The Bachelor's Baby

Liz Fielding

Father in training!For Jake Hallam and Amy Jones it was love at first sight. Amy recognized it–the trouble was, Jake refused to! Only, he couldn't refuse to acknowledge that, after a night of tender lovemaking, Amy was expecting his baby.Jake was horrified…yet fascinated. He couldn't stay away from Amy–or ignore the growing life he'd helped create. But he was a confirmed bachelor wedded to his work. Could he learn to be a husband and father before the baby arrived?

“Go away, Jake. This has nothing to do with you,” Amy said.

“Are you saying this is not my baby?”

“No, she is your baby. But if it bothers you, go away. Forget you ever met me.”

He stared at her. Was she serious?

“You said you don’t do commitment, Jake. I promise that you’re not committed to me or my baby. Financially or emotionally.”

She crossed to the door and opened it.

Standing on the threshold, his thoughts in turmoil, Jake realized that he didn’t want to go. He just didn’t know how to stay. He headed for the gate. If she was bluffing, well, he was calling her.

The door clicked shut and he swung round, taken by surprise.

She really meant it!

Well, that was just fine. So did he. Now they both knew where they stood.

What happens when you suddenly discover your happy twosome is about to be turned into a…family?

Do you panic?

Do you laugh?

Do you cry?

Or…do you get married?

The answer is all of the above—and plenty more!

Share the laughter and the tears as these unsuspecting couples are plunged into parenthood! Whether it’s a baby on the way, or the creation of a brand-new instant family, these men and women have no choice but to be

When parenthood takes you by surprise!

Look out in October for

Claiming His Baby #3673

by Rebecca Winters

The Bachelor’s Baby

Liz Fielding

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

JAKE HALLAM couldn’t take his eyes off her. She arrived late for the christening, caught in one of the showers that had been chasing across the valley all day, and as she walked towards him a sudden shaft of sunlight lit up in the raindrops that clung to her.

They sparkled against the silver-grey velvet cloak that swirled around her ankles. Sparkled on the spray of flowers she was carrying. Sparkled on long dark lashes that curtained her eyes.

Then she pushed back the wide hood of her cloak and the sun, slanting through the stained glass of the old church, lit up the short, elfin cut of her pale blonde hair.

The baby, nestling in his mother’s arms, whimpered restlessly and the newcomer leaned over, touched his cheek. ‘Hello, gorgeous,’ she cooed softly, in a voice like melted chocolate. The infant’s complaint was immediately transformed into a smile.

And then she looked up, straight into his eyes, and repeated the soft, ‘Hello’. Even without the ‘gorgeous’ tag, he felt the same instant desire to grin as she offered him a slender hand. ‘I’m Amaryllis Jones.’

‘Amaryllis?’

‘That’s just for formalities,’ she said gravely. ‘Now we’ve been introduced you may call me Amy.’ He would have done, if he could have caught his breath. ‘And you’re Jacob Hallam. Willow and Mike have told me all about you.’

‘It’s Jake,’ he said quickly. ‘And whatever Willow and Mike have told you—’ he bit back the denial as he remembered where he was ‘—is probably true.’

‘Really?’ The corners of her mouth tucked into a small, teasing smile as she tilted her head thoughtfully to one side. ‘I wonder. So few people live up—or down—to their reputations.’

Even as he struggled to remind himself that he was in church, godfather to the infant about to be baptised and with no business to be thinking the kind of thoughts that were racing through his head, she turned away to kiss Willow, the baby’s mother, and apologise for her lateness.

‘I noticed the bluebells in the orchard as I was leaving. They’re just the colour of Ben’s eyes so I stopped to pick