Saved by the Baby by Linda Goodnight

Author:Linda Goodnight
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

All of Blackwood was abuzz with the news of Sheriff McIntyre’s unexpected sudden marriage to Julianna Reynolds. Rumor said they’d never gotten over their teenage love and had rekindled that love during the bone-marrow drive. The sheriff’s unprecedented trip to California proved this theory. Everyone knew the sheriff hated to fly, and only a man madly in love would ignore so great a fear in pursuit of his one true love. Furthermore, Tate never took a day off and he’d taken two!

Some even speculated that Julee’s child belonged to Tate, but that notion was too preposterous to gain much ground when the marriage itself was such a delicious topic. The gossips loved it. The old ladies tittered and sighed. And a few young ladies were downright mad.

Tate, long accustomed to being the subject of someone’s gossip, blew it off as he caught up on his work and waited anxiously for his new family to arrive from California. Five days had passed since he’d left them. Tormented with dreams of his mind-altering wedding night, he’d taken over the midnight-to-seven shift. He couldn’t sleep anyway. Might as well be working.

When the unfamiliar car pulled into his driveway just after noon, Tate’s pulse kicked up a notch. They were here.

As casually as he knew how, he stepped out onto the porch and watched his wife and daughter climb out of the blue sedan. A spark of excitement, unlike anything he’d ever experienced, kindled inside him. He reined in the aberrant thought that they were his real family coming home after a long trip.

Julee, looking like a sunflower in a yellow outfit with her long brown hair billowing around her shoulders, glanced up and smiled. “Hello.”

“Hi.” Awkward as a schoolboy, Tate started down the steps, unable to take his eyes off her. Julee seemed at a loss for words, too, for she only stood there, smiling softly, her gaze holding his. Criminy, seeing her felt right. Tempted to haul her into his arms and kiss her senseless, he gripped the porch post and waited.

“Will they bite me?”

Both adults turned at the small voice. Megan, surrounded by several exuberant dogs, waited tentatively beside the car.

“Only if you’re a T-bone steak,” Tate answered and was rewarded with a giggle. His stomach did a funny flip-flop. Megan, a Dodgers’ cap covering her short brown hair, went down on her knees and threw both arms around the largest, hairiest, ugliest dog on the place. A smaller dog, jealous of the attention, nosed his way beneath Megan’s arms, knocking her over.

“Hey, you two big jerks.” Sorry to leave the warmth of Julee’s smile, but eager to make his child feel at home, Tate marched to the car and lifted the laughing Megan to her feet. “How ya doing, Miss America?”

She returned his banter. “Hi, Super Sheriff. I like your dogs. We don’t have a dog.” Swiping a hand across the back of her hot-pink shorts, she looked around. “I like your house, too. You sure have a lot of land.

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