The baby was unexpected. So was the cowboy.

This Fortune daughter is rich in the things that matter...

Veterinary assistant Stephanie Fortune has never been lucky in love—unless you count the furry kind. But now that she’s become a foster mom to a baby boy, she believes her heart is full. And then she meets Acton Donovan. The flirty cowboy charms everyone he meets, so why should Stephanie be any different? “Just friends” is all Stephanie dares to be. Acton, however, is intent on proving he can be the family man she truly needs...

USA TODAY bestselling author Stella Bagwell

After writing more than eighty books for Mills & Boon, STELLA BAGWELL still finds it exciting to create new stories and bring her characters to life. She loves all things Western and has been married to her own real cowboy for forty-four years. Living on the south Texas coast, she also enjoys being outdoors and helping her husband care for the horses, cats and dog that call their small ranch home. The couple has one son, who teaches high school mathematics and is also an athletic director. Stella loves hearing from readers. They can contact her at stellabagwell@gmail.com

Also by Stella Bagwell

Her Kind of Doctor

The Arizona Lawman

Her Man on Three Rivers Ranch

A Ranger for Christmas

His Texas Runaway

Home to Blue Stallion Ranch Guarding

His Fortune

The Little Maverick Matchmaker

The Maverick’s Bride-to-Order

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Fortune’s Texas Surprise

Stella Bagwell

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90320-6

FORTUNE’S TEXAS SURPRISE

© 2020 Harlequin Books S.A.

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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A big thank-you to animal shelters and the devoted workers who give our needy furry friends a special home.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

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

Chapter Fourteen

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

A cold north wind swooshed past Stephanie Fortune as she stepped through the glass door of the Rambling Rose Pediatric Center, but the tiny baby bundled in a heavy blue blanket was snug and warm in her arms as she carried him down a short corridor and into the busy day-care center.

As she made her way through a large room filled with shrieks of laughter and squeals from a group of preschool children, a few of the busy staff members glanced in her direction and waved. Stephanie waved back and continued walking until she reached a wide door that led to an area designated for babies under twelve months of age.

After a short knock, the door swung wide and Alaina, a middle-age woman with a kind face, greeted her with a cheery “good morning” and immediately followed it with a disapproving eye on her thin jacket.

“Young lady, how long is it going to take you to remember you’re living in Texas now, not Florida? You’re going to freeze without a proper coat!”

“I haven’t had time to buy any winter clothing. Besides, most of the locals tell me that spring comes early to this part of Texas. And as long as little Linus is warm and comfy that’s all I care about.”

Stephanie flipped the blanket off the baby’s head and smiled lovingly down at the four-week-old boy. According to his pediatrician, Dr. Green, the baby had been born three to four weeks early. But thankfully, his birth weight had been enough to keep him out of neonatal care.

“It wouldn’t be good for his mother to come down with a cold,” Alaina said. “You might give him the sniffles.”

Unfortunately, Stephanie wasn’t Linus’s real mother. No one in Rambling Rose, or points beyond, seemed to know where Laurel, the biological mother, had gone after she’d walked into the pediatric center and left the infant with a nurse at the front desk. Since then, Stephanie had been the boy’s foster mother, and with each passing day she was beginning to regard the baby as her own son.

“I never get a cold,” Stephanie assured her, then bent down her head and pressed a kiss to Linus’s smooth forehead. He smelled of baby oil, powder and the formula he’d nursed only minutes before she’d made the drive into town. The scents, along with the warm weight of his little body tucked into the crook of her arm, comforted her. “And as long as Linus’s mother is missing, I’m going to give him the best care I can.”

“I’m sure you get tired of people asking, but have you heard any news about her?” Alaina asked.

Mixed emotions swirled inside Stephanie as she studied Linus’s little pug nose, bow-shaped mouth and dark blue eyes, which were not yet developed enough to focus on much more than movements directly in front of his face. Like everyone in Rambling Rose, Stephanie hoped Linus’s biological mother was alive and safe. On the other hand, she’d wanted a child of her own for a long, long time, so ever since she’d suddenly been given the chance to be a foster mother to Linus, she’d felt like her life was a dream come true. Yet, each day she had to force herself to remember that Linus didn’t actually belong to her. It would be a year or more before she might get the chance to adopt him legally, and before that happened, Laurel might have a change of heart and show up to claim her son.

“No news at all,” Stephanie said, answering the woman’s question. “Dr. Green believes she could be suffering from postpartum depression or maybe even some sort of psychosis. But she wasn’t his patient, so he’s only guessing.”

“Well, you’re doing a wonderful job with Linus,” Alaina assured her, then held out her arms for the baby. “And from what I hear you’re doing a bang-up job at the Paws and Claws Animal Clinic. Frankly, I don’t know how you handle both. Every time I pass the new building, the parking lot is overflowing with vehicles.”

Stephanie handed over Linus and a heavy diaper bag to Alaina. “The animal clinic is very busy,” she agreed. “And today is spay-and-neuter day, so we’ll be even busier than usual.” She glanced at a large clock hanging on the wall. “Which means I’d better be going.”

Stephanie gave Linus a goodbye kiss, then hurried out of the day care. As she drove to Paws and Claws Animal Clinic, she thought about the millions of other mothers who had to leave their children at day care while they worked at a job they either loved or simply endured to help pay the bills at home.

Thankfully, Stephanie loved her job as a veterinary assistant and she didn’t have to worry about making her paycheck stretch to cover essentials. She realized there were some folks around Rambling Rose who assumed she’d inherited her wealth because her last name was Fortune. But that wasn’t entirely the case. She’d worked hard to acquire her college education and later support herself in her chosen profession.

In less than five minutes, Stephanie arrived at Rambling Rose’s animal clinic and rescue facility. The new sprawling building that housed Paws and Claws had been built by her three brothers, who owned and operated Fortune Brothers Construction. The modern structure of white brick and brown trim was a far cry from the cramped space of the old clinic that had served the community for many years. So far, Dr. Neil and the whole staff were enjoying the updated treatment rooms and a waiting area large enough to accommodate the daily influx of patients.

Stephanie entered the building through a back entrance and went straight to a small break room to stow her jacket and handbag in a locker. As she turned the dial of the combination lock, an excited female voice sounded directly behind her right shoulder.

“Stephanie! Oh, wow, are you going to be extra glad you came to work early this morning!”

Stephanie turned away from the block of metal lockers to see Monica, a young woman who worked in the clinic’s bookkeeping department. From the animated look on her face, something unusual was going on.

Combing fingers through her long, windblown red hair, Stephanie said, “I’m always extra glad to be at work, Monica. What’s so different about today?”

“Because he’s in the waiting room! With his dog! It been ages since he’s been in the clinic and now—finally—he’s back!”

Stephanie refrained from rolling her eyes as she pinned a name tag to the thin black sweater she was wearing with her blue jeans. At twenty-seven, she’d had far too many dating disappointments to let herself get excited over a man.

“He?” she asked with casual indifference. “Who is this man that’s got you all gaga this morning?”

“Acton Donovan! His family owns a ranch not far from town. And believe me, Stephanie, there’s no other man in Rambling Rose like him! He’s cute and sexy and adorable and—”

“Whoa!” Stephanie held up a hand. The only kind of guys Stephanie had been able to find were those who’d been more concerned about their own personal wants and needs, but Monica didn’t need to know that. “There’s no such man that you’re describing. He’d be too good to be true. And I have work to do.”

She started out of the break room with Monica stalking her heels. “All right, you don’t have to believe me,” she said under her breath. “You’ll see for yourself when Dayna brings him and his dog back to an examining room. So be prepared. That’s all I can say!”

Stephanie cast her an indulgent smile. “Don’t worry, Monica, I won’t faint at the sight of Mr. Hunky.”

“Stephanie, when it comes to men, it’s like you’re from another planet!” With an exasperated grunt, Monica hurried on past Stephanie and disappeared through a door to the accounting office.

Stephanie walked on toward the examining rooms, then stopped in midstride as she saw the door to the waiting room open and Dayna usher in the next patient, which, in this case, was a long-haired dog that appeared to be a mix of cocker spaniel and Australian shepherd. She was thinking how adorably cute the dog was when the owner suddenly appeared through the door, and for one ridiculous second her breath caught in her throat.

This had to be the dream man Monica had been raving about. Dressed in faded denim, dirty cowboy boots and a chocolate-brown Stetson, he was young, with a tall, lean body that could only be acquired through hard, physical labor or hours at the gym. And somehow she couldn’t see this cowboy stepping his booted feet onto a treadmill or any other piece of gym machinery. No doubt those long, muscular thighs straining against his jeans had developed from hours of straddling a horse. Not a stationary bike.

“Oh, there you are, Stephanie.” Dayna walked up to Stephanie and handed her a manila folder with the dog’s file. “I’m taking Seymour and his owner to Exam Room 2.”

Stephanie glanced over the tall blonde’s shoulder to where the cowboy was standing patiently with the leashed dog. As soon as he spotted Stephanie glancing in his direction, he tipped the brim of his hat and grinned.

Oh, Lord, for once in her life, Monica might have been right. This man’s looks were lethal!

Clearing her throat, she turned her attention back to Dayna. “Is Dr. Neil ready to see patients? It’s a quarter to eight. I thought he’d be starting surgery already.”

“Neutering and spaying is on hold for an hour or two. Dr. Neil is running late this morning—some sort of emergency at home. And we have several walk-ins already waiting. Until the doctor gets here I thought you might deal with the less serious patients.”

“I’ll do my best,” Stephanie told her.

With the folder pressed to her chest, Stephanie stepped past Dayna and headed to the exam room. While she waited for the patient and his owner to arrive, she refrained from fidgeting with her clothes or hair. Stephanie had never been one to primp or worry about her appearance and she wasn’t about to start just because she was going to meet the sexiest man in Rambling Rose.

She was plucking gloves from a box on a work counter when the door opened and Dayna ushered the man and dog into the examining room. Stephanie instantly felt the oxygen being sucked from the space around her. Either that or her lungs had forgotten how to function.

“Stephanie, this is Acton Donovan,” Dayna said, introducing the cowboy. “Acton, this is Stephanie Fortune. She’s Dr. Neil’s right-hand man.”

He cleared his throat and shot another lopsided grin in Stephanie’s direction. “Excuse me, Dayna, but she, uh, doesn’t look like a man to me.”

Dayna glanced at Stephanie’s pink face before she turned a suggestive look on the cowboy. “It’s just like you to notice, Acton,” she said drily. “Stephanie is Dr. Neil’s number-one assistant. She’ll take care of you—I mean, she’ll take care of Seymour.”

Dayna left the room and after the door had clicked closed behind her, the long, tall cowboy looked at her, his expression a bit sheepish. “Guess you can tell Dayna thinks I’m a pest.”

“You two know each other?” Stephanie asked.

“Oh, sure. We went to the same school. Except that she was a few grades ahead of me. She thought I was a pest then, too.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

One of his broad shoulders rose and fell and Stephanie’s gaze automatically dropped to the front of his shirt. The blue-denim Western shirt molded to the muscular shape of his chest and torso, and for one brief second Stephanie wondered what he looked like beneath the tough fabric.

He chuckled. “I was a bit naughty back in my younger days.”

He wasn’t exactly old now, she thought. And even from the distance of a few feet, she could see there was a mischievous twinkle in his sky-blue eyes.

Deciding it would be best to drop the subject, she cleared her throat and walked around the examining table to where the spotted black-and-white dog was sitting close to Acton’s leg.

“So what brings Seymour to the clinic today?” she asked. “Is he not feeling well?”

“He’s having scratching fits. And I can’t find a flea or any kind of insect on him.”

As though Seymour understood the two humans were discussing him, he looked up at her and whined.

Before Stephanie approached the dog, she asked, “Is he friendly?”

“He’s never bitten anyone, but he can have a nasty temper. He snaps at me whenever he wants to remind me that he’s the boss. And he isn’t good around strangers, and that includes Dr. Neil.”

Stephanie wasn’t put off by his words of warning. Most cats and dogs wanted to be friends. When they did lash out it was out of fear and the instinct to protect themselves. “Well, I have an idea that Seymour is a very smart guy and he knows I’m going to help him feel better. Don’t you, Seymour?”

With her palm upward, she allowed the dog to sniff her hand. Immediately his bushy tail began to thump against the tiled floor. “What a sweet boy,” she crooned, then gently stroked his head.

Acton pushed back the brim of his hat and rubbed a hand across his forehead. “Holy smoke! What did you do to him?”

“Just told him I was his friend,” Stephanie replied.

She gave the dog another rub between the ears, then patted the end of the examining table. “Would you like to sit up here, Seymour, so I can take a look at you?”

The dog promptly walked over, stood on his hind legs and rested his paws on the edge of the table. Stephanie put her hands beneath his hips and lifted the dog onto the stainless-steel surface.

“Well, if that isn’t the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen!” Acton exclaimed. “I normally have to manhandle him up there and hold him down while Dr. Neil takes care of business. Look at that traitor! He’s actually enjoying this!”

Stephanie took her eyes off Seymour long enough to look at his owner, then promptly wished she hadn’t. Now that he was standing only an arm’s length away from her, she was bowled over by the vivid blue of his eyes and the tanned, masculine angles of his face.

He wasn’t one of those pretty boys, she thought. No, there were too many little imperfections about the man to put him in that category. Like the unruly way his sandy blond hair curled around his ears and down the back of his neck, the faint white scar that marked one brown eyebrow, the way the bridge of his nose was a bit too sharp and the jut of his chin overly stubborn. But, dear heaven, put them all together and he had enough sex appeal to knock any woman off her feet.

After drawing in a deep breath, she suggested, “Perhaps you should try a different tactic. Like allowing him to choose to obey rather than forcing him into it.”

The eyebrow with the scar arched upward and his reaction had Stephanie wondering if any woman ever dared to question him.

“I could give him an hour to choose to jump on that table and he’d still be sitting on the floor giving me the evil eye. You’ve put some sort of spell on him. Do you practice magic tricks or something?”

Stephanie turned her attention to the dog, and after checking his vitals, she began a visual inspection of his eyes, nose, teeth and coat.

“I can assure you I haven’t put Seymour under any kind of spell. And, no—I’m not a magician. I don’t even like magic.”

“Uh, what about cowboys with unruly dogs?”

The flirtatious tone of his voice warned her not to look up, but she couldn’t stop herself. The boyish grin on his face was worse than charming—it was downright sinful.

“I don’t know any cowboys with unruly dogs,” she said stiffly.

He laughed. “You do now.”

His laughter was infectious and Stephanie had to press her lips tightly together to prevent herself from smiling back at him.

“I only met you five minutes ago. I don’t know you.”

“Well, we’ve been properly introduced. And in my case, what you see is what you get.”

She didn’t plan on getting anything from this man, except a bundle of rattled nerves. Which was so unlike her. She’d been around all sorts of good-looking men before and never experienced this kind of hot, shivery feeling. It was ridiculous.

“I see. No pretense or subterfuge with you,” she said as she lifted back one of Seymour’s ears to look inside.

“That’s right, Miss Fortune. I’m one-hundred-percent genuine.”

When Stephanie had first moved to Texas, she’d quickly learned that people put the Miss in front of a woman’s name to show respect. Especially when they were speaking to an elder. But the way Acton Donovan said “Miss Fortune” made it sound downright provocative.

“That’s nice to know,” she replied.

She finished with Seymour’s left ear and moved to the right. Across the examining table, she heard Acton release a long sigh. Whether he was tired, or impatient, or simply bored with her, she couldn’t guess.

He said, “If it’s any help, he’s constantly scratching underneath his neck and his belly.”

“What sort of food do you give Seymour? The dry chunks?”

He named a certain brand. “Fed him that ever since he was a tiny pup. That’s been four years.”

“I’ve never heard of that brand.”

“Get it at the feed-and-grain store where we buy our cattle cubes and everything else we need on the ranch.”

She vaguely recalled Monica saying the Donovans owned a ranch north of town. No doubt he was experienced in dealing with large animals like cattle and horses, she thought.

“What color is the food?”

“Excuse me? I didn’t know food needed to be color-coordinated with the animal that eats it.”

She shot him a droll look. “It’s better to be free of food coloring. Some animals are allergic, including dogs.”

“Oh. Sorry. Guess that’s why you’re the doc’s right-hand man—I mean...woman. You know a hell of a lot more than I do.”

Frowning, she turned her focus back to Seymour.

He shuffled his feet. “Sorry again. I meant to say heck. As for Seymour’s food, it’s just plain brown. You think what he eats is making him scratch?”

“If the food doesn’t have colored pieces, it’s probably fine. But I’m fairly certain he’s having an allergic reaction to something. Which could be one thing or many things.” She parted the fur on the dog’s throat. “See? He has these irritated patches of skin in several places on his throat and underbelly.”

Acton lifted his hat from his head and leaned in for a closer look at the dog, which put his face not far from the pretty vet assistant. Immediately, Seymour bared his teeth and gave Acton a warning growl.

“You damned turncoat! I’m not going to touch Miss Stephanie, so just quit your growling.”

Stephanie straightened away from him and the dog. “Is this his normal behavior?”

He looked up at her and grinned. “No. He’s just acting this way because he’s smitten with you and jealous of me. He doesn’t want me to get close to you or touch you. See, let me show you.”

He reached over and placed his hand on Stephanie’s arm, which promptly caused Seymour to erupt in a barking, teeth-gnashing fit.

She swiftly jerked away her arm and stepped back. “I really don’t have time for this sort of...demonstration. And I honestly think you ought to leave the room so I can give your dog the treatment he needs.”

Up until a few minutes ago, when Dayna had introduced the two of them, he’d never seen Stephanie Fortune. Not here in the clinic or anywhere around Rambling Rose. She didn’t exactly have a Texas drawl, nor did she have a Louisianan lilt to her voice. Which meant she’d migrated here from much farther away.

He’d heard about some rich folks by the name of Fortune moving into the huge mansion on the outskirts of town. He’d also read a few articles in the local paper about Fortune Brothers Construction building the pediatric clinic and this animal clinic, but he’d never met any of the family. Acton couldn’t imagine this woman being one of them, anyway. Why would someone who belonged to such a wealthy family be working in an animal clinic, handling mutts like Seymour? No, Stephanie must be from a different bunch of Fortunes, he decided.

“Okay, Miss Stephanie, no more demonstrations. I’ll be good.” To convince her, he moved a few feet away from Seymour and the examining table.

She darted him a wary glance, then let out a long breath and stepped tentatively back to the dog. “Just be sure you stay where you are.”

Acton tried not to grin at her, but she looked so darn pretty, with a bright shade of pink splashed across her cheeks and her blue eyes flashing, that he couldn’t help himself.

“I won’t move a muscle,” he promised. “Even if a honeybee flew in here right this minute and landed on my nose, I wouldn’t even swat it away. But then, if a honeybee really did fly in here it wouldn’t land on me, anyway. It would go straight to you.”

A suggestive line like that would normally catch any woman’s attention. Apparently Stephanie Fortune wasn’t just any woman. Instead of glancing at Acton, she kept her focus firmly on Seymour.

“That’s a bunch of nonsense,” she said as she continued to part Seymour’s long hair and examine his skin.

“Makes plenty of sense to me. Bees go straight to honey and I can tell by the way Seymour takes to you that you’re sweet.”

She shot him a droll look. “I’m sorry, Mr. Donovan, but this flattery you’re throwing at me won’t do a thing to lighten your vet bill.”

He let out a good-natured groan. “And here I was trying my best to get a free visit this morning. Oh, well, Seymour’s worth it.”

She stroked the dog’s head, then turned to the cabinet, where Seymour’s medical file was lying open. As she started writing on one of the pages, she said, “That’s good to hear. A loved pet is always a healthier pet.”

Acton could’ve told her that the same went for a man, too. But he kept the comment to himself. She didn’t appear to appreciate his brand of flirting. Which might mean she had a husband or a steady boyfriend.

He’d noticed her left hand was empty of a wedding ring or anything resembling one. But given the nature of her work, she might not wear one while she was dealing with animals. He hoped his assumption was wrong. There was something about the pretty redhead that made it impossible to tear his gaze away from her. Even if she wasn’t noticing a thing about him.

While Acton was carefully studying the graceful curve of her waist and hips, she suddenly walked over to the door and partially stepped into the hallway. She must have signaled for Dayna to join her because after a brief moment, Stephanie reentered the room with the other woman right behind her.

“It looks as though Seymour is suffering from allergies,” Stephanie explained to Dayna. “And from Dr. Neil’s notes, he’s treated the dog before with shots.”

“So what now?” Acton asked. “Can you give him the medicine he needs or do I need to wait around until Dr. Neil gets here?”

Stephanie looked at him. “I can give him what he’s been prescribed before. Or you can wait until Dr. Neil comes.”

“And at this point, we don’t know when that might be,” Dayna interjected.

“I’ll take my chances with you, Miss Fortune.” He winked at her. “Seymour obviously trusts you.”

The serious expression on her face never wavering, she turned to Dayna and instructed her as to what sort of medications she needed for the dog.

“I’ll be right back with them,” Dayna said, then warned Stephanie, “But while I’m gone don’t listen to a word Acton says. He’s a wolf disguised in cowboy clothing.”

“Aww, Dayna, don’t be telling Miss Fortune scary stuff like that. I’ll never get her to like me.”

“Ha!” Dayna laughed and gave him a backward wave as she hurried out of the examining room.

With Dayna gone, Acton glanced at Stephanie, but her attention was riveted on Seymour. What did a man have to do to get a smile out of the woman? Stand on his head or walk on his hands? Maybe she just didn’t like cowboys. The thought bummed him out more than he cared to admit.

“Dayna is joking,” he said. “I’m not really a wolf. See? I don’t have fangs, at all.”

To his delight, she looked up at him and he gave her an extra wide smile to show his teeth.

“I’m quite certain you’re not a member of the Canis lupus family, Mr. Donovan,” she said primly.

He shook his head and wondered why he wanted Stephanie Fortune to notice him. Not as Seymour’s owner, but as a man. She wasn’t his type at all. He liked fun girls who naturally smiled and laughed. This woman was as serious as a judge.

“No one calls me Mr. Donovan. I’d be pleased if you’d just call me Acton. And if I knew what a Canis lupus was, then I might know what you’re really thinking about me, uh, being a wolf.”

To his surprise, the corners of her mouth lifted with something like amusement. “Canis lupus means dog wolf.”

“Oh. That’s good. Because I’m as gentle as a little pup.”

She looked as though she was about to reply to that when Dayna suddenly stepped back into the room carrying a needle, a syringe and a fat jar.

Before Seymour had a clue what was happening, Stephanie had already pulled up the skin on the back of his neck and injected him with the medicine.

“Amazing. Purely amazing,” he said with disbelief. “I’d have to chase Seymour all over the county to do that.” He looked at Dayna and winked. “Does she put spells on all the animals who come to the clinic?”

“Ninety percent of them,” Dayna agreed. “She has the touch.”

Stephanie opened the jar of ointment and began to swipe it on the worst of the raw spots on Seymour’s skin. “Do you think you can do this twice a day? It will help stop the itching and heal the skin.”

“We’ll probably end up in a wrestling match, but I’ll try.”

“Any amount you can manage to put on him will help.” She put the lid back on the jar and jumped the dog off the examining table. “Seymour is ready to go home. If he doesn’t seem to be improving in a couple of days, then we’ll need to see him again.”

She handed Seymour’s leash and the jar of ointment over to Acton, and with the dog walking alongside him, he followed the two women out of the examining room and back to the waiting area, where a payout counter was located next to the check-in desk.

“Don’t wait so long to come see us again, Acton,” Dayna said. “We can always use a smiling face around here.”

“I have a feeling I’ll be back soon.” He glanced around to see Stephanie squatted on her heels, giving Seymour a goodbye hug. Too bad he wasn’t a dog, Acton thought.

Leaving the dog, she stepped forward and handed an itemized bill to the young woman behind the counter, then turned and extended a hand to him.

He wrapped his hand around hers and was totally enchanted by the incredibly soft skin pressed against his, and the gaze of her deep blue eyes connecting with his. Acton could’ve stood there until the cows came home. Unfortunately, she had other ideas.

Easing her hand from his, she stepped back. “It was nice meeting you, Acton. I’m glad you brought Seymour to the clinic to be treated. He should feel better soon.”

Feeling unusually tongue-tied, he stuttered, “Uh, sure. It was nice meeting you. And thanks for taking care of my dog.”

She turned and walked away, but not before the tiny smile on her face smacked Acton right in the middle of his chest. What in heck was going on here? he wondered. First she had Seymour eating out of her hand and now he was feeling like a moonstruck teenager.

“Will that be cash or card, Acton?”

The question failed to register with him. He was too busy watching Stephanie leave the waiting area with an older woman toting a cat carrier.

“Acton! Do you think you can beam yourself back to earth?”

Forcing his attention back to the counter, he stared blankly at Sheri, a young woman he’d known since their kindergarten days.

“Sorry, Sheri. Did you say something?”

Sighing, she gave him a smile that would’ve melted a lesser man’s bones. “How do you want to pay your bill today? With cash or card?”

Mentally shaking himself, Acton dug his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. “Card. How much is it?”

The amount Sheri quoted caused him to whistle under his breath and he glanced wryly down at Seymour. The dog was grinning happily and thumping his bushy tail. Yep, Acton thought, the dog was still under Stephanie Fortune’s spell.

“Seymour, I’m not so sure you’re worth this,” he said. “But I guess I’ll keep you.”

He swiped the debit card, then punched in his PIN. After he’d placed it back in his wallet, he leaned casually against the counter.

With gamine features and short black hair, Sheri was cute, but in his opinion, not anywhere near as pretty or classy as Stephanie.

“So when did Miss Fortune come to work for Paws and Claws?”

Sheri handed him a receipt. “Before our new clinic opened. She had lots of experience back in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, working with animals, so Dr. Neil hired her right off.”

“Hmm, Florida,” he mused aloud. “Wonder how she happened to come to Texas?”

Surprised, Sheri asked, “Are you saying you don’t know who she is?”

Acton frowned. “Am I supposed to know her?”

She rolled her eyes. “Acton, you really ought to get out of the barn more often. It means Stephanie is one of the Fortunes. It also means that she’s way out of your league, cowboy.”

“Maybe in your mind, Sheri. But I might have other ideas about that.”

Grinning at the shocked look on Sheri’s face, Acton stuffed the receipt in his shirt pocket and led Seymour out of the clinic.

Chapter Two

“It was more than obvious the cowboy liked you. The way he was looking at you...” Dayna’s words ended on a wistful sigh. “If only he would look at me that way, I’d be walking around on a cloud.”

Stephanie glanced at her coworker as the two women moved from one kennel to the next, checking on the cats that had been spayed and neutered earlier in the day.

“He? Who are you talking about?”

Dayna rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Oh, come on, Stephanie. There’s only been one hunk of a man stroll into the clinic today. I’m talking about Acton—the dreamy cowboy. You know! Blond hair, sparkling blue eyes and a grin that turns my knees to mush.”

“Oh, him.” Shaking her head, Stephanie turned her attention back to the cats. “If you think the man had any interest in me personally, you’re totally confused. Anyway, he’s obviously a flirt. And I seriously doubt he discriminates by age or looks. He wouldn’t have acted any differently if I’d been an eighty-year-old grandmother.”

“Oh, puh-leeze! If you believe that nonsense, then you’re thinking has gone haywire.” Dayna frowned in disbelief. “Didn’t you think he was cute and sexy? The whole staff is still going gaga over him.”

Stephanie reached into the kennel and rubbed a finger gently down the middle of the head of a calico cat. She loved animals and had ever since she’d been old enough to know what they were. The job she’d held back in Fort Lauderdale had been at an animal clinic such as this one, only larger. She’d enjoyed working there and had been hesitant about giving it up to move here to Texas. But her three brothers had assured her she wouldn’t have any trouble finding an equally worthwhile job. And they’d been right. So far, working for Dr. Neil had been a real pleasure.

As for having a man in her life, that was an entirely different matter. She’d been burned too many times to let a young hunk like Acton Donovan turn her head.

“Okay, I’ll admit the guy was super cute and sexy—in a boyish way. Rather young, though,” Stephanie told her, then cast a curious glance at the other woman. “Does he, uh, have a steady girlfriend?”

Dayna laughed as though her question was the funniest thing she’d heard in a long time. “Let me put it this way—Acton has a steady stream of girlfriends. In the plural sense.” She named several different young women who’d recently brought their pets to the clinic. “Those are a few of his castoffs.”

Somehow that tidbit of information didn’t surprise Stephanie. The man had reeked of charm and sexiness. He probably had a bevy of women knocking on his door. Which made the idea of him being interested in Stephanie even more ridiculous and her more determined to forget him. Her last boyfriend, the one she thought she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, had been a playboy. Only Stephanie hadn’t known it until her heart had become involved. Then she’d found out the hard way that he was seeing other women on the side.

“I see,” she said thoughtfully. “So I guess you’d say he’s a playboy in boots and hat.”

“That’s one way of putting it. But I’m sure every woman who goes out with him likes to believe she’s the one who can settle him down—turn him into a husband and daddy,” Dayna told her.

Stephanie couldn’t picture Acton Donovan settling down in the near future or even years from now. And she figured any woman who tried to transform him would only be asking for heartache.

“Well, the guy seemed nice enough. But I’m not interested. Not only is he too young and too much of a flirt for my taste, but there’s only one man I’m interested in. My little man, Linus. He’s my main focus right now.”

“That’s well and good. But you might not always have Linus in your life. Even if his mother never comes back, there’s a dad out there somewhere.”

That thought was something Stephanie tried not to dwell on. “That’s the reality I live with every day, Dayna. Although, Laurel told my sister-in-law, Becky, that the baby’s father was totally out of the picture.”

“Yes, that’s what this Laurel woman said. But can anyone really believe her? What kind of woman gives birth to a baby and only days later, leaves it at the front desk of the Rambling Rose Pediatric Center?”

Stephanie moved on to another kennel with Dayna following close behind her. “From what everyone who was at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the center says, Laurel seemed perfectly fine when she went into labor. But who knows? She was just a stranger passing through. She could’ve made up the part about the father. All I know is that I love the little guy like he’s my own. And right now I’m concentrating on him. I’m just not interested in dating anyone.”

“Well, I’ll say one thing,” Dayna replied. “If you can resist Acton, then I’m going to start calling you Lady of Steel.”

Stephanie laughed. “Come on, it’s almost closing time. We’d better make sure everything is ready to shut down before Dr. Neil locks the doors for the night.”

Later that evening, Acton was cleaning up the mess he’d made cooking his supper when he heard a knock on the front door.

After drying his hands on a dish towel, he walked through the small house where his grandparents used to live and peeked through the curtain covering the paned window on the door.

Seeing his oldest brother, Shawn, standing on the porch, Acton pulled open the door.

“What the heck are you doing knocking?” Acton asked him. “You know you can just open the door and come on in.”

Shawn, who was similar to Acton in coloring, but a bit taller, cast his brother a droll look. “And walk in on you and some lady in a lip-lock or something worse? No thanks. I’ll keep knocking.”

Up until a couple of months ago, Acton had lived in the big ranch house with his parents and two brothers. But then his father, Ramsey, had decided that his own mother, Hatti, no longer needed to be living here alone and had practically ordered her to move into the big house. Seeing the chance to have a place of his own, Acton had promptly made the move.

Stepping into the living room, Shawn gestured to the apron tied around Acton’s waist. “What are you doing, anyway? Don’t tell me you’re trying to cook.”

Acton closed the door behind him. “I’m cleaning up my mess. And who are you kidding? You know I’m a pretty darn good cook. When it comes to making great dishes, Grandma Hatti is a good teacher. I made spaghetti. Want some?”

“No thanks. I had a burger in town. But I will take some coffee. Got any made?”

“No. But it’ll just take a minute to get some brewing.”

The two men passed through the living room, down a short hallway, then into a small kitchen decorated in red, green and white.

Shawn pulled out a chair at a round pine table and sank into it. “Actually, I didn’t come by to beg for a cup of coffee. I came by to tell you that Dad has decided to work the herd in the northwest corner in the morning. He wants to be loading the portable pens by daybreak.”

“I hope he doesn’t plan on doing all three hundred head in one day,” Acton said. “Has he hired any day help?”

Shawn shook his head. “He said if four grown men can’t handle the job, then he needs to get rid of some cattle.”

Acton groaned as he spooned coffee grounds into a filtered basket. “Sounds like we’re in for a long day tomorrow.”

“That’s why I stopped by. To make sure you didn’t have something else planned.”

“Like what?” Acton took a seat at the opposite end of the table. “I show up every day for work, don’t I?”

“Well, you’ve been known to get distracted by a pretty face.” He eyed Acton’s ragged blue jeans and old gray T-shirt. “You’re not going out tonight?”

Acton frowned. “On a date, you mean?”

“Yes. Like you and a girl,” Shawn said drily.

“No. I wished I was,” Acton admitted. “But I wasn’t sure the girl would agree to going out with me. So I didn’t ask.”

Shawn’s eyebrows piqued with curiosity. “Don’t tell me you ran in to a woman who actually resisted your charm.”

Acton grunted with wry humor. “She resisted me, all right. To be honest, I don’t even think she liked me. She was polite enough. But I think that’s because it was her job.”

“Hmm. Do I know this lady?”

Acton shrugged. “I doubt it. She’s moved here from Florida and works for Dr. Neil at Paws and Claws as a vet assistant. I took Seymour there this morning to get something done about his scratching.”

“From Florida...” Shawn mused. “What’s her name?”

“Fortune. Stephanie Fortune.”

Shawn let out a disbelieving groan. “Oh, dear brother, now I understand why you didn’t get to first base with her. She’s probably one of the Fortunes that moved here a few months ago. You know, the ones who moved into that mansion on the outskirts of town. I think they call it the Fame and Fortune Ranch or something. Other than a few horses, I don’t believe there are actually any livestock on the place. But you know how city folks are. They own a few acres in the country and get the idea that entitles them to call it a ranch.”

“Oh, so that’s what Sheri meant when she said Stephanie was one of ‘the’ Fortunes,” he remarked. “Obviously these people are rich.”

Shawn shrugged one of his broad shoulders. “Well, it appears so. Fortune Brothers Construction is the company that finished the pediatric center and the animal clinic. Now they’re working on some other properties in town. So apparently, they have money. And I heard tell that they’re related to the famous Fortune family in Austin.”

Seeing the coffee had finished dripping, Acton rose from his seat and poured two cups.

“I have some pecan pie. Want a piece?”

“Don’t tell me you baked a pie,” Shawn told him. “I won’t believe it.”

“Ha! Grandma was pretty good at teaching me how to cook, but she wasn’t that good. The pie came straight out of the bakery in the grocery store.”

“In that case, I’ll eat some.”

Acton cut two pieces of the dessert and carried everything over to the table.

Once they were both eating, Acton said, “Dr. Neil wasn’t at the clinic this morning so Stephanie treated Seymour.”

“Bet that was a wrestling match. No wonder she wasn’t interested in you, after she had to deal with that rowdy dog of yours.”

“Wrong, brother. Seymour was a perfect gentleman. He took to Stephanie like...well, I never saw anything like it. She could have told him to walk across the exam room on his hind feet and he would’ve done it for her.”

“Hmm. That’s a first. Frankly, it surprises me that this Fortune woman was working in a place like Paws and Claws. Dealing with sick and wounded animals all day isn’t exactly what I’d consider a glamorous job.”

“Stephanie doesn’t seem like the glamorous sort. But she sure is pretty. And she didn’t act uppity. Just a bit disinterested—in me.”

“Aww, my poor little brother. He finally met a female he couldn’t charm out of her shoes,” Shawn teased. “Sounds like trouble ahead for you.”

Acton frowned at his brother. “Trouble? A sweet little thing like Stephanie couldn’t cause trouble. Not with me.”

Shawn snorted. “Maybe in another five years you’ll learn about women.”

Acton let out a short laugh. “Like you’re an expert on females? Cows, maybe. But not pretty women.”

“Well, I have sense enough to know that a woman, pretty or homely, isn’t going to ever be serious about a simple cowboy. Men like us can’t offer a woman riches.”

“Not all women want riches,” he retorted.

Shawn’s response to that was a dry laugh. “Dream on, brother.”

Acton thought as he sliced off a bite of pie. “I guess this Fortune family must have tons of money. From a distance, that house of theirs looks impressive.”

“I wouldn’t call it a house. It’s a mansion.”

“Well, by Texas standards, it’s not the biggest or the best. But it’s hardly a shack,” Acton joked.

“I can bet you one thing,” Shawn said. “Stephanie Fortune’s kitchen doesn’t look like this one. I doubt she’s ever so much as cooked herself an egg.”

Acton could’ve told his brother he wasn’t looking for a cook, but he kept the remark to himself. He didn’t want Shawn or any of his family to get the idea that he was looking for one special woman. Their parents had already been hounding their three sons to settle down and give them more grandchildren.

Acton said, “I think I recall reading an opinion piece in the paper about Fortune Brothers Construction. Some of the folks in Rambling Rose aren’t too happy about these fancy new buildings and shops they’re planning for the town.”

Shawn shrugged. “You know how some of the older townsfolk are. They’re not keen on change. Especially the progressive kind. Frankly, I think it’s good to make improvements.”

“I get that part of it,” Acton acknowledged. “But I agree with the old folks about not wanting to turn Rambling Rose into some sort of tourist attraction. Hell, pretty soon it will be against the law to ride our horses down Main Street.”

Shaking his head, Shawn snickered. “Acton, since when have you ridden your horse down Main Street? Not since us three brothers decided to ride in the rodeo parade and that was five years ago!”

Acton carried his empty plate over to the sink, then refilled his coffee cup. “I’m only using that as an example of how things are changing around here.”

“Well, if you want to get to first base with Stephanie Fortune, then I suggest you don’t bring up the subject of her brothers’ plans for a ritzy hotel.”

Acton glanced at his brother. “A ritzy hotel? For real?”

“That’s what I’m hearing. But you can hear anything at the Crockett Café.”

The old eating establishment had been a fixture in Rambling Rose for as long as Acton could remember. When he and Shawn and their brother Danny had been small boys, their father would take them to the café on the weekend as a special treat for doing their chores. All three would get milk shakes. The kind that was handmade with real ice cream and so thick you had to eat it with a spoon. The café still made handmade milk shakes, but now that Acton and his brothers were all grown men, it wasn’t the same.

“A ritzy hotel in Rambling Rose,” he murmured, thinking aloud. “Don’t reckon that will ever work. But you can bet I won’t tell Stephanie Fortune my opinion on the subject—if I ever get the chance.”

Finished with the pie, Shawn pushed aside his plate and cast a taunting grin at Acton. “How do you plan on seeing her again? You going to take Seymour back for a special checkup?”

“If he doesn’t improve I’m supposed to take him back. Damn dog, I don’t think he’s scratched once since I got him home. So I doubt I can use him for an excuse.”

Clearly amused, Shawn said, “You can always gather up the barn cats and take them in for their yearly shots.”

“Dad always takes care of that chore,” Acton said, then snapped his fingers with sudden dawning. “I know. I’ll take Elizabeth and Ryan by Paws and Claws. The clinic always has a few cats and dogs to be adopted and the kids love to look at them.”

Elizabeth, age seven, and nine-year-old Ryan were their older sister’s kids. On some evenings, after Acton was finished with his ranch chores, he’d drive over to Gina’s house and take the kids out for burgers or pizza. Gina often accused Acton of spoiling her children, but to tell the truth, he probably enjoyed the outings as much, or more, than the kids.

“Oh, how low can you stoop, Acton? Using your own niece and nephew to snag the attention of a woman,” Shawn taunted jokingly.

Frowning now, Acton walked back over to the table. “Look who’s talking. I don’t see you making any headway in the love department.”

Shawn’s eyebrows shot up. “Love? Don’t try to tell me that’s what you looking for.”

Acton could feel his face growing hot and he figured he looked like a sun-ripened tomato. Damn it, there were times Shawn could make him feel like he was sixteen years old again.

“Well, what if I am?” He tossed the question at his big brother. “Is there anything wrong with that?”

The goading look on Shawn’s face turned empathetic. “No. Nothing wrong at all. Except that maybe...”

His words trailed away and Acton couldn’t let it go at that. In spite of the teasing and bantering that went on between him and his brothers, Acton valued their thoughts and opinions.

“Except what?” Acton prodded him to answer.

Shawn shrugged. “That maybe when you really start looking for a woman to love, you should start with someone in your own social sphere. Just my opinion, little brother.”

If Acton was being totally honest, he’d probably admit that Shawn was right. Wanting to date someone out of his league was one thing, but getting serious about her would be downright stupid.

“Don’t worry. I’m not hearing wedding bells in my head. That’s not going to happen for another ten years, at least.”

Shawn chuckled. “I won’t tell Mom and Dad. They have the idea that you moved down here to Grandma’s house because you have marriage on your mind.”

Acton let out a loud burst of laughter. “Seriously? Who would I be marrying?”

Shawn pretended to think. “Well, you’ve been seeing the little blonde who works at Reddick’s Ranch Supply on a fairly regular basis.”

Acton’s laughter quieted to a chuckle. “Marietta? I’ve already put the brakes on dating her. She’s too much of a party girl.”

His comment caused Shawn to stare at him in comical disbelief. “Too much of a party girl? For you? Is that possible?”

“It is when she’s partying with more than me.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh. Which is no big deal. We didn’t have a serious thing going. And I sure didn’t move down here to Grandma’s house because of Marietta. I moved to give everyone more space in the big house.”

“Oh, I thought you moved because you were tired of everybody treating you like the baby of the family. That you wanted to prove you can take care of yourself.”

Acton slanted him a perceptive glance. “Maybe that, too, big brother.”

Stephanie softly hummed a lullaby as she gently rocked Linus and watched the last of the formula in the bottle drain away. In spite of the baby being born a bit early, he was thriving. This past month his cheeks had rounded and his arms and legs had grown fleshier. She’d even noticed that his gaze was trying more and more to focus on her face.

Incredibly, Stephanie had ended up being Linus’s foster mother by sheer happenstance. When Laurel had staggered into the ribbon-cutting ceremony in the throes of labor and shouted for help, Stephanie’s sister-in-law, Becky, who happened to be a nurse, and Dr. Green both rushed to the frantic woman’s aid. The next day, after the news had spread that she and the baby were safely settled in a hospital in San Antonio, everyone had believed that was the last they’d ever hear of the incident.

But a couple weeks later, Laurel had walked into the pediatric center, handed over the baby to a nurse and declared she couldn’t handle being a parent. Later, they’d found a note on the baby stating his rightful home would be found at Fortune’s Foundling Hospital.

Neither Laurel’s behavior nor the note had made any sense. And to make matters worse, none of the local foster families had been able to take in the infant they’d initially called Baby L. Stephanie, however, had.

Her brothers, Callum, Dillon and Steven, had been surprised. They’d always known she was a nurturer with a soft heart. However, they had been stunned to learn that she’d already gone through the process of being fingerprinted and background-checked in hopes of adopting one day.

They had all wondered why their lovely sister needed to adopt a child when she could give birth to one of her own. Stephanie hadn’t bothered to explain her reasons. They might not want to admit it, but all three brothers knew the answer to that question. Over the past few years they’d watched her suffer through several short-lived relationships, none of which had even gotten close to true love or an engagement ring. She didn’t want to wait to start a family at the end of her childbearing years. She wanted to have children while she was still young. And hopefully, later on, she might be fortunate enough to find a man who would truly love her.

“Linus, you might be the only baby I’ll ever have a chance to hold and cherish,” she whispered down to the sleeping boy.

His lips had gone slack around the nipple, and as Stephanie carefully eased the bottle from his mouth, emotional tears stung her eyes. She’d been told that in a year’s time if neither parent showed up to claim the boy, she might have a chance to adopt him. But a year was a long time. Anything could happen between now and then.

She rose from the cushioned rocker, then carried Linus over to a hooded bassinet and was tucking a warm blanket around him when a knock sounded on the door of her suite at the Fame and Fortune Ranch.

After crossing the large space that served as a living room, she opened the door to find Steven, her oldest brother, holding a large covered tray.

“Room service,” he said cheerily. “Hungry?”

She pulled the door wide and gestured for him to come in. “I was about to come down to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. What’s all that?” she asked, gesturing to the tray. “I thought Manny was taking the night off.”

He carried the loaded tray over to a green leather couch and placed it on a glass-and-wood coffee table. As Stephanie followed her brother, she thought she caught a whiff of pizza.

“Callum treated the construction crew this evening and there was so much food left over I brought some home.”

“This is nice, Steven. Thanks for thinking of me.”

“When you didn’t come down to dinner, I thought I’d better check on you. Is everything okay?”

For a long while in their family, Stephanie had been the only girl and her four older brothers had been very protective of their little sister. And even though a set of triplet girls had been born into the family four years after Stephanie, the guys still went out of their way to shield and care for her. Maybe because they thought that, due to her bad luck at love, she might never have a husband to love and protect her.

She smiled at Steven, while hoping that the tears that had stung her eyes a few moments ago were no longer visible. “Sure. Everything is fine. We had a hectic day at the clinic and it was later than usual when I finally picked up Linus from day care. So I’ve been playing catch-up. By the time I took care of my pets, Linus was yelling that he was hungry. So I put supper on hold.”

Steven chuckled. “I’d be flat on the floor if I’d been that busy today.”

She gave a wry laugh, then took a seat on the couch. “Join me?”

“I’ll sit for a minute. But I can’t stay for long. Callum is on a conference call and wants to talk with me afterward.”

“Callum is really excited about his projects. I think even more so now that Becky and the children are in his life.” She was happy for her brother; he’d found a wonderful single mother of twins who’d given him an instant family. She glanced slyly at her brother. “Is seeing him so happy giving you any ideas to become a family man?”

Steven shrugged. “It’ll take more than Callum’s grinning face to get me to the altar.”

Stephanie pulled the linen cloth from the tray to expose a wide array of food, ranging from hot wings and pizza, to macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake.

“No salad?” she asked teasingly.

Steven chuckled. “Sorry. The guys ate all the salad. There wasn’t a drop of it left.”

“I’d be willing to bet there wasn’t a drop of it to begin with,” she said drily.

He laughed. “Construction workers need more than rabbit food for their dinner.” He glanced around him. “Speaking of rabbits, where is Orville?”

“Look behind you. He finally managed to charm Violet and Daisy into sharing their bed.”

Steven glanced behind the couch to see Stephanie’s Siamese cat and yellow tabby snuggled in a large basket. Wedged between the two felines, a brown-and-white domestic rabbit snoozed contentedly.

“Ha! They must have decided Orville was just a strange-looking cat. I’ll say one thing—he’s one lucky rabbit to have you adopt him. Did you ever find out how he happened to be roaming around the clinic parking lot?”

Stephanie shook her head as she placed a pair of hot wings on a small paper plate. “No. We figure someone just didn’t want him anymore and put him there hoping the clinic would take care of him. It’s so sad, too, because Orville is a real sweetheart.”

“Every needy creature is a sweetheart to you.” Steven settled back against the couch and crossed his ankles out in front of him. “Stephanie, sometimes I think you’d take on a small zoo and a dozen kids without ever batting an eye.”

Smiling wanly, she shrugged. “What would I be doing if I wasn’t taking care of Linus, my pets and the animals at Paws and Claws?”

“Anything you wanted. You might actually have time for a personal life.”

Trying not to grimace, Stephanie reached for a piece of cheese pizza. “If you’re talking about me getting myself a man, there’s no need for you to worry. I’ve decided the best thing I could ever do for myself is cross marriage off my list of lifelong endeavors.”

Steven hardly looked pleased. “You’re twenty-seven, intelligent, beautiful and, most of all, loving. But you want to hide away and waste yourself just because you’ve dated a few losers.”

Stephanie ate a bite of pizza before she bothered to reply. “Not only were they losers, they were users and jerks, too. Let’s face it, I wouldn’t know a good man if he wore a sign around his neck.”

“If he has to wear a sign around his neck to let people know he’s good, then he probably isn’t.”

She let out a brittle laugh. “No need to worry, Steven. Linus keeps me happy.”

Her brother left the couch and walked over to the bassinet where Linus was sleeping peacefully. Gazing down at the baby, he said, “You’re very brave, Stephanie, for taking on this little fellow with so much uncertainty surrounding him.”

Leaving her plate on the coffee table, she walked over to where he stood and slipped an arm through his. “I’m hardly brave.”

He looked at her. “Don’t suppose you’ve heard any news about the mother?”

“No. It’s like her trail has vanished.”

The cell phone in his shirt pocket suddenly chirped to signal a new text message had arrived. Steven glanced at the phone. “Callum is finished with his conference call. I’d better go see what he’s stirring up next. We’ve just put the finishing touches on The Shoppes at Rambling Rose.”

“Poor you,” she said with a grin. “The building never stops.”

“Wait until he hears I need to hire more carpenters,” he joked. Then he planted a kiss on the top of Stephanie’s head and started out of the room.

“Thanks for the food,” she called after him.

He gave her a backhanded wave and shut the door behind him.

Stephanie’s attention returned to the baby, and as she gazed down at Linus’s quiet features, her heart overflowed with warm, maternal love. Would she ever have a child of her own? A man to love?

Love.

These days she rarely allowed herself to dwell on the fleeting emotion. But after meeting Acton Donovan this morning, she’d been feeling totally out of character.

True, she wasn’t good at judging the quality of a man, but even she could see he was far from her type.

So why had she continued to think of him throughout the day? Why was she thinking of him now?

Because no guy like him had ever flirted with her? Of course, she’d had men hit on her before, but most of them had been sleazy or unattractive, or just downright obnoxious. But Acton had been none of those things. He’d been cute and rather sweet, and she’d gotten the impression that he was a nice guy. With a dog like Seymour, he had to be nice, she thought.

There you go, Stephanie, judging a man by his dog. That’s a brilliant deduction. It’s no wonder you’ve had your heart broken a dozen times. Before long you’ll be saying the denim shirt he was wearing made him look dependable and trustworthy.

The mocking voice in her head made her turn from the bassinet and return to the tray of food sitting on the coffee table.

She couldn’t let thoughts of a young, happy-go-lucky cowboy elbow their way in on her common sense. And yet, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have Acton Donovan sitting next to her on the couch, sharing this little supper with her.

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