A Texas Soldier's Family

A Texas Soldier's Family
Cathy Gillen Thacker

DON’T MESS WITH THIS TEXAN!On the last leg of his tour of duty, Captain Garrett Lockhart is summoned home to Laramie, Texas, to handle an urgent family matter—a scandal that could destroy the enduring legacy of the Lockharts. Except it’s already being “handled” by Hope Winslow, a professional crisis manager.Hope is also the beautiful single mother of the most adorable baby boy the Army doctor has ever seen. Garrett is resisting Hope’s efforts at damage control—and pushing her clearly defined boundaries. Too bad she can’t resist him…and fantasies of a future with her Lone Star soldier!

“Dream on, Alpha Man.”

His eyes crinkled mischievously at the corners. “Alpha Man?”

Had she really said that? She must be punchier than she thought.

“It was an insult. A friendly one.” Hope bit down on an oath. She was just making it worse.

He laughed, his husky baritone like music to her ears. Continued giving her the long, sexy onceover. “Sounded more like a compliment to me.”

He was twisting everything around, embarrassing her and putting her off her game. Indignant, she trod closer. “Of course you would think that.”

He held his ground, arms folded in front of him. Again, that long, steady appraisal. “Because I’m alpha?”

He definitely was not a beta man.

“Can we end this repartee?”

He gathered her in his arms. “With pleasure.”

“What are you doing?”

“What any alpha male would do in this situation.” Grinning, he lowered his face to hers.

A Texas Soldier’s Family

Cathy Gillen Thacker

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

CATHY GILLEN THACKER is married and a mother of three. She and her husband spent eighteen years in Texas and now reside in North Carolina. Her mysteries, romantic comedies and heartwarming family stories have made numerous appearances on bestseller lists, but her best reward, she says, is knowing one of her books made someone’s day a little brighter. A popular Mills & Boon author for many years, she loves telling passionate stories with happy endings and thinks nothing beats a good romance and a hot cup of tea! You can visit Cathy’s website, www.cathygillenthacker.com (http://www.cathygillenthacker.com), for more information on her upcoming and previously published books, recipes and a list of her favorite things.

Contents

Cover (#ubcd877bd-afcd-5235-a943-a8c534a004c9)

Introduction (#ua636b353-dc57-51b2-b918-324d8e3cde7b)

Title Page (#u0e0171ed-0a34-57dc-8864-183e05a7e7e5)

About the Author (#u5147312e-8373-57c0-87c1-c4d70a6d7ef7)

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

Epilogue

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One (#ufbc312c9-65ce-53b9-835a-4154de038578)

“Welcome aboard!” The flight attendant smiled. “Going home to Texas...?”

“Not voluntarily,” Garrett Lockhart muttered under his breath as he made his way through the aircraft to his seat in the fourth row.

It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate spending time with his family, he acknowledged, stowing his bag in the bulkhead and stuffing his six-foot-five-inch body into the first-class seat next to the window. He did.

It’s just that he didn’t want them weighing in on what his next step should be. Or what he should do with his inheritance. The decision was hard enough. Should he sell out or stay and build a life in Laramie, as his late father had wanted?

Reenlist and take the considerable promotion being offered?

Or take a civilian post that would allow him to pursue his dreams?

He had twenty-nine days to decide.

And an unspecified but pressing family crisis to handle in the meantime.