From Maverick to Daddy Read online

  MONTANA’S LITTLEST MATCHMAKER

  RUST CREEK RAMBLINGS

  Have you met eight-year-old Lily? The fast-talking street-smart New Yorker has charmed everyone here in Rust Creek Falls. She has even managed to win over Caleb Dalton, our curmudgeonly cowboy who usually avoids all things family related. Or could it be that Caleb’s real interest lies in Lily’s adoptive mom, Mallory Franklin?

  It’s hard to believe our eternal bachelor would consider getting involved with someone who has a child. It’s even harder to fathom that spunky Mallory would date a man whose only documented commitment is to playing the field. But Lily insists the two are the perfect couple, and who are we to argue? Stay tuned, dear readers, and see if Lily can lead them down the bridal path!

  When Lily slipped her hand into Mallory’s, she felt that pesky lump in her throat again.

  Emotion expanded in her chest and squeezed her heart. This little girl meant the world to her and she would do anything in her power to make Lily happy.

  Hand in hand they walked through the store, sticking to the main aisle. Almost at the exit leading to the mall, there was a display of girls’ fancy dresses. Lily stopped dead in her tracks to look at an off-white, full-skirted, sleeveless lace-over-satin dress.

  “I love this,” she said.

  “It’s very beautiful,” Mallory agreed. “But you don’t have anywhere to wear something like that.”

  “A flower girl could wear it.” Serious dark eyes looked up at her. “For a wedding.”

  Mallory’s heart squeezed again, this time with an emotion more complicated than love. How did you protect the child you cared about so much from something that wasn’t within your power to make happen? Even if you wanted it.

  * * *

  MONTANA MAVERICKS: 20 Years in the Saddle!

  Dear Reader,

  Have you ever been somewhere a dozen times and never noticed that certain person, then suddenly he catches your eye? Is it a sign from the universe or subconscious desire willing you to be near that man who makes your heart skip a beat?

  In From Maverick to Daddy, this is the predicament facing Mallory Franklin. She’s been through a year of changes, including taking in her orphaned niece. Letting cowboy Caleb Dalton, resident playboy of Rust Creek Falls, into their lives is not a smart move.

  Caleb likes all women, and his only commitment is to staying a bachelor. But there’s something about Mallory and the little girl she’s raising that starts him thinking; does he really want to stay footloose and fancy-free—or go from maverick to daddy?

  It’s hard to believe the Montana Mavericks, with heroines we root for and maverick cowboys we love to love, has reached such a significant milestone. Without reader support this series would not still be around. Thanks for twenty years of loyalty!

  Always,

  Teresa Southwick

  FROM MAVERICK TO DADDY

  Teresa Southwick

  Books by Teresa Southwick

  Harlequin Special Edition

  ☐To Have the Doctor’s Baby #2126

  ~~Her Montana Christmas Groom #2156

  ☐Holding Out for Doctor Perfect #2187

  ☐The Doctor and the Single Mom #2204

  ¤The Maverick’s Christmas Homecoming #2230

  ¶¶The Doctor’s Dating Bargain #2234

  ¶¶Her McKnight in Shining Armor #2271

  ++Finding Family…And Forever? #2320

  ++One Night with the Boss #2326

  >From Maverick to Daddy #2347

  Silhouette Special Edition

  The Summer House #1510 “Courting Cassandra”

  Midnight, Moonlight & Miracles #1517

  It Takes Three #1631

  ¶The Beauty Queen’s Makeover #1699

  At the Millionaire’s Request #1769

  §§Paging Dr. Daddy #1886

  ☐The Millionaire and the M.D. #1894

  ☐When a Hero Comes Along #1905

  ☐Expecting the Doctor’s Baby #1924

  +Marrying the Virgin Nanny #1960

  ☐The Doctor’s Secret Baby #1982

  +The Nanny and Me #2001

  ~Taming the Montana Millionaire #2059

  ☐The Surgeon’s Favorite Nurse #2067

  ☐Cindy’s Doctor Charming #2097

  Silhouette Books

  The Fortunes of Texas

  Shotgun Vows

  Silhouette Romance

  *And Then He Kissed Me #1405

  *With a Little T.L.C. #1421

  The Acquired Bride #1474

  *Secret Ingredient: Love #1495

  *The Last Marchetti Bachelor #1513

  **Crazy for Lovin’ You #1529

  **This Kiss #1541

  **If You Don’t Know by Now #1560

  **What If We Fall in Love? #1572

  Sky Full of Promise #1624

  ∆To Catch a Sheik #1674

  ∆To Kiss a Sheik #1686

  ∆To Wed a Sheik #1696

  ΩBaby, Oh Baby #1704

  ΩFlirting with the Boss #1708

  ΩAn Heiress on His Doorstep #1712

  §That Touch of Pink #1799

  §In Good Company #1807

  §Something’s Gotta Give #1815

  ☐Men of Mercy Medical

  +The Nanny Network

  §§The Wilder Family

  *The Marchetti Family

  **Destiny, Texas

  ∆Desert Brides

  ΩIf Wishes Were…

  §Buy-a-Guy

  ¶Most Likely To…

  ~Montana Mavericks: Thunder Canyon Cowboys

  ~~Montana Mavericks: The Texans Are Coming!

  ¤Montana Mavericks: Back in the Saddle

  ¶¶Mercy Medical Montana

  ++The Bachelors of Blackwater Lake

  >Montana Mavericks: 20 Years in the Saddle!

  Other titles by Teresa Southwick available in ebook format.

  TERESA SOUTHWICK

  lives with her husband in Las Vegas, the city that reinvents itself every day. An avid fan of romance novels, she is delighted to be living out her dream of writing for Harlequin.

  To Christine Rimmer,

  fabulous plotting partner, writer and friend.

  It’s always a pleasure to work with you, and your generous help on this book is very much appreciated.

  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

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  The little Asian girl sitting at the desk where his father’s receptionist normally sat was one heck of a surprise to Caleb Dalton. It was something you didn’t see every day, at least not in the law offices of Ben Dalton. Cute as could be, she looked about seven or eight, going on twenty-five. A dainty, beautiful little doll.

  “Hi, there,” he said, politely removing his hat.

  “Are you a real cowboy?” Her black eyes glittered with excitement.

  “Yes, ma’am, I am.”

  “Cool.” Her delicately shaped mouth curved i
nto a smile for just a moment, then she was all business. “I’m sorry to tell you, but the office is closed. Can you come back tomorrow?”

  “I’m pretty sure Mr. Dalton will see me anyway.” The man was his father and that should get him a pass.

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  “Sort of.” Picking his dad up to take him out for a beer should qualify.

  “Mr. Dalton is doing something very important right now and can’t be disturbed. You’ll have to wait. Please take a seat.” Little Miss Efficient went back to reading her book.

  Caleb wasn’t sure whether to laugh or do as he was told but finally opted for the latter, since he was in no particular hurry. And how often did a kid get to boss around grown-ups? Might be good for her self-esteem. Although from what he could tell, she was definitely not low on confidence.

  Spinning his hat in his hands, he walked over to a chair against the wall and sat as ordered. The high oak reception desk where the little girl wielded power like a Supreme Court Justice separated the client waiting area from the wide doorway beyond, which was his father’s office. His paralegal worked back there, too.

  Here the floor was dark wood and the beige walls were decorated with watercolor paintings of mountains, cowboys on horseback and the local waterfall for which Rust Creek Falls, Montana, was named. He’d been there less than a minute when he heard the click of high heels hurrying closer, and a young woman emerged from the back office.

  “I heard the bell over the door. Is someone here...?” The woman stopped short and looked at him.

  The little girl glanced up from her book. “I told him Mr. Dalton was busy.”

  “With important business, I was told.” Caleb stood and walked closer, as if drawn by some invisible force.

  This woman wasn’t classically beautiful, but there was something about her that intrigued him, attracted him. Maybe it was the long-sleeved white silky blouse tucked into a straight, formfitting black skirt. She wasn’t very big, but the high heels made her legs look long and sleek.

  “I’m so sorry. Please tell me she wasn’t rude.”

  Spoken like a concerned mother. The little girl must be adopted. “No apology necessary.”

  “Lily, you should have let Mr. Dalton know his son is here.”

  “You told me to read and be quiet as a mouse and not get in the way when Cecelia dropped me off,” the little girl protested.

  “I know. But sometimes there are exceptions...” The woman sighed and the movement did interesting things to the body under that silky white blouse.

  “How did you know?” he asked her.

  “Know what?”

  Caleb was sure they hadn’t met. A striking woman like her would be nearly impossible to forget. “That Ben is my father.”

  “There’s a picture of you in his office. He has photos of the whole family. You’re Caleb, the youngest of the boys.” She smiled. “He brags a little.”

  “Have you called him out on it?”

  “All the time, but he’s not intimidated.”

  “That’s my dad.” He grinned. “You have me at a disadvantage. I don’t know your name.”

  “Mallory Franklin. I’m his paralegal. And this little girl is Lily. My niece. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Same here.” Caleb took the slender hand she held out and his own seemed to swallow it.

  He was certainly no stranger to meeting women; it happened to him on a regular basis. But this was different. She—Mallory—was different. Her auburn hair was long and shiny, spilling past her shoulders. Warm brown eyes met his and he saw easy laughter there. What was it about the combination of features that made him want to charm her straight into his bed?

  There was a thought Caleb wanted to put out of his mind. He didn’t see a ring on her left finger, but that didn’t mean anything. Her niece was probably adopted and he wondered why Mallory was taking care of her. There could be a husband, and marriage was a sacred line he didn’t cross. Even if she wasn’t, a woman with a child was a complication he didn’t need.

  “So, you’re here to see Ben?” She looked at their joined hands and he realized he was still holding hers.

  With a fair amount of reluctance he loosened his fingers. “Yeah. I’m taking him out for a beer.”

  “Good. He works too hard and needs to relax.”

  “That’s what my mother says.”

  “I’m guessing you’re going to Ace in the Hole?” One of her auburn eyebrows lifted.

  “It’s the only place in town. And I really mean that.”

  “I like that Rust Creek Falls is small,” she said.

  “It is that.” Instead of being grateful that he hadn’t met her sooner, the reminder of how small the town was made him wonder where she’d been. He refused to even add all my life. “You’re new here.”

  “I moved here in January.”

  Since it was now August, that meant she’d been there almost seven months. “How is it I haven’t seen you around?”

  “I’m guessing Bee’s Beauty Parlor and the doughnut shop aren’t at the top of your list of places to hang out.”

  “Good guess,” he admitted.

  “What about church?”

  “I go when I can. Work on the ranch keeps me busy, but on Sundays when I can’t get away, I look at the mountains, trees, falls and that’s my place of worship. It’s prettier and more fitting than the inside of a building.”

  “I can’t argue with that.” She tapped her lip and a sly look turned her eyes the color of melted chocolate. “You probably don’t get over to the elementary school much, either.”

  “Nope. Once a year when everyone in town pitches in to get it ready for opening day is about the only time.”

  “I like that small-town spirit. Lissa Roarke captured it in her blog and caught my attention. It’s one of the reasons we moved from Manhattan. It’s a wonderful place to visit, but I grew up and lived most of my life in Helena.”

  “A Montana girl.” He wasn’t sure why that should please him, but it did.

  “Yes, sir. So raising Lily in the city didn’t seem best.”

  “Do you miss it?”

  “Excuse me. Twenty-four-hour takeout,” the little girl chimed in. “I miss fast food whenever I want it. And Central Park.”

  He hadn’t been aware she was listening. In fact he’d all but forgotten she was there. “Yeah, that’s a problem. What about you, Mallory?”

  “Multiplex movie theaters,” she said dreamily.

  “Museums,” Lily added.

  “Montana has been an adjustment for her. It was awfully quiet at first but she’s getting used to it.”

  “I have a friend.” The little girl smiled. “And I like cowboys. I want to learn how to ride a horse.”

  “I rest my case,” Mallory said. “All indications are that we made the right decision moving here.”

  His father appeared in the doorway to the reception area, then walked over to join them. “Caleb, sorry to keep you waiting.”

  “No problem, Dad.” They shook hands.

  Ben Dalton was roughly six feet tall, the same height as Caleb. They had the same blue eyes and folks said their hair was an identical shade of brown before the older man’s began to show silver. Folks also said Caleb got his good looks from his dad and a little too much charm from his mother’s side of the family.

  “I see you’ve met Mallory and Lily.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Best paralegal I’ve ever had.” The older man nodded approvingly.

  “It’s nice of you to say so,” she said, a becoming pink flush spreading over her cheeks.

  “Not nice at all,” he protested. “Honest-to-God truth. You’re a valuable asset to this office and I appreciate all your hard work.”

&
nbsp; “And I appreciate having a boss who understands and respects family obligations. Being able to leave at five o’clock every day to pick up Lily from day care is really important to me.”

  “I was informed in no uncertain terms that the office was closed.” Caleb looked at the clock on the wall that said it was half past six. “All evidence points to a boss who’s a slave driver.”

  “Mallory graciously offered to stay,” his father defended.

  “It was an emergency,” she said. “Besides, Lily isn’t in school right now and Cecelia Clifton was watching her and offered to drop her off here.”

  Caleb began to doubt that Mallory was married because it sounded as if there wasn’t a husband to pick up the slack. But that was not his problem and none of his business. “So, you ready to go, Dad?”

  “Just let me shut down the office. I’ll be back in a minute. Mallory, go home.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Caleb watched Lily close her book and climb down from the big chair to stand by her aunt. The way the little girl tucked her hand into Mallory’s tugged at something a little empty inside him.

  “I’m glad we finally met,” he said. “And your niece shows a lot of promise as a sentry. No one gets past her. You’ve done a great job with her.”

  “And she did it all by herself. She doesn’t have a husband,” Lily volunteered cheerfully. “But I think maybe she’d like one. Maybe a cowboy.”

  Mallory looked horrified. “Lily—”

  “Okay, son. Let’s go get that beer. Will you lock up, Mallory?” His father rounded the corner like the cavalry coming to the rescue.

  Caleb wasn’t about to ignore a diplomatic exit strategy when he saw it. He put his hat on, touched the brim respectfully toward the two ladies, then followed his father out the door.

  He’d done his fair share of dating and then some. He’d gone out with blondes, brunettes, redheads and women whose hair was every shade in between. Ladies with blue eyes, green, black and brown had flirted and cozied up to him.

  His brothers would laugh him off the ranch if he said it out loud to them, but meeting Mallory Franklin had felt like a lightning strike. No woman had ever had that effect on him before and he didn’t much care for the fact that this one did. He could deal when there was a ghost of a chance that she was married, but now he knew for sure she wasn’t and it was a problem. Not only was there no husband, she was looking for one.