Mary Baxter – Slow Talkin' Texan (страница 1)
Porter Wyman. Letter to Reader Title Page About the Author 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 Copyright
Porter Wyman.
She didn’t want to think about him. She didn’t want to think about any man, not in a personal way. Generic thoughts about him and his baby were harmless. But dwelling on the man himself was not a good idea.
What was there about the rancher turned businessman that had snagged her attention in the first place? Admittedly, he was good-looking in a rugged sort of way, with his dark hair, chocolate eyes and athletic build. But attractive or not, a slow-grinning man who had an infant to raise wasn’t for her.
For so long she hadn’t given any man the time of day, much less anything else. And she wasn’t going to give Porter anything else, either.
Dear Reader,
Hectic life? Too much to do, too little time? Well, Silhouette Desire provides you with the perfect emotional getaway with this month’s moving stories of men and women finding love and passion. So relax, pick up a Desire novel and let yourself escape, with six wonderful, involving, totally absorbing romances.
Ultratalented author Mary Lynn Baxter kicks off November with her sultry Western style in Slow Talkin‘ Tuan. the story of a MAN OF THE MONTH whose strong desires collide with an independent lady—she’s silk to his denim, lace to his leather...and doing all she can to resist this irresistible tycoon. A small-town lawman who rescues a “lost” beauty might just find his own Christmas bride in Jennifer Greene’s heartwarming Her Holiday Secret. Ladies, watch closely as a Thirty-Day Fiancé is transformed into a forever husband in Leanne Banks’s third book in THE RULEBREAKERS miniseries.
Don’t dare miss the intensity of an innocent wife trying to seduce her honor-bound husband in The Oldest Living Married Virgin, the latest in Maureen Child’s spectacular miniseries THE BACHELOR BATTALION. And when a gorgeous exmarine shows up at his old flame’s ranch to round up the “wife who got away,” he discovers a daughter he never knew in The Re-Enlisted Groom by Amy J. Fetzer. The Forbidden Bride-to-Be may be off-limits...but isn’t that what makes the beautiful heroine in Kathryn Taylor’s scandal-filled novel all the more tempting?
This November, Silhouette Desire is the place to live, love and lose yourself...to sensual romance. Enjoy!
Warm regards,
Joan Marlow Golan
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
Please address questions and book requests to:
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Slow Talkin’ Texan
Mary Lynn Baxter
MARY LYNN BAXTER
A native Texan, Mary Lynn Baxter knew instinctively that books would occupy an important part of her life. Always an avid reader, she became a school librarian, then a bookstore owner, before writing her first novel. Now Mary Lynn Baxter is an award-winning author who has written more than thirty novels, many of which have appeared on the USA Today list.
One
“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“For Pete’s sake, it won’t kill you. Not one time, anyway.”
Ellen Saxton flashed her sister, Megan Drysdale, a put-out look. “It’s easy for you to say. After all, you have a child.”
“So?” Megan responded with a grin, which called marked attention to a dimple embedded in her left cheek.
Ellen gave her another look, followed by an unladylike snort. “So you know how to take care of one.”
Meg was a part-time worker in the nursery in the small Baptist church she’d been active in for several years. According to her, the nursery was always shorthanded and in need of substitute helpers.
“Think of this as just another adventure in your life,” Meg said, her lips twitching.
“Oh, brother.” Ellen rolled her eyes and watched her sister shift a precious two-year-old girl in her arms, then rock her. For sure, Meg had a knack with children.
Ellen felt a pang of envy for something she had missed in life and would more than likely never experience. By choice, she reminded herself quickly:
“Honestly, sis,” Meg said, “it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to change a baby’s diaper.”
“Well, it ought to,” Ellen muttered more to herself than to Meg, while she turned her attention to the twenty-month-old baby boy in her charge.
His name was Matthew, and though he was a beautiful baby, even to her novice eyes, she hoped he wouldn’t dirty his diaper while in her care. However, she feared that was wishful thinking. Besides, Meg wasn’t about to let her get by without experiencing that side of motherhood.
Her next words confirmed that thought. “Just poke a finger inside his diaper and see if he’s wet.” Meg paused, then smiled a mischievous smile. “Or otherwise.”
“It’s the otherwise that has me concerned”
Meg laughed outright. “You really ought to loosen up a bit, you know.”
“I wish I could.”
“You can. Now that you’re no longer married to that jerk, you have no reason to be strung out. Just pick up Matthew and cuddle him. You’ll feel yourself mellow out.”
Ellen shook her head. “Why bother him when he’s content to sit on the floor and play with the toys?”
“Suit yourself,” Meg said with a grin, “but if you’re thinking what I think you are, you can think again.”
“Now what would that be?” Ellen’s tone was sugar-coated with innocence.
“Don’t play the dumb-blonde with me. It won’t work. We may only have two babies, but you’re not cutting out.”
Ellen gave her a sheepish look followed by a resigned sigh. “Give it a rest, okay? I gave my word, and though I wish I were home drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper, I’m not going to leave you in the lurch.”
“Praise the Lord.”
“Having said that, you know you could handle them both. You’re punishing me for something. I just haven’t figured out what yet.”
“Think of it as calling in a favor,” Meg responded with a wink.
“Now that I can buy.”
Meg shifted the suddenly squirming child to the other arm before narrowing her gaze back on Ellen. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. When it’s all said and done, I owe you much more than you owe me.”
“Hey, we’re not keeping score here.” Ellen reached over and wiped the slobber off of Matthew’s chin.
Meg chuckled. “See, you do know what you’re doing.”
“I wouldn’t take that to the bank.”
“Well, maybe your expertise does lie more in the workplace than in the homeplace, but—”
“But still, I’m not getting off the hook. Right?”
Meg grinned down at Matthew. “Right. But I’ll concede that choosing a career over motherhood was the right thing for you. However, it’s not too late for you to change your mind.”
“I’m happy with my life as it is, thank you.”
“I’m glad, now that I’ve lured you closer to me and my family.”
Ellen gave a vigorous nod, agreeing with her sister wholeheartedly on that account. But the move from the booming town of Tyler, Texas, to this small, historic town of Nacogdoches hadn’t been an easy one. Still, Ellen wasn’t complaining. She’d found a prime location and opened her second coffee/gift shop, called Coffee, Anyone?
She was excited about that latest venture, despite the warnings that such a business might not take hold in a town of this size. She had merely ignored the naysayers and gone forward with enthusiasm.
To date, that positive attitude had paid off. According to the gossip hounds, her shop was now the place to go. Ellen was thrilled, of course, and hoped the excitement would last.
Opening a new business and getting it operational in just six months had been taxing, and she was exhausted. That was why she’d been reluctant to help Megan on Sunday, her only day off. While she’d done her best to finagle a way out, Meg wouldn’t take no for an answer. Then again, the feeling that she owed Meg more than she could ever repay had been a huge motivator.