скачать книгу бесплатно
Wyoming Cowboy Protection
Nicole Helm
A woman and baby on the run.Noah Carson did not plan to have a woman and a baby under his roof. But his new housekeeper is in danger, and the solitary rancher will do whatever it takes to protect Addie Foster and her nephew.
A woman and baby on the run—
just upended a cowboy’s life
Noah Carson did not plan to have a woman and a baby under his roof. But his new housekeeper is in danger, and the solitary Wyoming rancher will do whatever it takes to protect Addie Foster and her nephew. He thinks they can overcome anything together, but he doesn’t know who she’s running from. What he does know is the longer Addie and Seth stay, the more Noah believes that they belong here—with him.
Carsons & Delaneys
NICOLE HELM grew up with her nose in a book and the dream of one day becoming a writer. Luckily, after a few failed career choices, she gets to follow that dream—writing down-to-earth contemporary romance and romantic suspense. From farmers to cowboys, Midwest to the West, Nicole writes stories about people finding themselves and finding love in the process. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons and dreams of someday owning a barn.
Also by Nicole Helm (#uc35f7e3b-0925-5a2a-81c6-0aab782a6dc3)
Wyoming Cowboy Justice
Stone Cold Texas Ranger
Stone Cold Undercover Agent
Stone Cold Christmas Ranger All
I Have
All I Am
Falling for the New Guy
Too Friendly to Date
Too Close to Resist
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Wyoming Cowboy Protection
Nicole Helm
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-07949-5
WYOMING COWBOY PROTECTION
© 2018 Nicole Helm
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my husband, who always asks,
“Do you need time to write?”
Contents
Cover (#u0b6df051-b99f-540c-b1c6-c82ce9ff8b17)
Back Cover Text (#ub35eadb1-5b27-5902-aafd-dbf1e90f38bd)
About the Author (#u1fb167bc-e606-5d5c-9f38-7188c26e2b7d)
Booklist (#u9c688b5d-2762-51f4-901b-da0ac324800a)
Title Page (#ub2337e8e-3143-5200-9f80-c8a3b3ee181f)
Copyright (#u3f8890ea-21e7-5ff3-8482-d9a2127313bf)
Dedication (#u57fb6d50-0502-54f3-bd31-4a667cae865f)
Chapter One (#u38e963ea-ef9a-5dfd-bda3-e11c8940a6f5)
Chapter Two (#ubac4724e-f11d-557e-bf35-0521fdb46e16)
Chapter Three (#u0ac821b4-e12c-5582-8b54-0343451ae9d0)
Chapter Four (#uf791aecd-31ad-55ce-a96a-501480a65672)
Chapter Five (#u24211ee7-9e1b-5445-b9cf-90fc849238c3)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#uc35f7e3b-0925-5a2a-81c6-0aab782a6dc3)
August
Addie Foster watched from the car’s passenger seat as a whole new world passed by her window. If she’d thought Jackson Hole was like nothing she’d ever known, Bent, Wyoming, was an alien planet.
She’d grown up in the heart of Boston, a city dweller always. Occasionally her family had traveled up to Maine for quaint weekends or vacations in little villages, enjoying beaches and ice-cream shops.
This was not that. This wasn’t even like those dusty old Westerns her grandpa had loved to watch as he’d reminisced about his childhood being a Delaney in Bent, Wyoming—as if that had ever meant anything to Addie.
It meant something now. Seth fussed in his carrier in the back seat and Addie swallowed at the lump in her throat. Her sister had died trying to protect this sweet little man, and Addie had spent the past nine months struggling to protect him.
The baby’s father hadn’t made it easy. Addie had been able to hide Seth for three months before Peter Monaghan the 5th had discovered her sister’s deception, and no one deceived Peter Monaghan the 5th.
For six months, Addie had crisscrossed her way around the country, running out of false identities and money. Until she’d had to call upon the only person she could think to call upon.
Laurel Delaney.
Addie had met Laurel at Addie’s grandpa’s funeral some twenty years ago. They’d taken an instant liking to each other and become pen pals for a while.
They’d drifted apart, as pen pals always did, once the girls got into high school, and Addie never would have dreamed of calling Laurel out of the blue until desperation led her to think of the most faraway, safe place she could imagine. Someplace Peter would have no reach. Someplace she and Seth would be safe from his evil crime boss of a father.
“Don’t worry,” Laurel said pleasantly from the driver’s seat as Seth began to cry in earnest. “We’re only about five minutes away. I’m sorry I can’t have you stay with me, but my place is pretty cramped as it is, and Noah needs the help.”
Noah Carson. Addie didn’t know anything about him except he was some relative of Laurel’s boyfriend, and he needed a housekeeper. Addie didn’t have experience keeping anyone’s house, let alone a ranch, but she needed a job and someplace to stay, and Laurel had provided her with both. In the kind of town Peter would never dream of finding on a map, let alone stepping foot into.
She hoped.
“I’m going to have to apologize about Noah, though,” Laurel said, maneuvering her car onto a gravel road off the main highway. “This is kind of a surprise for him.”
“A surprise?” Addie repeated, reaching into the back and stroking her finger over Seth’s leg in an effort to soothe.
“It’s just, Noah needs the help, but doesn’t want to admit he needs the help, so we’re forcing his hand a bit.”
Addie’s horror must have shown on her face, because Laurel reached over and gave Addie’s arm a squeeze, her gaze quickly returning to the road.
“It’s fine. I promise.”
“I don’t want to be in anyone’s way or a burden, Laurel. That isn’t why I called you.”
“I know, and in an ideal world Noah would hire you of his own volition, but we don’t live in an ideal world. Noah’s cousin, who used to do most of the housekeeping, moved out. Grady—that’s Noah’s other cousin—tried running an ad but Noah refused to see anyone. This, he can’t refuse.”
“Why?”
Laurel flicked a glance Addie’s way as she pulled in front of a ramshackle, if roomy-looking, ranch house.
“Addie, I know you’re in trouble.”
Addie sucked in a breath. “You do?”
“I could be reading things wrong, but I’m guessing Seth’s father isn’t a very good man, and you need to get away from him.”
Addie swallowed. It was the truth. It wouldn’t be a lie to tell Laurel she was right. Seth’s father was a terrible man, and Addie desperately needed to get away from him.
“I’m a cop, Addie. I’ve dealt with a lot of domestics. This is the perfect place to get away from a guy who can’t control himself. You’re safe here. In Bent. At the Carson Ranch, and with me looking out for you.” Laurel smiled reassuringly.
“I just...” Addie inhaled and exhaled, looking at the house in front of her. It looked downright historical. “I need a fresh start. I’d hate to think it’s built on someone who doesn’t want me around.”
“Noah might not want you around, but he needs you around. The way I see it, you two need each other. Noah might be quiet or gruff, but he’s not a jerk. He’ll treat you right no matter how much he doesn’t want you to be here. I can promise you that.”
“And the baby?”
“I’ve never seen Noah hurt anyone, and I’ve known him all my life and worked in law enforcement here for almost ten years. But most especially, I’ve never seen him be cruel to anyone, even Delaneys. He’s not an easy man to read, but he’s a good man. I’d bet my life on that.”
The door to the house opened and a big, broad, bearded man stepped out. He wore jeans and a T-shirt, the lines of a tattoo visible at the sleeve. His grin was like sin, and all for Laurel. So this couldn’t be the quiet, reserved Noah she was apparently ambushing.
“That’s your man?” Addie asked, watching him saunter toward where they were parked. She’d never seen two people just look at each other and flash sparks.
Laurel grinned. “Yes, it is. Come on. Let’s get you introduced.”
* * *
NOAH GLOWERED OUT the window. Damn Grady. More, damn Laurel Delaney getting her Delaney nose all up in his Carson business. Since he wasn’t the one sleeping with her, Noah didn’t know why he had to be the one saddled with her relative.
