LITMIR.BIZ

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Jacqueline Diamond was born in Menard, Texas, a small town in the region in which the fictional Blackstone Bar Ranch is located. Her father, Maurice, was the town’s doctor and made house calls to ranches.

      In October 2000, Harlequin Duets will publish her book Designer Genes. It’s set in the fictional town of Nowhere Junction, in the same area of Texas.

      Jackie now makes her home in Southern California and likes to hear from readers at P.O. Box 1315, Brea, CA 92822.

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      Mason Blackstone—A rancher doesn’t go from herding cows to changing diapers overnight—not without the right woman by his side.

      Gina Kennedy—The virginal nurse had a crush on the sexy rancher. She’d do anything to be his wife—including agree to a temporary marriage.

      Daisy and Lily Blackstone—Orphaned newborn twins, they found a good home with their uncle Mason. But would they be able to grow up in his loving care?

      Margaret and Stuart Waldman—Mason’s sister and brother-in-law wanted to adopt the baby girls for the wrong reasons.

      Megan Maitland—The founder of Maitland Maternity opened up her family’s home to host a very special wedding….

      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 One

      When she got to the clinic, he might be waiting. Or on his way, driving from his ranch in the pickup truck.

      Gina Kennedy’s step quickened as she hurried down Mayfair Avenue in the early morning quiet. Her shift in the intermediate-care nursery didn’t start for half an hour. What was her hurry?

      His dark eyes would warm when he came in. The other nurses would sneak glances at him, but his smile would be for Gina alone.

      On a humid July day like this, Austin, Texas, felt more like the Old South than the Wild West. Gina could feel her hair wilting, even though the full heat wouldn’t hit for hours yet.

      She glanced at her reflection in a shop window. The straight, light-blond hair that brushed the tops of her shoulders was a bit damp, but holding its own thanks to a heavy dose of mousse.

      Critically, she examined the way the nurse’s uniform clung to her figure. Gina knew that some of her friends envied her narrow waistline and well-proportioned bust, but she’d always wished she were taller. Tall enough to measure up to a big, brooding man.

      He exuded power. It wasn’t only the intensity of his gaze, but the way he dwarfed everyone around him.

      Yet he handled those tiny babies with such incredible tenderness that she couldn’t help wondering what kind of lover he would be.

      Gina gripped her purse strap. Why on earth was she daydreaming about Mason Blackstone? This was the first time in her twenty-nine years that she’d fantasized about a man. Why did it have to be someone beyond her reach?

      From the Austin Eats Diner, the smell of bacon, pancakes and maple syrup wafted toward her. Gina smiled. She would like to see Mason tackle a meal like that. No doubt he’d make short work of it.

      To maintain her trim figure, she stuck to cereal or whole-wheat toast for breakfast. Still, she liked to see a man eat, a man who earned his Texas-size appetite through old-fashioned hard work.

      Mason’s ranch was a two-hour drive northwest of here, he’d told her. Most nights during the past two months, he’d made the trip back there to ensure that everything was functioning properly.

      Once in a while, though, he stayed over at a hotel in Austin. He’d never suggested that they get together after hours, which, Gina told herself, was a good thing. The two of them were wildly ill-suited. Besides, it would be inappropriate as long as she was caring for his premature twin nieces.

      She would like to see him polish off a steak and potatoes just once, though. The possibility that he might choose her for dessert sent a small thrill down her spine.

      Foolish make-believe, that’s what she was indulging in. A rough-and-ready guy like Mason needed a sturdy ranch woman who knew one end of a horse from the other. Once he took the little orphaned girls home, he would have nothing in common with a sheltered, daydreaming neonatal nurse whose brief relationships with men always ended when she refused to hop into bed with them.

      Gina walked alongside the sweeping front driveway that led to the Maitland Maternity Clinic. After graduating from nursing school at the University of Texas here in Austin, she was lucky to have landed a job at the modern, family-run facility that served rich and poor women alike.

      In her half-dozen years on the staff, she’d come to think of the clinic as home. She always looked forward to coming to work each day, more than ever in the two months since Mason and his little nieces had become fixtures in the nursery.

      He hadn’t arrived yet this morning, she saw. Usually, his extended pickup truck with a covered bed loomed over the other vehicles in the parking lot. Still, he might pull in at any minute.

      Heading for the employee entrance, she hurried inside to tuck her purse into her locker. In the corridor, she was about to dodge by Ford Carrington, the clinic’s pediatric surgeon, when he said, “Miss Kennedy? Could I speak with you a moment?”

      Although he was handsome, with a reputation as a playboy, Gina knew him as a dedicated doctor, one who rarely had occasion to speak to her. “Yes, Doctor?” she said.

      “I wanted to say I think you’ve done a superb job with the Blackstone twins.” Ford paused as if mentally reviewing the case. “Daisy’s made a much faster recovery from her hernia operation than I expected. From what Katie Toper says, your TLC has helped compensate for the tragic loss of their mother.”

      “Their uncle’s the one who deserves the credit.” Gina didn’t believe she deserved praise for doing what came naturally, although she appreciated the good word from Katie, a fellow nurse who often assisted Dr. Carrington. “Besides, there’s something special about those girls.”

      “Don’t sell yourself short, Gina,” he said.

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