His-And-Hers Twins. Rita Herron

      

      A day in the life of a single dad.

      Zeke ran a hand through his hair, suddenly conscious he needed a shave and he was wearing his oldest pair of jeans. Trust his daughters to bring home a beautiful woman when he looked his worst.

      He hurriedly buttoned his shirt, aware that an undercurrent of tension stretched between him and the red-haired woman on his porch. She seemed to be avoiding looking at his chest.

      Finally he extended his hand. “Hi. Zeke Blalock.”

      She drew in a deep breath. “Paige Watkins. I live next door.” She reached for one of the fliers sitting in his daughters’ little red wagon. “I thought you might want to see these before the girls finished giving them out.” A smile curved Paige’s lips and attraction hit Zeke square in the gut. He had the insane urge to reach out and stroke her hair.

      Then he looked down and read the crayoned writing on the flier, and blushed for the first time in all his thirty years.

      He’d known single fatherhood would be difficult. But what on earth could he ever have done to prepare himself for this?

      Dear Reader,

      Spring is coming with all its wonderful scents and colors, and here at Harlequin American Romance we’ve got a wonderful bouquet of romances to please your every whim!

      Few women can refuse a good bargain, but what about a sexy rancher who needs a little help around the house? Wait till you hear the deal Megan Ford offers Rick Astin in Judy Christenberry’s The Great Texas Wedding Bargain, the continuation of her beloved miniseries TOTS FOR TEXANS!

      Spring is a time for new life, and no one blossoms more beautifully than a woman who’s WITH CHILD…. In That’s Our Baby!, the first book in this heartwarming new series, Pamela Browning travels to glorious Alaska to tell the story of an expectant mother and the secret father of her child.

      Then we have two eligible bachelors whose fancies turn not lightly, but rather unexpectedly, to thoughts of love. Don’t miss The Cowboy and the Countess, Darlene Scalera’s tender story about a millionaire who has no time for love until a bump on the head brings his childhood sweetheart back into his life. And in Rita Herron’s His-and-Hers Twins, single dad Zeke Blalock is showered with wife candidates when his little girls advertise for a mother…but only one special woman will do!

      So this March, don’t forget to stop and smell the roses—and enjoy all four of our wonderful Harlequin American Romance titles!

      Happy reading!

      Melissa Jeglinski

      Associate Senior Editor

      His-and-Hers Twins

      Rita Herron

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      To my Mom,

       For raising a set of devilish twin girls herself and surviving

       with very little gray hair. For continuing to encourage me to go

       after my dreams. And most of all, for keeping my refrigerator

       clean so I can sit at the computer and pound at the keyboard—

      Thanks, Mom, I love you….

      Always,

       Rita—one of those devilish twins

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Rita Herron is a teacher, workshop leader and storyteller who loves reading, writing and sharing stories with people of all ages. She has published two nonfiction books for adults on working and playing with children, and has won the Golden Heart award for a young adult story. Rita believes that books taught her to dream, and she loves nothing better than sharing that magic with others. She lives with her “dream” husband and three children, two cats and a dog in Norcross, Georgia.

      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 One

      “The house next door is definitely jinxed.” Paige Watkins sighed dramatically into the phone, aware she sounded irrational. But she didn’t care—she had to talk to someone.

      “What are you talking about?” Paige’s best friend, Amelia asked. “You think it’s haunted?”

      “No, that would be better,” Paige said in despair. “Another single man moved in.”

      “In Eric’s house?”

      Paige winced. “That’s the one.”

      “Oh, that is terrible,” Amelia drawled sarcastically. “I suppose he’s cute, too.”

      Paige rolled her eyes when she heard Amelia’s bracelets jangle. Amelia collected a bracelet as a going-away gift from each of her former boyfriends. So far she had three silver, two gold and one jade. “I don’t know if he’s cute or not and I don’t intend to find out.”

      “Are you delirious, Paige?” Amelia sputtered. “’Cause if you need a doctor, I’ll be glad to drive you.”

      “I don’t need a doctor or a shrink.” Paige chuckled. “But my new neighbor has kids, and I’m not jumping into a relationship with a single dad—not ever again.”

      Her friend clucked sympathetically. “Look, Paige, just because Eric went back to his ex-wife—”

      “His gorgeous ex-wife with the double D cups.”

      “Yeah, well, just because he went back to his gorgeous ex-wife with the double D cups doesn’t mean you have to give up on all men.”

      “Why would I want to repeat the same mistake? Besides, I still haven’t gotten over what happened with little Joey.”

      “That wasn’t your fault, Paige. Kids can sneak away from you in a minute.”

      “Still, if that car had hit Joey…” Paige shuddered, forcing away the memory. “I don’t want the responsibility of children, especially someone else’s. It’s too scary.”

      Amelia exhaled noisily. “Forget the kids, just tell me, is the dad cute?”

      “How should I know?” Paige wound the phone cord around her fingers. “I’ve been avoiding him.”

      “You’re a pathetic excuse for a female,” Amelia said in obvious disgust. “If you haven’t met him, how do you know he’s single?”

      “Mrs. Spivy across the street.” Paige laughed as she remembered the day the good-natured, well-meaning woman had dropped the news. Mrs. Spivy was such a gossip she’d probably protested when the phone company did away with party lines. “She’s the neighborhood welcoming committee. She took him an apple pie when he first moved in.”

      “Well, there’s a thought,” Amelia said. “Why don’t you make your favorite chocolate mousse and take it over? You could put whip cream and a cherry on top.”

      Paige scoffed. “I am not going to bake my way into the man’s