The Maverick's Baby Arrangement Read online

  The Cowboy Takes a (Fake) Wife

  Wealthy workaholic rancher Daniel Dubois has everything money can buy, but it’s not enough. If he can’t convince authorities he’s worthy, he will soon lose custody of his orphaned baby niece. Event planner Brittany Brandt rejects Daniel’s marriage of convenience until little Hailey wins her over. Soon they are a cozy family of three—and Daniel’s biggest problem is guarding his heart against his make-believe bride...

  “I want to apologize to you.

  Again. I realize now how offensive my proposal must have sounded. I wasn’t as eloquent as I would have liked to have been.”

  “Forget about it. I have.” That wasn’t exactly true. She’d thought about Daniel’s crazy proposal more than she should have.

  “I can’t. I still think that having a wife will be the equalizer I need in the custody case. I’m a single man. Even though I work from home, I still put in long hours. A wife will help me prove that I can give Hailey a stable home.”

  Brittany laughed. “I’m not some Mary Poppins or Suzie Homemaker. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly maternal. I’m focused on my career. You were right. I do want to own my own business. All the social worker will have to do is ask a few people about me and the jig will be up.”

  “All I need is for someone to play the role of wife and mother for the judge. I can take care of the rest.”

  She cleared her throat. “That’s all?”

  “What else would there be?”

  She simply looked at him.

  After a moment his eyes narrowed as he understood her meaning.

  * * *

  MONTANA MAVERICKS: What Happened to Beatrix?

  Dear Reader,

  There’s a familiar slogan—this changes everything. That’s definitely true when there’s a baby involved. Once a baby enters your life, you’re never quite the same.

  Daniel Dubois had his life mapped out. He knew where he was going and how he was getting there. Then his sister died, leaving behind her infant daughter. Soon Daniel is a single father, raising the child he loves. When the baby’s paternal grandparents sue for custody, Daniel is in the fight of his life. He’ll do anything to retain custody of his niece, including marrying a woman he barely knows.

  Brittany Brandt isn’t the maternal type. Although she likes kids just fine, her five-year plan doesn’t include them. She’s focused on her career working for a local event planner and her plans to open her own business in the future. When Daniel offers to give her the money she needs if she’ll be his temporary wife, she agrees. But soon the marriage of convenience starts to feel real. It turns out that love also changes everything.

  Being one of the authors who created this new branch of the Montana Mavericks series was a pleasure. I hope you enjoy Brittany and Daniel’s journey to love and the happily-ever-after neither of them had planned.

  I love hearing from my readers. Feel free to stop by my website, kathydouglassbooks.com, and leave me a message. While you’re there, sign up for my monthly newsletter. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and BookBub.

  Happy reading!

  Kathy

  The Maverick’s Baby Arrangement

  Kathy Douglass

  Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally—both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions.

  After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small-town contemporary novels she enjoys reading.

  Books by Kathy Douglass

  Harlequin Special Edition

  Sweet Briar Sweethearts

  How to Steal the Lawman’s Heart

  The Waitress’s Secret

  The Rancher and the City Girl

  Winning Charlotte Back

  The Rancher’s Return

  A Baby Between Friends

  The Single Mom’s Second Chance

  Furever Yours

  The City Girl’s Homecoming

  Montana Mavericks: What Happened to Beatrix?

  The Maverick’s Baby Arrangement

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  This book is dedicated with love to my wonderful husband and sons. Each day with you is better than the one before.

  Contents

  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

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from The Last Man She Expected by Michelle Major

  Chapter One

  Brittany Brandt double-checked the contents of her tan leather satchel, making sure she had everything she needed before snapping it shut. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply then slowly blew out her breath, envisioning a successful outcome to her meeting with Daniel Dubois. Other planners at Bronco Hills Elite Parties, the event-planning firm where she’d been employed for the past several months, had been reluctant to take him on when he’d hired the firm to plan an important dinner party. While the others had cowered in fear, Brittany had stepped forward. She wasn’t afraid of a challenge—or of a man rumored to be impossible to please.

  Besides, organizing his party was part of her master plan to advance her career and earn a promotion to partner. Shying away from hard situations and difficult clients wasn’t going to help her accomplish that goal. Showing her bosses and the upper crust of Bronco, Montana, what she was capable of doing would.

  She’d been fully aware that Mr. Dubois wouldn’t be the easiest person to work with before she’d volunteered to take on the job. The trail of other event planners who’d scurried away from Bronco with their tails between their legs made that abundantly clear. Everybody knew that BHE wasn’t his first event planner. Or second, for that matter. Originally, he’d hired a firm from L.A. with a reputation of catering to celebrities. They hadn’t lasted long. Next, he’d hired a big-name firm out of Chicago. They’d come and gone even more quickly. There’d also been some firm from New York, but their tenure had been so short they were hardly worth mentioning. He’d finally decided to toss the local firm a bone as if doing BHE a favor.

  Others might be offended by being a last choice, but not Brittany. In fact, to her, the failure of the other firms was a good thing. Once she pulled off the event—and she had no doubt she would pull it off in spectacular fashion—the Who’s Who in town would take notice of her and beat a path to her firm, requesting to work with her specifically. Cornelius Taylor, the patriarch of the richest family in Bronco, would certainly be impressed enough to hire her. She’d pitched her idea of the Denim and Diamonds fundraiser to raise money for programs to aid low-income families in Bronco to him, but so far he hadn’t been persuaded. Although she’d put the idea on the back burner temporarily, she wouldn’t give up on it. But right now, she needed to focus on creating a memorable dinner party for Mr. Dubois.

  Opening her eyes, she grabbed her satchel and purse, strode from her office and into
the main area of the firm. Rachel, the assistant Brittany shared with two other planners, looked up from her desk and smiled. “Heading off to your meeting with Mr. Dubois?”

  “Yes.”

  Rachel pretended to shiver in fear. “You’re braver than I am.”

  “He’s just a man.”

  “A man who has chased off three firms already.”

  Brittany waved a hand in dismissal. “I’m made of sterner stuff. Plus, they weren’t as creative as I am. Or as determined. There’s no way I’m going to run away in fear from any man.”

  “Knowing you, you’ll have him eating out of your hand before the meeting is over.”

  “I won’t go that far. I know he’s no pushover. But remember, I’m the oldest of five children. I have experience dealing with stubborn and demanding people. Trust me, nobody is more unreasonable than a two-year-old hopped up on sugar at bedtime.”

  Rachel laughed. “I’ve seen the man, albeit from a distance. There’s nothing childish about his looks.”

  Brittany already knew that. Although she had yet to meet Daniel in person, she’d seen pictures of him in gossip rags and business magazines. The creativity she used in her job failed her when it came to describing Daniel Dubois. The best she could do was tall, dark and handsome. Cliché as it was, the saying fit him to a T. He had a face designed to make a woman’s heart beat faster and a muscular body that had Brittany imagining things she shouldn’t if she wanted him as a client. In short, he was six feet of deliciousness.

  “No, there isn’t. But since his personality isn’t nearly as appealing as his looks, I’d better get going. The last thing I want to do is get on his bad side by being late.”

  “From what I can see, the man doesn’t have a bad side,” Rachel quipped.

  Brittany laughed then left.

  Daniel Dubois was a very wealthy horse rancher and his lifestyle reflected that. He owned a magnificent property in the exclusive section of Bronco Heights.

  Two hours north of Billings, Bronco was actually two cities: Bronco Heights where the incredibly rich people resided and Bronco Valley where the regular folks lived. Bronco Heights was consistently included on lists of the country’s best places to live while Bronco Valley’s claim to fame was as a popular tourist destination.

  As Brittany drove through the town, she passed by the business district. Exclusive boutiques, a high-end jewelry store and DJ’s Deluxe upscale barbecue restaurant lined the pristine streets. Shoppers strolled down the wide walks, enjoying the beautiful late-summer day.

  After a relaxing ride, Brittany reached the winding road that lead to the Dubois mansion. Signaling, although there was no traffic behind her, she drove the nearly mile-long private road to his estate. The sprawling property was nothing short of magnificent and she slowed to take it all in.

  The ranch had an air of serenity that only nature could provide. She was slightly nervous about her upcoming meeting and, with each breath she took, she felt more tranquil. In the distance, deer and elk meandered between the trees as if they, too, were at peace. Mountains soared in the background, reaching toward the wide sky. Given the amount of money Dubois had, she wasn’t surprised by the grandeur. What was surprising were the numerous small cabins she spotted in the distance. She briefly wondered what they were for and then dismissed the thought as unimportant. She was here to plan his dinner. Nothing else about Daniel Dubois was her concern.

  Brittany parked her car at the end of the long circular drive, using the walk to the portico to prepare herself mentally for the meeting.

  As she neared the covered walkway, she spotted Malone, the cook for one of Bronco’s established families—the Abernathys—coming out the front door. Although she didn’t know him very well, she liked the older man and called out a greeting to him. He spun around and looked at her. His face flushed momentarily before the color drained from it, leaving him pasty white. He appeared guilty, although she couldn’t imagine why.

  “Hi. Funny seeing you here,” she said with a smile.

  “Yes. Well.” Clearly flustered, he took a deep breath. “I’ve been working for the Abernathys for more than twenty years. And I like my job and am very loyal to them.”

  “Of course.” Where was all this going? She’d only been making small talk. She certainly didn’t expect an accounting of the man’s time or an explanation of his presence.

  “I didn’t know that Mr. Dubois had invited me out here to try and hire me away from the Abernathys. Had I known that, I would have saved both his time and mine.”

  Brittany nodded as the older man continued on his way. Apparently, loyalty didn’t mean anything to Daniel Dubois. If he didn’t expect people to be loyal to their employers, he surely wouldn’t regard loyalty to his employees as something that he owed. She briefly wondered if he applied that same attitude to personal relationships then brushed the ridiculous thought aside. The only relationship she wanted with him was a business one. One where contracts would be signed and expectations clearly spelled out, not one where her heart was on the line.

  Not that she was at risk of losing her heart to him—or anyone else, for that matter. She was a career woman through and through. Marriage and kids weren’t part of her five-year plan.

  Brittany reached the front door and rang the bell. The sound of chimes filtered through the open windows and continued for several seconds until the melody finished. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing a uniformed woman who appeared a few years older than Brittany’s own thirty-three. The woman introduced herself as Marta, Daniels’s housekeeper, then she ushered Brittany inside and closed the heavy wooden door behind them.

  “I’m Brittany Brandt.”

  Marta smiled. “Welcome. You’re right on time, which will please Mr. Dubois. He’ll be right with you. He’ll meet with you in the study.”

  Brittany followed the woman through the entry, through an impressive living room and several equally large rooms, before coming to a closed carved-mahogany door. Marta opened the door and waved Brittany inside. “Would you like a drink? The cook just made fresh lemonade.”

  “Thank you, no. I’ll just wait for Mr. Dubois.”

  “Okay.” Marta left, closing the door behind her.

  Alone, Brittany took the opportunity to look around, trying to get a feel of Daniel’s style. In her experience, clients often could not put their likes or dislikes into words. She couldn’t count the number of times someone had told her they knew what they liked when they saw it. Which was fine when it came to deciding which dress to buy. It wasn’t as helpful when putting together a special event.

  Though she’d only glimpsed the other rooms, adding that bit of knowledge to her quick study of this room revealed that his taste ran toward the masculine and Western. And exceedingly expensive. She ran her hand across a carved horse and rider sitting on the corner of his massive desk then crossed the room to the far wall where a built-in cabinet was filled with trophies for horse breeding. Several awards and commendations from civic organizations were there, as well. Beside the trophy case was a prominently displayed framed letter thanking Mr. Dubois for his ongoing generous contributions to their organization supporting mental health. Another letter thanked him for funding the Francine Dubois scholarship. She briefly wondered whether the woman was his mother.

  Apparently, he was a charitable man, which was a mark in his favor. He might be demanding, but clearly he cared about those who were less fortunate than he was. A believer in giving to others whenever she could, Brittany’s opinion of Daniel Dubois rose several notches. Not enough to put up with any nonsense from him, but enough to give him the benefit of the doubt when necessary.

  But something was missing in the room. There were no personal items. No photos of people he loved. People who were important to him. She thought it best to keep business and personal lives separate, but this was his home office. Surely, a personal item he
re or there would be acceptable. Come to think of it, she hadn’t glimpsed anything personal in the other rooms, either. Curiouser and curiouser.

  She heard the door open and she turned. Daniel Dubois stepped into the room. Brittany took one look at him and barely managed to stifle a gasp. The magazines hadn’t done him justice. They’d completely failed at capturing his good looks. Daniel Dubois was absolutely stunning.

  He had the kind of chiseled features that could make women swoon. Even her knees weakened for a moment before she forced herself to stay upright. His light brown skin was unmarred by the slightest blemish and his dark brown eyes, rimmed by thick soot eyelashes, were filled with intelligence. With his looks, he could make a fortune as a male model.

  More than great looks, he had a commanding presence. No doubt he’d dominate any room he entered. He smiled as he crossed the room to shake her hand and her stomach took a foolish tumble. No way. He was a client. She couldn’t allow herself to feel the slightest attraction to him.

  “Thank you for waiting.”

  “No problem.” As she shook his hand, she felt the calluses on his palm. Daniel Dubois wasn’t some rich guy dabbling in ranching until something else drew his attention. He worked his ranch. Impressive.

  After declining his offer of a beverage, she let him lead her to a seating area in front of a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. The drapes had been pulled back, revealing a view of the ranch that went on forever. From this vantage point, she could see all the way to a babbling brook about twenty yards away. Shrubs and purple-and-yellow wildflowers billowed in the breeze and a few deer drank from the water As dedicated as she was to her work, she’d have to use all of her discipline to not be distracted by the beauty the windows revealed.

  Once they were seated, her on the brown leather sofa and him on a coordinating chair beside her, she opened her notebook and took out a pen. She preferred the old-fashioned method of taking notes when meeting with clients. It was more personal and didn’t create the artificial distance a computer did.