, not to get into a brawl.”

  Ryder’s lips turned slightly upward, his teeth just showing beneath his trim mustache. “Looks like the lady needs some help.”

  Deke’s expression turned pensive. “We’re supposed to be in Bandera tomorrow to take a look at that Brahma bull. You mess this deal up and Jake’s going to have your hide.”

  “Jake and who else?” Ryder quipped, undaunted by the warning about their older brother.

  Seeing the uneasy took on Deke’s face, Ryder tipped his hat up and looked him in the eye. “Quit worryin’. We’ll leave bright and early in the morning. Right now I think I’ll give the lady a hand.”

  Deke chuckled. “Yeah? Seems like I recall the last lady you rescued had a boyfriend the size of a Mack truck and you came away with two broken ribs and a black eye.”

  Ryder grinned, downed the last of his beer and set the bottle down on the small round table in front of him. He took another look at the woman at the bar. She sure was pretty. Silky black hair halfway down her back and a short black skirt that exposed long, lush legs. Something inside him sparked, an awareness so sudden and unexpected that he felt compelled to act on it.

  Shifting his attention back to Deke, Ryder replied, “If your memory’s so good, you’ll remember he spent a couple of nights at County Hospital.”

  “And you spent the night in jail.”

  Ryder’s blue eyes twinkled. “Only one night, little brother. The next night was well worth the fight.” He winked and added, “See you in the morning,.”

  Tugging his tan felt Stetson down on his forehead, Ryder strolled over to the bar with an exaggerated cowboy’s gait. Without preamble, he laid a big hand on the drunken man’s arm.

  “Thanks for keeping my woman company,” Ryder drawled, the cocky grin on his lips a direct contrast to the message his hard grip was giving the other man.

  The cowboy’s head snapped up and around. He let go of the woman and straightened, then swayed slightly. “Back off, buddy. I was here first.”

  Insinuating himself between the cowboy and the lady, Ryder draped his arm around the woman’s tense shoulders. “The lady was just waiting for me. Ain’t that right, darlin’?”

  Ashley looked up and was swiftly caught in a baby blue gaze that made her feel dizzier than the couple of beers she’d consumed. The man was grinning, his white teeth smooth and straight beneath his dark blond mustache. Her thoughts were jumbled, but somehow she managed to sort them out.

  Great, another cowboy. She put a hand to her head, the action seeming as if it was in slow motion. This night just wasn’t getting any better, she thought. This guy was blond, at least six foot three and topped the drunk by more than four inches. His well-worn jeans rode low on his hips and gloved his body, sending out signals any red-blooded woman could pick up. He looked like a walking, talking advertisement for sex. When she started to speak, he leaned close and whispered in her ear.

  “Play along with me, darlin’, and you might just get out of here without causing a ruckus.”

  Ashley wasn’t so sure. She didn’t want to tangle with the drunk, but just looking into the seductive blue gaze of the man with his arm around her made her think twice about accepting his help. His iron-hard body generated a heat that seeped right into her, melting her resistance. Going totally on instinct, she managed a barely perceptible nod.

  “See,” Ryder pointed out, sending the woman a wink, “Like I said, she’s been waitin’ for me.”

  The cowboy snorted his disbelief. “You didn’t just come in here,” he said “I seen you sittin’ over there in the corner.”

  Ryder congenially smacked the cowboy on the back. “Well, buddy, there’s a good reason for that. Let me buy you a beer and I’ll tell you all about it.” He raised his hand and caught the bartender’s attention. The burly man promptly set three full bottles on the counter.

  “You see, me and my woman had a little spat, and I came in here to blow off some steam. Ain’t that right, darlin’?” he drawled, laying his Texas accent on thick. His gaze swept the woman’s blank expression and he grimaced.

  Ashley looked at the drunken cowboy, astonished he was falling for this crock of bull. She figured he’d consumed a lot more alcohol than she had. Still, it seemed smart to get rid of one problem and then handle another when and if it came along. She gave the new cowboy a small smile and slowly nodded.

  “She just came in here to prove a point.” Ryder turned and gave the woman a full-fledged smile, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “And you did that real good, darlin’. Made me jealous as hell.”

  He bent and lowered his mouth within inches of hers. “Give me a little kiss, darlin’, and let’s patch things up.”

  Ashley’s eyes widened when they met his. Her gaze slid to his mouth. His upper lip was covered by that sexy mustache, and his lower lip was full and tempting. He inched a little closer and she smelled his enticing woodsy cologne and the faint scent of beer on his breath.

  “C‘mon, darlin’,” he coaxed, then his lids lowered lazily, half covering his blue pupils. His hand on her shoulder gently prodded her toward him.

  Ashley felt as if she was caught in a time warp. In a daze she lifted her mouth and touched her lips to his. His mustache tickled a little, but the feel of his mouth on hers made her heart tumble over.

  A wave of warmth snaked through her, scrambling her senses, making her feel even more disoriented. Ashley found herself inching closer to him, being absorbed by the heat of his kiss, wanting more, needing more. She reached out to steady herself, settling her palm on his rock-hard chest.

  Ryder groaned low in his throat as the woman laid her hand on him. He wondered for a split second just who intended to seduce whom. Arousal, hot and swift, soared through him. Her lips were soft and sweet and addictive—and screamed of innocence. Alarmed by his reckless response to her, Ryder removed her hand from his chest. He opened his eyes to find her staring at him, her expression so vulnerable she could have been an open book.

  He looked at the woman who’d just kissed him and blinked. Her big brown eyes were guarded and apprehensive. He could tell she wasn’t sure whether to trust him. He’d never deliberately hurt a woman, had never taken a woman who didn’t know the score. He wasn’t about to start now.

  Turning back to the cowboy, Ryder grinned easily. “Can I buy you another beer?”

  “No, thanks,” the cowboy mumbled sullenly, grabbing a bottle of beer off the counter.

  As soon as the man swaggered away, Ryder felt the woman beside him stiffen. He removed his arm from around her shoulders and slid onto the empty stool beside her. With his back to the bar, he braced his elbows on the ledge and turned to face her.

  He stared at her for a moment. From a distance she’d looked like a society woman on the make. Checking his libido, he wondered for a moment if she was even old enough to drink. Though he still wanted her, at twenty-eight he was past the age where taking a virgin was considered a conquest.

  Well, he’d started this and he’d see it through, even if the ending wasn’t going to turn out the way he’d planned. Angling closer to her, he asked, “What’s your name, darlin’?”

  Ashley watched him suspiciously. He seemed harmless enough with that engaging smile, but her head was still spinning from his kiss, and she couldn’t quite forget how much man came with it. “Ashley,” she said cautiously, wondering if he noticed that she didn’t offer her last name.

  “Ryder McCall.” He stuck out his hand. She looked down
at it, then back up at his face. Ryder grinned like an alley cat on the prowl and said, “I don’t bite.”

  Doubting that, Ashley took his hand. His palm and fingers were callused, and she guessed he was a working cowhand from one of the nearby ranches. She drew her hand away and stared at the sweating bottle of beer in front of her.

  “Thank you for what you did,” she said, sending a nervous glance in his direction. His blue eyes sparkled. Embarrassed, she dropped her gaze to the counter.

  “Glad to be of help.” Ryder dipped his head until she was forced to face him. “Are you from around here?”

  Ashley wasn’t expecting the question. It took a moment for her to think of an answer that sounded reasonable. “No. I’m just passing through.”

  “Traveling alone?”

  When she nodded, he frowned. Ashley tensed and hoped she hadn’t aroused his suspicions.

  “You shouldn’t be traveling by yourself this late at night,” he remarked, his expression curious. “How about I walk you to your car, just to be on the safe side?”

  Ashley picked her purse up from the counter and clasped it in her lap. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.” She didn’t mean to sound abrupt, but she didn’t want him getting any ideas. As she slid off the stool, the motion carried her forward and off balance. “Oh,” she murmured, her hand going to her forehead.