Wes Stryker's Wrangled Wife. Sandra Steffen

      Jayne was perfect for him. Letter to Reader Title Page Dedication SANDRA STEFFEN Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Copyright

      Jayne was perfect for him.

      She could match his wit, and give snide comment for snide comment. She could kiss like a dream. Hell, she could even swear. There was only one little problem. She wasn’t ready for children.

      

      And Wes Stryker had just petitioned for custody of not one, but two.

      

      Thank goodness he hadn’t already fallen in love with her, he told himself. He just had to put her out of his mind.

      

      He’d put women out of his mind before. He could do it again.

      

      By the time he’d pulled his truck between the fence posts lining his driveway, he’d decided it was a good thing he’d discovered this now. A good thing, hell. If it was so good, why did he feel like starting a fight? And why could he still smell the heady scent of her perfume?

      Dear Reader,

      

      This April, Silhouette Romance showers you with six spectacular stories from six splendid authors! First, our exciting LOVING THE BOSS miniseries continues as rising star Robin Wells tells the tale of a demure accountant who turns daring to land her boss—and become mummy to The Executive’s Baby.

      

      Prince Charming’s Return signals Myma Mackenzie’s return to Silhouette Romance. In this modem-day fairy-tale romance, wealthy FABULOUS FATHER Gray Alexander discovers he has a son, but the proud mother of his child refuses marriage—unless love enters the equation.... Sandra Steffen’s BACHELOR GULCH miniseries is back with Wes Stryker’s Wrangled Wife! In this spirited story, a pretty stranger just passing through town can’t resist a sexy cowboy struggling to raise two orphaned tykes.

      

      Cara Colter revisits the lineup with Truly Daddy. an emotional, heartwarming novel about a man who learns what it takes to be a father—and a husband—through the transforming love of a younger woman. When A Cowboy Comes a Courting in Christine Scott’s contribution to HE’S MY HERO!, the virginal heroine who’d sworn off sexy, stubborn, Stetson-wearing rodeo stars suddenly finds herself falling hopelessly in love. And FAMILY MATTERS showcases Patti Standard’s newest novel in which a man with a knack for fixing things sets out to make a struggling single mom and her teenage daughter His Perfect Family.

      

      As always, I hope you enjoy this month’s offerings, and the wonderful ones still to come!

      

      Happy reading!

      Mary-Theresa Hussey

      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

      Wes Stryker’s Wrangled Wife

      Sandra Steffen

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      For Sally Bulgarelli:

      

      You give great advice. Better yet, you listen (sometimes)

      to my great advice. We laugh at the same jokes, cry at the same injustices and know what’s important. Were we sisters in another lifetime? Maybe. Friends in this one? Certainly. I’m so glad.

      SANDRA STEFFEN

      Her fans tell Sandra how much they enjoy her fictional characters, especially her male fictional characters. That’s not so surprising, because although this awardwinning, bestselling author believes every character is a challenge, she has the most fun with the men she creates, whether they’re doctors or cowboys, toddlers or teenagers. Perhaps that’s because she’s surrounded by so many men—her husband, their four sons, her dad, brothers, in-laws. She feels blessed to be surrounded by just as many warm, intelligent and funny women.

      Growing up the fourth child of ten in a family of ambitious and opinionated people, she developed a keen appreciation for laughter and argument, for stubborn people with hearts of gold and intelligent people who aren’t afraid of other intelligent people. Sandra lives in Michigan with her husband, three of their sons and a blue-eyed mutt who thinks her name is No-Molly-No. Sandra’s book, Child of Her Dreams, won the 1994 National Readers’ Choice Award. Several of her titles have appeared on national bestseller lists.

      Chapter One

      Wes Stryker spread the crinkled sheet of paper out on the small table in front of him. The words, written in fountainpen ink in an old woman’s shaky scrawl, swirled before his eyes. He blinked to bring them into focus, although he knew them by heart. Annabell wanted him to take the kids. Kate and Dusty’s kids. The thought of Kate and Dusty, and the accident that had taken their lives, sent a stabbing pain all the way through him.

      The blinking lights on the Christmas tree in the corner reflected off his glass of beer. Very festive. Ho. Ho. Ho. Wes folded the letter and very carefully slid it into his pocket. Now and then one or two of the local ranchers who were huddled in the bar made an attempt at small talk, and every five minutes Forest Wilkie deposited more coins in the jukebox. Wes wondered how many times he’d heard Elvis Presley’s rendition of “Blue Christmas” tonight. Five? Six? It didn’t matter, because he was pretty sure that if he heard it one more time, he was going to have to hit somebody.

      “Slow night,” Butch Brunner mumbled from a table nearby.

      Wes acknowledged the statement, but he didn’t look up from the beer in front of him. It was a slow night, all right. Christmas Eve. The longest, slowest, dreariest night of the year.

      “Snow’s really coming down out there.”

      Wes