The Maverick's Baby-In-Waiting. Melissa Senate

bulldogs look just like our Humphrey.” Into the cart the forty-five-dollar baby blanket went. Mikayla knew the price because she’d ogled the blanket not two minutes ago.

      And there she was, the hugely pregnant single woman with no ring, no husband, and not able to buy a quarter of what she wanted for her child.

      She sighed and was about to turn toward the checkout when a gorgeous man appeared at the other end of the aisle.

      The gorgeous man she’d last seen running out of Daisy’s Donuts. This morning he wasn’t wearing a suit, as he had been yesterday. Today he was wearing sexy jeans, a navy blue Henley shirt, the zillion-dollar belt buckle and cowboy boots. His thick, silky blond hair was movie-star perfect, even though he probably hadn’t done a thing to it.

      Then suddenly he froze as he noticed Mikayla at the end of the aisle. “Mikayla?” He grinned. “Well, I guess if I’m going to run into you anywhere, it would be in a baby store.”

      She knew why she was here. But why was Jensen here? He wasn’t a father, was he?

      “Buying a little relative a gift?” she asked.

      “My brother’s nephews and niece,” he said. She was momentarily mesmerized by his blue eyes and the slight crinkles at the corners, his strong nose and square jawline. “They’re celebrating being potty trained with a party today, but I have no idea what to buy them as a gift.”

      She was trying to remember back to the bachelor/bachelorette party and the Jones brothers she’d met. “Oh, that’s right—Hudson is married to Bella and she’s Jamie Stockton’s sister,” she said. “I remember meeting Jamie and his wife. They have two-year-old triplets. They potty trained three babies at once? That’s one heck of an achievement. Definitely partyworthy.”

      He grinned. “I don’t doubt it. So I want to get them something worthy. Any ideas?”

      “Hmm,” Mikayla said, glancing around. What would be just right for two-year-olds? “I noticed some wonderful educational toys and lots of great electronics in that aisle,” she said, pointing. “And those big stuffed animals are so adorable,” she added, gesturing at the three-foot-tall giraffe with a little seat built in. “Oh, I love those toddler beds in the shape of a race car and a butterfly.”

      “Sold,” he said as his gorgeous blue eyes lit on the beds.

      “What? Really?” She’d noticed the very high price tags when she was here last week. The beds cost a small fortune. Times three? A big fortune. The cost of things clearly didn’t faze him. When you were a Jones millionaire, it was probably like buying a cup of coffee at a gas station. Barely a blip on the budget.

      She wondered what it would be like not to have a budget. But she truly couldn’t imagine.

      “Do two-and-a-half-year-olds sleep in those kind of beds, or would they still be in cribs?” he asked.

      “They’re probably just the age to move into big-kid beds,” she said.

      “Perfect. I knew you were the woman to ask.”

      “Ha, I have no idea what a newborn needs, let alone a toddler. I’m seven months along and just learning on the go. There must be a million books written about what to expect when you’re pregnant, but until I’m actually holding a newborn and need to do the zillions of things infants require...”

      “I suppose you’ll hire a baby nurse,” he said. “That should make things easier.”

      She almost laughed. Baby nurse! Was he kidding with that one? As if she could afford another crib sheet in addition to the one in her cart, let alone a living, breathing, experienced baby nurse to care for her infant during the night while Mikayla got eight hours of interrupted sleep.

      “Uh, I’ll be the baby nurse. And nanny. And chief bottle washer.”

      He smiled. “One-woman operation, huh?”

      Her own smile faded. “Yeah. Just the way it is.”

      Her heart pinching, Mikayla wanted to flee and stay at the same time. That was a weird dichotomy.

      “So what are you buying today?” he asked, glancing in her cart.

      “Just a crib sheet and some pajamas. I guess I can’t help window-shopping for the nursery I’d love to have, but that’s silly when I’m staying at Sunshine Farm and don’t know when I’ll move into my own place.”

      He tilted his head and stared at her. “Sunshine Farm? Isn’t that Luke and Eva’s ranch house?”

      She could feel her cheeks turning pink. She was pregnant and didn’t even have her own place.

      “That property is gorgeous,” he said. “I love the big yellow barn. I think I heard my brothers say the Stocktons intend to turn the place into a guest ranch.”

      Mikayla nodded. “I’m trying to be a very good guest so that I don’t ruin their fantasy for them. But when the baby comes...” Her eyes widened and she grinned. “I can’t believe they haven’t told me to scram before my due date, but they apparently like the idea of a baby in the house.”

      He winced. Slightly, but he did. She knew what he was thinking: Who’d want to wake up in the middle of the night to a baby wailing? Or change a diaper—ever? Mikayla wondered if he’d feel differently if it were his own baby, but she figured he’d hire a day and night nurse if he ever had a kid of his own.

      “Are you planning on staying in Rust Creek Falls permanently?” he asked.

      “I really don’t know,” she said, quite honestly. “I’m kind of...figuring things out right now.” Could the floor open up and swallow her and her cart? He’d probably never had to figure out the basics of life—like a place to live and money to buy a crib. Move along, Mikayla, she told herself. There’s no sense even making this man’s acquaintance. You live on different planets. “Well,” she said with what probably looked like a forced smile. “I’d better get going. Nice to see you again, Jensen.”

      Too bad pulling her eyes off him was so hard. She could stand here and look at this man all day and night.

      “Nice to see you again, too,” he said, kind of wistfully, if she wasn’t mistaken. Huh. Once again, Mikayla the Amazing Mind Reader had a good idea what he was thinking: Shame she’s pregnant. She could be showing me the sights around town, including lovers’ lane, where we could have had some fun.

      Was there even a lovers’ lane in Rust Creek Falls? As if Mikayla would know.

      “Can I help you?” a store employee asked as she walked over, smiling at Mikayla and Jensen. “Oh, and congratulations, you two. Mommy and Daddy are getting their nursery in order before the big day, I see.”

      Mikayla turned beet red.

      Jensen practically choked.

      “Oh, we’re not together,” Mikayla rushed to say. Why do I always feel the need to explain? she wondered. For a second there, she’d been someone’s wife, her baby had a father and she was setting up her nursery in advance of the big event. Just the way she’d dreamed.

      The sales clerk cringed. “Sorry. I’m always putting my foot in my big mouth. You could have been brother and sister, too.”

      “We’re definitely not,” Jensen said. “I’ll take three race car beds,” he added to the clerk. “And they must be delivered this afternoon by one. Oh, and I’d like the beds personalized with the names across the fronts. Jared, Henry and Katie.”

      “Did you want the butterfly bed for Katie?” the salesclerk asked, pointing at the pink-and-purple bed.

      Jensen shook his head. “Apparently, Katie loves cars just like her brothers, so a race car it is. Her favorite color is orange, so maybe her name can be stenciled in orange.”

      The manager nodded. After Jensen gave the delivery information,