Harlequin Heartwarming June 2021 Box Set Read online

  Harlequin Heartwarming June 2021 Box Set

  Rocky Mountain Baby

  An Alaskan Homecoming

  A Family for the Firefighter

  Her Rodeo Rancher

  Patricia Johns

  Beth Carpenter

  Jacquelin Thomas

  M. K. Stelmack

  Table of Contents

  Rocky Mountain Baby

  By Patricia Johns

  An Alaskan Homecoming

  By Beth Carpenter

  A Family for the Firefighter

  By Jacquelin Thomas

  Her Rodeo Rancher

  By M. K. Stelmack

  Taryn pushed a hand into her stomach. “Ouch...”

  “You okay?” He wasn’t sure what to do. He just stared at her, his gaze flicking between her belly and her face.

  “He’s just kicking really hard,” she said. “Don’t look so spooked. Here—”

  She took his hand, pressing it against her side, and he felt a powerful kick.

  “Wow...” he breathed. That was a baby in there—a strong, active baby. For a moment they stood there, silent, his hand on her domed abdomen. This was his child...

  Taryn released his hand and stepped away. She cleared her throat.

  “Did you name him yet?” he asked, his voice low.

  Taryn shook her head. “No. I want to see him first.”

  Noah nodded. There had been something in that moment of connection—and it was more than just the feeling of a baby’s movements in utero. He’d felt babies kick before—his sister had four kids. But this had been different, almost electric.

  Dear Reader,

  I’m the mother of one child, and I can’t have any more babies. But every once in a while, I fantasize about what it would be like to discover I was pregnant again. Normally, that daydream ends with the realization that as exciting as it would be, an unexpected pregnancy would turn my entire life upside down! And that is what happens to my heroine in this book—the shocking, wonderful, unexpected news that her life will never be the same.

  I hope you enjoy this story, and that you’ll check out my backlist for more of my books. If you’d like to connect with me, you’ll find me on Facebook, Twitter and on my website, patriciajohnsromance.com.

  Patricia

  Rocky Mountain Baby

  Patricia Johns

  Patricia Johns is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author who writes from Alberta, Canada. She has her Hon. BA in English literature and currently writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired and Heartwarming lines. She also writes Amish romance for Kensington Books. You can find her at patriciajohnsromance.com.

  Books by Patricia Johns

  Harlequin Heartwarming

  The Second Chance Club

  Their Mountain Reunion

  Mountain Mistletoe Christmas

  Home to Eagle’s Rest

  Her Lawman Protector

  Falling for the Cowboy Dad

  The Lawman’s Baby

  Her Triplets’ Mistletoe Dad

  Love Inspired

  Redemption’s Amish Legacies

  The Nanny’s Amish Family

  A Precious Christmas Gift

  Montana Twins

  Her Cowboy’s Twin Blessings

  Her Twins’ Cowboy Dad

  A Rancher to Remember

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  To my husband, the inspiration for all the romances that I write. I love you!

  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 FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  EPILOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  THIS BABY WAS A MIRACLE.

  Taryn Cook had heard women describe their unplanned babies as an oops, a surprise, an accident...and this baby was definitely all of those things. Getting pregnant after her divorce at the age of thirty-nine, after ten years of struggling with infertility, having given up on a child of her own... This baby was a shock. But sometime in the future, when he got old enough to ask about how he came along, she was going to tell him that he was her miracle.

  Taryn smoothed a hand over her domed belly and the baby stretched inside of her. She was only seven months pregnant, but even her maternity clothes felt snug. Maternity business casual was not an easy look to pull off, and anything Taryn wore lately made her feel rumpled. But today mattered—this was her first day of a new marketing project for Mountain Springs Resort, and this job was going to help her fund at least a few weeks of maternity leave. She hadn’t had much time to plan. She had health insurance to pay for the delivery, but if she was going to get any time off after her son was born, her personal savings would have to cover it. So this job mattered—as did every other client she’d managed to squeeze in before the baby was due.

  But taking this job in Mountain Springs wasn’t only about the income. It was about spending time with her grandmother. Granny had been giving the family a hard time. She wouldn’t accept help from anyone, and some of the family wanted to have her declared unfit to care for herself and put in a home. That felt heavy-handed to Taryn, and when she saw the posting for a marketing campaign in Granny’s town, she bid on it, hoping it would give her some time with Granny. Maybe she could convince her grandmother that she needed more help than she realized. The problem being, Granny knew about Taryn’s divorce, and about her struggles with infertility, but Taryn hadn’t officially told her about her pregnancy. As old-fashioned as Granny was, Taryn wasn’t sure that Granny would see the same joy in the situation that Taryn did, and she was in no mood to face anything less than sincere happiness at the prospect of her son’s arrival.

  The one thing that Taryn was particularly grateful for—and the thing that would likely scandalize Granny—was the fact that Taryn didn’t know who the father was. He’d been a comfort on a very hard evening, and they’d both gone their separate ways afterward. She wasn’t proud of that, but it did make things simpler now. The father was not her ex-husband, so she had no more ties to Glen, who was welcome to carry on with his new girlfriend without further complication. And the father wouldn’t be asking for anything—a relationship, or joint custody—because she didn’t know anything more than a first name...unless he’d been lying about his first name, as she had about hers.

  Taryn was going to be a single mother, and at this age, after all she’d been through, she was glad of it. However, Granny wasn’t going to be able to appreciate any of that.

  Taryn sat in a visitor’s chair in the office for the Mountain Springs Resort owner on the main floor, waiting for Angelina Cunningham to arrive. Angelina’s corner office sported tall windows banking two sides of the room, giving a view of the pebbly beach and the sparkling water of Blue Lake. It was a stunning vista.

  “Good morning!”

  Taryn turned to see Angelina striding into the office with a bright smile. Taryn recognized her from a video chat they’d had a couple of weeks earlier. She was a tall woman with glossy blond hair tied up into a twist at the back of her head, and she was about Taryn�
�s age, if not a couple of years older. She wore a linen pantsuit today, the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, and Taryn noticed her impeccable nude manicure.

  “Good morning,” Taryn said, and she half rose to shake hands before settling herself again. “It’s nice to meet you in person.”

  “Likewise.” Angelina circled around the broad white desk and sat down. “I’m sorry I’m late. There was a situation in housekeeping—one of my supervisors needed a hand with a guest who was upset that she emptied the garbage in his suite... It’s taken care of, but there are times that some authority makes a difference.”

  “I can imagine,” Taryn said with a nod. “Who did you side with?”

  “With housekeeping, of course,” Angelina replied, and they shared a smile. Angelina leaned forward. “But you aren’t here to talk about difficult customers. I’m just glad to have booked you. I’m excited to see what you can do for an ad campaign. This lodge has boomed since I renovated and took over, but I feel like I’ve gotten as far as I can on my own, and I need some strategy here.”

  “That’s where I come in,” Taryn replied. “And you’ve done an amazing job with the place, I have to say. As we discussed over the phone, marketing has a lot to do with spinning a narrative that your guests will both connect with on an emotional level and want to share in. We just need to find the right story to tell.”

  “Do you have any ideas coming in?” Angelina asked.

  “A few,” Taryn admitted. “But I don’t want to say anything until I’ve had a chance to look around and experience the lodge. Just because one narrative worked for another client doesn’t mean it will work for you. What I need to find is your business’s heartbeat, so to speak.”

  Angelina nodded. “I like that.” There was a tap on the door, and Angelina looked up. “Come in.”

  The door opened and a tall man stepped inside. He was broad shouldered, lean and looked to be in his early forties with just a touch of gray at his temples. A pair of glasses set off his slate blue eyes. He wore a pair of gray dress pants and a crisp, white button-up shirt without a tie. His belt looked expensive. He hesitated when he saw her, and his gaze dropped down to her belly.

  “This is our general manager, Noah Brooks,” Angelina said. “I asked him to come by and meet you. You’ll be working quite closely with him for the next couple of weeks, and he’s a fount of knowledge for everything from operations to food and beverage.”

  “Of course,” Taryn said, and she rose to her feet and shook his hand. “I’m Taryn Cook with Cook Marketing.”

  He didn’t answer at first, meeting her gaze questioningly. “Right. Taryn. Just call me Noah.”

  Noah released her hand and gave her a nod. That seemed to be a common name these days. She’d met another Noah not too long ago...

  “Let me show you your office, then,” Angelina said, also rising. “I hope you’ll be comfortable there. If you want any food or drinks delivered to your office while you’re working, just give Janelle a call down at the switchboard, and she’ll get you anything you need. It’s all complimentary, of course.”

  “That’s very kind.” Taryn bent to pick up her leather tote, and scooped up the water bottle, too. She’d been advised to stay hydrated at this point of her pregnancy, and in the interest of allaying her obstetrician’s worries, she was following her instructions to the letter.

  Angelina led the way out of her office, and Noah gestured for Taryn to go ahead of him. He gave her another strange look. It was very likely her pregnancy. She garnered all sorts of reactions from people. It was amazing the personal questions complete strangers would ask a woman once she was showing. Whatever his opinions, he could keep them to himself.

  Angelina headed up the hallway and paused a few doors down, gesturing Taryn inside. The office was small, but furnished with a desk, a lamp, an extra armchair in one corner and another bank of those beautiful tall windows that gave a view of a walking path, some green shrubbery and the clear lake beyond.

  “I hope you’ll be comfortable here,” Angelina said. “If there is anything that might help out, just let me or Noah know and we’ll make sure to get it for you. Noah’s office is right next door.”

  “This looks perfect,” Taryn said with a smile. “Thank you so much.”

  “Now, you mentioned wanting to see the lodge and what we have to offer,” Angelina said. “I have an appointment in about twenty minutes, so I have to head out. But Noah will give you the grand tour. You’ll be in good hands.”

  “Absolutely,” Taryn said with a smile. “Thanks a lot.”

  Angelina left the office, leaving Taryn alone with the man. He stood in the doorway while she deposited her bag on top of the desk, then pulled out a tablet that was less cumbersome to carry around so that she could take some notes.

  Noah said, “This is the key card for your office door. The only one who has access to changing your key card is me or Angelina, so you won’t have to worry about security.”

  Taryn crossed the office and accepted the card from him. No wedding ring. She shouldn’t be noticing these things. Less than a year postdivorce with a baby on the way, she wasn’t looking for romantic connections. She’d already bumbled in that respect seven months ago—an evening at a pub turning into a romantic encounter that left her pregnant. And that evening had started with her noticing a hand very much like Noah’s with no wedding ring, either. As if a man’s confirmed single status was all that mattered. And ironically enough, that man had been named Noah, too... Except he’d been slimmer and had a rather impressive auburn beard streaked with silver.

  “Have you been to Mountain Springs before?” Noah asked. “This is quite a popular tourist spot with that iconic mountain lake. You’ve probably seen pictures of it all over the place—”

  “My grandmother lives here,” she replied. “So I came up every couple of years growing up. I used to swim in Blue Lake with my cousins.”

  “Really?” Noah nodded at that. “Small world.”

  Was it? She eyed him for a moment. “Are you from Mountain Springs?”

  “Yeah, I grew up here. I spent a few years in Denver and Montana, but I came back five years ago to take the job as general manager here at the resort.”

  “You probably know the area better than I do, then,” she said.

  “I might,” he agreed.

  “But I’m needing to see more of the lodge, not the town,” she added.

  “True.” He nodded toward the door. “Angelina said that you’d be staying with us in one of our suites...unless you’ve got other arrangements?”

  “I’ll be staying here,” she confirmed.

  Noah paused again, eyeing her for a moment. She fiddled with her stylus and glanced away. There was something about this Noah Brooks that left her feeling a little off balance. He seemed to be expecting something from her in the way he looked at her.

  “Did you want to get settled first, or did you want to start with a tour?” he asked.

  “I can find my suite later,” she said.

  “Okay,” he replied. “If you pick up your office phone and dial zero, it’ll connect you with Janelle at switchboard. Let her know if you need a hand with your bags, and she’ll arrange for someone to help you.”

  “Thanks. So, let’s get to work. That tour would be perfect,” she said.

  “Great.” He smiled. “After you.”

  As Taryn passed in front of him, she glanced up, and there was something about the look in his eye that made her breath catch. Noah. Tall and broad, with nice hands, no wedding ring. Noah Brooks didn’t have the beard, but there was something about his eyes.

  No... There was no way this was the same man! Was there?

  * * *

  NOAH GLANCED DOWN at the petite woman at his side. She came up to just past his shoulder, and she had thick, wavy brown hair that fell just past hers. She was a beautiful wom
an, close to his own age of forty. That was one of things he’d liked about her when they’d met in Denver before Thanksgiving—he didn’t have to overexplain himself. She’d understood this stage of life, and that had been more than comforting; it had been incredibly attractive. She’d told him her name was Leigh, though, and right now, she had no idea who he was... Did he look that different without the beard?

  Today, she was dressed in a clinging black dress and a pink suit jacket that brought out the blush in her cheeks, her belly domed out in front of her. She stood with a tablet in one hand, the other resting on top of her stomach.

  It was weird to face her like this, remembering everything they’d shared that night, and she with no idea who he was. He’d held her close. He knew just how perfectly she fit into his arms and what her perfume smelled like...and now she was pregnant.

  Noah did some quick math. He’d been in Denver in November when the leaves were bright orange and gold. Nevaeh had called off the wedding three weeks before Thanksgiving, and he’d gone to the city for a few days away from everything. He’d needed the time to himself before going back to Mountain Springs and telling all his friends and family to throw out the save-the-date. Besides, his best friend and the best man, Brody Walker, had gone to comfort Nevaeh, even though she was the one who’d broken up with him.

  That night at the pub, he’d been awash in beer and his own heartbreak—definitely not at his best. When Leigh—or Taryn, it turned out—sat on the stool next to him, they’d started talking. She’d been heartbroken, too, but not soppy about it. Just deeply sad, and thoughtful. And she’d had a kind way about her. Add to that, she was stunning, and that wasn’t just the beer talking. One thing had led to another, and they’d spent the night together. She’d left before he woke up.

  If she’d stuck around, he would have gotten her number and given her a call. He’d wanted to take her out for dinner, at least, and have a real date. He’d wanted more conversation—and more of their romantic connection. It hadn’t been purely physical. But when he’d woken up, he found a scribbled note saying that she was sorry to dash, but she’d never done this before and just wanted to forget it.