Girl, get over it!

Another familiar refrain, one she’d repeated daily to herself over the last few weeks, echoed in her head. Getting back to normal—whatever that might be— was harder than she thought.

That morning after Nolan left, she’d cleaned up the room as best she could. She then hurried home, determined to live up to the agreement they made. To make sure everything stayed the same. Between her and Nolan. Her and the Murphys. Her and the job she loved so much.

Easier said than done.

Yes, her actions had been dumb that night. Not just dumb, but careless, too. Hey, it wasn’t the first time she’d done something stupid in her never-ending search for—

Nope, don’t use the L word.

What happened that night had been a combination of lust, booze and foolishness. She’d been lucky the man she’d fallen into bed with had been someone like Nolan.

To allow herself to think one night of great sex would lead to … to something … was crazy. He’d made his feelings about their night together clear when he said they should go on with their lives as if nothing had happened.

Nothing. Yeah, right.

Welcome to Destiny:

Where fate leads to falling in love

His Destiny Bride
Christyne Butler

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHRISTYNE BUTLER is a USA TODAY bestselling author who fell in love with romance novels while serving in the US Navy and started writing her own stories in 2002. She writes contemporary romances that are full of life, love and a hint of laughter. She lives with her family in central Massachusetts and loves to hear from her readers at www.christynebutler.com.

To my sisters Peggy and Jennifer

and the sisters of my heart,

the Gamma Theta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi.

Thank you for letting me borrow your names

to populate the characters, businesses

and locations in my books …

The yellow roses are always for you!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

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

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Friday night before Halloween

It was time.

Katie Ledbetter unscrewed the lid to the almost empty mason jar, offered a quick salute and shot back the last mouthful of tequila, lime, triple sec and crushed ice.

Wow, that burned. Still, the heavy layers of self-inflicted what-was-I-thinking and why-didn’t-I-see-this-coming fuzziness she’d suffered through since the end of summer were finally gone.

Now she was ready to trudge back into the eighth layer of hell, otherwise known as the dating world. It’d been two months. A long enough sabbatical to nurse any heart, even one as used and bruised as hers.

What better night than when people dressed in costumes to hide their true selves?

At least here amid the noise and crowd at the Blue Creek Saloon’s annual Halloween party the deception was on purpose. Tonight one could pretend to be anyone or anything. From sexy to humorous to superhero—even happy.

Then there was the dashing pirate on the other side of the room.

She’d first seen him not long after she arrived, but that’d been a fleeting glance. Since then, she’d spotted quite a few in that same popular costume...

But there was something different about this one.

Even with the distance between them, she could see his masked profile over the turned-up collar of his coat and the long hair hanging from a tricorn hat. From the way he stared into his beer, she’d say he was a pretty gloomy swashbuckler. In a room full of partygoers he seemed very much alone.

It takes one to know one, matey.

“You totally kill in that outfit.” Her friend Peggy Katz had stepped up beside her, drink in hand.

Katie blinked and wobbled on her high heels, surprised to find she’d taken a step toward the guy. Then the crowd shifted and her pirate disappeared. Ignoring her disappointment, she turned and propped a hand on one hip. “Hmm, not exactly what I was going for.”

Then again, dressed as she was...

Katie had come up with her own version of the comic book villainess Harley Quinn, going old-school with a black-and-red corset, matching fishnet gloves, and a voluminous tulle skirt. A ponytailed blond wig hid her long naturally red hair. She wore a black mask over the top of her face, and white pancake makeup and deep red lips completed her look.

Either way, she appreciated her friend’s words. “The object is to capture, honey, not kill.”

“Well, you’ve accomplished that much.” Peggy sucked the last of her drink through the straw. “If one more cop, cowboy or clown hits on you and ignores me, I’m going to take it personally.”

“Are you kidding?” Katie dropped the throaty Brooklyn accent that went along with her character. “You’re a terrific-looking witch, even beneath that crazy orange wig, black cape and pointy hat. Aren’t you hot?”

“Oh, please, my hands are like ice. And not because our typical Wyoming winter is swirling outside even though it’s October. Besides, I’ve got plenty to hide. My hourglass figure is shaped more like these mason jars.” Peggy gave her almost empty glass a shake. “You ready for another?”

“Sure, why not?” Unlike her friend, Katie was quite warm but figured it had more to do with the high body count in the bar than the alcohol. Still, the last drink had disappeared fast. “I wonder what time it is.”

Peggy pulled out her phone. “Almost midnight. Don’t tell me you’re ready to pack it in. I only get to let my hair down, so to speak, every other weekend. If Bruce decides to fulfill his fatherly duties.”

Something Peggy’s ex-husband hadn’t done much of in the two years since the divorce, but he’d stepped it up lately, making this a rare girls’ night out.

A night that included Katie and Peggy crashing next door at the boardinghouse where Peggy’s sister—a traveling nurse on a relief trip in Brazil—had a room.

No worrying about driving home tonight. Let the margaritas flow.

Katie shook her head and handed over her jar. “I’m here until they kick us out. Mix, mingle and meet someone new, right?”

“Hey, I’m just the wingman—not that you need one. My only advice? Stay away from the bad boys.”

Katie forced a smile. “Oh, you’re no fun.”

“Personal experience talking here.”

Experience Katie shared. She’d dated enough of those too-wild-to-be-tamed kind of guys herself over the years. This last time? She’d picked one who’d worn an actual star on his shirt and the white hat.

Wasn’t that supposed to mean he was one of the good guys?

“Go on, the bar is back this way.” Peggy turned, tossing words over one shoulder. “Mix, mingle and meet your little booty off. I’ll find you.”

Katie’s smile slipped as her friend disappeared in the crowd.

The first two—mixing and mingling—were easy enough, but meeting someone new, considering the population of Destiny, Wyoming, was a challenge. Then again, Laramie and Cheyenne were less than an hour away and this event had become popular over the years.

Surely she could find one interesting man who was looking for something...more.

Despite a dating history that went back to the seventh grade, more often than not Katie had walked away with a broken heart. Still, she never gave up on the dream of loving—and being loved—by one special person.

This last time...a deputy sheriff and single dad. He’d been the one.

Or so she’d thought.

She’d done everything right when it came to her and Jake.

They’d been friends before she’d agreed to a date. Waited three months before getting intimate. Then another few months before she met his sweet little girls. So when he’d convinced her to move into his place back in June, almost at their one-year anniversary, she’d believed she’d found what she’d been looking for.

First cohabitation. Then a ring. One day a wedding and more chil—

“Stop thinking about him.” Peggy had returned with two more margaritas. “Don’t bother denying it,” she continued. “I can see it in your eyes.”

Katie kept her gaze on her drink as she took a long sip. “I wasn’t...not really,” she said. “Okay, I was, but geesh, when it comes to my lack of success with men...”

“You’re successful with men.” Peggy spoke when Katie’s words trailed off. “Just not at finding one who wants the same things you do.”

Katie swallowed. “Ouch.”

“I was right where you are now a few years ago. I’d bought into the whole he’ll-change fantasy. For far too long,” her friend said. “Then dating again. Yuck! Now I’ve only got one guy in my life.”

Katie smiled. With his gap-toothed grin, red curls and love of all things Justice League, Peggy’s eight-year-old son was one of her favorite people. “Curtis is just about perfect, but I don’t think he counts.”

“He’s the only thing that counts.”

Her friend was right. Kids came first. Always.

So much so, Katie had eagerly taken on the care of Jake’s girls, ages three and five, after she’d moved in. Due to his work schedule, she’d been the one who cared for the girls at night. Then he would get home after midnight, and after a rare, quick—and, okay, fireworks-free—tumble in bed, he’d be snoring.

Days passed and they’d fallen into a pattern, with Katie convincing herself that life was supposed to be that way when it came to family. So when less than two months later Jake said he was getting back with his not-quite-so-ex-wife, Katie had been stunned.

That had been at the end of August.

If pressed, she’d admit she missed the fun and affection Jake’s daughters had brought into her life more than the man who’d moved away as soon as she’d moved back into her old apartment over a vacant storefront in town.

“You know, you should’ve grabbed one of those Murphy brothers when you had the chance,” Peggy said, yanking Katie from her thoughts. “Back when all six were single.”

Katie ignored the pang in her heart and gave her standard answer to that familiar refrain. “‘Those Murphy brothers’ are my bosses.”

“Not all of them.”

“Yes, each has a share in the family business. Besides, Bryant was seeing Laurie when I went to work for them five years ago. And Ric—geesh, he was barely out of high school.”

“Like you were much older. You were right out of college.”

That was true. She’d met the Murphys at a university job fair that had netted her a few offers. It took only one visit to the quaint town of Destiny and the headquarters of Murphy Mountain Log Homes in a grand, two-story log home on the Murphy family ranch. That same day she’d signed on as their executive assistant.

The fact that the one brother who’d first interviewed her was six feet of perfection with sad eyes like dark chocolate hadn’t factored into her decision—

“Now the guys are dropping like flies,” Peggy went on. “Two married in less than two years, both expectant daddies. Two more leaving town to live with their amours in jolly old England. That leaves Ric stationed overseas and Nolan—”

“You don’t have to give me a rundown, Peg. I know what’s going on in their lives better than most. Even with Destiny’s thriving gossip mill.”

“A mill still buzzing about how the only single brother still in town isn’t making time with the high school vice principal anymore.” Peggy’s declaration came out in a singsong voice. “Care to dish?”

No, she didn’t. Katie didn’t like to talk about the Murphys.

Especially about Nolan.

The brothers and their parents, the founders of the company, had been good to her from the moment she started working for them. She’d been alone, on her own for much longer than those four years at college. It’d taken her a while to accept their affection and inclusion in their personal lives as genuine.

They were the closest thing she had to family.

She’d never do anything to mess with that.

“So, what’s the scoop on none of the Murphy men—or their wives—being here tonight?” Peggy continued. “Seems a bit strange not to see at least a few of them around.”

Katie was glad for the change in the conversation. “Both mommies-to-be haven’t been feeling well, so I’m guessing their hubbies stayed home with them. Nolan is traveling for business. Even if he were around, I’d doubt he’d be here.”

“Didn’t he—” Peggy paused and peeked at her glowing phone again. “Oh, what the...it’s my ex. I knew it was too good to be true. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

Katie, glad for the interruption, pushed any thought of Nolan out of her head, a habit she’d gotten good at over the years. She scanned the sea of costumes, from the homemade to the store-bought.

Hmm, might she get another glimpse—

Oh, there he was again.

Her pirate.

She had a better view this time, even if it was from the back. He’d taken off his jacket to reveal a white shirt with billowing sleeves and a blackish vest. The hat was gone, too. Flowing hair that had to be a wig hung past his yummy broad shoulders. It was held in place by a silk bandanna wrapped around his head.

Boy, he could’ve stepped off a tall-sailed, three-masted schooner.

She lowered her gaze, taking in tight breeches, knee-high boots with oversize cuffs and a sword hanging from the wide leather belt on a trim waist.

Hmm, very nice.

Then the Captain Jack wannabe turned around. His mask was much like hers; it covered most of his face, except for a strong jaw and sexy mouth accented by a pirate-type beard.

Their eyes met and held, and darn if she didn’t get a little breathless. Then his gaze raked over her and Katie’s skin tingled. An urge to go to him filled her, but she’d promised to stay put. Without her cell phone—there was no place to carry it in this outfit—Peggy wouldn’t know where she’d gone.

Maybe he’d come to her.

She lifted her hand. Alcohol-fueled bravery had her poised to crook a finger in his direction when a group of revelers got between them. By the time they moved past, he was gone again. Darn.

* * *

Once he finished this latest beer, Nolan Murphy was out of here.

Damn, he was tired. Worse, he was hot and pissed off. Okay, hot, pissed off and surprisingly, turned on.

What a way to end a crazy week.

It had to be a hundred-plus degrees in the Blue Creek Saloon. Taking off the costume’s heavy coat had helped. So had a few too many icy-cold beers that had gone down fast. Anything to stop thinking about his hard-to-please client.

What should’ve been an easy project—building a compound of log homes, much like what his family had done on the ranch—had turned into a project from hell. After promising to work on a new list of must-haves from the client and his three adult children—all women and as opinionated as their father—Nolan had grabbed a seat on a late flight out of Spokane.

He’d arrived home after dinner and relieved his mom from babysitting duty. Square footage calculations, source materials and window placement had continued to fight for space in his brain.

Then instead of relaxing at home, he’d let his kids convince him that dressing up in this crazy costume and coming to the party was a good idea. Luckily, his brother’s lady love was a costume designer in the movie business and she’d sent a group of outfits to choose from for Halloween.

But eyeliner?

When Abby had insisted a pirate wasn’t a pirate without darkened eyes, he’d gone along with her putting the crap on his face, despite the mask that would cover it.

Mainly because it was the first time he and his sixteen-year-old daughter had talked in weeks without fighting.

The twins had chimed in and helped shave his beard, which was now mostly gone except for a strip outlining his jaw and a bad version of a goatee with beads dangling beneath his chin from braided whiskers.

Proud of their handiwork, they’d insisted on snapping selfies with him, good-naturedly threatening to post the images online. He talked them out of that by agreeing to go snowmobiling if the weekend’s prediction of more snow came to pass.

Abby had gone quiet, except to remind him she was grounded—under house arrest, as she put it—until the end of the month.

Meaning he’d have to leave her behind and ask his folks to keep an eye on her.

Something else the two of them continued to fight about. If she was old enough to drive and babysit her brothers, she was old enough to take care of herself.

Nolan took a long draw on his beer. Even with his parents living next door, he wasn’t comfortable leaving Abby home alone.

Not after the crap she’d pulled last month.

Asking for yet another favor from his folks was something he didn’t want to do. Not after just getting home. Hell, his mom and dad were supposed to be retired.

Thanks to his brothers’ love life, the family business was restructuring. Their dad was back with the company again and Nolan’s workload had increased, too. His mom claimed she loved being with her grandchildren while he traveled, but it was a lot to ask of a woman who’d already raised six boys.

So he’d left tonight with the promise to discuss their weekend plans over breakfast. He could hear his kids going at it, the twins blaming their sister for spoiling their fun before he even got to his truck.

The joys of being a single parent. Especially to teenagers.

Sighing, he raised the mug to his lips for the last time and after a long chug set it down empty on the closest table. He checked his phone. After 1:00 a.m. and the party was still going strong, with more out-of-towners than he’d expected. He’d run into a few people he knew when he first arrived, most not realizing who he was until he told them.

Yeah, the costume was that good.

Since then, he’d pretty much been drinking alone while brushing off the interest of more than one female. Oh, he’d been charming, speaking in a fake pirate’s accent, which proved he’d seen too many reruns of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

And again, had too much to drink.

Not that he was uninterested in pursuing something with the opposite sex. He hadn’t been a monk since his divorce five years ago, but lately it seemed he couldn’t get a certain redhead out of his mind.

Another daily struggle, thanks to the fact she worked for him. For them.

For the family business, which meant hands off.

He’d thought he’d gotten a handle on whatever it was he felt for Katie, especially since her last relationship seemed to be the real thing, but now—

Nolan cut off the thought. It didn’t make any sense to go down a path that could only lead to trouble.

Not just for him. Or her.

There was a whole group of people who’d be affected if he allowed—

Damn, there I go again!

He curled his fingers into a tight fist and pushed aside one image for another, bringing to mind the one person who’d caught—and held—his attention tonight.

And who explained his surprising state of arousal.

Everyone was here to be looked at. It was the point of a costume party, he guessed. When he felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck, despite the crazy wig, he turned and found her staring.

His first thought had been she was a pretty sexy-looking clown, until the pieces of her outfit came together as a Batman villainess, a cool throwback to his youthful preference for the bad girl.

Temptation to lessen the distance between them had filled him.

Surprised him.

So much so that when she got lost in the crowd moments later, he decided he would finish his beer and end the evening before he did something stupid.

He needed to call one of his brothers. Driving home was out of the question.

He slapped the pirate hat back on and started walking along the edge of the dance floor, holding tight to the costume’s overcoat. There was no way he’d let anything happen to it, considering this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill rental getup.

“There you are, lover!”

Luscious curves, warm and radiating a sexy scent of spicy vanilla and lime, slammed into his chest. Nolan instinctively wrapped his free arm around the woman’s svelte waistline, mostly to keep the both of them from toppling to the ground.

His first thought was that she must have mistaken him for someone else, but then her lips brushed at his ear. “Play along, please.”

Her whispered words, a fiery blast on his skin, surprised him. Her voice almost sounded familiar. “Hey, do I know—”

“But no booze. Whaz up with that?” The blonde switched to a nasally accent, her voice loud again as she gave him a quick squeeze and whirled back around, grabbing at his waist as she stumbled. “Ya see? Not for nuttin’, but I told yuz I had a fellow here. Now, amscray.”

Nolan had no idea what was going on.

The costumed guy standing in front of him resembled a deranged clown with his red hair and yellow jumpsuit. He was eyeing the beauty hanging on to Nolan with a nasty glare.

He pulled her closer and looked down, surprised to find he was holding the lady he’d caught checking him out earlier. A sexy Harley Quinn, right down to the character’s Brooklyn accent and attitude.

An attitude with a hint of fear.

“Me and my captain’s gotz plans. So yuz can move on,” she slurred, waving an empty glass jar in the air. “No interest here.”

“You were interested a few minutes ago,” the clown said.

“N-not really.” She dismissed him as she handed off the jar to a waitress. “Jusz passing time.”

“Just a tease,” the guy growled and took a step forward. “Typical of a drunken girl on the prowl—”

“That’s enough, matey.” Nolan slipped back into full pirate mode with the fake British tenor, his voice low as he angled himself between the clown and the lady. “The lass is taken. So you take a walk.”

“Or what? You’ll challenge me to a duel, Captain Kangaroo?”

The sword hanging from Nolan’s waist was a prop, but it’d do some damage. Still, he didn’t plan to be goaded into a fight.

He had no idea who this guy was, but he figured the jerk wasn’t a local. Hell, she probably wasn’t, either, but she obviously didn’t want anything to do with this clown.

“Oh, get lost.” Miss Quinn grabbed at Nolan’s vest, pressing those curves against him once more. “Come on, Cap’n Jack. Let’z dance.”

Dancing was the last thing Nolan wanted to do. Okay, last after fighting.

He was too old, too tired to deal with either tonight.

Yet he shuffled backward, watching the pissed-off clown stomping off into the crowd. Nolan could’ve escaped then from the slightly tipsy and very sexy bad girl in his arms and been on his way, too.

Instead he tossed common sense to the wind, cursed the booze floating in his veins and pulled her in close.

Chapter Two

“It’z not Sinatra, but it’z slow.” Katie enjoyed the solid feel of the sexy pirate. She hoped she still sounded like the Brooklyn villainess she was pretending to be. This guy was as much of a stranger to her as that jerk from a moment ago. Her instincts told her she could trust him, but still... “Hang on, sailor. Thingz might get bumpy.”

“Don’t you think—”

Lost in the warmth of his embrace as a slow country song played, she reached up and found his mouth with her fingertips on the first try. Light pressure cut him off. “Naw, no thinking. No talking, no names. Jusz dancing.”

He went still for a moment, but then his lips creased into a smile and his arms tightened around her. Happy with his submission, she withdrew her hand, moving it downward over the softness of his goatee, the beads woven into his whiskers tapping against her fingers.

Slowly, she traced over his Adam’s apple, past his collarbone until her palm rested on his chest. His heart pounded fast beneath her touch in a cadence that matched hers.

Flying into a strange man’s arms probably wasn’t the best idea, but that clown-costumed jerk wouldn’t take no for an answer. And she hadn’t been flirting. With Peggy gone for the last hour thanks to her ex bailing on their sick son, Katie had partied on with more margaritas. She’d been heading for the exit when that joker got in her way and wouldn’t leave her alone.

Who knew the one guy who’d caught her eye tonight would show up right when she needed him?

Boy, he was tall. Even in her heels, she only came up to his shoulder. She pressed her cheek to the leathery softness of his vest and held tight to a muscular bicep beneath the long strands of a pretty impressive dreadlock wig. A deep inhale brought in a fresh, clean, outdoorsy aroma with a hint of pine from his aftershave.

Hmm, she would’ve guessed his scent would be more like the ocean.

This fragrance was almost...familiar? No, that couldn’t be right.

Then he shifted his hands against her lower back, pulling her even closer, and all rational thought fled. Her skin got all tingly when he laid a hand flat on her tulle skirt just above her backside, causing his costumed jacket to brush against her legs.

They moved in a slow circle, the couples surrounding them doing the same. She was already a bit dizzy and tired, so it was easy to let her eyelids drift closed and get lost in the moment.

Lost in the strength of a pirate’s embrace.

The song ended too soon, but the band started another. Her pirate didn’t make any move to break his hold. Staying right there was fine with her. More songs came and went; she didn’t bother to count how many.

Dreamland was only inches away when another couple bumped into them. She held on as her feet tangled with the pirate’s. They stumbled but remained upright. Before she could come up with something witty, she caught sight of that clown loser again on the edge of the dance floor, peering into the crowd.

And he wasn’t alone.

The last thing she wanted was to cause another scene or, worse, an all-out brawl that would bring the cops. A given, considering the bar’s owner was married to the town sheriff.

She pushed against the wide chest of her pirate. He released her. A gentleman’s move she could appreciate, but she missed his strength as he stepped back.

“Oh, bugger, the clown’s returned.” She jerked her head in the guy’s direction, the bangs of her blond wig falling over her eyes. She shoved the fake hair back into place and grabbed her pirate’s hand. “With hiz rat pack in tow. Come on, let’z blow this pop stand.”

She headed for the other side of the dance floor, glad her new friend followed without hesitation. Weaving through the crowd, she peeked back past the other couples and caught the moment they’d been spotted.

Oh, this wasn’t good.

She glanced over her shoulder at her rescuer. “Lose the hat, Captain. It sticks out like a sore thumb.”

He grinned, as if he was enjoying this little adventure. “Why are we running, lass?”

“I don’t want blood on my outfit.” Returning his smile was easy. “Especially yours. Fight or flight? I pick flight.”

He let go of her long enough to do as she asked, then handed off his hat to her before glancing over his shoulder. Moving in close, he placed a hand on her lower back and guided her through the crowd.

“Move it, me buxom beauty.” He leaned in, his breath stirring the hair at her temple. “They be creepin’ up our starboard.”

Katie did as she was told, liking how his pirate swagger sounded even as the quick pace made her woozier. She looked for one of the bouncers when they reached the large double doors, but none were around.

What now? Did they go their separate ways? Did the pirate have a way home? Was he able to drive?

He had seemed to enjoy himself, even after this game of cat and mouse started, and she wasn’t going to leave him stranded in the parking lot. Not with that jerk and his friends around, spoiling for a fight.

“Be honest, girlfriend,” she muttered. “You don’t want this night to end yet. Or for him to go anywhere.”

“Did you say—”

“Nothin’. Never mind.” Katie cut him off and glanced back again.

Yep, they were still being followed.

She pushed out the doors, shivering in the night air as they stepped onto the wood plank sidewalk that ran the length of the building.

Yeah, insisting she wouldn’t need a jacket for the short walk back to the boardinghouse had been dumb. The chill made her shiver, but then the wind and icy temperature disappeared, cut off by the warmth of scratchy wool enveloping her shoulders, not to mention the rest of her.

He’d given her his jacket. How sweet! No one had ever done that for her before.

She shot him a quick smile. “Thanks, pal.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Quinn.”

He recognized whom she was dressed as! A crazy thrill raced through Katie over that fact, but then angry shouts from behind had her slapping his hat against his chest.

He took it and she grabbed his hand again, the solution to their problem coming at her as bright as a lightbulb. “Follow me.”

She hurried across the parking lot, weaving through the now leafless cottonwoods that separated the bar from the boardinghouse. It was snowing lightly, enough that their footprints would be visible, but that couldn’t be helped.

Her breaths came out in wispy puffs as she raced up the porch steps to the outside entrance, thankful they didn’t have to go through the main lobby to get to the room.

She stopped at the door, her pirate right behind her blocking the wind. She couldn’t see their assailants, but their voices carried as they found the two sets of footprints leading this way.

“I’m guessing you’ve got a bloody key...”

His husky voice faded when she dug into the left side of her push-up bra, having tucked the keys Peggy had given her earlier there. Her heart slammed inside her chest as her first attempt at unlocking the door failed. An unladylike but very Harley Quinn–like curse fell from her lips.

“Here, let me.” He grabbed the keys, working one into the lock. Nothing. The shouts of their pursuers were louder now. “Which one is it?”

“Darn if I know.” Katie stomped her feet, her toes now frozen. “Those guys are crazy! And getting closer! Hurry!”

They should’ve stayed at the bar. Should’ve found security and had those jerks kicked out. Here, they were alone, short of waking up the other tenants. She hated the idea of anyone ending up in a fight because of her—

Just then her pirate’s strong arm slid beneath the jacket and grabbed her around her waist as the door opened and they stumbled inside. The warmth of the room slapped against her cheeks and the cold disappeared.

Seconds later she heard their pursuers on the porch, right outside. Had they see them come in here? Would they—

Fists pounded on the door as angry voices called out.

Katie jumped, grabbing at his shirt.

The click of the dead bolt sliding into place echoed in the air. “Be still, lass. The blasted fools will give up soon.” Her pirate’s voice was calm as he whispered at her ear. He tightened his hold. “It’ll be all right.”

Moments later, the voices faded and the footsteps continued on until there was nothing but silence. Well, except for her punching out breaths in an attempt to slow the adrenaline racing through her. He was right there, too, his chest rising and falling in a tempo that betrayed his soothing words.

She looked up, wanting desperately to see him, but they were in almost total darkness. The only light came from a night-light on the far side of the room, but his wide shoulders cut out most of it. With his wig and mask she could barely make out his features.

She lifted her hand and traced the edge of his beard, from his ear down to his chin, the sharp intake of breath his only reaction to the contact.

“Thanks, Cap’n,” she whispered, “for saving my butt...”

Her words faded as a light thud sounded—his pirate hat hitting the floor.

His fingers brushed aside the bangs of the wig that hung to her eyes. His touch was hot, radiating through her mask as he traced the material down her temple until he reached her cheek and then her mouth.

Her breathing grew short and choppy again as he slowly rubbed at her bottom lip with his thumb, the friction igniting a burst of need inside her. Of its own volition, her tongue darted out, licking the tip of his finger.

A low groan filled the air. His groan. He pulled her up hard against his chest.

Grabbing at wide shoulders, she stretched onto her tiptoes, bringing their mouths to within inches of each other as his hand moved to the nape of her neck.

Anticipation crackled between them and then his mouth crashed down on hers.

Her lips parted, giving permission to the hunger in his kiss, and he took it, deepening the connection in a searing and demanding way. She welcomed his desire and returned it, having never felt like this before.

This alive, this connected.

His jacket fell from her shoulders, the loss of the warmth causing another shiver to race through her, but he tightened his hold as the kisses went on and on. Finally, needing to breathe, they broke apart, his mouth moving to her neck. He made his way to her ear as his hands dropped to cup her backside, tucking her tightly to him.

“Should I go?” he whispered. “Tell me now.”

A flicker of awareness at his soft words stole through her.

Did she—was he someone she—

He pressed her even closer, the heat of his mouth on her skin incinerating her thoughts, replacing them with halfhearted mental protests. This was crazy. All of it. The whole night. She didn’t do this kind of thing anymore. The careless girl she’d been all those years ago was gone.

To be this way, with him...now...tonight wasn’t what she’d been looking for.

But was it what she needed? What she wanted?

The arguments rattled her brain. Yes, she should tell him to go. Ignore everything in her that screamed how much she wanted the exact opposite.

The last hour or so with this man had been the most fun, most wild, most perfect in a long time. This was reckless and wrong and she’d be anguished over her actions come morning, but would she regret more not taking this moment?

She didn’t know, didn’t care.

She wanted this. Wanted him.

“Stay,” she breathed as he sought out her lips again. “Stay with me tonight.”

As soon as she spoke, he leaned back. She could almost feel his gaze on her. Fear that he’d changed his mind lanced through her like a sharp stick.

She tightened her grip on his shirt and then his mouth was on hers again. Frantic touches, pushing aside pieces of clothing, shuffling to the large bed against the far wall. His sword, vest and shirt disappeared. He bumbled through removing his boots but took pleasure in the slow rasp of the zippers on hers.

Still on his knees, he tugged at the elastic waist of her skirt, skimming it over her hips and down her legs before getting to his feet again. Loosening the stays of her corset had him whispering a piratey “bloody hell” hotly against her skin when the cords tangled. They finally gave way and he left kisses in their wake.

She reached for her wig, but then he was kissing her again, capturing her hands in his. They collapsed back into the softness of the blankets, and she thought of nothing more than finding solace and pleasure with his every touch, rapture with every kiss and escape in his arms.

* * *

Something was...not wrong, exactly, but Nolan still felt as if he were suffocating beneath whatever was strangling him. He turned his head so breathing came easier and brushed at his face and neck, pushing the silky smoothness away, thinking it felt a lot like a cat.

If he owned one, which he didn’t.

What the hell was that?

It took a moment, but it all came back.

The pirate costume, the wig, the party, the drinking.

The girl.

Transfixed by her boldness in the bar, he’d been content to hold onto those sweet curves as they danced, enjoying the way she burrowed into his chest. Then their escape, him following her lead into the cold and to a dark room, her in his arms once more and then...

Yeah, and then.

He squeezed his eyes shut and raked his hand higher. His fingers tangled with the wig and he fisted the strands, faintly remembering taking it, and the mask, off sometime in the middle of the night.

He tossed it in the direction of the floor, the jerky movement causing the jackhammer ramming inside his head to go into overdrive. Then he went still; only his eyelids moved as he blinked and tried to focus on his surroundings in the dark room.

He remembered the room. Sort of. Stretching one leg, he felt the cool sheet against his bare skin. And he wasn’t lying in bed alone.

Forcing himself to sit up, he heard a soft feminine moan come from his companion as she rolled away, taking the majority of the sheets with her. He swung away as well, planting his feet on the floor, and waited for his head to stop spinning.

And to see if she woke up.

Nope, not another sound except for the gentle breathing of Miss Harley Quinn, alias...who knew?

This was not good.

He never got her real name. Never shared his.

Damn, what made him do such a thing?

Was it the booze? The rush of playing out a fantasy of being someone else for the night? The fact he hadn’t been with a woman in over a year?

Hell if he knew, but at least he remembered being sober enough to make sure she’d wanted him to stay.

Oh, yeah, she’d wanted him as much as he’d wanted her.

After a quick search of the floor for most of his clothing, he found the bathroom. He took care of business, ignoring the glass-walled shower that beckoned, settling instead for washing the remains of the makeup from his face with a flowery-scented soap.

Dressing quickly, he checked for his wallet, keys and cell phone, all still in his pockets. It was almost 5:00 a.m. He had to get home. If the kids woke up and found he wasn’t there, they would call out the troops.

Namely, his brothers. A Murphy search party? No, thanks.

But first things first.

He reached for the door, realizing he hadn’t had to deal with morning-after awkwardness since his freshman year in college. At least back then he’d been gentleman enough to get the girl’s name first.

Oh, how times had changed.

He opened the door, allowing a shaft of light to fall across the bed, highlighting the lady’s curves and stopping him in his tracks.

The bedsheet only came up to her hips, leaving the rest of her bare for his viewing pleasure, including a tiny waist and the smooth expanse of her back. He noticed for the first time a script tattoo running vertically the length of her spine. It ended—or began—with a grouping of yellow flowers at the dip just above her luscious backside, but he was too far away to make out the words.

A part of him felt like a voyeur for even looking at her, despite the intimacy they’d shared last night, but he couldn’t help it.

Or his body’s reaction as the memories of the two of them flooded his head.

His gaze continued upward to a mass of red wavy hair, most of it pulled forward and disappearing over one shoulder except for a lone piece that curled—

Wait, red hair? Last night she’d been a blonde.

It had been a wig, part of her comic book character costume. She’d removed it during the night as well.

His gut clenched as he remembered the feel of her real hair trailing over his chest and stomach, but to see it now, the rich, vibrant chestnut color lying against her skin...

It was a very familiar color.

Nolan’s gaze ran the length of her once more before recognition slammed into him. Closing his eyes, he slumped against the doorjamb.

No, it couldn’t be. There was no way he had—they had...

It couldn’t be her.

It couldn’t be Katie.

He forced himself into the room and around the end of the bed. Tripping over his boots, he swore softly beneath his breath, grabbed the footwear and kept moving until he could see her.

Even in the dimly lit room, her long red hair stood out against the smoothness of her skin and the white sheet she held against her body. Her wig was long gone and so too her mask.

Yes, the woman he’d spent some pretty memorable hours with was indeed Katie.

His Katie.

Their Katie.

Nolan dropped to a chair across from the bed and stared at her for a long moment before he shut his eyes. Memories of holding her, touching and kissing her and her doing the same to him came rushing back.

His chin to his chest, he opened his eyes again, his gaze on the boots held tightly in his hand.

Put them on. Get the hell out of here.

His gut clenched. Running away wasn’t going to fix this. Nothing was. How could he have not known—

She mumbled something, and his head jerked up.

He ignored the intense pain the action created and waited. She remained silent, eyes closed. The air rushed past his lips in a low whoosh as he sat there, taking in the beauty that was Katie.

He’d never seen her like this.

At the office she was always poised and polished, from the top of her perfectly styled hair to her feet, usually encased in high heels, even in the middle of a Wyoming winter. And then there were the times they saw each other on the weekends, somewhere in town or at a family gathering. She was always so pulled together, even casually dressed in jeans.

Now, her curls were a mess and even with traces of the white makeup that had covered the lower half of her face still on her cheeks, she looked...

Hell, younger than her age, which was a full ten years junior to his. Another reason, besides the fact she was his employee, that kept him from acting on—

Dammit, from crawling right back in that bed.

He had to get out of here.

For both their sakes.

He didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize her working for his family. Okay, anything more. He had to forget this night ever happened, and if Katie woke up thinking the guy she’d hooked up with was a louse who’d walked out on her, all the better.

Especially because it’d be true.

Yanking on his boots, he hunted around for the belt, sword, hat, wig and jacket. He turned for the door, his hand almost on the knob when her soft words stopped him.

“Hmm, I hope you’re heading out to grab some morning java.”

Nolan closed his eyes.

“I’d like a large,” she went on. “Decaf. Minimum four sugars to make it tolerable.”

All information he was well aware of.

He took a deep breath and turned back. “Yeah, I know how you like your coffee, but no, I—”

“Wait...what?” She shot up in bed, those red waves bouncing around her shoulders as she clutched the sheet to her chest. “How do you—why are you—oh my god, Nolan! What are you doing here?”

He stayed silent, watching as she processed the night’s events. Her gaze went to the rumpled sheets and empty spot beside her, to him, and back to the bed again. “Oh, no, that was you? That was us? But how—did we—”

We did. Three times. Something else he hadn’t done since his college days.

He offered a silent prayer of thanks for the trio of condoms he’d had in his wallet. “Yeah, evidence seems to indicate that was us.”

“But you...you were on a business trip.”

“I got back early.”

“And decided to go to the party? Alone?” She covered her face with her hand. “Please, tell me you weren’t there with—”

“No.” He cut her off, clearing up that assumption right away. His time with the high school vice principal had ended after a few weeks and, yeah, he could blame Katie for that, too, but there was no way he was telling her that.

Not now. Not ever.

“I was at the Blue Creek alone...until I ran into you.”

Her hand fell away. “You mean until I ran into you. Literally.”

He nodded again, the stupid beads in his whiskers knocking against his chin. What he’d give for a razor. “Yeah. I had no idea who you were.”

“I had no idea who you were,” she cried. “How could we not know? We’ve worked together nearly every day for the last five years. I’ve been to your house. Your family’s home. Family events. Geesh, we’re practically—”

“I can’t explain.” Nolan cut her off before she said the F word one more time. “Great costumes on both our parts—impressive accent, by the way—and what I can assure you on my end was a lot of booze.”

“Mine, too, but that’s no excuse. Oh, this is all my fault.” Katie shook her head in disbelief. Her fingers churned, gathering the sheets and exposing those long legs of hers. “I thought I was ready. I thought I needed—I should’ve... I can’t believe—”

“This is not your fault.” Nolan started toward her but halted when her wide eyes latched onto him again. “I was there—here—too. I could’ve walked away at any time last night.”

“When? When I pushed you onto the dance floor?” She grabbed a pillow and crushed it to her chest. “Or dragged you out of the bar? Across the parking lot until I had you alone in this room?”

“We were trying to get away from those goons.”

“That was my fault, too.”

“Hey, I kissed you first.”

And he wanted to do it again.

Right here. Right now.

In fact, the need to go to her, to pull her into his arms, was so strong he had to take a step back or else he might do just that.

Her beautiful green eyes sought out his, and silence stretched between them again.

He wondered what was going on in that pretty head of hers, especially when her gaze traveled the length of him, taking in his wrinkled clothes.

Was she remembering last night?

How she’d easily rid him of the belt and sword before moving on to the buttons of his shirt. How he’d fumbled with the strings on her top while laying kisses against the sweetest-smelling skin—

“Do you want me to turn in my resignation?”

Her question shocked him. How could she think he’d want that? “What? No, of course not.”

“If you don’t want me to quit, what do you suggest we do about last night?”

“Nothing.” The answer came so fast, despite the enticing images racing through his head, it had to be the right one. The only one. “We keep this—to ourselves. Tell no one and just go back...to, well, back to normal.”

“Normal? As in we pretend—” she waved a hand at the empty spot in the bed where he’d lain next to her “—this never happened?”

Her question burned, an acid-filled sting that raced across his chest, but he nodded anyway. “Exactly. The fewer people who know the better.”

“Half of Destiny was at the bar last night.” She sighed and rested her chin on the edge of the pillow. “Didn’t you run into people you know? I did. Quite a few.”

“None when we were together. And we left in such a hurry I doubt anyone paid attention. Besides, I wasn’t the only guy dressed like this last night.”

Meaning if someone remembered her in her unique Harley Quinn costume getting up close and personal with a pirate, it could’ve been any number of men.

And didn’t that thought sit like a rock in his gut.

“What about your brothers?” she asked, her voice soft now. “Do any of them know you went to the party last night?”

“No, but that’ll change soon enough.”

“Why?”

“My kids were the ones who insisted I needed to get out. Have some fun. And you know my fam—ah, they’ll find out.”

“Well, everyone knew I was going. I talked about my costume all week.”

Nolan dragged his hand through his hair. Damn, this was too complicated to think about, especially when he was hungover and in desperate need of the coffee Katie had mentioned earlier. “We don’t have to pretend like we never saw each other.”

“Just that we never ended up...you know.”

Yeah, he knew.

He also knew that unless they put a screeching halt to whatever this was, or could be, they’d only be asking for trouble.

A lot of trouble.

There was enough upheaval at the headquarters as it was. Add the fact that he and his daughter were barely speaking. And Katie’s breakup with that jerk at the end of the summer still had to be hurting—

Whoa, wait a minute. Is that what last night was about? Looking for someone—

Nolan pushed away that thought before it could fully form, chalking up the vile taste in the back of his throat to the amount of booze still in his system. “We don’t want to screw things up—to change anything. It wouldn’t do any good if we—”

Damn, this was coming out all wrong. His frustration spilled out in a growl. “I’m trying to do what’s best for both of us. Keeping what happened last night just between us is the right thing to do. Agreed?”

She opened her mouth, the tip of her tongue darting out to lick at her lips. The simple action had the blood rushing from his pounding head southward.

He shifted the heavy overcoat in front of him. He needed to get out of here soon or he was going to forget all the crap he’d just said and—

“Agreed.”

Her quiet acceptance should’ve made him happy, but her soft tone, and the fact she kept her gaze lowered and centered on the bed, bothered him.

More than he was going to admit, which made no sense at all because he’d gotten what he wanted. Which meant he should get out of here. Now.

“So, I’ll see you...ah, at the office. On Monday.”

“Right. Monday.”

“Katie, I’m—”

“Don’t.” Her green eyes blazed. “Apologizing is the worst thing you could do right now. Worse than sneaking out on me.”

He should’ve known she’d figured out that had been his first idea.

And he wasn’t going to say he was sorry. How could he when everything in him wanted to go right back to that bed and be with her again?

“I didn’t plan on this—” Nolan backed up to the door. He reached behind him and twisted the knob. “I don’t want you to think—I’m not—I just wasn’t expecting it to be you.”

Katie turned away, biting hard at her bottom lip. She remained silent for so long he wondered if he should just get out of here.

Then she raised her head, and tossed those beautiful red curls back over one bare shoulder. “That’s okay. I wasn’t expecting it to be you, either.”

Chapter Three

A shot of rum didn’t go with today’s festivities. Nolan didn’t care. He needed something stronger than punch or champagne mimosas.

The Murphy family log home was teeming on this chilly yet sunny November afternoon with what he guessed was most of the female population of Destiny. Katie included.

His vantage point at the bar on the far side of the large living room allowed him to keep an eye on her while watching the time-honored rituals associated with a new baby on the way. Or two babies, as was the case today.

The dual baby shower for Fay and Laurie, his sisters-in-law, was in full swing despite the half foot of fresh snow outside. Katie had stepped in to help complete plans for the event after his mother fell on a patch of ice last week and broke her arm. But Katie would’ve been here anyway.

She was friends with Fay and Laurie. Friends with everyone in his family.

Friends with him.

At least they had been.

But since they’d accidentally slept together two weeks ago, she rarely looked at him.

Hell, she hardly spoke to him unless it was work related. Even then, she used the fewest number of syllables possible.

Something he wasn’t used to, because Katie talked. A lot.

She liked to repeat herself, rearranging her words while saying the same thing, all to get her point across. Usually because it took him and his brothers a few pseudosmacks to the back of the head to acknowledge she was right.

So her silence, especially today when she hadn’t yet uttered a sound in his direction, bugged the crap out of him. He debated if he should corner her.

Demand to know how long she planned to treat him like a polite stranger.

It seemed like a good idea.

Then again, his last good idea was to spend the night with a bewitching creature who turned out to be—

“A beer. My kingdom for a beer.” Adam’s words cut into Nolan’s thoughts as he joined him, setting a glass of punch on the bar’s smooth surface. “Ah, I see the captain is enjoying a bit of the Captain.” He grinned. “You going to do that straight or add some soda for taste?”

Nolan stashed the booze away and grabbed a can of diet yuck and a cold beer for his brother from the minifridge below the counter. “Add some soda. And stop calling me the captain.”

“Hey, you pulled off that pirate guise better than Johnny what’s-his-name. After seeing the pictures, you got to expect the nickname’s going to stick for a while.”

Yeah, it would. His brothers would make sure of it.

“So, you never did share any details of the bash at the Blue Creek. How was it?”

Nolan added enough soda to his glass to be respectable. “I told you. I told everyone. It was—”

“Fine. So, I heard,” Adam cut him off. He leaned in close, dropping his voice. “Who’d you hook up with that night?”

He took a quick swallow, keeping his poker face—thankfully he was the king among his brothers at cards—firmly in place. “What makes you think I did?”

“You didn’t?”

“Did I say that?”

“You haven’t said anything...yet.”

Setting his glass back on the bar top, Nolan returned Adam’s stare.

There was less than two years’ difference between them, but the man took his role as the eldest brother seriously. Always the protector, ready to knock heads together or defend any of the family if needed.

He’d also been away for most of his adult life, serving in the military.

Now retired, Adam had planned to center his life on his ranch, which butted up against the family’s land, until he found out Fay had become pregnant with his child after a one-night stand. He had rejoined the family business, and after a bumpy start, he and Fay were happily married with a son, A.J., not quite a year old, and another baby on the way.

“Well?” Adam offered a raised eyebrow.

Nolan thought about the agreement he and Katie had made that morning, but that was before she refused to look him in the eye. To talk to him. Before they started skidding around each other like a pair of new foals sharing the same barn stall.

Maybe he could get a little brotherly advice and still keep their secret.

“Yeah,” he admitted, still not sure he should be doing this. “I met someone.”

Adam nodded. “I figured as much.”

“How’s that?”

“Fay sent me on a late-night run for mint ice cream and corn chips.” He held up a hand. “Don’t ask. I spotted your truck in the Blue Creek parking lot.”

“So?”

“So, four in the morning and yours was one of only a half dozen vehicles still there. You’re not dumb enough to bring a date back to your place. Not with your kids around. You end up at hers?”

Nolan nodded, remembering how Katie explained the room at the boardinghouse. Had she dragged him back to her apartment, he would’ve figured out fast who Harley Quinn was.

Would that have stopped him from being with her?

Her bright yellow floral-print dress caught his eye from across the room. Katie walked among the guests, chatting while balancing a tray of goodies, pretty as a sunny spring day. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that bounced when she moved, and matching yellow heels made her legs look fabulous.

Yeah, she loved her high heels.

He once asked her not long after she started working for them how she managed to keep her balance in those things. She’d said she took a special class in college. Squeezed it between Global Business Ethics and Corporate Law for Entrepreneurs her senior year.

He’d felt like a louse, but she’d laughed and waved off his apology.

She’d then proceeded to point out a missed loophole in one of their biggest contracts, saving them a sizable amount of cash.

“Hello?” Adam rapped a knuckle on the wood counter. “Earth to Nolan.”

“Yeah, I’m here.” He watched her offer the tray to a group of ladies. The move allowed that waterfall of red hair to slide over her shoulder. Just as it had that night. After the wig came off.

Only he hadn’t known the color of his companion’s hair then.

“And yeah, we ended up at her...place.”

“You going to see her again?”

“See who?” Bryant joined them. “Don’t tell me Nolan’s got himself a new girl.”

Nolan groaned. “Tell me why my dating life is so interesting to you guys?”

“Hey, you’re the only one left,” Bryant said. “Who knows when Ric will get home again and Liam and Dev are happily solvent on the other side of the ocean.”

“Stop talking like a finance guy.” Adam took a sip of his beer.

“I am a finance guy. What’s wrong with being solvent?” Bryant gestured his desire for a beer, too. “It’s important for a couple to be financially secure, especially once they decide to start a family.”

“You score points with the missus with all that money talk?” Nolan asked, getting his brother a cold one.

“Thanks to doctor’s orders, I’m not scoring much of anything these days.” Bryant grinned. “I’m okay with that.”

Nolan knew that to be true. Laurie had suffered through a rough miscarriage a year ago. She and Bryant were over the moon about this pregnancy and were taking every precaution the doctors handed down. He and Adam were the celebrating dads-to-be today even though their wives got all the attention.

“No worries,” Adam said. “Nolan’s getting the job done.”

“Halloween party, right?” Bryant asked, lifting the bottle to his lips.

Adam answered before Nolan could open his mouth. “I was about to find out if he plans to see her again.”

“See who?”

“Who is the question. He never told me her name.”

“Well, don’t let me interrupt your girl talk. Go on. Spill.”

Nolan stared at his brothers’ grinning faces. This conversation was getting away from him. Fast. He needed to come up with a diversion, but his mind was a blank.

Except for Katie.

Story of his life for the last two weeks.

He had projects up to his eyeballs. The kids were at each other’s throats. Mom’s accident threatened to derail her complex holiday plans for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Still, he couldn’t concentrate on anything but what had happened between him and Katie.

This had to stop. He had to find a way to fix things. Now.

Only once he let his brothers in on the truth, they would either kill him for dipping into the company office pool or bust his chops based on nothing but sibling code.

He was so screwed. “Forget about it.”

“No can do. Come on, who was she?” Adam pushed.

“No one.”

“No one important?” Bryant asked.

Nolan’s fingers tightened on his glass. “I didn’t say that.”

“So she is important. Or could be. Maybe we can help.”

Now he was confused. “Help with what?”

“You’ve been an SOB for the last week and if you can’t get help from your bros—” Bryant shrugged “—who can you turn to?”

“I haven’t been an SOB.”

“Yeah, you have,” Adam and Bryant said in unison.

“Hell, even Dad thinks you’ve gone off the deep end,” Adam continued. “You’re either snapping our heads off or shutting down completely. With everyone. Even—”

“Fine.” Nolan tossed back his drink, the rum burning his throat. “It’s Katie.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished for them back. Especially when the blank expressions on his brothers’ faces said they had no idea whom he was talking about.

“Forget I said—”

“Katie?” Bryant asked. “Katie who?”

At that moment the object of their discussion turned, her gaze catching and holding Nolan’s.

She stood on the other side of the room, near the dining room table covered with gifts. Too far away to hear, but something made her glance his way, her facial expression the same as it’d been since that night. Cool. Professional.

No matter, the stiff set of her shoulders said plenty. Someone called out to her and she turned away.

“Yeah, who’s Kat—” Adam started, then stopped. His head whipped to the crowd of ladies then back. “Wait a minute. You mean...” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “That Katie? Our Katie?”

Bryant’s brows were dipped in confusion for a moment longer before understanding dawned. “Whoa, Katie? Are you nuts?”

Yeah, he was. Especially for opening his big mouth.

“Jeez, she’s practically family.”

He turned to Adam. “Don’t say that.”

“She’s been like a sis—”

“I really wish you wouldn’t say that.” Nolan cut him off, pushing aside his desire for another shot. He instead went for a beer and got two more for his brothers. They looked as if they needed them.

“What in the world made you pick her?” Bryant asked, matching his tone to Adam’s. “Of all people?”

“I didn’t exactly pick—we sort of ran into—hell, she was in costume,” Nolan growled. “So was I. She was drinking. I was drinking. It was late. It was dark—”

“Spare us the details.”

“I didn’t know—she didn’t know. It wasn’t until the next morning we realized what happened.”

“How could you not know?” Adam demanded.

Before Nolan could explain anything else, there was commotion at the entryway. Devlin and Tanya came into the room, loaded down with suitcases and presents, surprising everyone.

Thankful for the interruption, Nolan swallowed half his beer as his folks welcomed home another of their wayward sons. Soon, Tanya joined Fay and Laurie just as they were about to start opening the gifts.

Devlin spotted his brothers and headed their way, but stopped to give Katie a big hug.

A flash of something hot filled Nolan’s gut. Don’t be stupid!

Still, the burn didn’t fade, especially when his brother left a lingering kiss on Katie’s cheek.

“Hey, guys, surprised to see me?” Devlin asked with a big smile when he joined them.

“Believe it or not, you showing up isn’t the biggest surprise today.” Adam shot Nolan a hard glare. “It’s good to have you home.”

“You back to stay?” Nolan asked. He got his brother a cold root beer, as close as Dev got to the real thing since getting sober over a decade ago. “For good?”

“Sure are. Tanya finished up her schooling early and we wanted to be here for Thanksgiving.” Devlin nodded his thanks for the drink. “When we heard about today, we hoped to make it back in time.” He held out his hand to Adam. “Congrats again, Daddy.”

Adam returned his handshake.

Devlin repeated the gesture with Bryant. “You, too, Pops. Geesh, two more rug rats to add to the family. So, what else is new around here?”

Nolan stared at Adam, knowing what he’d told him and Bryant was about to be shared with another brother.

Needing more privacy, he gestured to the leather couches in a nearby alcove. His brothers followed and got comfortable. The laughter and feminine chatter were muted now even with the sliding pocket doors remaining open.

“What’s going on?” Devlin asked. “Did someone die?”

“Not yet.”

Nolan sighed and ignored Adam’s veiled threat. He laid out what had happened two weeks ago between him and Katie, keeping the details light for both her sake and his.

“Dude...” Devlin flopped back against the cushions. “Even I didn’t go there. Not that the thought didn’t cross my mind, but still. She’s practically family.”

Nolan braced his elbows on his knees, his eyes locked on the beer bottle hanging from his clenched fingers. “Would you guys please stop saying that?”

“I guess this explains why every time we called from London you were working out of your home office instead of here,” Dev continued, jerking his head toward the rooms connected with the family business farther down the hall.

“And why our office manager’s been quieter than usual,” Bryant added. “Laurie said she thought Katie might still be hurting from her breakup with the deputy.”

“That was months ago.” Nolan hated the idea she might still be hung up on Jake. “She’s over him.”

He waited for his brothers to argue that fact, but silence filled the air for a long moment. Nolan let it go on, knowing he’d given everyone a shock.

Hell, if any of them had made this same announcement he’d be pissed, too. More so. Not that he had a right to be.

“So, what’s next?”

He looked up when Bryant spoke and found three sets of eyes all mirroring that same question. “Nothing. We...decided things would go on the same. Like before.”

“Good.”

Nolan turned to Adam, not liking the steely glint in his eyes. “Good?”

“She’s been through enough in the last few months.”

“I know that. What happened was a—” Mistake. Nolan held back the word, the taste of it sour in his mouth. “A surprise. To both of us. And yeah, things are a little awkward, but it’ll go back to normal. Eventually.”

Because that’s what they’d agreed upon. What they wanted.

“It’s the right...answer,” Nolan said.

“Is it?” Devlin asked. “If she’s interested and you’re interested—”

“I’m not. Never have been.” Nolan cut him off, ignoring the way his heart pounded in his chest. Li-ar. Li-ar. It didn’t matter. The last thing any of them needed was for his stupidity to wreak havoc with the family and the family business.

He cringed at the F word again. “Katie’s always been...just Katie.”

“Until now.” Adam set his beer on the table with a thud. “You changed that. Changed everything.”

“Not on purpose,” Nolan replied. He could see his brother wasn’t going to let this go.

“Well, you better purposely find a way to fix things with her. Fast. Before we lose—” Adam stopped, his gaze intense. “What?”

Nolan pulled in a deep breath. “She offered to quit. That morning.” His brothers started to protest, and he made a slashing motion, cutting them off. “I told her to forget it. She’s too valuable to the company.”

“Damn straight.”

“Look, neither one of us wants to make anything of this. She’d be mad as hell if she finds out I said anything. Keep your mouths shut. Okay?”

His brothers nodded in agreement, Adam going last.

Nolan set his beer on the table, not interested in it anymore. “It’s going to take time. To get beyond...whatever this is. Sorry if I cast a gloom on the baby-making pride you guys got going on.”

“Not all of us,” Devlin pointed out, reaching into his jacket for a small velvet box. “I’m not at the baby stage yet. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around this.”

“What—what the hell is that—are you serious?”

Nolan’s words overlapped Adam’s and Bryant’s when Devlin shared the diamond ring he’d found in a store in London and his plan to surprise Tanya with a Thanksgiving Day proposal.

“And don’t tell the folks,” Devlin warned, stowing the box away. “About this, or that Liam is planning to bring Missy and Casey back for Christmas. He tagged along on the ring shopping, so Missy should be sporting a sparkler on her finger when they arrive.”

“Well, it seems Mom’s going be surrounded by babies and weddings next year,” Bryant said. “She’ll be over the moon.”

“And pestering you and Liam for more grandchildren not long after the I dos,” Adam added before glancing back at Nolan. “Guess this makes you and Ric the last single Murphy brothers.”

“That’s fine with me.” Nolan leaned back, more relaxed now than he’d been all day, glad the topic of conversation had moved away from him and Katie. “Don’t forget, I did my part already by providing the first round of grandchildren.”

Besides, he’d decided a long time ago he and marriage weren’t a good fit. Not after those unhappy years with his ex-wife in Boston.

Now there was a union that never should’ve happened. And probably wouldn’t have if there hadn’t been a need for a hasty wedding.

He didn’t regret his marriage entirely because of Abby, Luke and Logan, but fatherhood was a far better fit than being a husband.

“So, three and out?” Devlin asked.

“That’s right. Messy diapers and 3:00 a.m. feedings are in my rearview mirror.” Nolan grinned. “I’m busy enough with work, and while I’m not happy with the arguing, at least my kids can feed themselves. I’ll leave the happily-ever-afters and babies to you guys.”

* * *

Katie bit hard on her bottom lip and hurried back to the party on tiptoes.

She’d slipped out to her office to hunt up a couple of notepads and pens to keep track of who gave what gift to the mommies-to-be.

Overhearing Devlin sharing with his brothers his plans to propose to Tanya stopped her in her tracks.

She was genuinely happy for the two of them. If anyone deserved to find true love and happiness, it was Devlin. He’d gone through a tough time recently. A helicopter he’d been piloting had crashed, stranding him and Adam in the forest with Devlin badly hurt. It’d taken him a long time to get better, and Tanya had been a big part of his recovery.

And hearing Nolan’s familiar I’m-happy-the-way-I-am mantra wasn’t surprising.

Not really.

Listening to him say aloud what he’d often said in the past, in one way or another, reaffirmed what she’d always known.

He considered his life complete.

Lead architect in his family’s successful business. With five brothers he loved and who were his best friends. Single dad to three great kids.

A happy bachelor.

Her long-held, silent crush on the guy wasn’t heading anywhere. No matter how attracted she might be to him—and had been from the moment they met—there would never be anything between them.

Well, nothing more than one stolen night of passion.

Girl, get over it!

Another familiar refrain, one she’d repeated daily to herself over the last few weeks. Getting back to normal—whatever that might be—was harder than she’d thought it’d be.

That morning after Nolan left, she’d cleaned up the room and hurried home, determined to live up to the agreement they made. To make sure everything stayed the same. Between her and Nolan. Her and the Murphys. Her and the job she loved so much.

Easier said than done.

Yes, her actions had been dumb that night. Not just dumb, but careless, too.

Hey, it wasn’t the first time she’d been stupid in her never-ending search for—

Nope, don’t use the L word.

What happened that night had been a combination of lust, booze and foolishness. She’d been lucky the man she’d fallen into bed with had been someone like Nolan.

To think one night of amazing sex would lead to something was crazy. He’d made his feelings clear. They should go on with their lives as if nothing happened.

So being in the same room with him today—even with fifty-plus other people—should be easy. Easy to continue with her pleasant but business-is-business demeanor. It’d worked at the office. Mainly because he’d holed up in his place next door, working from there most of the time, instead of at the main house.

Like that wasn’t a big enough hint he meant what he’d said.

Katie handed off the writing implements and took a load of opened gifts to display on the dining room table. Peggy joined her, holding up an infant’s one-piece pajama covered with puppies in green and yellow.

“Boy, it’s getting hard to remember Curtis ever being this small.”

Katie smiled. “I thought you said Curtis was never that small.”

“True.” Peggy refolded the outfit. “That boy arrived at almost eleven pounds and went straight into the three-to-six-month size. He’s been a handful ever since.”

“And you love it.”

“I do. Even if it meant us sharing a nasty flu bug for the last couple of weeks. Thank goodness that’s over. This is the first time either of us has been out of the house since Halloween.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Me, too. I appreciate the Crock-Pot meals you left for us on the front porch.” Peggy moved closer. “We haven’t had the chance to chat lately, and this isn’t the time or place for any girl talk, but are you okay?”

Katie tightened her grip on the fluffy teddy bears she’d saved from toppling to the floor. “I’m fine.” She returned the animals to the table. “Why do you ask?”

“You seem a bit—”

“Frazzled? Well, work’s been crazy, despite the upcoming holidays.” She hoped her smile didn’t appear forced. “Poor Elise, breaking her arm. I was glad to step in and help pull today together for the...for everyone.”

“I know they appreciate your efforts. Fay gushed about you when she stopped in the flower shop last week to go over some business stuff.” Peggy laid a hand on her arm. “No, what I was going to say is you seem a bit sad.”

“Sad?” Katie kept her gaze lowered. “Really?”

“You said all the right things at the Halloween party about starting over, finding someone new.”

“But?” Katie heard the question in her friend’s voice.

“You’ve been through a lot in the last couple of months.” Her friend gave a quick squeeze and let go. “Maybe you’re not as done with Jake as you think.”

Oh, she was done. Over and out with an ease that didn’t surprise her.

No, it was another man who was haunting her every waking hour now.

Keeping her feelings for Nolan under control used to be easy. Dating often and a variety of men helped. When things got serious with Jake, she’d believed her infatuation with a certain Murphy brother was in the past.

Then...yeah, and then.

This time around, it was going to take her a bit longer to bury her desire for someone she could never have, but she would do it.

She had to.

Goodness knows she had enough practice at it.

She needed to think about the future. Her future. It was time to look ahead, not behind.

“I’m okay.” Her smile relaxed now. “Better than okay when it comes to the past.”

“What do you mean?”

Katie shook her head, not sure how to answer her friend. Or where the soft warm glow now blooming deep inside her came from. “I don’t know, exactly, but it’s time.”

“Time for what? You’re talking in riddles.”

Glad when Peggy got asked to help with something in the kitchen, Katie stayed behind, arranging more gifts.

Precious booties that fit in the palm of her hand. Practical burp cloths. Beautiful handmade quilts and blankets. Onesies in all colors and styles, bottles, baby bath gear.

Everything a new life needed.

Not to mention the unconditional love between a parent and a child.

Fay, already a wonderful mother to A.J., was so excited about having another baby. And Laurie had had tears in her eyes while struggling to find the words to describe the first time she felt the baby inside her move.

Neither woman had met their child yet, but they were forever connected with another human being. Someone to love, cherish and protect with every fiber of a mother’s soul.

Had her own mother ever felt that way about her?

It was a question Katie asked herself often over the years.

If she had, how could she have left a three-year-old in an empty church on a snowy winter day and walked away?

Something Katie would never have done.

She would have found a way to keep her child with her, to keep her family together. Beg, borrow or steal, but she would never separate herself from a life she created.

Being abandoned had created a void deep inside her that remained to this day.

It was time to change that.

Time to change everything.

Laying a hand over her belly, she tried to imagine what it would feel like to know a life was growing inside her. A life that would forever be connected with hers. A family of her own.

Right then and there, Katie made a decision.

She was going to get pregnant. She was going to have a baby.

Chapter Four

Boy, when the dream of having a baby in an unconventional way collided with the medical requirements, it was a hard smack to the wallet—and the heart.

Katie sat at her desk, eating lunch while studying the website for a well-known fertility clinic in Denver.

She’d fantasized about what it would be like to be pregnant for a few days after the baby shower. When she caught herself coming up with names and picturing the second bedroom in her apartment as a nursery, she’d started her research.

Now she was sorting through the details of sperm donation, ovarian schedules, intrauterine insemination vs. in vitro fertilization, treatment costs and single mother support groups.

It was all so fascinating. And a bit scary. Scratch that. It was a whole lot of scary.

After she’d started reading, the times she’d had pregnancy scares in the past came to mind. Once in high school, again in college and after dating a seasonal cowboy from one of the local ranches a few years ago.

Was that a lot? She’d been dating since she was thirteen and had been reckless in her youth.

Each time her cycle had been late, pure panic set in. She hadn’t been ready for a baby. Emotionally, physically or financially.

That was then—this was now.

She was good. Fine. Better than fine.

Flipping through her calendar, she worked to create a history of her monthly cycles for the previous year. Boy, the crazy turns in her life over the last six months had thrown off her system. She’d never started on the same day twice.

Still, considering her need for chocolate and her less than pleasant mood, that day was fast approaching.

She clicked on the link to the sperm donor database, amazed at the details. Boxes to choose things like height, weight, hair, eye color and ethnicity didn’t surprise her. The ability to search for favorite music, hobbies, family traits, religion and even astrological sign did.

Goodness, she’d know more about the baby’s father than she did about herself.

So much of her own personal history was a blank page.

She had no idea what her life had been like before the age of three.

Her red hair and fair skin spoke of an Irish heritage, but she hadn’t any clue if that was correct. If so, did those traits come from her mother or father or both? What about siblings? Did she have any?

There were fleeting memories of being with other children before she’d been in the foster care system. Boys. Brothers, maybe? But the recall was so vague, she’d eventually decided it was only wishful thinking.

What bothered her the most was she didn’t have a way to find the answers.

Being abandoned wasn’t the same as being put up for adoption.

There was no paperwork. Only a scrawled note, most of the words unreadable except for her first name, birthday and the last line begging for the little girl to be taken care of.

Katie blinked away the sting in her eyes, her fingers reflexively curling around the necklace she often wore.

A piece of costume jewelry, a silver cross with multicolored stones, on a long chain reaching to the center of her chest. She hadn’t even known it existed until she asked about her file when she was eighteen.

The necklace was the only physical item, along with the note, that connected her to her past. A line in the folder stated she’d been wearing it when she was found asleep in a church pew in Boise.

Had it been her mother’s? A family heirloom, perhaps?

She’d taken it to a jeweler in college, but his snobbish attitude about the inexpensive stones had hurt. She’d then tossed the thing in an old box for the longest time, but when she found it a few years ago, she embraced the connection to her past.

As little as it was.

Shaking off her pensive mood before she dissolved into a puddle of tears, she focused on the list on the website. So, what qualities did she want from her child’s father?

Tall. At least six feet. She liked tall men. Big shoulders, an athletic body. Brown hair, brown eyes. Intelligence was a given. A strong sense of family—

“Katie, I hate to bother you during your break, but I need—” The scent of Nolan’s cologne drifted past her as he bent closer. “What the hell is that?”

His incredulous tone came at her from behind. She quickly minimized the internet browser window with a click.

She swung her chair around, putting her back to the monitor, but Nolan was so close her knees brushed his pant legs. He was standing up straight, his six-pack abs at eye level.

Not that she could see through the hunter green sweater he wore, but she remembered. Oh, yes, the feel and taste of his smooth, taut skin and defined muscles—

She blinked hard, tore her gaze from his stomach and looked up. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

Oh, boy, did that sound as breathless as she thought?

“I work here.”

Not for the last two days. He’d been holed up in his home office. Again. This was the closest she’d been to him since...well, since that night. “So do I. I’m on my lunch break.”

“So I gathered.” His arm brushed her shoulder as he leaned forward again, grabbed the computer mouse and clicked. “And checking off boxes for...what is this? What you want in a man? Is this a dating website?”

Katie spun again. Ignoring the familiar pine and woodsy scent of his cologne and the heat of his skin, she took the mouse from his grasp and closed the program completely. “Not exactly.”

“Then exactly what was...” Nolan’s voice trailed off as he walked to the front of her desk, shock spreading across his features. “Wait, the banner read...sperm bank? You’re looking to—to have a— Really?”

She squared her shoulders, pushed back her chair and stood, thankful for her four-inch heels that had her eye to eye with him. “Yes, really. And the word is a baby. Now, you needed something?”

“What—when did you decide this?”

“That’s none of your business.” That wasn’t entirely true. The man was her boss. One of them. A pregnancy would affect her work at some point. “Not at the moment, anyway,” she amended. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about...for a while.”

“Since when? Before Halloween?”

“Yes, I’ve always wanted—well, no, maybe not—” Katie broke away from his sharp gaze.

She glanced at the open double glass doors separating her office from the rest. Thankfully no one else seemed to be around.

Still, she grabbed files from her desk and headed for the cabinet in the far corner. “Why are you asking?”

“Is that what you were doing? That night? At the Blue Creek?”

“What?” She clutched the paperwork to her chest and spun back around, the pain of his assumption choking her. “You think I was trolling for a baby daddy?”

Nolan had followed and stood inches away, his brown eyes filled with confusion.

And more questions.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His lips then pressed together hard, the muscle along his jaw tightening.

“That was a stupid thing to say,” he finally conceded.

“Oh, no. Unprotected sex with a stranger is a genius move. Not to mention knowing absolutely nothing about the man and worrying he might want someday to have a say in raising the child. An excellent plan, Nolan. Why didn’t I think of it?”

“Katie, I’m sorry—”

“My plans have nothing to do with what happened...between us.” She cut him off, her anger splintering, fueling a slow burn deep inside her. “Besides, we were careful. Every time. Or don’t you remember?”

The heat in his gaze told her he did. Just as she did. In vivid detail most nights in her dreams.

She also remembered their agreement not to talk about that night.

She scooted past him and headed for the supply closet. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Everything’s fine.”

“I’m not...worried.” He stayed with her. “And I am sorry. That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever said.”

“Amazingly, I agree with you.”

“But you need to think about what you’re doing. Being a parent is the hardest job there is, and to do it alone? Voluntarily? That’s crazy.”

Pushing open the door, she turned on the lights, making a mental note to get brighter bulbs in the walk-in closet, now lined with shelves on three sides for everything from printer paper to cleaning supplies.

She set the files on a nearby shelf, forgetting she’d had them in her hands. “As a lifelong maker of crazy decisions, I can tell you this is the sanest one I’ve made in a long time.”

“Katie, you don’t have any idea what you are getting into.”

“Neither do most when they decide to become parents. And a lot of women—people—are having children this way.”

She turned around in the tight space and there he was again. His tall frame blocked the faint glow from the overhead light. The memory of him standing this way, but dressed in costume, flashed in her mind. That same tilt of his head. The same intense scrutiny in his eyes.

How could she have not known it was him?

“You...” Her voice caught, but she pushed on. “You seem to be doing fine as a single parent.”

“Because I’ve had to. Even when I was married, we had a nanny and a maid and Carrie couldn’t manage. Hell, Abby was just a little girl and she still ended up—” Nolan cut off his words, letting loose a frustrated breath. “We’re not talking about me.”

“And there’s no reason to be talking about me, either.”

“This isn’t like you.”

She tried to take a step back, but her backside was against the shelves already. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, for starters...you’re twenty-seven.”

“What? Too young or too old?”

“That’s not—”

“I’m healthy, reasonably intelligent and I’ve got a great job with medical benefits,” she rattled off. “Not to mention a tidy nest egg to pay for everything. There are many out there starting with a whole lot less.”

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