“It’s not every day that you tell me you want to get married and get pregnant. 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 Copyright

“It’s not every day that you tell me you want to get married and get pregnant.

Give me a moment for it all to sink in,” Jack said, hugging her tight.

Beth nestled her body against his, savoring the warmth of being as close to him as possible. He was her security blanket. Her shoulder to cry on. He knew her as no one else did. Finally, in spite of her desire to stay snuggled against him, she stepped back and gazed directly into his eyes. “Jack, I’m going to need your help with this one. I can’t do it alone.”

“Hey, you know you can always count on me. I’m your best friend, remember? Don’t we always help each other?”

She nodded.

“Then what can I do to help you?” he asked.

Beth licked her lips. “Well, Jack...it’s really quite simple. I need you to marry me and get me pregnant....”

Dear Reader,

This month, Romance is chock-full of excitement. First, VIRGIN BRIDES continues with The Bride’s Second Thought, an emotionally compelling story by bestselling author Elizabeth August. When a virginal bride-to-be finds her fiance with another woman, she flees to the mountains for refuge...only to be stranded with a gorgeous stranger who gives her second thoughts about a lot of things....

Next, Natalie Patrick offers up a delightful BUNDLES OF JOY with Boot Scootin’Secret Baby. Bull rider Jacob “Cub” Goodacre returns to South Dakota for his rodeo hurrah, only to learn he’s still a married man...and father to a two-year-old heart tugger. BACHELOR GULCH, Sandra Steffen’s wonderful Western series, resumes with the story of an estranged couple who had wed for the sake of their child...but wonder if they can rekindle their love in Nick’s Long-Awaited Honeymoon.

Rising star Kristin Morgan delivers a tender, sexy tale about a woman whose biological clock is booming and the best friend who consents to being her Shotgun Groom. If you want a humorous—red-hot!—read, try Vivian Leiber’s The 6’2”, 200 lb. Challenge. The battle of the sexes doesn’t get any better! Finally, Lisa Kaye Laurel’s fairy-tale series, ROYAL WEDDINGS, draws to a close with The Irresistible Prince, where the woman hired to find the royal a wife realizes she is the perfect candidate!

In May, VIRGIN BRIDES resumes with Annette Broadrick, and future months feature titles by Suzanne Carey and Judy Christenbeny, among others. So keep coming back to Romance, where you’re sure to find the classic tales you love, told in fresh, exciting ways.

Enjoy!

Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor, Silhouette Romance

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

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Shotgun Groom
Kristin Morgan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

KRISTTN MORGAN lives in Lafayette, Louisiana, the best heart of Acadiana, where the French language of her ancestors is still spoken fluently by her parents and grandparents. Happily married to her high school sweetheart, she has three children. She and her husband have traveled all over the South, as well as other areas of the United States and Mexico, and they both count themselves lucky that their favorite city, New Orleans, is only two hours away from Lafayette.

In addition to her writing, she enjoys cooking and preparing authentic Cajun food for her family with recipes passed on to her through generations. Her hobbies include reading—of course!—flower gardening and fishing. She loves walking in the rain, newborn babies, all kinds of music, chocolate desserts and love stories with happy endings. A true romantic at heart, she believes all things are possible with love.

Chapter One

Thirty-four-year-old Bethemy Trahan needed a sperm donor.

But not just any old sperm donor. Uh-uh. No way. Not for her baby.

It had to be someone she knew and cared for. Someone who would be willing to marry her temporarily and get the job done in the good, old-fashioned way that couples had used since the beginning of time. She was, after all, a traditional-minded woman. She couldn’t just make use of a sperm bank and then have an illegitimate baby, no matter how much she wanted a child of her own. It went against everything she had ever planned for herself. She had to get married first, then get pregnant.

But since Mr. Right had put a major damper on her plans by failing to show up in her life, Beth had recently decided that it was time she took matters into her own hands. A daunting fact she could no longer ignore was that her mother had gone through menopause at the young age of thirty-seven. There was always the chance that Beth would, too. Time, she knew, was very possibly running out for her. No more could she rely solely on Fate to get the job done.

But then, she really didn’t have to. She was lucky. She wasn’t going to have to depend on the laboratorylike coldness of a sperm bank. She had an alternative. She had Jack Kincaid. He was her oldest and dearest friend in the whole wide world. Without question, he was the perfect specimen for what she had in mind. He had a great set of genes. He was intelligent, handsome, funny—the very best friend a girl could ask for. The fact that he was her best friend and was sometimes—well, more often than not—easy to convince to her way of thinking was only extra pudding in the pie. A bit of lapniappe. In fact, Beth had no earthly idea why she hadn’t thought of marrying him a long time ago for the sole purpose of getting pregnant.

Of course, as of yet, Jack was oblivious to all of this. He had no idea of the plan she’d recently come up with. In fact, his job as a sales representative for a Louisiana based food export company had taken him abroad to Europe for the past two weeks. But he was back home now, and he was coming over for dinner at her house later that evening. She planned to tell him then. Undoubtedly he was going to be surprised at her news. Somewhat shocked, even. Actually Beth was still a bit dazzled herself over the plan she’d concocted. Naturally she was anxious to get the moment behind her.

Well...on second thought, she was more than just anxious. She was scared silly of what she had in mind—or, at least, a part of her was. The last thing she wanted under any circumstance was to jeopardize the long-standing relationship she already had with Jack. His friendship was too important to her. Too necessary. And too much of the time she needed him to be there for her. He had been her best pal since first grade. Since the day she tore the pretty new dress she had just gotten for her birthday while playing hopscotch at recess and he’d given her a piece of his candy bar to stop her from crying. On that day, a unique bond had formed between them and just the thought of losing even a small portion of what they shared caused Beth unbearable distress.

Then again, there was no reason why her recent idea should jeopardize her and Jack’s present relationship. Not if she had planned it accurately.

And, of course, she had. She always planned accurately. According to Jack, sometimes to a fault.

In fact, it was her ability to work out the details of an idea that made this new plan of hers so stunningly brilliant. Jack’s involvement was going to be so minimal, there wouldn’t be enough time to jeopardize anything—certainly, not enough time for them to, let’s say, accidentally fall in love with each other and ruin everything. She knew the result of letting something like that happen between friends. Her own parents were a good example. Married once, but now divorced, their behavior these days suggested that they hated each other, and Beth wasn’t so sure that wasn’t the case. Thanks, but no thanks. That wasn’t the unhappy ending she wanted for herself and Jack. His friendship meant too much to her.

Short and quick. In and out. No time—or plans, for that matter—for falling in love. That was the name of her game. Besides, how long could it take for a virile guy like Jack to get her pregnant? Two months tops, right?

Maybe less.

The thought of it made her stomach quiver.

And as soon as she found out that she was pregnant, they would get a divorce and their lives would return to normal. Jack could go back to his single, carefree life-style, and she would have her baby. It was a perfect plan. Absolutely perfect.

At least, she thought so.

Karen was a different matter.

A close friend who had just dropped in for a brief visit, Karen now gazed at her from across the kitchen as if she had just grown two heads. “Are you crazy, Beth? Jack is never going to go for an idea like that. Not in a million years. Not even for you.”

“I know it sounds a bit wild,” Beth said hesitantly, wondering if all her friends—including Jack—were going to feel the same way about her idea. Her heart began pounding in her throat. Jack was her last hope. He was the only man she felt she could ask to father her child. If he said no...

The truth was, he was the only man she wanted to ask. Now that she’d come up with this plan, the idea of having his baby was... well... comforting. Somehow, it fit. He was her friend, after all. They were like two peas in a pod. But what if, like Karen, he thought she’d gone off the deep end and refused to help her, deciding, instead to have her institutional-ized for treatment. How was he ever going to get her pregnant while she was locked in a padded cell?

Realizing how weird her thoughts had become, Beth shook her head. Okay, so she was losing it, somewhat. It was her nerves, she knew. They were strung out like barbed wire, and Karen’s disapproving looks from across her kitchen certainly weren’t helping matters. “I’m going to ask him anyway,” Beth stated with renewed conviction, placing the green salad she’d just made inside the refrigerator.

“Fine. Be my guest,” Karen exclaimed. “But if you get your feelings crushed, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“I consider myself warned,” Beth replied flatly.

“You’re barking up the wrong tree. Jack will never go for it,” Karen said in a singsong voice.

“He might.”

“Not our Jack. He’s the last man on earth who wants to get married—for any reason. You, of all people, should know that about him.”

“I do. I’m simply hoping I can talk him into it.”

“Well, I must admit,” Karen said nonchalantly, “if anyone can talk him into something as wild and crazy as this, no doubt about it, it’s you. He’ll listen to anything you have to say.” She paused with a smirk. “He isn’t that open-minded when it comes to listening to the rest of us.”

“You’re forgetting something important, Karen. Jack and I have been friends since we were kids. Of course he listens to what I have to say.” She smiled knowingly. “In fact, he knows he had better.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that old story before,” Karen said with a wave of her hand. “How the two of you have been friends since grade school. But in spite of what you say, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s much more to this ‘Beth and Jack thing’ than either of you will ever admit.”

“Well, you’re wrong,” Beth said. “Jack and I both freely admit that we have a very special friendship. But that’s it—period.”

Karen rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Beth frowned in frustration. She hated it when she had to defend her relationship with Jack to their friends. So it lacked any sexual undertones—why was that so difficult for everyone to understand? This was the nineties, for heaven’s sake. Surely there were plenty of other men and women who shared a special bond that had nothing whatsoever to do with their crawling into bed together. Their friends needed to wake up and smell the variety of coffee out there on the market today. Times had changed, and Beth was proud in knowing that she and Jack were an intricate part of that change. If only some of their friends were so enlightened.

“Look, Karen,” Beth said a moment later, “if what you believe about Jack and me is so true, then what about his little black book?”

Karen shrugged. “What about it?”

“Well, if what you’re trying to imply is true, why does he carry one around with him? And why doesn’t it bother me?”

Once more, Karen shrugged. “Beats me. As far as I can see, nothing’s standard procedure when it comes to the two of you.” Stopping short, she tilted her head to the side and peered thoughtfully at Beth. “By the way, since you’ve brought up the subject of Jack’s little black book...have you ever seen him actually use it?”

“Of course, I have. Lots of times,” Beth replied, without the slightest hesitation. After giving herself another moment to think about it, she pulled her eyebrows into a frown. Or had she?

Of course she had, she told herself a second later. Plenty of times. At the moment, she just couldn’t recall a particular incident where that was true. Given time, she most certainly would. It was just that Karen had her under the gun and, therefore, her brain was scrambled. “Karen, I really don’t have time right now to discuss this with you. Jack’s coming over soon. So could we please drop the subject?”

“Sure,” Karen replied coolly.

Taking a deep breath, Beth forced a smile. “Thank you.”

Hoping that the subject was now officially closed, at least for the time being, Beth began bustling around her brightly lit kitchen, mentally checking off the last-minute things she had to do before Jack would arrive for the gourmet dinner she had planned for them later that night. All the while, though, her stomach was in knots. She wanted this night to be perfect. She had bought Jack’s favorite wine... prepared his favorite foods... and had put his favorite music in the CD player.

The mood was set. No matter what anyone else thought, her plan was a good one. It could work. It would work.

It was all up to Jack now.

Everything—her hopes, her dreams—was banking on her ability to convince Jack that she needed his help. Badly. Desperately. He’d never let her down before. Never. Without question, if anyone could help her, it was Jack.

Beth set a vase of fresh spring flowers from the florist at the center of the linen-draped table she had set, then stepped back and studied it.

Standing nearby, Karen began shaking her head from side to side. “Poor guy. Jack is going to be walking head-on into a trap and he doesn’t even have the slightest clue.”

Ignoring her friend’s comment, Beth frowned thoughtfully as she stepped back a few feet more and carefully inspected the table. “Does it look to you like I’ve covered everything?”

Karen gazed at the formal setting and then shrugged. “As far as I can tell, everything but the kitchen sink.”

Deepening her frown, Beth looked up at her friend. “In all honesty, Karen, do you think there’s even the slightest chance that Jack will turn me down?”

It took Karen a moment to answer, but finally she broke into a reassuring smile. “Look, don’t mind me, honey. I was just being an old fuddy-duddy earlier. If this is what you think you need to do, then go for it.”

“Oh, Karen,” Beth said, grabbing her friend’s hands and holding onto them for a moment. “Thanks for understanding.”

Karen’s smile warmed even more. “Sometimes it’s a real challenge to keep up with you, Beth, but I’m trying. In any case, you can take what I’m about to tell you with a grain of salt, but it’s true nonetheless. When Jack arrives, if you just bat those big brown eyes of yours at him like this—” she demonstrated the technique with her own eyes “—he won’t stand a chance. I’ve seen it happen before. He’s putty in your hands when you look at him like that.”

“Really?” Beth asked, her dark eyes widening in surprise. “I never noticed.”

“Of course you haven’t. You’re too busy making sure that everyone knows that you’re simply his best buddy—and not his love interest.”

Beth gave her friend a mild glare. “Karen...”

“Okay, okay. I’m finished. In fact, now that I’ve had a moment, I think you’re right. Jack is the perfect choice to father your child.”

Beth released a deep sigh. “Well now,” she said,

“see how easy that was.”

“I’m only changing my mind because I’m hoping that this plan of yours will somehow wake up at least one of you to the truth,” Karen replied. “Otherwise, it looks to me like you two may very well end up going through life as nothing more than friends.”

“Actually that’s exactly what Jack and I plan to do,” Beth said stubbornly.

Suddenly Karen glanced down at her wristwatch and gaped. “Good grief, would you look at the time? I’ve got to scoot. Beth, don’t forget about the party tomorrow night at my house. And remind Jack of it, too, will you?”

“I will,” Beth replied.

Karen turned abruptly, like a wasp that was suddenly honed in on its prey, and headed for the door. “The dry cleaner down the street closes in fifteen minutes and I won’t have a thing to wear tomorrow if I don’t get there in time to pick up my clothes,” she said, swiping up her leather purse from the kitchen counter.

Beth followed her friend to the door, a nagging thought from their earlier discussion still on her mind. Suddenly it seemed vitally important to Beth that Karen understand her plan wasn’t going to change anything between herself and Jack. At this point, the last thing she needed was a misunderstanding with Karen. If that were to happen, undoubtedly it would quickly spread like wildfire among their friends. “Karen, listen to me,” Beth said. “I don’t want you getting ideas about me and Jack that are simply not true. Nothing has changed. Jack and I are Mends—period.

“Besides,” she quickly added, “as one of my closest friends, you know how I feel. Under no circumstance will I jeopardize the relationship that Jack and I already have, not even if I had a written guarantee of improving it. Frankly I don’t think it can be improved. It’s perfect, just as it is. Besides, in the long run we’d be taking the chance of ruining everything we have. My parents did, remember? Their marriage ruined their friendship. They became different people. Eventually they fell out of love.” Beth held her chin slightly higher. “The problem is, some people refuse to acknowledge that Jack and I will never let that happen to us. If and when I ever fall in love, it will be with someone other than Jack, of that much you can be sure. And as far as Jack is concerned, he says he is never going to fall in love. And those, Karen, are the facts.”

“You know something, Beth,” Karen said, turning to face her, “if what you’re looking for in life is guarantees, I’ve got news for you. You’re not going to get them—no matter how many precautions you take. Sooner or later, you’ll have to take that bungy jump into life just like the rest of us. After that, it’s up to Fate.”

“Uh-uh,” Beth replied with a shake of her head. “Not me. I plan ahead, every step of the way.”

Karen frowned at her for a moment and then turned for the door. “Look, honey, I gotta run. But in spite of all I’ve just said to you, I’ll have my fingers crossed the entire night that everything goes according to your plan. Just hit Jack with everything you’ve got, and I know you’ll win him over to your way of thinking. You always do.” Then she shot out the door like a streak of lightning in her hot pink dress and matching heels.

After her friend left, Beth pivoted on her heels and started down the hall in the direction of her bedroom. She felt stressed-out from the conversation she’d just had and wondered how Karen could be so adamantly wrong about her and Jack’s friendship. Beth saw no reason why anyone should have a problem with it.

Pausing momentarily, she took a deep, steadying breath. Right now she had other, more important things to worry about. First of all, it was time she got moving. Jack would be arriving at her door any minute. She needed to take one final glance at herself in the mirror. Too much was at stake for her to overlook even the slightest detail that might make a difference. The more carefully she planned, the more positive would be her results. She believed that wholeheartedly.

But, in truth, she had an ulterior motive for wanting to study her reflection in the mirror one final time. Now that Karen had mentioned it, she decided it wouldn’t hurt to practice batting her eyes in the manner that her friend had suggested. Just in case. Who knew what it would take to sway Jack over to her way of thinking? Maybe the eyes would do it.

Not that she honestly believed that it would. Again, her nerves were intervening with her common sense. If anything, she knew without a doubt that Jack wasn’t attracted to her in a romantic way. Nor was she attracted to him like that. Oh sure, she was willing to admit that she’d noticed he had a great pair of buns. But that certainly didn’t mean anything. Most women noticed that about Jack. They noticed a lot of other things, too. Like his sexy smile and his sometimes cocky manner. With light brown hair, blue eyes and a squared-off jaw that gave his face added prominence—and, of course, just a hint of arrogance—he had a look about him that grabbed the attention of the opposite sex. He had a great body, not to mention a resonant voice that was as deep and rich as chicory blended coffee. He wasn’t Cajun by heritage, not like she was. Nonetheless, his Irish roots harmonized well with the French Acadian culture that was so prevalent in south Louisiana. They both adored the joie de vivre that had been handed down by her French ancestors as a way of life. They liked the same music, the same spicy Cajun foods. They even liked to hang out with the same people. He was her best buddy in all the ways that mattered, and she loved him dearly because of it.

But when someone tried to imply that there was something more than a special bond of friendship between them, it really bothered her. In fact, it had been known to keep her awake nights, just worrying about it.

And it frightened her, too.

Heaven knew, she needed Jack in her life too much to ever consider letting herself fall in love with him.

Jack Kincaid was glad to be back in town. He liked it okay when he had to travel abroad on business, but it was always great to get back home and relax in the company of his friends.

In fact, he was going over to Beth’s house tonight. She’d invited him for dinner when he’d called earlier to tell her that he was back. He couldn’t wait to see her. Of all his immediate friends, she was the one whom he missed the most when he was away on business. Of course, there was a perfectly good reason for that. With Beth, he never had to worry about his next move. He could tune out the rest of the world and just be himself. With her, he didn’t have to pretend to have all the answers. She was his sounding board. His best buddy. She was the kind of person who could bring him to his knees and make him face the truth about himself faster than anyone else. Still, he always felt at ease when in her company. And, truthfully, there wasn’t another female alive whom he could say that about.

He was a lucky man, all right, to have Beth there for him when he needed a pal. He was, in fact, perfectly content with his single way of life, and had no problem admitting that in many ways he had Beth to thank for that. He only wished that she was as pleased with the way her life was turning out. But she wasn’t and lately he could almost sense her discontent. If only the man of her dreams would finally come along so she could get married and then get pregnant with that baby she was always wanting. It was disconsoling that her life hadn’t worked out exactly as she’d planned. Even more unfortunate was that he couldn’t help her, no matter how good a friend he was. It was Mother Nature’s call—not his—to attract the right man to Beth. He was just someone whose shoulder she could cry on time and time again when it didn’t happen.

If it was up to him, he would see to it that Beth got what she wanted most in life. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that his friend would make the best mamma any little kid ever had.

With that thought still on his mind, Jack pulled up in front of Beth’s house. He saw that her porch light was on, and it beckoned to him like a friendly greeting as he climbed out of his car with a sense of urgency. With a grin on his face and a swelling in his chest, he headed for her front door.

It had been two long weeks since he’d seen Beth last. It was a long time for him to have gone without his best pal in his life. A part of him needed her more than it needed nourishment.

Beth was in her living room when Jack drove up, and she watched his approach through the long window next to the door. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a navy pullover shirt. He looked great, just as he always did, and her heart began to pound erratically. It was always that way when she saw him coming from a distance. It was, she knew, the sensuous way his hips rolled forward when he walked that mesmerized her. Sometimes her heart seemed to roll right along with them. Sometimes her equilibrium did, too, although it was rare that she let herself recognize those particular feelings for what they really were. Usually she chose to ignore them altogether.

By the time Jack reached her porch, Beth had her hand on the knob and was pulling the front door open. He immediately waltzed inside with a grin on his face that for as long as she could remember had always had a way of melting her cares away, no matter how bad they had seemed before. Suddenly she was swept up into his arms and wrapped in one of his infamous bear hugs.

Bear hugs, Beth had come to realize a long time ago, were a safe way for them to express their feelings for each other. Bear hugs lacked... well... great passion. They were fun... friendly... acceptable.

“How’s my favorite girl?” Jack asked, squeezing her tight against him. “Mmm... You know, it isn’t until I get a whiff of your perfume that I know for sure that I’m home.”

Beth was so glad to see him that her laughter bubbled out when he squeezed her.

And then, for some silly reason, her stomach went spiraling down to the floor. She quickly decided it was because she was so excited to see him. Certainly it was nothing more than that He was her friend, for heaven’s sake.

Ignoring the sensation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him as tight as she could. The light musky scent of his aftershave was as familiar to her as her own perfume and for a moment the combination of the two gave her a heady sensation.

His body was so hard... so solid.

His arms went around her waist.

Her stomach quivered.

Her world was back in town now, and everything was going to work out just as she had planned. She was sure of it.

“I cooked your favorite dinner,” she said, smiling up at him.

He grinned down at her with his wide, full lips. Lips that were perfect for grinning.

And for kissing, no doubt.

Not that she knew for sure. She was only imagining what his lips would feel like pressed against hers. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

“So what’s the occasion?” Jack asked. “Did I forget a holiday or something?”

“Nope,” Beth replied, pleased as pudding with herself for having planned such a great evening. Motherhood was practically in the bag for her. All she had to do now was to convince Jack of just how important his help was to her. She widened her grin. “No particular reason. I just felt like making this night kind of special. Actually,” she added, “I have a bottle of your favorite wine, too.”

“Oh...?” he said, giving her a rather odd look. His grin faltered somewhat. “Beth, you haven’t done it again, have you?”

She widened her eyes in response. “Done what?”

He narrowed his gaze. “You know what.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then you’re obviously forgetting the last time I came over to discover that you had cooked all my favorite foods for no particular reason. But we both know that in the end you did have a reason. You had volunteered my services as judge in that pie-tasting contest, remember? And do you remember what a catastrophe that turned out to be?”

Beth gave him a placative smile. “Now look, Jack, that women’s club was happy to have you as their judge...originally. In fact, for a time you had the entire membership charmed right down to their silverdyed roots. It wasn’t a catastrophe until you made it into one.”

“Me?” he said, incredulously, placing his fingertips at the center of his chest. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I simply picked a winner. Isn’t that what a judge in any contest is supposed to do? How was I supposed to know that all those little old ladies were going to suddenly turn on me when I announced the winner and it turned out to be the same woman who had won the contest the previous year?”

“Jack, all those women were well into their seventies—some, probably, in their eighties. Most of them were great-great-grandmothers. They weren’t exactly going to eat you alive.”

“Yeah, well, you can stand here and say that. It wasn’t you they were aiming their dirty looks at. To this day, if I meet up with a couple of them in the supermarket, they won’t even speak to me.”

In spite of the serious discussion she had planned for later that night, Beth laughed at Jack’s recollection of that particular afternoon. Thank goodness, she had gone with him to help with the contest. Otherwise, he would have panicked for sure. As it was, he had vowed never to sit in judgment of another woman’s cooking for as long as he lived. “It wasn’t that bad, Jack.”

He placed his hands on his hips. “Look, I like little old ladies as much as anyone, but please tell me that you haven’t volunteered my services to them again.”

“No, Jack, I haven’t,” Beth said prudently, suffering from a moment of slight indignation. After all, she’d only volunteered his name to the Retired Women’s Business Club of Acadiana because he’d said he wanted to get more actively involved with the community. And regardless of what he thought now, he was a better citizen today because of it. “It’s nothing like that. Besides, it just so happens that the committee chairperson this year didn’t ask me to find a judge for the contest.”

That remark seemed to fly right past Jack as he gazed at her. “Okay,” he said, “if it isn’t another contest, then what is it?”

Surprised that he was on to her so easily—she had honestly thought she’d been doing such a great job at hiding her emotions—Beth paused momentarily to regroup. “Uh... It can wait until after we have dinner.”

Jack narrowed his eyes in concern. “I-don’t think so. You’ve made it sound too serious for that.”

Beth cleared her throat. “Look, it’s no big deal. Certainly it isn’t anything that you’re probably imagining,” she said, hoping to somehow stall him for as long as she could. She simply wasn’t ready to tell him about her idea. Besides, she had a wonderful evening planned for them. If she got lucky, by the end of it Jack would be willing to help her with her dilemma. But if she jumped the gun on everything and told him her plan now, there was no telling what might happen. The truth was, she liked to stick to a game plan. It made her life predictable... stable.

Beth glanced up and found Jack frowning at her. “Frankly, Beth,” he said, “I don’t know what to think. Are you sick or something?”

“No,” she said, giving her head a hardy shake.

“Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“No, of course not.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Jack said. Then he deepened his frown. “Look, whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. I’m here now, I can help.”

Suddenly tears sprang to Beth’s eyes. “Oh, Jack, I knew I could count on you,” she said.

Taking her by the shoulders, Jack looked deep into her eyes. “Of course, you can count on me,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile. “So stop worrying. Everything is going to be just fine.”

Somehow, Beth managed to give him the smile she knew he wanted from her. “As a matter of fact, it’s starting to look that way already,” she said, suddenly experiencing a wave of deep, unbridled emotion. Emotion that had suddenly taken a detour from its normal path and was now channeling its way through her heart. She loved this guy more than anyone else in the whole world. So why shouldn’t her feelings for him come straight from her heart? She pressed her body against his and for a brief moment reveled in the comforting thought that he was near. “And it’s all because of you, Jack.” Gazing up at him with wide, soulful eyes, she gave him the brightest smile she could possibly muster under the circumstances.

A silly-looking grin slipped up one side of his face. “See,” he said teasingly, landing a playful blow to the side of her jaw. “Your Knight in Shining Armor has arrived. He’s just packaged differently than you thought he would be.”

Beth was captivated by the thought. But she quickly reminded herself that she had strict rules of conduct against such things happening between them. For heaven’s sake, Jack couldn’t be her Knight in Shining Armor. He was her best friend.

With that in mind, she shoved aside her disturbing thoughts and forced herself to laugh out loud—which, needless to say, was as much for her benefit as it was for his. “Yeah, right,” she said, teasing him back.

Widening his grin, he glanced over his shoulder as though in search of something. “Well, I don’t see anyone else lined up for the job. I guess I’m all you’ve got—at least for the time being. You know the old saying,” he said laughingly. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

Beth was smiling at Jack’s silly attempt to make her laugh when suddenly she sobered, reminding herself of what she had planned. “Oh, Jack, this is no laughing matter. This is one time I’m in desperate need of your help.”

Placing his hands on his hips, Jack came to an immediately standstill. “Okay, Beth,” he said, with a slow shake of his head. “I can’t take any more of this. I need to know what’s going on here. It’s time you level with me.”

Beth was trembling on the inside. Clearly it seemed her moment of truth had arrived. “I want a baby, Jack.”

Chapter Two

Suddenly Beth found herself at a loss. Now that her carefully laid plan for a perfect evening with Jack was lying in shambles at her feet, she didn’t know where to begin her story. She hated when something she had planned so meticulously went haywire. She felt stripped of her confidence, and her stomach was in knots.

After taking in some badly needed oxygen, she suddenly found herself wondering how she was ever going to explain in no uncertain terms to her very best friend in the whole wide world that she wanted him to compromise a small portion of his future for the sake of her own.

In that moment she wondered how she—or anyone—could even think of being so selfish.

But then, in almost the next second, the thought of never having her very own child shrouded over her like a cloud of doom, making her feel sick to her stomach and more than ready to do just about anything to have that one goal in her life come true.

Oh, God, wouldn’t it be all right if she asked Jack to do her just this one, big favor?

Besides, if he didn’t want to, all he had to do was say no. She would accept that. She would have to.

Taking a deep breath, Beth mentally prepared herself for the battle ahead. “Jack, you know, of course, how I’ve always said I wanted to have a child of my own.”

Keeping his hands placed on his hips, he gave her a hesitant grin. “Sure,” he said. “It’s been your dream in life since... well... since forever. Why?”

“I’m not getting any younger, and that dream still isn’t a reality. Therefore, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands,” she continued, pausing briefly for a breath. “I’ve come up with this terrific plan—”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Oh, no. Not another one of your plans. I knew it. I bet it involves me, right?”

His abrupt manner stunned Beth and she looked him square in the face. Finally, in a voice held tight with emotion, she said, “Yes. You could say that.”

“I knew it,” he exclaimed. “I knew the moment I walked through your front door that you had me involved in something. What is it this time?” he asked. He seemed so proud of himself for having been one step ahead of her.

Beth couldn’t really blame him for being so skeptical of her motives. Over the years her ideas had gotten him involved in some pretty wild schemes. But convincing him to let her tag along with him and his date the night of their senior prom when her own date had come down at the last minute with a bad case of poison ivy paled enormously in comparison to what she now had in mind for them. So did the time ten years ago when she’d convinced him to let her go along with him and a couple of other guys on a whitewater rafting trip. She’d almost drowned them all—or so Jack had said at the time. All she’d done was accidentally knock one poor guy out of the boat, but they’d gotten him back inside right away. He had forgiven her ages ago. It was time that Jack did, too.

Still, she grimaced at the thought that he was on to her already. “This time is different, Jack, really it is.”

He had dropped his hands down to his sides, but he immediately brought them back up to his hips and gave her an impatient glance. “Okay, Beth, I’ll take the bait. What exactly does different mean?”

Anyone else would have probably been intimidated by his cocky manner, but not Beth. In fact, she found herself following his movements and thinking of what nice hands he had. His palms were wide, his fingers long and lean and, of course, his nails were trimmed neatly. Knowing Jack as she did, she had little doubt that they were the kind of hands that were strong, yet gentle when he made love to a woman. She had always secretly hoped that her Knight in Shining Armor would have hands like Jack.

She took a deep breath after swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. “I’ve decided I want to get pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” he replied, dumbfounded. A moment later, he smirked. “You’re kidding me right?”

“No, I’m not,” she replied.”

A stunned expression framed his face. Tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he rocked back on his heels. “Jeez, Beth, when did you decide all this?”

“A couple of weeks ago. Right after you left town on business.”

“Why didn’t you tell me when I called the other night?”

Without meeting his eyes, Beth shrugged. “You were still overseas in France. It just didn’t seem like the right time.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “This is rather sudden, don’t you think? For heaven’s sake, you’re not even married.”

“I know,” Beth replied. “But I plan to remedy that. The fact is, Jack, whether or not you like my idea, I’ve already made up my mind to go through with it. I can’t just sit back anymore and wait for Fate to take its course. I have to take charge of my life now, before it’s too late.”

“Okay,” he said. “I can understand if you’re feeling that way about your life. We all do at times. But some things in life just naturally take time.”

“There’s nothing natural about not having my dreams come true. And as far as time is concerned, I’m quickly running out of it, even as we speak. I know I’ve already told you this before, but if I follow in my mother’s and grandmother’s footsteps, there’s a good chance that I’m going to go through menopause at a young age. All I may have left are two—possibly, three—good years. I can’t just allow those years to roll past me without even making an attempt to do something about it.”

Jack stepped back and regarded her intently. “Look,” he said, “I wish as much as you do that the guy of your dreams had shown up by now. But that doesn’t mean that he won’t. Who knows, he might be just around the next corner.

Beth gave him a dispassionate glare. “Come on, Jack, you know as well as I do that it’s unlikely he’ll ever show up in my life. And even if he were to show eventually, it would probably be too late by then for me to have my own child. I simply won’t let that happen. That’s where you come into my plan, Jack.”

Jack took a step back. “Me?” he said, as though surprised. A moment later, an enlightened gleam settled in his eyes. “Oh, I get it,” he said. “You need me to help you find a reputable sperm bank.” He shook his head affirmatively. “Well, don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll take care of that part. If you’re that determined to go through with this, it’s the least I can do to help you out.”

Beth swallowed the lump in her throat. “Jack, I’m not exactly planning to use a sperm bank.”

It took him a moment, but after giving her an astounded-looking grin, he finally said, “I don’t understand, Beth. Just how are you planning to get pregnant?”

Her heart began pounding with anticipation. “The good old-fashioned way.”

Jack’s grin widened. “What are you saying exactly?”

“I’m saying that I plan on getting pregnant by sleeping with a guy. Of course, he and I will have to get married first.”

“What?” Jack said, pulling his shoulders back.

Before he could say anything more, Beth hurriedly cut in. “And then as soon as the job is done,” she answered, “he and I will get a divorce. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?”

“Sounds crazy, you mean,” Jack exclaimed in his next breath. “Beth, have you lost your mind?”

Beth licked her lips. She had known this wasn’t going to be easy. “I know it sounds crazy. Karen already told me as much. But, frankly, it makes perfectly good sense to me.”

“Well, Karen’s right,” he said. “You can’t do something like this.”

“And why not?”

“Because...well...because it isn’t like you.”

“You know something,” she exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips, “maybe I’m tired of being like me. Maybe I want to be different. Maybe I want to be someone who is willing to take a chance in order to get what she wants in life.”

Stepping forward, Jack took her by the shoulders. “Look, honey, I think it’s great that you feel that way. But do you have to take such a big, flying leap the first time out of the nest?”

Beth’s bottom lip began to tremble. “I don’t expect you to understand,” she said as tears sprang to her eyes. In truth, she had been expecting him to understand, and she couldn’t even begin to acknowledge how disappointed she was that he obviously didn’t.

“Hey, come on now,” he said, pulling her against him. He was so solid...so dependable...so much what she needed right then in all aspects of the word. Why couldn’t he see that? Especially since he already knew all there ever was to know about her.

Hugging her tight, Jack looked down at her and said, “What’s with all the tears? Look, I’m sorry if I said something to upset you. I’m just a little shook up by all of this, okay? It’s not every day that you tell me you want to get married and get pregnant, all practically in the same breath. Give me a moment for it all to sink in.”

Beth nestled her body against his, savoring the warmth, the security of being as close to him as possible. He was her security blanket. Her shoulder to cry on. He knew her like no one else did. Finally, in spite of her desire to stay snuggled against him, she sucked up her tears and stepped back so she could gaze directly into his face.

“Jack, I’m really going to need your help with this one. I can’t do it alone.”

“Hey,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “You know you can always count on me. I’m your best friend, remember? Don’t we always help each other?”

She nodded.

“Then what can I do to help you?” he asked point blank, suddenly cutting right through all the bull and getting to the heart of the matter.

Beth licked her lips again. “Well, Jack,” she said, “it’s really quite simple. I need you to marry me. I need to get pregnant.”

His grin broadened momentarily, then wilted away in two seconds flat. In a grave tone of voice, he said, “You’re joking, right?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along. I need you to father my baby.”

Jack gaped at her.

“Look,” she continued in a hurry, “before you give me your answer, let me just say one thing. There’s no one else I feel I can trust with this. No matter what, I know I’ll be safe with you, Jack.”

“You can’t be serious about this,” he said.

“Oh, but I am,” she replied.

“In that case, let me just say one thing. If you think I’m the guy for the job, you’ve lost your mind.”

“I know I’m asking a lot—”

Taking a step back from her, Jack gave her a thawing glance. “You can say that again.”

“Even though we’re the best of friends, I really have some nerve putting you on the spot like this.”

“You bet.”

“You’re right, you know,” she said haughtily. “I should simply ask someone else, regardless of the consequences.”

“Now wait a minute,” he said, coming up straight. “I didn’t say for you to do that.” He ran his fingers through his hair, then paused for a long moment. “Jeez, Beth, do you have any idea what you’re asking me to do?”

“Yes, I think so,” she replied evenly. But her heart was pounding like mad. “Look, it’s only for a temporary period of time.”

Jack shook his head. “B-but I don’t understand. What about all our years together as friends? You’ve always said—”

“I know what I’ve always said. And I haven’t changed my mind about that,” she replied, placing her hands flat against his chest and feeling the beating of his heart beneath her touch. “All I want is for us to get married and stay married only for as long as it takes to get me pregnant.”

Once again, Jack stood, gaping at her. “In other words, Beth, because it now suits your purpose, it’s okay for us to have sex together. Frankly, after all you’ve said over the years against such a thing ever happening between us, I’m floored that you would even consider doing it now—under any circumstances.”

Suddenly Beth’s eyes filled with tears, and she realized in that moment that deep down inside she had been hoping all along that Jack wouldn’t offer any resistance to her plan. That he would simply say yes right away and that would be the end of it. As it was, she didn’t know if she had the stamina to continue trying to talk him into something as serious as fathering her child when he obviously didn’t want any part of it.

She turned from him and plucked a tissue from a box on a nearby table, but she didn’t have to use it after all. Miraculously she regained her composure.

By now, Jack had come up behind her and had placed his hands on her shoulders. “Beth, let me make sure I’m getting this straight before I say any more. You want me—I mean us to have sex together for the sole purpose of getting you pregnant, right?”

Recognizing her last chance in convincing him to her way of thinking, Beth whirled to face him. “Oh, Jack, yes, that’s exactly what I mean. And as soon as I get pregnant, I promise, we’ll get a divorce and then everything can go back to normal. I’ll have my baby, and you’ll have your freedom again.”

Jack frowned. “Look, Beth, even if I were to agree to this crazy idea of yours—which I haven’t done yet, you understand—then why go ahead with a sham marriage and an inevitable divorce? Why not keep it simple? Why not just crawl in the sack together and get the job done? Other couples do it that way?”

Beth gaped at him as if he should have already known the answer. Obviously he didn’t know her as well as she thought. She drew in a deep breath and said, “Just because others do it that way doesn’t make it right for me. Look, I’m not passing judgment on anyone else, but I can’t just have an illegitimate child. It’s not me.”

“No, I guess you’re right,” he agreed. “But don’t you see? It’s not me, either. I happen to like being a bachelor. I don’t want the responsibility of a wife and kid.”

Beth felt a sudden pressure building within her. “I know that,” she said quickly, “but that’s what makes my plan so fantastic. I’ll be the parent of this child, not you. You’ll be...well, you’ll be to him what you’ve always been to me. You’ll be his best friend.”

Folding his arms across his chest, Jack grew quiet and increasingly thoughtful over the following moments. Beth knew he was contemplating her words, and she wondered frantically what the outcome would be. Taking a deep breath, she held it and waited.

It was strange what occurred between two people when a little pressure was put on a long-standing relationship that had ages ago been taken for granted by both parties, she thought during Jack’s silence. Scary, in fact. She had a lot to gain by what she was asking of Jack, but she also had a lot to lose, too, if she wasn’t careful.

But she would be, she told herself. If he agreed to father her child, she would be very, very careful. Of that much she was certain.

“Look,” she said, swallowing the umpteenth lump in her throat, “if you don’t feel you can do this, I’ll understand. Truly I will.”

Giving a low, frustrated whistle, Jack ran his fingers through his hair. His gut was now boiling with an acid that was eating him alive. Beth was the one woman in the whole world who could turn him inside out like this.

He didn’t particularly want the job of fathering a child for her, but then he didn’t want anyone else to have it, either. Suddenly he couldn’t stand the thought of her going to bed with some guy, just so she could get herself pregnant. Uh-uh. No way. He couldn’t let something like that happen. Not to his Beth.

His real problem was, he’d never learned to refuse her anything. For better or for worse, he generally gave Beth what she wanted at some point. Why? Because it made him happy. But until today, she’d never before asked anything quite like this of him. Without question, this request was in a league all its own.

Drawing in a deep breath, Jack shook his head.

Of course, if he were going to be completely honest with himself, he was going to have to admit that the idea of sleeping with Beth wasn’t all that foreign to him. She might be his best friend, but that didn’t stop him from seeing her as a very attractive woman. He was, after all, a healthy male. Fortunately, though, he had always been able to keep his fantasies under control. Beth trusted him to be her best friend. He never, ever planned to betray that trust. Not for any reason.

Parenthood had always been her gig, not his. In fact, he didn’t want the responsibility of being anyone’s father. Not even to please Beth. So it was safe to say that if he did decide to go along with her idea—which he doubted he would—that she was right in thinking the child would be hers, not his. Of course, if he were to agree to her plan, he would always be there to lend a supporting hand when it came time for Beth to make all those tough parental decisions. He was her best friend, after all. She would need someone to lean on from time to time. And if she or the kid ever needed anything—anything at all—all they would have to do was ask.

Tossing Beth an anxious glance, he said, “Have you even thought of what will happen to us if I should decide to help you?”

Beth’s heart began to pound. “What do you mean?”

“Us. You and me. We’ve been close friends a long time. How is that relationship going to be affected?”

She frowned. “Why should it be affected at all?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. It just seems to me that it would be.”

Beth gave him a smug look. “Well, it won’t. The way I have it planned, we won’t be married long enough for it to affect anything. I figure I’ll be pregnant in two months, tops.”

“Oh, really,” he replied incredulously.

She could feel the adrenaline flowing through her veins as she sensed the rhythm of the moment changing in her favor. It made her feel flushed...excited. “I’m in good health. You’re in good health. I feel quite certain that you’ll have me pregnant in no time at all.”

Stepping back in astonishment, Jack gave her a starded, though cocky grin. “Is that a fact?”

Beth beamed with renewed confidence. “That’s right. Two months tops. I ought to be pregnant by then.”

And what makes you so sure?”

She shrugged. “Just a feeling I have.”

Jack searched her eyes for a long moment. “You’ve got this all figured out, haven’t you?”

Every detail,” she said proudly. ”I knew it was imperative to our existing relationship that we set up the ground rules from day one.”

Jack shook his head. “You and your damned rules, Beth. One of these days, those same rules are going to backfire on you.”

She sucked in a hopeful breath. “Does that mean that you’re thinking of helping me, Jack?”

He gave her a skeptical glance. “Do you really believe that this is the only way for you to get what you want?”

“Yes,” she said, keeping a firm hold on the tidal wave of emotion suddenly raging through her body.

Using the tips of his fingers to rub his temples Jack rocked back on his heels for what seemed like an endless moment. Finally, after releasing a heavy sigh, he said, “What the hell...I’m fighting a losing battle anyway. Besides, if it’s what you need me to do... if you’re sure it’s what will make you happy in the long run, then what’s a couple of months out of my life? You’d do the same for me.”

“Oh, Jack,” Beth said, biting back the flood of sudden tears. “Are you sure about this?”

“No...yes.”

She gazed at him, her heart evident in her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he said at last, and in spite of a growing anticipation inside of him, he actually managed a grin.

“Oh, Jack, I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much.”

Beth couldn’t contain her joy a moment longer. She threw her arms around his neck and planted a big, grateful kiss right on his mouth. It was just because she was so happy and wanted him to know it.

But all of a sudden, the kiss took a hundred-andeighty-degree turn into something much more powerful than a mere thank-you peck on the lips. In fact, for one fleeting moment, Beth thought the ground was rocking beneath her feet.

Her mouth was covered by his.

He tasted like...well, like Jack. Just as she had always known he would. He tasted hot...and sexy, and the reality of what they were doing made her blood curdle. He opened his mouth and it seemed to her that he was beckoning for her to do the same.

This, she knew, was no longer just a simple little kiss between friends.

It was leading them somewhere—fast. Somewhere neither of them needed to go. Frankly it was going against every rule in her book. She had to end it now. She had no choice. Too much was at stake.

Immediately pulling away, Beth fought to regain her equilibrium. “I—I don’t know why I did that,” she stammered.

Jack gave her a scorching glance that seemed to penetrate right through her.

Then without so much as a single word of warning, he groaned deep in his throat and jerked Beth back against his hard, solid frame in less than a heartbeat.

A second later his mouth came crashing down to claim hers.

This time, when the earth moved beneath her feet, Beth knew exactly what it was happening. But this time, instead of fighting it, she simply clung all the tighter to Jack and prayed that the moment didn’t end too soon.

Because she knew without a doubt that she was going to hate herself when finally it did.

This was not part of her plan.

Nor could it ever be.

But since the moment was already out of her control, she saw no reason why she simply couldn’t enjoy it while it lasted. Without a doubt, it was going to be the last time she ever let things go this far between herself and Jack.

For heaven’s sake, he was her best friend. She felt almost guilty for enjoying his kiss.

It was just plain weird.

And yet unforgettably wonderful at the same time. Why else would she be pressing her body against his as though she wanted to become a part of him?

The weirdness she could handle.

But the part that was unforgettably wonderful—the part that was making her feel all hot inside—she could not.

She had to make sure this never happened between them again.

Chapter Three

Unfortunately Beth couldn’t stop what was happening between herself and Jack, nor did a secret part of her really want to. And it was clear that Jack had no immediate plans to stop the kiss. She was trapped in the clutches of a sweet, agonizing hunger.

She moaned from the pressure of his lips on hers. It was the absolute craziest moment of her life. But what made it even crazier was the fact that, thus far, it was also her most thrilling.

But it was all a fluke. A faux pas, to be sure. Something that definitely shouldn’t be happening.

Only it was.

Big time.

They were over the line, no doubt about it.

Someone needed to regain control of their outrageous behavior before it was too late.

It was probably already too late.

Jack deepened the kiss and again Beth moaned. Her response, as insignificant as it was to her, only seemed to ignite Jack’s passions all the more. Keeping her pinned against him, he pushed his tongue into her mouth.

After the first shock waves of desire subsided, Beth began struggling to free herself.

She soon realized that her efforts in gaining her freedom were to no avail. Jack’s hold on her was so much stronger than her puny effort, and she remained lodged in place against him.

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