Page 5 of The Christmas Cowboy

“Fine. There’s only one reason I can see for the rush. Val is pregnant, isn’t she?”

Liam looked at Val and shrugged. “We might as well tell him.”

“I guess you’re right. Yes, I’m pregnant. But you can’t tell Dad.”

Riley stared at Liam for a long moment before he hauled off and punched him in the jaw.

Shit, he hadn’t fought with Riley since they were kids. That damn right hook of his was still a killer. He put his hand on his jaw to wiggle it. He didn’t think it was broken but it hurt like a son of a bitch.

Val jumped up and grabbed Riley’s arm before he could land another punch. “Don’t hit Liam. You don’t understand.”

“Oh, I understand all right. Liam—my supposed best friend—seduced you and got you pregnant. You. My little sister. I guess I should be happy he’s marrying you without me having to threaten to kill him.”

“I told you this wouldn’t work,” Liam told Val.

“Damn it. I hate I told you so’s.” She turned to her brother. “Riley, I’m pregnant but the baby isn’t Liam’s.”

He looked at Liam. “It’s not your baby?”

“No.”

“Then why—what the hell is going on? Whose baby is it?”

“That doesn’t matter. The father doesn’t want anything to do with me or my baby. Which is fine with me. I don’t want him in my life or in my baby’s life.”

“He should take responsibility. It’s not right.”

“He won’t. And since he wants nothing to do with us, I don’t have to consider him at all. He’s not important. But Dad is another matter. I can’t tell him. You know how he’ll react.”

Riley winced. “It wouldn’t be pretty. But why do you want to marry Val, Liam? Especially since the baby isn’t yours. Besides, you’re too old for her.”

Before he could answer Val jumped in.

“Because I told Liam what had happened, and he knows how Dad will react if I tell him the truth. And he says it will help him out too, so he asked me to marry him. And I said yes. And he isn’t too old for me,” she added.

“Why will this help you out?” Riley asked Liam.

“I told you about my mom and why she won’t marry Clint. If I get married, she won’t have that excuse any longer.”

“Then the whole thing about you two having feelings for each other isn’t true?”

He and Val looked at each other. “I wouldn’t say that. Obviously we like each other or we wouldn’t be considering marriage. I’m single, Val needs help, so there’s nothing stopping us.”

“You’re both crazy.”

He could be right. “Now that we’ve got that straightened out will you stand up for me?”

“Are you two sure about this?”

Liam looked at Val. “I’m sure. What about you?”

“I’m sure too.”

“Then let’s get married.”

Chapter Three

Letty North wasone of the librarians at the Marietta library and one of Val’s closest friends. Letty, who was a couple of years older than Val, had lost both her parents just before her senior year of high school. Val’s family had taken her in until she was eighteen and had graduated high school. Val and Letty had been best friends ever since.

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