Hannah was proud to be part of the
MacBride clan. She loved her family, their land and her lavender. When she found a love she'd wished for all her life on a trip to Paris she thought she had it all. But hidden circumstances separated them leaving her back home with an unexpected reminder of her brief love affair.
When Ash shows up on their ranch she is torn between wanting to share all her joy with him and afraid to trust him to love her, not just their child.
She finds inspiration in her adopted
state of Colorado and her belief love is the most powerful, positive emotion we
can experience.
Excerpt #1
Nerves tingled
with apprehension as he encouraged her to continue. “What’s going on, Hannah?
Just tell me.”
“Ash, I’m
pregnant,” she said as she stared out over the fields. It wasn’t the way she
always imagined telling the father of her child they were about to be parents.
At his silence, she looked up at him. The expression on his face frightened
her. It was hard and cold.
“Is it mine?”
Came the ice-cold words.
Appalled that he
could even ask that had her stepping away from him. “Of course, it’s yours.”
“How? We used
protection.”
“I have no idea,
maybe there was a tear. All I know is that I’m ten weeks pregnant and you’re
the only man I’ve slept with in over a year.”
All types of
emotions swam through his system as he tried to process what she was telling
him. “When is the baby due?”
“February
twelfth.”
Ash felt as if
his world came to a complete stop. Again. Turning away from her he ran his hand
through his hair in frustration. Another woman claiming to be pregnant with his
child. Hannah was a woman whom he felt something deep for and thought he could
trust. Yet she was the same as the others. God, would he never learn. Anger
surged through him making him want to lash out.
“I want a
paternity test done.”
Shaken, Hannah
could barely speak. “O…okay. I don’t know anything about the process. I could
ask my doctor.”
Ash laughed
callously. “I’m an expert at these things. If you’re ten weeks we can have a
non-invasive prenatal test done. I’ll accept the results of that test.”
“I don’t want to
do anything to hurt the baby,” she said laying both her hands over her stomach,
tears welling up in her eyes.
For a moment he
softened, then reminded himself. She was just like the others. “It won’t hurt
the baby.”
Hannah wanted to
curl up in a ball and cry. Fighting for her composure she looked away from Ash
and focused on her gardens. “I’ll call my doctor tomorrow morning and see what
can be arranged.”
Ash studied
Hannah as she looked over her gardens. A part of him wanted to believe what he
saw, a lovely, soft woman who had stolen his heart. But he had too many
experiences that taught him to be cynical. Now it was his turn to leave.
“I’ll wait to
hear from you. Now, if you don’t mind I want to leave.” Hannah didn’t turn
around to look at him.
“Take the UV back
to the house.”
“I’m not leaving
you here to walk back.”
“I’ll find
another way back. There’s always someone around who can give me a lift.”
Ash hesitated,
wanted to say something to her but didn’t know what. Finally, he turned to
leave. “I’ll expect to hear from you in the morning.”
Hannah kept her
eyes averted as she heard him drive off. When she knew she was alone she
collapsed to the ground. Burying her face in her hands, she wept.
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