Teresa Southwick - Wedding Rings and Baby Things

Cover Page

Excerpt “Kelly, there’s no such thing as true love…” She turned away so that he wouldn’t see her hurt. “I think it exists. I don’t want to settle for less. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a lot to do. Good night, Mike.” She held the door open. The sight of him walking away, then the sound of the front door closing, were just about the loneliest things Kelly could imagine. Mike Cameron had just asked her to marry him, and he was serious. Not only that, he was angry that she’d refused his proposal. She was pregnant She was unemployed. She was moving. She was probably crazy. What woman in her right mind would say no to a handsome hunk like Mike? She reminded herself that she was doing this to protect him. But if she was doing the right thing, why did it feel so wrong and awful?

Dear Reader Dear Reader, Happy Valentine’s Dayl Silhouette Romance’s Valentine to you is our special lineup this month, starting with Daddy by Decision by bestselling, award-winning author Lindsay Longford. When rugged cowboy Buck Riley sees his estranged ex with a child who looks just like him, he believes the little boy is his son. True or not, that belief in his heart—and his love for mother and child—is all he needs to be a FABULOUS FATHER. And we’re celebrating love and marriage with I’M YOUR GROOM, a five-book promotion about five irresistible heroes who say “I do” for a lifetime of love. In Carolyn Zane’s It’s Raining Grooms, a preacher’s daughter prays for a husband and suddenly finds herself engaged to her gorgeous childhood nemesis. To Wed Again? by DeAnna Talcott tells the story of a divorced couple who are blessed with a second chance at marriage when they become instant parents. Next, in Judith Janeway’s An Accidental Marriage, the maid of honor and the best man are forced to act like the eloped newly weds when the bride’s parents arrive! Plus, two authors sure to become favorites make their Romance debuts this month. In Husband Next Door by Anne Ha, a very confirmed bachelor is reformed into marriage material, and in Wedding Rings and Baby Things by Teresa Southwick, an anyminute mom-to-be says “I do” to a marriage of convenience that leads to a lifetime of love…. I hope you enjoy all six of these wonderful books. Warm wishes, Melissa Senate, Senior Editor Silhouette Books 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

Title Page Wedding Rings and Baby Things Teresa Southwick www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dedication To Jim, my big brother and very own legal eagle. Thanks for giving me the words to make Mike a here. For always being there and understanding, you have my everlasting gratitude.

About the Author TERESA SOUTHWICK is a native Californian with ties to each coast, since she was conceived in the East and born in the West. Living with her husband of twenty-five years and two handsome sons, she is surrounded by heroes. Reading has been her passion since she was a girl. She couldn’t be more delighted that her dream of writing full-time has come true. Her favorite things include: holding a baby, the fragrance of jasmine, walks on the beach, the patter of rain on the roof, and above all—happy endings. Teresa also writes historical romance novels under the same name.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Preview

Copyright

She turned away so that he wouldn’t see her hurt. “I think it exists. I don’t want to settle for less. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a lot to do. Good night, Mike.” She held the door open.

The sight of him walking away, then the sound of the front door closing, were just about the loneliest things Kelly could imagine. Mike Cameron had just asked her to marry him, and he was serious. Not only that, he was angry that she’d refused his proposal.

She was pregnant She was unemployed. She was moving. She was probably crazy. What woman in her right mind would say no to a handsome hunk like Mike? She reminded herself that she was doing this to protect him.

But if she was doing the right thing, why did it feel so wrong and awful?

Dear Reader,

Happy Valentine’s Dayl Silhouette Romance’s Valentine to you is our special lineup this month, starting with Daddy by Decision by bestselling, award-winning author Lindsay Longford. When rugged cowboy Buck Riley sees his estranged ex with a child who looks just like him, he believes the little boy is his son. True or not, that belief in his heart—and his love for mother and child—is all he needs to be a FABULOUS FATHER.

And we’re celebrating love and marriage with I’M YOUR GROOM, a five-book promotion about five irresistible heroes who say “I do” for a lifetime of love. In Carolyn Zane’s It’s Raining Grooms, a preacher’s daughter prays for a husband and suddenly finds herself engaged to her gorgeous childhood nemesis. To Wed Again? by DeAnna Talcott tells the story of a divorced couple who are blessed with a second chance at marriage when they become instant parents. Next, in Judith Janeway’s An Accidental Marriage, the maid of honor and the best man are forced to act like the eloped newly weds when the bride’s parents arrive!

Plus, two authors sure to become favorites make their Romance debuts this month. In Husband Next Door by Anne Ha, a very confirmed bachelor is reformed into marriage material, and in Wedding Rings and Baby Things by Teresa Southwick, an anyminute mom-to-be says “I do” to a marriage of convenience that leads to a lifetime of love….

I hope you enjoy all six of these wonderful books.

Warm wishes,

Melissa Senate,

Senior Editor

Silhouette Books

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

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Jim, my big brother and very own legal eagle. Thanks for giving me the words to make Mike a here. For always being there and understanding, you have my everlasting gratitude.

is a native Californian with ties to each coast, since she was conceived in the East and born in the West. Living with her husband of twenty-five years and two handsome sons, she is surrounded by heroes. Reading has been her passion since she was a girl. She couldn’t be more delighted that her dream of writing full-time has come true. Her favorite things include: holding a baby, the fragrance of jasmine, walks on the beach, the patter of rain on the roof, and above all—happy endings.

Teresa also writes historical romance novels under the same name.

She’d picked a bad time to swear off men.

Not that it was a permanent situation, Kelly Walker amended. Besides, her condition wasn’t exactly conducive to getting involved with men, and that was the way she wanted to keep it

On the other hand, her condition was probably the reason she had been summoned to the administration office in the high school where she taught. She stared at the wavy, light-and-dark wood grain in the door marked Principal. As much as she tried to tell herself differently, it wasn’t likely that Mr. Bloomhurst had summoned her here to discuss her interpretation of Hamlet. He probably wanted to talk about the fact that she was six months pregnant, not married—and not getting married.

Stevenson High School was located in Newhall, the small California town where she’d grown up. No one knew better than she how people talked, how quickly gossip circulated. She had expected when this news got out it would spread like soft butter on a hot muffin.

Since she hadn’t begun to really show until the last week or so, she had been able to keep her condition quiet. Only two people were supposed to know that she was going to have a baby. Susan Wishart, who taught in the classroom next to Kelly’s, and Mike Cameron, head of the math department, head football coach and her very best friend in the world. She had made them promise not to say anything until she could break the news to Mr. Bloomhurst herself. As many times as she’d rehearsed everything in her mind, she still wasn’t prepared for this chat with her boss.

She had figured on telling him at the end of the school year when the next term assignments were given out. It was now the beginning of May. In the Arizona school where she’d taught before, teachers didn’t find out until the last week before summer, vacation what they would be teaching in the fall. She was just finishing up her second year at Stevenson and was still getting used to how things were done here.

She had thought she’d been able to camouflage her swelling body with loose clothes, but she had been getting some long, curious looks. First the eyebrows went up when someone’s eyes dropped to her midsection. Then the gaze lifted to see if her face had gotten rounder. Then the examination dropped below her belly to her legs to determine if she had put on weight everywhere. After all of this, which took about a second and a half, the person pretended she hadn’t noticed a thing. So far everyone who was perceptive enough to give her the ritual once-over hadn’t said anything.

Everyone, that is, except Elizabeth McCutcheon. Earlier today, she had asked Kelly point-blank if she was going to have a baby. Kelly had said yes. Mrs. McCutcheon hadn’t let it drop there. She said she hadn’t heard that Kelly had gotten married. Kelly told her she hadn’t. Even in this small town, the majority of people wouldn’t have pushed the issue, but Mrs. McCutcheon happened to be the president of the district’s Parent Advisory Committee.

Hence Kelly’s summons to Mr. Bloomhurst after school.

She took a deep breath and knocked.

“Come in,” a voice called out.

She opened the door and walked inside.

Cliff Bloomhurst glanced up from the paperwork on his desk. “Hi, Kelly.”

“Mr. Bloomhurst.”

He smiled, looking at her over the half glasses he needed only for reading and now had balanced on the tip of his nose. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to the elbow, and his red-and-blue-striped tie was loosened just enough to release the button at his neck. His thinning brown hair was peppered with gray and there was genuine warmth in his light blue eyes. She liked him a lot. He was a nice man.

“Come on in. And shut the door, please.” His voice was a sort of down-home drawl that normally put her completely at ease. But not today.

Kelly did as he asked, then perched on the edge of one of the green plastic chairs in front of his desk. Nervously she rested her elbows on the metal armrests and laced her fingers together.

“I know what this is about,” she said. “Let’s cut to the chase. I’m going to have a baby.”

“So I heard.”

“I planned to tell you soon. The baby is due at the end of July or the beginning of August. I will be here on the first day of school in September.”