The Daddy And The Baby Doctor

Letter to Reader Title Page Acknowledgments About the Author Letter to Reader Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Epilogue Copyright

Powerful, prominent, proud—the Oklahoma Wentworths’ greatest fortune was family. So when they discovered that pregnant mom-to-be Sabrina Jensen was carrying the newest Wentworth heir—and had vanished without a trace—they vowed to...Follow That Baby!

Sam Arquette: Once, recon and freeze-dried meals comprised his day.

Now this ex-soldier was cooking, cleaning and caring for two little girls.

And his code of honor had him tracking a fallen buddy’s runaway lady to the offices of a beguiling baby doctor....

Amanda Lucas: Babies were her greatest joy... and her greatest sadness. Because she could deliver countless cuddly bundles, but she could never conceive.

And now a dedicated daddy was challenging her code of confidentiality—and chipping away at her guarded heart....

Jack Wentworth: The millionaire navy hero was presumed dead, but a diamond ring suggested the soldier stud had been thinking about marrying his mysterious sweetheart....

Sabrina Jensen: Amanda didn’t know where her pregnant patient had gone, but the Wentworths’ powerful clout yielded the next lead from a small-town sheriff....

Don’t miss

THE SHERIFF AND THE IMPOSTOR BRIDE by Elizabeth Bevarly, next month’s Follow That Baby title, available in Desire.

Dear Reader,

You’ll find the heartwarming themes of love and family in our November Romance novels. First up, longtime reader favorite Arlene James portrays A Bride To Honor In this VIRGIN BRIDES title, a pretty party planner falls for a charming tycoon...whom another woman seeks to rope into a loveless marriage! But can honorable love prevail?

A little tyke takes a tumble, then awakes to ask a rough-hewn rancher, Are You My Daddy? So starts Leanna Wilson’s poignant, emotional romance between a mom and a FABULOUS FATHER who “pretends” he’s family. Karen Rose Smith finishes her enticing series DO YOU TAKE THIS STRANGER? with Promises. Pumpkins and Prince Charming. A wealthy bachelor lets a gun-shy single mom believe he’s just a regular guy. Will their fairy-tale romance survive the truth?

FOLLOW THAT BABY, Silhouette’s exciting cross-line continuity series, comes to Romance this month with The Daddy and the Baby Doctor by star author Kristin Morgan. An ex-soldier single dad butts heads with a beautiful pediatrician over a missing patient. Temperatures rise, pulses race—could marriage be the cure? It’s said that opposites attract, and when The Cowboy and the Debutante cozy up on a rustic ranch...well, you’ll just have to read this TWINS ON THE DOORSTEP title by Stella Bagwell to find out! A hairdresser dreams of becoming a Lone Star Bride when a handsome stranger passes through town. Don’t miss the finale of Linda Varner’s THREE WEDDINGS AND A FAMILY miniseries!

Beloved authors Lindsay Longford, Sandra Steffen, Susan Meier and Carolyn Zane return to our lineup next month, and in the new year we launch our brand-new promotion, FAMILY MATTERS. So keep coming back to Romance!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mary-Theresa Hussey

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

Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to

Kristin Morgan for her contribution to the

Follow That Baby miniseries

KRISTIN MORGAN

lives in Lafayette, Louisiana, the very heart of Cajun country, where the French language of her ancestors is still spoken fluently by her parents and grandparents.

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

Dear Reader,

Being a Silhouette author means a lot to me. Silhouette has been a constant and steady support to me since they published my first novel in 1991. As a reader of romance novels, I love books about heroes and heroines who have strong emotional conflicts. As a Silhouette author, I enjoy writing stories about characters who steal my heart away in their struggle to find everlasting love.

When my agent called to say that Silhouette was inviting me to participate in a special cross-line series entitled FOLLOW THAT BABY, I was thrilled. This would be my first time to write for a special project that involved other Silhouette authors. As it turned out, it was a wonderful, fun experience.

Thanks, Silhouette, for everything.

And thanks to all my readers for your patronage.

I wish you all the romance your heart desires.

Enjoy!

Chapter One

Sam Arquette paused momentarily to study the engraved brass nameplate on the office door. It read, Amanda Lucas, M.D. Turning the knob, he stepped inside and in one swift glance saw that the waiting room was full.

Full of pregnant women.

Well, he had been halfway expecting as much. Amanda Lucas’s reputation as one of the best OB-GYN specialists in Mason’s Grove, Oklahoma, was almost godlike. If he had learned anything at all about her in the past few hours, it was that she was considered the town’s baby doctor extraordinaire. But the truth of the matter was, he wasn’t here to see Amanda Lucas because the good folks in Mason’s Grove thought the world of her. He was here as a favor to a friend.

Once again, Sam made a quick scan around the small crowded room, only to discover that he had become the center of attention. That didn’t bother him. Over the years he had found there were times when his six-foot-two-inch frame made him an imposing presence to others. And as luck would have it, it seemed, this was going to be one of those times.

A moment passed. Then another. Eventually, Sam got the feeling that it was more than just his stature that had made him the center of regard. Apparently, he had stepped into a world that didn’t necessarily welcome strangers—particularly, he surmised, male strangers—and for just one fleeting moment, he wished that his two young daughters were with him, although he had no earthly idea what good they would have done him, except that their being female might have somehow helped to improve his image.

And who said it was a man’s world? he asked himself with a smirk.

But in spite of that wry observation, Sam felt a flush rise to his cheeks. As an ex-Navy SEABEE, he thought that he had been trained to handle any situation. But, apparently, not one where a roomful of pregnant women were scrutinizing him so warily. He felt like an alien. Like an invader of the worst kind.

Well, ex-c-u-s-e me, he thought to himself. But wasn’t this a free country?

Damned right, it was.

And, frankly, he had fought more than his share of battles on foreign soil to help keep it that way. He had as much right as anyone to go anywhere he pleased.

Right?

Without a doubt.

So how, then, had he gotten himself into this...this impregnable situation, anyway?

Better yet, how could he get himself out?

Thanks a bunch, Josie, he told himself a moment later, mentally chastising his good friend, Josie Wentworth. If it hadn’t been for the favor she’d asked of him, he would have been at home right this minute, doing chores around his small farm while enjoying the company of his two young children. It was his way of life these days, although sometimes the fact that it was still surprised him.

In truth, he really didn’t mind doing this favor for Josie. He wanted to help the Wentworths all he could. He and Jack Wentworth, Josie’s older brother, had been the best of friends. Now Jack was dead, killed only recently while on an undercover mission for the government. It seemed impossible that it could be true, but it was. And now the Wentworths were looking for a young woman whom they believed was involved with Jack right before his death. But, according to Josie, the woman had literally disappeared. Luckily, Josie had come across a doctor’s statement that suggested the woman might be living in Mason’s Grove. And since he now lived in the small Oklahoma town, Josie had asked him to look into the matter for her.

Clearing his throat, Sam pushed aside the sad thought that his good friend Jack was dead and, like the disciplined soldier he still was, in spite of his retirement, he focused his full attention on accomplishing his mission.

Answers. He wanted answers. For Josie and her family. For Jack. And for himself, too.

Once again, Sam cautiously surveyed the crowded waiting room. From the looks of things he figured he had made a mistake in coming to Amanda Lucas’s medical office without calling for an appointment first. But these days, when it came to matters of business, he was at the mercy of his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Cunningham, who was the only person in Mason’s Grove he had gotten to know well enough to have baby-sit for him. That was, when her back wasn’t giving her trouble. For the most part, he spent his time being a full-time daddy to his girls. His world revolved around them. It was as simple as that.

And as complicated.

The problem was that he had been ill-prepared to assume the responsibility of being a single parent. At the time of his wife’s death, he had known more about disarming a nuclear weapon than he had about the nutritional needs of his kids. He had come a long way in the past months. Suzy Homemaker, he was not. But he was getting there.

Still, despite the fact that he was settling down to a more normal way of life than he had ever dreamed possible for himself, all within a blink of an eye of Josie Wentworth’s phone call, he had felt the same old familiar stirrings of excitement that used to accompany him on every SEABEE mission he had ever gone on. Some things, it seemed, never changed. He was about as far away from that world as he could possibly get, and yet, deep down inside, he really wasn’t that far away at all. Nor would he ever be, he now realized. Once a soldier, always a soldier.

Not that he was expecting this favor he was doing for the Wentworths to be any kind of a challenge. Good grief, he had just come here to ask the good lady-doctor a few questions about one of her patients. Just how difficult could that be?

Squaring his shoulders, Sam started forward, his eyes fixed on the reception area located at the rear of the waiting room. It took him five long strides to reach the counter. In the meantime, he couldn’t help but notice that the decor in the room was leaning toward a very feminine influence. In fact, he was beginning to feel like a bull in a china cabinet. He was almost afraid to move, fearing he would disturb something. Sitting behind the receptionist’s desk was an attractive young brunette. She held a pen in her left hand and was jotting something down on a tablet. Settling back on his heels, Sam took a deep breath and waited for her to finish her task.

Finally, she glanced up and greeted him with a smile. “Hi. Can I help you?”

Sam grinned. It was just as he had hoped. He was going to be in and out of this place in no time at all. Simple. Uncomplicated. Not even a hint of a challenge. In some ways, that was too bad. He had been hoping for a slight adrenaline rush, at least. Oh, well, maybe next time, he told himself. “Yes, as a matter of fact, you most certainly can. I’m here to see the doctor.”

“Doc Lucas?” the receptionist replied, her eyes widening somewhat. “Uh...well...yes...Doc Lucas is in,” she finally stammered. “But she’s with a patient right now. Is this concerning your wife?”

“My wife?” Sam repeated, his eyebrows drawing together. It took him a moment to understand what she meant. Once he did, he deepened his frown. “No—actually, I’m here on business.”

“Oh, I see,” she replied hesitantly. Then she cocked. her head to one side. “You know, don’t you, that Doc Lucas is an OB-GYN physician? All of her patients are women.”

“I’m quite aware of that fact,” Sam replied. “But, like I said, I’m here on business, not for medical advice. Tell me, how long will it be before I can see her?”

“Well, I don’t know. That depends,” the young woman said, glancing down at the appointment book in front of her. She ran her finger down a list of patients who apparently were already scheduled for that day. “Did you call earlier for an appointment, Mar....?”

Sam’s grin dissolved into nothing. “No, I didn’t. But, look, I’ll only take a moment of her time,” he said.

The receptionist began shaking her head slowly. “I’m sorry. But unless it’s an emergency, Doc Lucas sees all her patients by appointment only. Perhaps you could come back on Thursday afternoon. I’ve just had a cancellation.”

“I need to see her today,” Sam argued impatiently.

“I’m sorry,” the receptionist replied. “But unless you have an emergency, Dr. Lucas won’t see you without an appointment. I can write your name down for three o’clock Thursday afternoon. That’s the best I can offer you.”

Already, Sam was shaking his head. “You don’t understand,” he said. “My business with Dr. Lucas is extremely important. I must see her now—today.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “In fact, I’m not leaving here until I do.”

After giving him a thoughtful frown, the young receptionist once again glanced down to study the list of patients she had scheduled for that day. Finally, she gazed up at him and said, “Okay, if it’s that urgent, I’ll see what I can do. What’s your name?”

“Sam Arquette,” he replied.

The young woman nodded. “Have a seat, Mr. Arquette. I’ll have to speak to Doc Lucas about you.” Then she turned and walked away.

Satisfied that he was finally getting somewhere—frankly, it was about time—Sam turned with the idea of taking a seat. But when he noticed that he was still the object of considerable attention—not to mention that since his arrival the delicate-looking chairs in the waiting room hadn’t grown any larger to accommodate his size—Sam decided to remain standing. Once again folding his arms across his chest, he waited for the young receptionist to return.

Within a couple of minutes, she was back. “This must be your lucky day, Mr. Arquette,” she announced. “Doc Lucas has agreed to see you. Follow me. I’ll take you to her office.”

Sam nodded and then fell right in step behind the young woman.

“Wait in here,” she said when they reached the end of a corridor. “Doc Lucas is still with a patient, but she’ll join you shortly.”

“Thanks,” he said.

“Yeah, well, maybe you shouldn’t thank me just yet,” the young receptionist replied.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked, a grin slipping up one side of his face.

The young woman gave him a slight smile. “Well, for one thing, Doc Lucas isn’t in the best of moods today. At first, she looked aggravated when I told her about you. But then, it was as if something suddenly clicked and she changed her mind.”

“What’s so strange about that?”

“You don’t know Doc Lucas, do you?”

Sam shook his head.

“Well, she seldom, if ever, changes her mind about anything,” the receptionist said. “She runs a pretty tight ship and, for the most part, stays right on course, if you know what I mean. She’s just that kind of person.” With that, the young woman turned on her heel and returned to the reception area.

Sam thought he knew exactly what the receptionist meant. He had known women like that in the navy. Dr. Lucas was probably driven—focused—and totally predictable. She probably hated men and treated them like something to be conquered and then done away with. And she probably never allowed herself—or anyone else, for that matter—room for error. A regular drill sergeant. He hadn’t even met her yet, but already he thought he knew her.

Alone in Amanda Lucas’s office, Sam sat down to wait for his meeting with her. Minutes passed. Long, endless minutes. Finally, he picked up the only magazine he saw lying around and began reading an article on breast feeding. He figured that he might as well learn something while he waited.

Suddenly, from somewhere just behind him, he heard someone say, “Mr. Arquette, I presume.”

The voice was definitely female, but it was deep and sultry and immediately sent goose bumps down his spine. There was no doubt in his mind that, under just the right circumstances, a voice like that could have easily enthralled a man—in fact, encompass his whole being. But, of course, Sam reminded himself, this wasn’t the right circumstance.

Thank goodness.

Besides, even if it was, he wasn’t interested. He already had his hands full, raising his two young daughters. Frankly, when the need to burn off that kind of energy hit him, he went for a long, tiring jog. And, so far, so good. It worked.

Shaking himself free of those errant thoughts, Sam sat up straight and then turned in his seat to see a woman with shoulder-length brown hair standing just a few feet inside the doorway. She had a stethoscope around her neck, and she wore a long white lab coat over her street clothes. Sam knew without a doubt that he was looking at Amanda Lucas—in fact, somehow, he had known all along that it was her voice he had heard—and in spite of himself, his heart skipped a very, very necessary beat. To add to his surprise, she didn’t look at all as he had expected. She was... well...good-looking—especially for someone whom he had just recently pictured as a drill sergeant. She had clear blue eyes and a full mouth that, for the moment, at least, lacked the semblance of a smile.

But her voice... It was deep and throaty and incredibly sexy. Not just any woman deserved to have a voice like that.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Sam stood up and quickly offered her his hand. “And you must be Dr. Lucas,” he said evenly, in spite of all the weird thoughts running wild through his head. Get a grip, he told himself. He hadn’t thought—nor wanted to think—of a woman in quite this way since... well, since forever, it seemed. And, truthfully, he was shaken to the core.

Amanda Lucas was shaken, too. The tall, muscular man standing before her was extremely good-looking, and for some reason that bothered her. She folded her arms across her chest and peered down at the hand he was offering her. He had strong, capable-looking hands. Still, Amanda was contemplating whether or not to shake hands. So far her impression of Sam Arquette was that he was impulsive and arrogant. Not only that, but she was almost certain he was the same person who had been going around town earlier in the day, asking questions about her. Several of her patients had told her about him. But, finally, she resigned herself to the inevitable and slipped her hand into his, only to discover his palm was surprisingly warm for a man who was a snoop. Ending the handshake as quickly as possible, she straightened her shoulders. “My receptionist tells me that you practically insisted on seeing me this afternoon. I’m a very busy person, Mr. Arquette. I have patients waiting who need my attention. What, may I ask, is so urgent that you had to see me about it today?”

Silence followed. Clearly the man hadn’t heard a word she’d uttered.

“Mr. Arquette,” she said rather impatiently, once again folding her arms across her chest. She was ready to get this man out of her office. Something about him was making it difficult for her to breathe normally. Perhaps, it was because she had concluded that he was single. The look in his eyes was too aware—too aggressive—for those of a married man.

In any case, for some strange reason, her blood was pulsing through her veins at an exaggerated speed. She knew it was necessary to be firm with someone that aggressive. But every time she tried looking into his brown eyes for any length of time, she was mesmerized by their intensity. They were the color of deep, dark chocolate. “Mr. Arquette,” she said again, adding a hint of frustration to her tone just to let him know she was growing impatient with him. “I’m waiting for your answer.”

“Look, I need to ask you some questions about one of your patients,” he finally said.

Amanda frowned. “Is that why you were snooping around town today, asking questions about me?” she demanded, her eyes never wavering from his.

“You know about that?” Sam asked, an incredulous look spreading across his face.

“Of course, I know,” she replied with a smirk. “Mason’s Grove is a small town, Mr. Arquette. News travels fast here.”

He frowned. “What gave me away?”

Amanda almost laughed out loud on that one. Almost, but not quite. “Your looks,” she replied. Not to mention your arrogance, she thought to herself . “Someone told me that a tall, dark-haired man was snooping around town asking questions regarding my practice, and then a couple of hours later you show up here.”

“I can explain,” Sam said, moving a step closer to her.

He looked menacing in a sort of nonthreatening way. If that was possible. Still, she couldn’t be sure. She was determined to hold her ground.

“Good,” she said, unconsciously inspecting him from head to toe and, unfortunately, finding herself enthralled with the man she saw. She chose to ignore the way something had pulled deep and hard inside of her as her eyes had traveled up and down his muscular body. “Because I feel I’m owed an explanation.” Then she watched as Sam drew in a slow, deep breath.

“First off,” he began, “allow me to clear up something. I’m not some weirdo, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Amanda lifted her eyebrows in a way that suggested that was exactly what she was thinking. “And I wasn’t snooping,” he added gruffly—almost forcefully. “I was just trying to find out some information about you.”

Amanda couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t about to let this man off the hook that easily. After all, he was the one who had pushed his way into her office. She was aggravated now. She wanted answers. “Then why go to my friends and neighbors? Why not come straight to me?”

“Good point,” he replied evenly. “I’ll remember that next time.”

“Indeed,” she said, giving him a hard glare. Still, her heart was beating wildly. Too wildly. She dropped her eyes from his as soon as she could. Then, drawing in a deep breath, she walked right past him to her desk. “Let me explain something to you, Mr. Arquette,” she said, turning around to face him. “Any information I have concerning my patients is strictly confidential between them and me.”

“I understand how you must feel about that, but—”

“When it comes to matters of this nature, Mr. Arquette, there are no buts,” Amanda said, interrupting him. Frankly, she wanted to put an end to this conversation as soon as possible. She needed oxygen and there simply wasn’t enough in her office right now for the two of them. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a busy schedule. I’ll have my receptionist show you out.” With that, she headed straight past him for the door.