The Cowboy's Secret Baby. Karen Smith Rose

      

      He was their son.

      And Ty was entranced with him.

      He’d never really watched a baby’s antics before, and he was mesmerized—with more than Jordan. There was such a look of devotion on Marissa’s face. Her eyes sparkling with the joys of motherhood, she was absolutely beautiful. Beautiful in a way he hadn’t recognized before.

      “I’ve never held a baby,” he admitted to her.

      Her lips quirked up. “They’re just as squiggly as a baby calf.”

      That analogy brought an unexpected chuckle from him. “Okay.” He’d held on to baby calves before.

      Marissa was close enough that he caught the scent of her. Oh, how he remembered that scent. That night he’d made love to her, her hair had smelled like flowers, and that’s the scent he caught now. It triggered a response in his body that was totally inappropriate. He willed himself to block off any attraction to her. To focus on Jordan.

      He slid his large hands under Jordan’s tiny arms and lifted him from Marissa’s hold. His little boy was solid and warm.

       His little boy.

      Ty’s chest constricted and his throat tightened. Just what in the blue blazes was happening to him?

      * * *

      The Mommy Club It’s about caring, family… and love

      The Cowboy’s Secret Baby

      Karen Rose Smith

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      USA TODAY bestselling author KAREN ROSE SMITH’s eighty-seventh novel will be released in 2015. Her passion is caring for her four rescued cats, and her hobbies are gardening, cooking and photography. An only child, Karen delved into books at an early age. Even though she escaped into story worlds, she had many cousins around her on weekends. Families are a strong theme in her novels. Find out more about Karen at www.karenrosesmith.com.

      To my son…

       who has always made everything brand-new.

      Contents

       Cover

       Introduction

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

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

       Epilogue

       Extract

       Copyright

       Chapter One

      Marissa Lopez’s heart began beating faster. Her stomach seemed to turn upside down. Oh, no. That couldn’t be Ty Conroy over there, could it?

      She’d stopped in at the physical therapy center to talk to her friend, Sara Cramer. On her lunch hour, she didn’t have a whole lot of time. But she needed Sara’s advice.

      However, now—

      “What’s wrong?” Sara asked. “You suddenly went pale.”

      Marissa pointed her chin toward the other side of the room, where one of the physical therapists was sitting in a chair across from Ty.

      Ty.

      The father of her baby. Ty. The father of her baby who didn’t know he was the father of her baby.

      Sara looked in the direction Marissa had indicated. “Do you know him?” she asked.

      Sara wasn’t from Fawn Grove. She didn’t recognize the boy who had made good in the rodeo riding circuit. She didn’t know the bull rider who Marissa had spent a night with. A mistaken, foolish night.

      Although she could never even think about her life without her son, Jordan. Not for a moment.

      Sara was one of the few people who knew the name of her baby’s father.

      “That’s Ty Conroy,” Marissa answered in a shaky voice.

      Sara’s eyes went wide. “Are you serious? What are you going to do?” She knew Marissa had never expected Ty Conroy to return to Fawn Grove, California.

      “Do you know why he’s here?” Marissa asked, edging toward the door.

      Sara shook her head. “I don’t work with him. Even if I did, I couldn’t tell you—patient privacy and all that.”

      Marissa couldn’t help but take another glance at Ty, who was now minus his cowboy hat and boots. His hand was on his knee and she spotted a cane leaning against the table. Just what had happened?

      She was definitely out of that bull riding loop. Her job at Jase Cramer’s winery, Jordan and her volunteer work with The Mommy Club, an organization that helped parents in need, captured all of her attention and energy. She rarely even watched the news or any TV for that matter, except for SpongeBob and The Disney Channel. Sara was the same. They were both busy women.

      Her glance at Ty lingered a little bit too long. The physical therapist moved away from him and Ty’s gaze zeroed right in on hers.

      Oh, no! she thought again.

      Though she told herself to look away, her eyes took him in. Two years hadn’t made much difference in her appearance, nor