by Tina Leonard
Jacey agreed it had been a particularly thoughtful gift, as well received as the sturdy leather work gloves she’d given all the men.
Gabby winked. “Although, got to admit, the extra-fat bonus checks we got in our Christmas stockings are awfully nice, too.”
“What can I say?” Rafferty grinned, spreading as much joy as Santa himself. He wrapped his arm around Jacey, kissing her and the baby in her arms. “Jacey and Caitlin brought me back my holiday spirit.”
Epilogue
Six months later…
Jacey and Rafferty faced off in the suite that would soon be her former bedroom at Lost Mountain Ranch. She shook her head at the mischievous glint in her fiancé’s eyes, scolded, “I don’t think the groom is supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”
And he wouldn’t have, if her sister hadn’t gone off to get baby Caitlin into her white organza wedding-day dress.
Looking resplendent in a dove-gray morning coat and tails, Rafferty held a bit of greenery above her head. “The bride is not supposed to be standing beneath the mistletoe, either.”
Jacey flirted back shamelessly. “Especially in June. It’s wedding season, Rafferty.”
“I know.” He regarded her with mock seriousness, even as he wrapped his free arm around her waist and drew her against him. “That’s why we’re getting married.” He chuckled as the petticoats beneath her full skirt swished. “’Tis the season to be jolly and all that….”
Jacey let out a tremulous sigh. “You’re incorrigible.”
He misbehaved even more. “Your fault.”
Feeling like a kid, too, Jacey regarded him with exaggerated reproof. “And how is that, Mr. Evans?”
He kissed her lips gently. “You’ve given me the Christmas spirit to carry around in my heart all year round, Mrs. Soon-To-Be-Evans.”
Thinking to heck with tradition, Jacey wreathed her arms about his neck and kissed him back just as tenderly. “Who would have known…”
“Certainly not me.” Rafferty sighed his contentment. They were about to kiss again, when voices sounded on the other side of the bedroom door. They were followed by a knock. His arm still around her waist, Rafferty opened the door. Eli and Mindy stood there, not surprised at all to discover where the groom had happened to end up.
“Honestly,” Mindy said as she shifted her niece to her other hip. “Must you two look so deliriously happy all the time?”
“Your sister might start to think you and your daughter belong here,” Eli teased.
They all laughed.
Once Mindy had understood how right this was for Jacey, she had been as supportive and happy for her sister as everyone else.
“In any case, we thought you might be sneaking a little wedding cheer,” Eli said dryly.
Every bit as poker-faced as his father, Rafferty held the greenery aloft and claimed, “We’re testing the mistletoe.”
“Then we’ll let you have at it,” Eli returned, a glint of approval in his faded blue eyes.
Mindy smiled at them fondly, too. “Just not too long. The wedding guests are waiting.”
Jacey and Rafferty kissed again. Held each other tight. Finally, they drew apart, knowing it was time. “Ready to go out and make this official?” Rafferty asked.
Never more sure of anything in her life, Jacey nodded.
Hand in hand, they walked out to the lawn, where a sea of white chairs had been set up. With Mindy and Caitlin on one side of them, bearing witness, Eli on the other, Jacey and Rafferty committed to a lifetime of love and bliss. When the minister blessed their union, a cheer went up that echoed through the ranch. In that blissful moment, Jacey knew she and Rafferty had received the best gift of all—they had come home to each other, to love, at long last.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-2565-1
A BABY IN THE BUNKHOUSE
Copyright © 2008 by Cathy Gillen Thacker.
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, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM 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.
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At the door of the bedroom, Dane stopped in his tracks
On his bed lay Suzy, her two little angels sleeping soundly beside her…drawing him in with their cherubic faces. Tingles ran over his arms. He allowed himself to give Suzy a thorough once-over.
What the hell was she doing in his room? On his bed?
Dane intended to tell Goldilocks when she awakened that his bed was not “just right” for her.
No. He couldn’t do that. There were three of her family and only one of him.
Dane realized no matter how he fought it, staying at the Morgan ranch for a year with Suzy Winterstone and her girls was not going to be his easiest assignment.
Dear Reader,
I love writing about home, hearth and family. The older my children get, the more home means to me. So I was delighted to be able to write THE MORGAN MEN series, which started with Texas Lullaby (June 2008) and now continues with The Texas Ranger’s Twins. Two more books follow—The Secret Agent’s Surprises (February 2009) and The Triplets’ Rodeo Man (March 2009). These are the stories of four brothers who learn that it’s never too late to go home again.
The Morgan men are estranged from a father they haven't spoken to in years. But the elder Mr. Morgan is particularly clever at luring his boys home—with the promise of an inheritance, and the hope they’ll become family men. Forgiveness is something the Morgan brothers will need to learn—and that’s never an easy lesson! What a wonderful gift it is to discover that forgiveness is possible, and the light of home is always burning.
The Texas Ranger’s Twins also kicks off a year-long celebration of heroes called MEN MADE IN AMERICA. Look for one book a month in 2009 that celebrates a hunky American male and his chosen profession!
Enjoy THE MORGAN MEN and MEN MADE IN AMERICA. See you next month!
Best wishes and much love,
Tina Leonard
The Texas Ranger’s Twins
By Tina Leonard
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tina Leonard is the bestselling author of over forty projects, including a popular thirteen-book miniseries for Harlequin American Romance. Her books have made the Waldenbooks, Ingram’s, and Nielsen Book-scan bestseller lists. Tina feels she has been blessed with a fertile imagination and quick typing skills, excellent editors, and a family who loves her career. Born on a military base, she lived in many states before eventually marrying th
e boy who did her crayon printing for her in the first grade. Tina believes happy endings are a wonderful part of a good life. You can visit her at www.tinaleonard.com.
Books by Tina Leonard
HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
977—FRISCO JOE’S FIANCÉE†
981—LAREDO’S SASSY SWEETHEART†
986—RANGER’S WILD WOMAN†
989—TEX TIMES TEN†
1018—FANNIN’S FLAME†
1037—NAVARRO OR NOT†
1045—CATCHING CALHOUN†
1058—ARCHER’S ANGELS†
1069—BELONGING TO BANDERA†
1083—CROCKETT’S SEDUCTION†
1107—LAST’S TEMPTATION†
1113—MASON’S MARRIAGE†
1129—MY BABY, MY BRIDE*
1137—THE CHRISTMAS TWINS*
1153—HER SECRET SONS*
1213—TEXAS LULLABY**
Many thanks to my family,
who have always made my home a wonderful place
Contents
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
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter One
“Spare the rod, spoil the child”
—Josiah Morgan on his parenting philosophy of raising four boys on his own
Suzy Winterstone didn’t like the Morgan ranch. It was too big, too isolated and very scary at night. She walked inside the house, feeling chills that weren’t from the January wind. The front door actually creaked when someone opened it, just like in an old movie. She told herself the hinges were cold and hadn’t been used recently, but then she remembered Josiah Morgan had told her he had a farmhand who kept an eye on the property. So the hinges weren’t unused—they were simply spooky.
All of five-foot-five and weighing about a hundred and thirty pounds, Suzy wasn’t prepared to grapple with ghosts. According to Josiah’s letter, a live-in housekeeper was badly needed at the ranch. She needed a job, and she dreamed of employment that would allow her to watch over her children. Here was a golden opportunity to achieve her heart’s desire. Josiah Morgan said she’d be doing him a favor—he’d been very generous to her in the past and this job offer was no exception. Upon hearing that her boyfriend of three years had ended their relationship and had taken off for parts unknown, leaving her high and dry with twin babies, Josiah had set up a trust fund for the girls’ college expenses. She’d felt very fortunate, but Mr. Morgan was known for his generous acts in the town of Union Junction. Some people said the old man was crazy, but most people thought he was kind and grandfatherly, including Suzy.
Suzy had been working as a nurse at the hospital up until her maternity leave and was fortunate to have insurance. She could always go back to nursing, but creaking doors aside, this would be a wonderful place to work for one year. Josiah wanted it kept clean, and he wanted it decorated for every holiday, as if a family lived there. Knowing she had sewing skills, he wanted new drapes made for the house, for which he’d pay her extra. The fabrics he’d chosen were stored somewhere in this cavernous dwelling, but she could select other fabric if she wished—as long as she made the house what Mr. Morgan called “gracious living suitable for grandchildren.”
Suzy walked into a large room with a fireplace, noting the window casements were about eighteen feet high. She went up the stairs, peeking into the cold bedrooms. Lack of human warmth chilled the house, and she could understand why Josiah felt it would be better to have her family living in the house in his absence.
She decided to take the job—and first thing tomorrow, she was oiling the front door.
She was still preoccupied with those squeaky hinges when she stepped into the last room on the back hall. Like the others, it was dark and cold. Josiah had the heat in the house turned low, and for January, she would want it warmer for her babies. This back room might be suitable for her—she could make a nursery out of the room across the hall.
She screamed as something grabbed her and tossed her onto a bed. Still shrieking, she scrambled away, only to be caught in strong hands as a light flipped on.
The most handsome man she’d ever seen imprisoned her against his body. His dark eyes gleamed like a pirate’s, saucily admiring his prey.
“What have we here?” he asked, pausing to allow for her answer, yet she sensed he didn’t really expect or want one. Fear charged to a panicky boil inside her. “A very beautiful, very bad burglar?”
“I would never steal anything!”
He gave her a long perusal, raking her from her head to her toes and back up again. She gave him credit for not staring at her breasts, but he certainly made her feel as if he’d undressed her. She couldn’t hold back a shiver.
“A trespasser, then.” He slowly smiled. “I’ll have to call the local police. Lucky for you I know some of the fellows here.” He held her a little tighter, his wolflike gaze locked on her face.
He was toying with her. Anger-charged adrenaline made her brave; she jerked her arm free from his grasp. “I’m the new housekeeper. And since Mr. Morgan said no one would be here but me and my family, I’m pretty certain you’re the trespasser and I’ll be the one calling the police.”
The handsome man frowned. “Well, we have a problem. I’m supposed to be living here alone, or possibly with any of my brothers, if they show up. There was never anything said about a female. I’m Josiah Morgan’s third son, Dane Morgan. Who the hell are you?”
She lifted her chin. “My name is Suzy Winterstone. Your father hired me.”
She could swear he backed a foot away from her.
“Suzy Winterstone?”
She nodded. “Yes.” The fact that he seemed to know her name didn’t appear to be a good thing.
“Pop hired you to be a housekeeper?” he demanded. “Here?”
She gave him a confident glare. “Yes, he did.”
He stared at her for a minute and the overriding emotion she saw in those dark eyes was now anger. He frightened her; he looked like the sort of man who might not play by the rules of common decency, capable of tossing her out on the porch to soothe his temper.
“Damn Pop,” he finally growled. “Just when I hoped he might be mellowing, he proves himself to be the blue ribbon–winning jackass of all time.”
“Mr. Morgan has been very good to me and my family—”
He pulled her to him, kissing her hard, tasting her unrelentingly before he pushed her away. “I am not my father. If you choose to accept the position, be aware you’ll be living here with me. And I am not an easy man to live with.”
She forced herself not to capitulate just because his kiss had unnerved her. “I guess that’s supposed to scare me. You’re obviously hoping to discourage me from taking this job. I hate to dash your hopes, but Mr. Morgan wants me here, and I need the job. To be honest, I’m less afraid of you being on the premises than my babies and me being here alone.” Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome was just going to have to put up with her presence.
“Oh, yes, the babies. The pink-ribboned treasures intended to enhance my father’s golden years.”
“Is there a problem with that?” She looked him over, admitting to herself that he certainly was sexy, but sexy wasn’t always a worthy trait in a man. “You seem to have an aversion to children, so I’m not sure why it would bother you if your father has an interest in my babies.”
He shook his head, crossed his arms over his admirably broad chest. “You’re forewarned that nothing that happens here between you and me will ev
er entail an altar or a wedding ring.”
She shook her head. “You can bet your boots on that, mister. This house is big enough for the both of us, and we need never see each other. I expect wood brought in for the fireplaces—I’ve counted four—and I don’t want muddy footprints or beer cans left about. Mr. Morgan didn’t say anything about me playing house with a man or waiting on anyone hand and foot, and I will inform him of the parameters we are agreeing upon.”
“I haven’t agreed to anything.”
She backed to the door before he could pounce again. Not that it had been an entirely unpleasant experience—in fact, Dane was a pretty good kisser—but her blood was still boiling like crazy at being jumped by the Adonis in the doorway. She’d never been much for hide-and-seek, so it was best to put this awkward relationship on professional footing. “You’ll have to take any grievance you might have with me up with my employer.”
“And no doubt Pop would side with little bitty Miss Babymaker.” He stepped one foot toward her, laughed when she fled down the hall.
“Jerk,” she murmured as she went down the stairs, “we’ll see how hard he laughs when I short-sheet his bed and sprinkle rice in it.”
If the arrogant swine thought he was going to chase her out of a well-paying job and a chance to stay home with her children, he’d find himself greatly mistaken. Some men were just too hunky for their own good—clearly Dane was suffering from too much ego.
She would set him straight.
“And we’ll draw straws for bedrooms!” Suzy called up the stairs, just to assert herself more fully.
