Expecting The Cowboy's Baby. Charlene Sands
“Do I Know You?”
Cassie had recognized him right away. That smile, that handsome face.
Cassie stood frozen for a moment, taking note of the man Jake Griffin had become. From the look of him, he’d done a great job of keeping his body intact. Yards of hard muscle and his sure-enough attitude probably kept the ladies lining up.
Jake Griffin had been the first boy to disappoint her…leading to a world-class string of bad choices when it came to the opposite sex. Cassie had a penchant for attracting troubled men.
“I’d better get going,” she said. The fact that he didn’t recognize her did nothing for her ego.
“Hate to let you go before I’ve figured out how I know you,” Jake said.
But Cassie was praying that he wouldn’t remember her. If she hadn’t known him, she might have stayed to chat with the handsome calf roper. But she did know him, and alarm bells were ringing loud and clear in her head.
Dear Reader,
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Expecting the Cowboy’s Baby
Charlene Sands
MILLS & BOON
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CHARLENE SANDS
resides in Southern California with her husband, Don, and two children, Jason and Nikki. She’s also the mother of two very spoiled cats, Skittles and Snickers, who basically rule the house. When not writing, she enjoys Pacific beaches, sitting down with a good book and, of course, happy endings!
She loves to hear from her readers. Contact her at [email protected] or enter her contests at www.charlenesands.com.
To my author friends, who inspire,
support and encourage me each and every day.
To Tanya Hanson—
new author, friend and “drive” buddy.
I enjoy our times together.
To Debbie Decker—
who always has a smile and a kind word.
Your bubbly laughter is contagious!
To Barbara McCauley—
whose advice, help and friendship
is always appreciated.
To Sandra Madden—
my first and only real critique partner.
Wish you continued success.
And to the authors I hope to meet one day.
You got me hooked!
LaVyrle Spencer, Sandra Brown,
Janet Evanovich and Kathleen Woodiwiss.
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
One
Cassie Munroe raced down the hotel’s hallway, her composure all but gone. A car breakdown on River Road miles away from your destination will do that to you, she supposed. Her Volkswagen Bug had run out of gas.
The last thing she wanted was to make a splashy entrance to her brother Brian’s rehearsal dinner. Shamefully, she admitted she didn’t want to make any sort of entrance. But she loved her brother dearly and wouldn’t dream of missing his special day, even if she was out of work, out of a date for the wedding and almost out of time.
She searched the gold-embossed lettering on the doorways of the ballrooms as she strode past and found the room she’d been looking for. This had to be it. Sunrise Room.
Standing just outside, she straightened her clingy red dress, ran her fingers through her short hair and took a deep, steadying breath. Grasping the handle, she thrust the door open and entered. She was more than halfway through the room before she peered up and saw the banner.
Laughlin River Stampede Rodeo Banquet.
The big bold sign at the front of the room caught her off guard. She stopped in midstep and paused. A room full of cowboys, seated at a U-shaped table, all looked up.
Big, bold, Stetson-wearing, silver-buckled, gorgeous cowboys—all looking at her with interest.
The room quieted.
Cassie pasted on a smile.
Heavens, she’d never seen a better-looking group of men in her life. She made a mental calculation. Seventeen cowboys, she estimated, but this was not the time for her silly habit of counting everything that could be counted. Sometimes having a flair for numbers had its disadvantages.
“You’re a bit early, honey. But don’t think a soul’s gonna mind,” one of cowboys called. She