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Chapter One
Liam McFarland didn’t need to be hit on the head with a brick to realize that finding a woman to marry—or hell, even to date—was not going to happen for him. Not in this town and sure as hell not at his brother Logan’s wedding reception.
He was happy for Logan and Cici. Sure, Cici had originally come to Marietta, Montana, to meet him, but since she and Logan fell for each other pretty damn quickly, it was a good thing he felt no more than friendship for her. They’d both tried but the lovers’ vibe just wasn’t there.
Of course, that didn’t help him with his mother’s conviction that the sooner Liam was married the better. For a long time she’d insisted she couldn’t marry her longtime sweetheart until Liam didn’t need her anymore. He needed more help, so he’d hired a new ranch manager and more hands. That still wasn’t enough for Maureen. Nothing else but a wife would do.
He’d finally figured out that his mother was afraid he’d never marry because he’d been jilted at the altar. Yeah, at the freaking altar. He’d gotten over it, but it still didn’t make him anxious to date anyone from around here. There wasn’t a soul in town who didn’t know what had happened. And if there was one thing he couldn’t take, it was being pitied.
The reception was winding down. Logan and Cici had left and most of the rest of the people who stayed were partiers. Including, naturally, his brother Connor. His younger brother liked nothing better than a party. Which was a good thing. Connor was a veteran, something they all didn’t think about often. Liam remembered when Connor first came home from Afghanistan he’d wondered if his brother would ever be the same. It had taken him a while but now, years later, as long as you didn’t try to talk to him about his service, he was fine. Or seemed that way.
Liam wasn’t really in a party mood. He’d talked to everyone he needed to talk to and a number of people he’d just as soon not have had to talk to. He’d taken off his coat and tie long ago, so he grabbed a jacket before heading to the barn. No, he didn’t need to check on anything. He just wanted to be somewhere else.
Apparently, someone else had the same idea. He’d wondered where she went after she caught the bouquet and immediately gave it away like the proverbial hot potato.
She was some distance away, but he’d recognize Val Fletcher anywhere. Not only was she his best friend Riley’s younger sister, but she was also the one person around here who he wouldn’t mind dating. If she hadn’t been eight years younger than him in addition to being off-limits because of his friendship with Riley.
But damn, she was a pretty girl. No, she’d turned into a beautiful woman. But five would get you ten that Riley didn’t think of his little sis as a woman. Liam had talked to her earlier during the reception, before the bouquet incident. She’d looked upset and he’d asked her if something was wrong, but she’d denied it. However, the fact that she was double-timing it to the barn wearing a short-sleeved dress without even a sweater put lie to that comment. November was pretty cold in Marietta.
She wore a red dress with small white flowers that dipped low in the front, fit at the waist and then flared out. And when she walked the dress split and showed her long legs. Legs he’d noticed before, even when he knew he shouldn’t. Yeah, he’d noticed the dress when he was talking to her earlier. So sue him. Unlike his friend, Liam had no problem believing Val was all grown up. Even if she was too young for him.
He walked in the barn and found her sitting on a hay bale, crying. Not just crying but full-out sobbing as if her heart was broken. “Val? What’s wrong?”
She looked up and seeing him began to wipe at her eyes with her fingers. “Oh, Liam. Nothing’s wrong.”
He sat beside her. “Obviously, something is. Otherwise you wouldn’t be out here without even a sweater crying like you just lost your best friend.” He took off his jacket and laid it over her shoulders. “Come on, you can tell me. Maybe I can help.”
“No, you can’t. No one can.”
He got up, went to the tack room, and came back with a box of tissues. “Here. Now, tell me what’s going on.”
She wiped her eyes, blew her nose, and took in a shaky breath. “I’m pregnant.”
His eyes widened. “Pregnant?”
She nodded.
Wow. He hadn’t expected that. “Have you told the father?”
“Yes. As soon as I found out. I took a test a few days ago and told him that afternoon.”
“And?”
“He told me to have an abortion. That he’d be damned if he’d be roped into claiming a kid who might not even be his. If I was even pregnant and wasn’t just trying to trap him or get money from him.”
“Where is the bastard?” There was no way in hell Val would lie about something like this, and the son of a bitch who’d gotten her pregnant was going to regret saying that.
“I don’t know and I don’t care. He’s out of the picture.”
Liam put that issue aside for now. But if he found the worm he’d make him sorry he ever messed with Val. “Do you love him?”
“No. Now I don’t even like him. I was…lonely. And stupid.” She squeezed her wadded-up tissue. “He was hot. I thought he was a nice guy. It was one night. One stupid one-night stand. Which I never do but I was tired of being alone. And he was really nice to me. At first.” She started crying again. Between sobs she said, “I think the…the condom broke.”
At least they’d used a condom. He thought about asking her if she was sure whose baby it was. If it had only been one night maybe she was wrong. But he wasn’t about to put his life on the line and ask her that.
“You don’t want an abortion.”
She shook her head. “No. I can’t. I just…can’t do that.”
Knowing her family was religious, this didn’t surprise Liam. “Do you want to keep the baby?”
“I thought about giving it up for adoption. For about thirty seconds.” She shook her head. “I can’t do that either. It’s my baby, my responsibility. And I…I already love it.” She turned to him, her eyes pleading for help. “But Liam, I can’t tell my father. You know him. He’ll totally freak.”
Liam winced. Mr. Fletcher was a good man. But he was strict, old-fashioned, and the last person who would accept an unmarried, pregnant daughter no matter her age. Yeah, Val was a grown woman in her early twenties but that wouldn’t matter to her father. Liam hoped he wouldn’t kick her out, but even if he didn’t, he wouldn’t make life easy for her. And hell, he might just disown her or even kick her off the ranch. Riley would stick by her, and her mother would try, but her father very well might not.
She was crying again, so he put his arm around her and held her. She put her head on his chest and soaked his shirt with her tears. When she finally calmed down, he gave her another tissue and watched as she tried to compose herself.
“I’m sorry I cried all over you.” She dabbed at her eyes. “I’m sure you think I’m an idiot.”
“I think you trusted the wrong person.” He knew all about that, having done it himself.
“Yeah.” She drew in a breath and moved away from him. “I’ll have to figure out a way to tell my father. Hopefully, he won’t beat me.”
Oh, shit. “Has he hit you before?” He couldn’t imagine Mr. Fletcher in that role but maybe he was wrong.
“No. But I’ve never done anything that would make him this angry. I wish I knew what to do.”
Liam didn’t ask about Val’s mother. He knew that whatever she felt she’d do what her husband told her to do. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Really? What?” She looked at him with hopeful eyes.
“Marry me.”
End of Excerpt
