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She's Expecting
Barbara McMahon
ARE YOU PREGNANT?Jackson Witt's number one business rule was no temptation in the office. The last thing he wanted was a beautiful single woman working as his secretary–and an expectant one at that! Yet, abandoned and alone Mandy Parkerson was the only qualified candidate for the job, and when she gazed at him with her deep blue eyes, how could he refuse? Although Mandy was a painful reminder of all he'd lost, her love for her unborn child and her aching vulnerability brought out his every protective instinct. How, he wondered, could he guard his wounded heart when the pregnant beauty chipped away at his vow never to fall in love again?
Jackson needed his own space, away from those flashing eyes, those bewitching blond curls. Mandy could have him forgetting his own name if she half tried.
Maybe she was too good to be true. She had done nothing except do the work for which she’d been hired. No tricks, no flirting, no promising anything she hadn’t delivered.
He had to come to terms with his growing awareness of Mandy Parkerson before he could do anything else.
She was an employee only. Nothing more.
But the memory of her sparkling eyes seemed to tease him, the curiosity about how her hair would feel continued to plague him until he could hardly keep his hands to himself.
He wasn’t ready to deal with this. Maybe never would be. It was time to focus on the job and keep his distance from Mandy Parkerson and the disturbing thoughts that haunted him whenever he looked at her.
Dear Reader,
Step into warm and wonderful July with six emotional stories from Silhouette Special Edition. This month is full of heart-thumping drama, healing love and plenty of babies!
I’m thrilled to feature our READERS’ RING selection, Balancing Act (SE#1552), by veteran Mills & Boon and Silhouette Romance author Lilian Darcy. This talented Australian writer delights us with a complex tale of a couple marrying for the sake of their twin daughters, who were separated at birth. The twins and parents are newly reunited in this tender and thought-provoking read. Don’t miss it!
Sherryl Woods hooks readers with this next romance from her miniseries, THE DEVANEYS. In Patrick’s Destiny (SE#1549), an embittered hero falls in love with a gentle woman who helps him heal a rift with his family. Return to the latest branch of popular miniseries, MONTANA MAVERICKS: THE KINGSLEYS, with Moon Over Montana (SE#1550) by Jackie Merritt. Here, an art teacher can’t help but moon over a rugged carpenter who renovates her apartment—and happens to be good with his hands!
We are happy to introduce a multiple-baby-focused series, MANHATTAN MULTIPLES, launched by Marie Ferrarella with And Babies Make Four (SE#1551), which relates how a hardheaded businessman and a sweet-natured assistant, who loved each other in high school, reunite many years later and dive into parenthood. His Brother’s Baby (SE#1553) by Laurie Campbell is the dramatic tale of a woman determined to take care of herself and her baby girl, but what happens when her baby’s handsome uncle falls onto her path? In She’s Expecting (SE#1554) by Barbara McMahon, an ambitious hero is wildly attracted to his new secretary—his new pregnant secretary—but steels himself from mixing business with pleasure.
As you can see, we have a lively batch of stories, delivering the very best in page-turning romance. Happy reading!
Sincerely,
Karen Taylor Richman
Senior Editor
She’s Expecting
Barbara McMahon
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To Renee and Patti, best friends forever!
Many thanks for always being there.
BARBARA McMAHON
has made California her home since she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, way back when! She’s convinced she now has the perfect life, living on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains sipping lattes on her front porch while she watches the deer graze nearby and playing “what if” with different story ideas. Even though she has sold over three dozen books, she says she still has another hundred tales to tell. Barbara also writes for Harlequin Romance. Readers can write Barbara at P.O. Box 977, Pioneer, CA 95666-0777.
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
Epilogue
Chapter One
“I know he said the place was located in a pristine wilderness, but this is ridiculous!” Mandy Parkerson mumbled aloud as her car continued to barrel along the gravel road. She hadn’t seen another vehicle heading in either direction since she’d left the small town of Julian, Colorado, forty minutes ago.
“If they don’t do some serious improvement to this road, they’ll never have repeat guests. And those who come for the first time might turn around halfway. Especially in winter.”
The car bumped and skidded, gravel spewing. The road had obviously been graded at some point, and gravel laid down. But it was already showing ruts from heavy traffic. She didn’t even want to speculate what it would be like in rain or a snowstorm. Thank heaven for good weather.
She gripped the steering wheel tighter, easing up on the accelerator. “Hang on, babykins, it can’t be that much farther. He said thirty miles from town, and we’ve gone at least that.”
Six months pregnant, Mandy constantly talked to her baby. She’d read somewhere that children recognized their mother’s voice from their time in the womb. So she talked frequently, wanting her infant to know her from the first moment. To know she loved it completely no matter what happened. That she was a mother to be counted on, and she would never desert her child—not as her father had. Or her mother. Or her baby’s father.
“At least I think it can’t be much farther,” she murmured, peering into the distance. It wasn’t an easy feat with soaring lodgepole pines lining both sides of the road. The long-range view was where the road cut a swath through the tall timber as it crested a hill. Beyond was the endless blue of a clear autumn sky.
She felt a hint of trepidation as she surveyed the wilderness, but pushed it away. She needed this job. It had sounded perfect when she’d heard about it in the employment agency in Denver—a temporary secretary’s position for two months. One that paid almost twice what she’d been earning in the city, with accommodations included. It would tap into her expertise in the building industry, as well. It was the perfect job, even if it was clear across the state from where she lived.
The remote construction site would be in operation only another six to eight weeks before winter closed in and made further work impossible until next spring.
The timing had been perfect. Getting away from Denver had seemed perfect. But now reality began to seep in. Julian was a quaint little mountain town, with one main street and two secondary streets lined with small shops and businesses—and the county’s hospital. Mandy didn’t want to forget about medical facilities, not that she expected to need them. She had plenty of time to decide on and settle into a new place before the baby was due. But it didn’t hurt to know where the nearest medical assistance was—just in case.
“I sure hope it’s not much farther, because if I don’t find that construction site soon, I’ll have to find a convenient tree!”
One of the definite downsides to pregnancy was the frequent need for rest-room facilities—which weren’t available along the side of this excuse for a road.
Cresting the hill a few moments later, Mandy slowed, a smile lighting her features. “Hallelujah! Bathroom here we come.”
Spread before her was the construction site she’d traveled two hundred miles to reach. Making her way down the sweep of gravel road, she tried to take in everything, from the tall crane swinging a long piling, to the heavy earthmovers parked on the far side of the mammoth clearing, to the sparkling water of the high Alpine lake, part of the spectacular view beyond.
To the left, a hodgepodge of trailers and campers lined the perimeter of the cleared area, with cars and trucks interspersed. Trees surrounded the site, dark green and soaring taller than any she’d seen before. But the jewel was the deep blue Alpine lake, pristine and clear, and stretching as far as the eye could see.
Mandy took a deep breath as she eased her car down the hill. Once the road was paved, the thirty-mile trip from Julian could be made in half the time it had taken her. And it would be a lot smoother.
“We’re almost there,” she murmured, searching for the office. She’d check in, find out which trailer had been allocated to her, and move in her few things. It wouldn’t take long to get settled. She especially wanted to refrigerate the groceries she’d bought in Julian before they spoiled.
And she wanted a bathroom!
She spotted a trailer apart from the others, nearer the work site, and headed for it. It had to be the office. All around her men worked in precision as they toiled to create a luxury resort in the Colorado wilderness. Hard hats gleamed in the sun. The drone of the crane as it swung the piling into place was background noise to the bang of hammers, the whine of a drill and the buzz of saws.
Mandy pulled to a stop by the office. She hastened out of her car and walked up the two steps into the trailer, excitement bubbling inside her.
“Mandy Parkerson! You made it!” Jeff Henshaw rose from behind one of three battered desks. A tall man with a shock of gray hair, he held out his hand. He’d been the one to interview her and offer her the job back in Denver.
Grateful for the friendly welcome, she felt some of her worry fade. Mandy smiled and took his hand. “Your directions were excellent.”
“You made good time. I didn’t expect you before dark.”
“I didn’t want to risk driving after sundown on an unfamiliar road. Especially one that isn’t paved. Julian looks like a darling town. I stocked up on groceries before I left.” She planned to visit on her days off—explore the small shops, eat at the local café, surround herself with some civilization, quiet though it might be.
“It’s the closest place for R and R we have when not working. Of course, it’s not up to Denver’s standards. Come on over and have a seat.”
“Uh, maybe I could freshen up first?”
“Go right down that short hall. Take your time. When you’re ready, I’ll show you around. Get you settled.”
“Thanks.”
Mandy almost flew down the hall, her long, flowing dress snapping around her legs. She was most comfortable these days in loose-fitting cotton dresses. The pink one she wore now gathered beneath her breasts, the full skirt hitting her midcalf. It swayed when she walked, billowing out behind her as she hurried. It also camouflaged most signs of pregnancy, not that she could be called svelte by any means. But the major growth of her baby was yet to come.
She suddenly wondered how suitable dresses would be on a construction site. It hadn’t been a problem in the offices in Denver, but this was definitely not Denver. Still, it wasn’t as if she’d be climbing girders or hammering nails.
Mandy was washing her hands when she felt the trailer move slightly, felt a vibration of the floor. Someone had joined Jeff. Was it his partner?
She knew from her interview that Jeff and a man named Jackson Witt had been business partners for several years. And that this was their biggest project to date—and in danger of falling behind because of paperwork snafus.
Not to mention that their previous secretary had quit abruptly, leaving everything in chaos. Mandy hadn’t figured out why the secretary had left. Jeff had been quite vague about that, and Mandy hadn’t felt it was her place to ask. Now that she was here, and a part of the team, maybe she’d be clued in.
She checked her appearance in the mirror. There wasn’t much she could do about the wild mop of blond curls. They were as tamed as they got. Touching up her pink lipstick, she smiled. Hoping to make as good an impression on Jackson Witt as she had with Jeff, she opened the door and headed back down the short hall. She heard voices and took a deep breath, ready to meet whoever had arrived.
“I saw the car, wanted to meet the new man. There’s no emergency on the site.” A strong voice carried to her ears.
“I can get the new secretary settled in.” That was Jeff’s voice. Did it sound a bit hesitant? Mandy wondered.
“Hey, he made good time. There are a few hours left until quitting time. Maybe he can make some headway in that stack of permits today. If we don’t get caught up soon, the entire project’s going to fall behind schedule, and that’s something I don’t plan to allow!”
Mandy stepped into the doorway. The man who stood casually beside Jeff’s desk, leafing through a stack of mail, was tall, dark, and seemed to seethe with impatience. Mandy blinked. She was five feet two herself, so most men seemed to tower above her. This one had to be six feet tall, with shoulders a yard wide. His T-shirt had the sleeves ripped out, and the rippling muscles covered by taut, tanned skin had her admiring superb musculature. Undoubtedly from hard physical labor. No gym could produce such bronzed skin, defined muscles and the air of command emanating from him even as he glanced through a handful of envelopes.
He caught her movement and looked up. His eyes were dark and unfathomable, but a hint of shock showed. Then they narrowed as he studied her. He looked at Jeff, raising an eyebrow in silent inquiry.
The older man shrugged. “I didn’t get around to telling you—our new secretary is a she.”
“The hell you say! You didn’t get around to telling me? You hired her last week! You’ve been back here four days. Dammit! Jeff, have you gone crazy? The last thing we need around here is a woman. We have fifty-three men working flat out and we need everyone to concentrate on their job, not slack off trying to make time with some blonde! Who knows how much longer we have before the weather turns? Get rid of her!” He tossed the papers on the desk and strode out of the office without looking at Mandy again. The door slammed, the sound reverberating in the narrow confines of the trailer.
“Gee, that went well,” Mandy said. She looked at Jeff. “Who was that?” A niggling worry had her guessing exactly who he was.
“That’s my partner, Jackson Witt.” Jeff smiled wryly. “His bark is worse than his bite. He’ll come around.”
“I gave up my job, my apartment, and put almost everything I own into storage to come to this job,” Mandy said, that hint of trepidation she’d felt earlier expanding, engulfing her. She’d been thrilled to get the position, especially because it was so far from Denver. So thrilled, she’d lost no time in rearranging her life and burning her bridges behind her. If she lost the position before she began, what would she do?
She needed this job!
Jeff rose. “Don’t worry about a thing. Jackson’ll come around. You’re staying. This’ll be your desk.” He indicated the one near the window—piled with stacks of folders, unopened mail and rolled-up blueprints. Some of the clutter spilled over onto the chair, the wide windowsill behind it and the floor. Had anything been done since the former secretary left? Exactly how long had she—no, undoubtedly he—been gone?
“Jackson was right about one thing, though, we need to get going with this paper mess to make sure we stay on target. Pete left us in the lurch when he took off unexpectedly like he did.” Jeff looked at her sharply. “I know we discussed timing—two months minimum—but we need to make sure you plan to stay until we shut down for the winter. We need all the paperwork caught up.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Mandy said, walking over to the desk to look at the different stacks. She was curious about Jackson Witt, longed to ask some questions about the other partner. How much weight did he carry? Would he try to run her off? Was Jeff able to guarantee she could stay?
Was there more to Jackson Witt’s dislike of her than the fact that she was female? Surely Jeff would have taken that into consideration before offering her the job.
And get real—who was going to try to make time with a woman six months pregnant? His workers’ concentration was safe!
She wasn’t scheduled to start work until tomorrow. Not that she would let that stop her. But first…
“I’d like to put away my groceries. I have some things that need to go into the refrigerator,” Mandy said, turning away from the desk. “Then I can begin.”
“Tomorrow’s soon enough,” Jeff said easily.
Mandy studied him a moment. The contrast between the two men was extensive. But she’d better err on the side of caution. “I think it best if I get going today. Sort things out if nothing else.” And dig in, hoping to make a place for herself so Mr. Get-Rid-of-Her had to eat his words!
He nodded. “Don’t take Jackson’s comment to heart. He’s a hard man. But as long as you do the job, he’ll come around. Come on, I’ll show you the trailer. It’s the third one in line, next to mine.”
When they reached Mandy’s car, Jeff nodded toward the row of trailers and campers. “Most of the men stay on-site. A few drive back and forth to town each night. You can park on the far side of the silver trailer.”
He crossed the road while she started her car and drove slowly to the trailer indicated. She looked down the long row, wondering how much the command Jackson Witt had issued should concern her. While she couldn’t help anyone else’s behavior, Jackson Witt had nothing to worry about from her end. She would not encourage flirting. The last thing she wanted was any involvement with another man. Or anyone else, for that matter. She had few friends, but that was by choice. If she didn’t let people get close, then she wouldn’t be hurt when they deserted her.
She’d been such a fool to trust Marc. Getting involved with him had broken one of her staunchest rules—never date co-workers. But she’d learned that lesson well. Never again!
“One would think,” she said aloud, “that after twenty-seven years of being abandoned, let down and disappointed, one would learn. But oh, no, I had to fall for Marc’s blue eyes and fancy compliments. Let that be a lesson to you, babykins.”
The baby kicked and Mandy smiled, rubbing her stomach gently, her heart swelling with love. “It’s you and me, kid. But we’ll do great!”
