Baby Wanted: A Bundle of Joy, #1

By Roxy Wilson

Her biological clock is ticking...

 

Heather Lovey's almost thirty-five, and she wants a baby. Badly. With no prospects in sight, she turns to Sean Johnson, her BFF.

 

His feelings for her are enduring…

 

Sean has been in love with Heather since forever, but she's always kept him at arm's length. When she proposes he father her child, he jumps at the chance, hoping a baby will lead to lasting romance. He demands one favor in return: that they have a baby as a married couple. She's free to divorce him after a year.

 

The time they have together is fleeting…

 

Marriage is the last thing on Heather's mind. She only wants the unconditional love a child can give, something she lacked during her years in foster homes. She agrees to give Sean a year in this sham-marriage, never thinking it could turn into something so much more.

 

Is one year enough time for Sean to change Heather's way of thinking and make their marriage the kind that will last? Will Sean and Heather end up with more than they planned in this captivating interracial romance?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roxy Wilson
• Release date: Jan 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393086994

Book preview

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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This is a work of fiction. All characters, places, businesses and incidents are from the author’s imagination or they are used fictitiously and are definitely fictionalized. Any trademarks or pictures herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks or pictures used are specifically in a descriptive capacity. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is coincidental.

Text copyright © 2014 Roxy Wilson

All Rights Reserved

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BOOK DESCRIPTION

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Her biological clock is ticking...

Heather Lovey’s almost thirty-five, and she wants a baby. Badly. With no prospects in sight, she turns to Sean Johnson, her BFF.

His feelings for her are enduring...

Sean has been in love with Heather since forever, but she's always kept him at arm's length. When she proposes he father her child, he jumps at the chance, hoping a baby will lead to lasting romance. He demands one favor in return: that they have a baby as a married couple. She's free to divorce him after a year.

The time they have together is fleeting...

Marriage is the last thing on Heather’s mind. She only wants the unconditional love a child can give, something she lacked during her years in foster homes. She agrees to give Sean a year in this sham-marriage, never thinking it could turn into something so much more.

Is one year enough time for Sean to change Heather’s way of thinking and make their marriage the kind that will last? Will Sean and Heather end up with more than they planned in this captivating interracial romance?

Chapter One

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Heather fidgeted on the coffee shop’s seat and twisted the paper band on her coffee cup while patrons moved around her with their full to-go cups. Beside her, a mom jostled a toddler on her hip and Heather’s heart squeezed. She wanted to be that mom so badly. In her head, her biological clock gonged by the hour. Time was slipping away so fast. At thirty-four and three-quarters, there was no time to lose, which was why today was so critically important.

The front door buzzed and she glanced up, nervously expectant that it would finally be Sean coming through the entrance, nope, an older gentleman with a Yorkie in his arms. Heather leaned closer to the window beside her table and glanced up and down the bustling sidewalk, but she didn’t see Sean’s dark head anywhere. She checked her watch again. He was never anywhere on time, but she’d hoped that today she wouldn’t have to wait the full fifteen minutes of Sean Standard Time.

The coffee thrummed through her veins and her heel tapped the linoleum. She should have ordered a small, but now she was tempted to order another, or maybe a scone to soak up some of the caffeine. She still had at least another five minutes before Sean showed. Heather lifted her purse off the back of the chair and dug around for a five-dollar bill. As she twisted to stand, she caught Sean staring at her from just outside the door. Heather waved and a bright smile flashed across his face. He held the door open for two loud women talking about a shoe sale down at Macy’s. He came over and enfolded her in a huge warm hug. He was such a great hugger. She pressed her cheek into his neck and smiled at the comforting smell of his spicy aftershave. His wide hand pressed against the small of her back, and their bellies melded together. Sean wasn’t the kind of guy to keep her at a friendly distance when they hugged—almost like he used their body contact to sustain him during the rest of his week.

He leaned away and smiled. You okay?

Heather nodded and let her arms fall to her sides. Want a coffee?

He glanced at the counter, six deep in customers, then back at Heather. I was kind of hoping we could grab a bite to eat. Have you had lunch?

Heather shook her head. Ever since she’d come up with this crazed idea, her appetite had fled, and she’d barely eaten anything in the last two days. Now that she was so close to getting a resolution, her stomach growled.

Sean grinned and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. I’ll take that as a yes.

Heather grabbed her purse and tossed her nearly empty cup into the trash by the door as she let Sean lead her out of the coffee shop and down the block.

Putino’s okay?

Mmm. Yes. I’ve been dying for his ravioli.

They strolled down the sidewalk and Heather tossed around the perfect way to dive into this conversation. Sean was her last chance and she had to get it right.

An older couple passed them as they reached the restaurant. The woman was nagging the man and his bickering reply pecked at Heather like a horrid little magpie. She winced at how their behavior perfectly mimicked that of her first foster parents. Before the memory could overtake her, she hurried inside, soothed by the soft music coming from the speakers and drowning out the outside chatter. She took a breath and refused to dive backward into her past. That life was gone now, she told herself. Today was a brand new start of something wonderful.

Sean settled his hand on the small of her back, as if he sensed her tension. His touch grounded her into this reality, and she drew a deep breath while they waited for the host to seat them.

It was early enough that they’d beat the lunch rush, so the host took them right back to a table. Sean held her seat and hundreds of butterflies erupted in Heather’s stomach. She just needed to get this over with. Sean hung up his coat and sat.

So what’s up?

Heather’s stomach flipped and flopped and she clutched her fingers together in front of her. Her foot bounced up and down and she couldn’t make it stop. There was no easy way out of this. She just needed to get it out there, and then they could talk about it. Six little words, that’s all. She leaned forward and searched his face, but her conviction didn’t slip an inch. This was still the perfect solution. She just had to tell him. I want to have a baby.

You will, just give it time.

No. Not eventually. I mean right now.

Sean’s eyes widened as he slipped into the chair next to her and drew her into his arms. What happened to bring this on?

The tightness in her chest loosened and Heather took a breath. She finally looked at Sean. Had she never noticed that cleft