The Pregnant Ms. Potter. Millie Criswell

      The legend at work…

      A kiss on the lips the bargain will seal, and undying love will the couple soon feel.

      This can’t be true, Maddy thought. She forced a nervous laugh. “You’re right. It was something your grandma made up.” She and Pete hadn’t kissed. They had nothing to worry about.

      “What is it? What does it say?” He tried to grab the paper, but she held it back and out of his reach. She tried to scoot away, but Pete lunged for her, grabbing her gently and pinning her down with his body.

      Pete no longer seemed interested in the paper. His lips were just inches away from hers. His intention reflected clearly in his eyes, and Maddy panicked. “Pete, wait! Don’t do it! You don’t under—”

      “Sorry, Maddy, but I’ve got to.” He covered her mouth with his own.

      Dear Reader,

      It’s February—the month of love. And what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a Harlequin American Romance novel.

      This month’s selection begins with the latest installment in the RETURN TO TYLER series. Prescription for Seduction is what Darlene Scalera offers when sparks fly between a lovely virgin and a steadfast bachelor doctor. The Bride Said, “Surprise!” is another of Cathy Gillen Thacker’s THE LOCKHARTS OF TEXAS, and is a tender tale about a secret child who brings together two long-ago lovers. (Watch for Cathy’s single title, Texas Vows: A McCabe Family Saga, next month from Harlequin Books.)

      In Millie Criswell’s charming new romance, The Pregnant Ms. Potter is rescued from a blizzard by a protective rancher who takes her into his home—and into his heart. And in Longwalker’s Child by Debra Webb, a proud Native American hero is determined to claim the child he never knew existed, but first he has to turn the little girl’s beautiful guardian from his sworn enemy into his loving ally.

      So this February, treat yourself to all four of our wonderful Harlequin American Romance titles. And in March, look for Judy Christenberry’s Rent a Millionaire Groom, the first book in Harlequin American Romance’s new promotion, 2001 WAYS TO WED.

      Wishing you happy reading,

      Melissa Jeglinski

      Associate Senior Editor

      Harlequin American Romance

      The Pregnant Ms. Potter

      Millie Criswell

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Millie Criswell didn’t start out to be a writer. Her greatest aspiration in life was to tap dance with the Rockettes. However, when that failed to work out, she put pen to paper and has authored eighteen bestselling, award-winning historical, category and contemporary romances. She has won numerous awards, including the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, Reviewer’s Choice Award and the Maggie Award from Georgia Romance Writers. Millie has two grown children and resides with her husband in Virginia.

      Books by Millie Criswell

      HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

      810—THE WEDDING PLANNER

      863—THE PREGNANT MS. POTTER

      HARLEQUIN HISTORICALS

      508—THE MARRYING MAN

      The Taggart

      Wedding Ring Quilt Legend

      Place this quilt upon your bed

      and in one month you shall be wed.

      But if you think you’d rather not,

      Then a spinster’s life shall be your lot.

      A man and a woman who meet if by chance,

      Will soon be doing the marital dance.

      A kiss on the lips the bargain will seal,

      And undying love will the couple soon feel.

      —Grandma Maggie Taggart

      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 One

      Maddy Potter didn’t think her life could get any worse.

      Ha! What did she know? It wasn’t bad enough that she was eight weeks pregnant without a husband in sight—“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” Now she was stranded in the middle of Nowhere, Colorado, in the clutches of a snowstorm—a whiteout, the radio had called it—and her chances of reaching her sister’s house in Leadville seemed non-existent.

      “Don’t even think about driving in this storm, little lady,” the car rental agent had told her two hours before. “Get yourself a nice warm hotel room somewhere near the airport and ride it out. It’s the sensible thing to do.”

      “Of course, when have I ever been sensible?” Maddy asked herself. Surely not when she had allowed passion to override good judgment and had given in to David Lassiter’s persistent pursuit, engaging in unprotected sex for the first time in her life. Well, not exactly unprotected. They had used a condom, but the damn thing broke right in the middle of everything. Just her luck.

      Stupid wasn’t really a strong enough sentiment to sum up how she felt about her behavior. Asinine was probably a better word. Or how about insane? That fit nicely, too.

      Heaving a sigh, Maddy’s hand moved to her belly, and she felt the tiny life growing inside her—David’s child. But David Lassiter was her boss at Lassiter, Owens and Cumberland, the third largest advertising firm in New York City, not her boyfriend, and certainly not her fiancé. He’d made it clear that he wasn’t looking for any entanglements, including, and most especially, a wife.

      Not that she was anxious to get married, either.

      She’d been doing fine on her own. Wonderful, in fact! She didn’t need