Luke's Would-Be Bride. Sandra Steffen

      Table of Contents

       Cover Page

       Excerpt

Dear Reader

       Title Page

       Dedication

       About the Author

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Copyright

       “Luke, if I go out with you, people will get the wrong idea about us.”

      “And what idea is that?”

      

      “They’ll think we’re a couple,” Jillian replied. “I know this seems odd, but I didn’t come here to find a husband.”

      

      He appeared to be holding on to his frustration by a thread. “Let me get this straight. You saw the ad for Bachelor Gulch, so you moved here. But you aren’t looking for a husband.”

      

      Glancing at all of the townsfolk who were watching their little interaction, Jillian considered walking away without saying another word. But how would it look to have the new girl in town stomp on his huge ego in front of more than a dozen residents?

      

      In a voice meant for his ears alone, she said, “I’m really not in the market, Luke. But believe me, if I were, you’d be my first choice.” And with quiet assurance, she stood on tiptoe to whisper a kiss against his cheek, then turned and left him in the middle of the street, staring after her.

      Dear Reader,

      The month of June makes me think of June brides, Father’s Day and the first bloom of summer love. And Silhouette Romance is celebrating the start of summer with six wonderful books about love and romance.

      

      Our BUNDLE OF JOY this month is delivered by Stella Bagwell’s The Tycoon’s Tots—her thirtieth Silhouette book. As her TWINS ON THE DOORSTEP miniseries continues, we finally discover who gets to keep those adorable babies…and find romance in the bargain.

      Elizabeth August is back with her much-loved SMYTHESHIRE, MASSACHUSETTS series. In The Determined Virgin you’ll meet a woman whose marriage of convenience is proving to be very inconvenient, thanks to her intense attraction to her “in-name-only” husband

      BACHELOR GULCH is a little town that needs women, and the name of Sandra Steffen’s brand-new miniseries. The fun begins in Luke’s Would-Be Bride as a local bachelor falls for his feisty receptionist—the one woman in town not looking for a husband!

      And there are plenty more compelling romances for you this month: A lovely lady rancher can’t wait to hightail it out of Texas—till she meets her handsome new foreman in Leanna Wilson’s Lone Star Rancher. A new husband can’t bear to tell his amnesiac bride that the baby she’s carrying isn’t his, in Her Forgotten Husband by Anne Ha. And one lucky cowboy discovers a night of passion has just made him a daddy in Teresa Southwick’s The Bachelor’s Baby.

      I hope you enjoy all of June’s books!

      Melissa Senate, Senior Editor

      Silhouette Romance

      Please address questions and book requests to:

      Silhouette Reader Service

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

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

      Luke’s Would-Be Bride

      Sandra Steffen

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      For my brother, Ron Rademacher—Sometimes

      the greatest heroes are the quietest ones. I thought you’d always be here, buddy. Save me a place in heaven, okay?

       SANDRA STEFFEN

      Creating memorable characters is one of Sandra’s favorite aspects of writing. She’s always been a romantic, and is thrilled to be able to spend her days doing what she loves—bringing her characters to life on her computer screen.

      

      Sandra grew up. in Michigan, the fourth of ten children, all of whom have taken the old adage “Go forth and multiply” quite literally. Add to this her husband, who is her real-life hero, their four school-age sons who keep their lives in constant motion, their gigantic cat, Percy, and her wonderful friends, in-laws and neighbors, and what to do you get? Chaos, of course, but also a wonderful sense of belonging she wouldn’t trade for the world.

       Chapter One

      Luke Carson reached for his black bag with one hand and his black Stetson with the other, then hurried toward the door. The telephone started to ring before he’d taken his second step. Shoving his hat on his head and his bag under one arm, he grabbed the receiver and bit back a curse.

      “Jasper Gulch Animal Clinic.”

      He was vaguely aware of the bead of perspiration trailing down the side of his neck, but most of his attention was trained on Butch Brunner’s voice on the other end of the line. “You gotta get here as soon as possible, Luke. This is the second steer to take sick this week.”

      While