Five months pregnant and on her own. Even so, she can’t resist this rugged rancher...
Solely responsible for her unborn child, Abigail Stewart is desperate for the art commission at Royal Memorial Hospital. Winning over the sexy Texan on the board seems impossible, but Vaughn surprises her with his response. And his attention. And a sizzling connection that defies all logic. But even if he can accept her baby, will Vaughn’s dark past tear them apart?
“Just this once, Vaughn, will you kiss me?”
“A kiss?” He needed to be sure, as much as it pained him to ask, to risk her denying the words.
“It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had a real kiss that wasn’t about drowning sorrow and forgetting.” She spoke with an earnest sincerity that slid right past his defenses. “I just think it would be nice to have a taste of…what might have been.”
He could have resisted his own impulse to taste her. He damned well couldn’t deny her request, which made him want to move mountains to make her happy. To please her.
Except she wasn’t his. And she never could be.
* * *
Expecting a Scandal is part of the Texas Cattleman’s Club: The Impostor series—Will the scandal of the century lead to love for these rich ranchers?
Dear Reader,
Writing my first story for the well-loved Texas Cattleman’s Club series was a huge thrill for me! I worked hard to ensure my story lived up to the other wonderful books I’ve read in this series over the years, and I loved walking the streets of Royal, creating more characters to add to a town I already knew and loved.
I was fortunate to have some real-life insights into the life of a trauma surgeon since my sister (and real-life personal heroine) works as a pediatric intensive care nurse. When I told her I was researching Vaughn, she invited me out to dinner with lots of her nursing friends, and I spent a wonderful evening hearing tales from the trenches.
Researching my artist heroine, Abigail, proved just as much fun. I knew she was a sculptor, but what kind? That question led me on a day-long journey viewing interactive sculptures for children online. It made me want to close up the laptop and become an artist! Not for long, though, since my skill with words is far better than my artistic prowess, which is probably best suited to coloring books.
I hope you enjoy your time in Royal, Texas, as much as I have.
Happy reading!
Joanne Rock
Joanne Rock
Expecting a Scandal
Four-time RITA® Award nominee Joanne Rock has penned over seventy stories for Harlequin. An optimist by nature and a perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her life outlook perfectly—love is worth fighting for. A former Golden Heart® Award recipient, she has won numerous awards for her stories. Learn more about Joanne’s imaginative Muse by visiting her website, joannerock.com, or following @joannerock6 on Twitter.
Books by Joanne Rock
Harlequin Desire
Bayou Billionaires
His Secretary’s Surprise Fiancé
Secret Baby Scandal
The McNeill Magnates
The Magnate’s Mail-Order Bride
The Magnate’s Marriage Merger
His Accidental Heir
Little Secrets: His Pregnant Secretary
Claiming His Secret Heir
For the Sake of His Heir
Texas Cattleman’s Club: The Impostor
Expecting a Scandal
Visit her Author Profile page at www.Harlequin.com, or joannerock.com, for more titles.
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To the A Team nurses at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg for your commitment and caring, for making a difference every day and for taking time out to share your stories with me.
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
Excerpt from Upstairs Downstairs Baby by Cat Schield
One
Adjusting her glasses on her nose, Abigail Stewart hoped the funky red-and-black zebra frames distracted from the sheer desperation that must surely be visible in her eyes.
She didn’t want the assembled Royal Memorial Hospital committee to see how badly she needed the commission for the sculpture she’d just proposed for the children’s ward. Or how much it upset her to be back inside a hospital for the first time since her sister’s death. Standing at the head of the hospital’s boardroom after her presentation, she smoothed the hem of a fitted skirt that pinched her pregnant hips under the gauzy red top she’d chosen to hide her baby bump. At five months along, she wouldn’t be fooling anyone for much longer. But considering the scandal attached to her baby’s conception with a lying jerk posing as Will Sanders, the powerful head of Spark Energy Solutions, Abigail wasn’t in a hurry to field questions about it. She was only just beginning to wrap her head around being a single mom in the wake of a hellish year that had cost her a beloved younger sibling.
A year that promised to go downhill even more, since Abigail would definitely not make the next mortgage payment on her house if she didn’t nab this commission. She’d taken too much time off in the past year to help her mother cope with losing Alannah in a kayaking accident, depleting her emergency savings.
“Does anyone have questions about the art installation I’m proposing?” Abigail forced a smile despite the nervous churn in her belly.
At least, she hoped that rumble was nerves and not belated morning sickness. For the last two months, morning had been a relative term.
“I have a question.” The deep, masculine voice at the back of the spacious room caught her off guard.
She’d thought all of the committee members were seated at the large table with a good view of the projection screen. Yet, at second glance, she saw an absurdly handsome man in green scrubs sprawled in a chair by the door in the back. From the leather shoes he sported to the expensive-looking haircut, he had an air of wealth about him that the scrubs and slightly scruffy facial hair couldn’t hide. Even the phone resting on the table beside him cost more than her
