Rachel's Bundle of Joy

By Christine Rimmer

Dive into a classic novella from New York Times bestselling author Christine Rimmer!

With her biological clock ticking, Rachel Stockham decides to take motherhood into her own hands and visits a fertility clinic. But at six months pregnant, an impromptu shopping trip and a purse snatching send her on a date with sweet, sexy Bryce Armstrong. Suddenly, she's wondering if there may just be a man in her—and her daughter's—future. But Bryce has secrets, secrets that he fears might change Rachel's feelings about him. When those secrets come out, will Rachel be able to see who Bryce truly is? Or will there chance encounter turn into a lesson in missed connections?

Originally published in 2004 in Mother by Design

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin Special Releases
• Release date: Feb 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781488028694

Christine Rimmer

A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, Christine Rimmer has written more than a hundred contemporary romances for Harlequin Books. She consistently writes love stories that are sweet, sexy, humorous and heartfelt. She lives in Oregon with her family. Visit Christine at www.christinerimmer.com.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Rachel Stockham was certain she had to be the only six-months-pregnant woman in the state of Oregon who spent the majority of her non-working hours fantasizing about sex.

Why me? Rachel found herself wondering on a daily basis.

As a medical professional she knew what she needed to know about pregnancy and childbirth. And beyond being a nurse, as a mother-to-be, she’d made it her business to read all the best and most current books on the subject.

She knew very well what her top preoccupations should be at six months along and none of them were sex. Uh-uh. Leading the list should be heartburn and swelling ankles—those and the bigger questions: Will my baby be healthy? And, in her case, How will I cope with single motherhood, a seriously bipolar mother of my own and my extremely satisfying but also demanding and emotionally draining career?

And, yes, Rachel did know it was perfectly normal for a pregnant woman to still enjoy sex, even lots of sex. But if lots of sex is what any given pregnant woman wants, it’s helpful to have a man around to have sex with.

Rachel had no man. She planned to be a single mother in the truest sense of the word. Her baby’s father was donor 1067 at OCS—Oregon Cryogenic Services. She knew his blood type, his ethnic extraction, his height, weight and interests. And that was all she knew. It was all and it was plenty. She did not dream of finding out more, nor did she hope that some gorgeous, perfect hero of a guy would appear in her life out of nowhere and adore her on sight—puffy ankles, bulging belly and all.

Uh-uh. Rachel Stockham was a realist. She didn’t expect to be rescued by a man. She wasn’t sitting around waiting for some fabulous guy to fall crazy in love with her.

She would like just one wild night of jungle sex, please. Before she was too huge to manage it, before she got all wrapped up in juggling motherhood, family problems and her career and had neither the time nor the opportunity—not to mention the energy—for a glorious, mad night of sexual abandon.

But was she considering finding a way to act on this burning desire for a single, memorable, all-night, one night stand?

Not a chance. The last—and only—time she had gone out and had a wild, monkey-sex night with a stranger, she’d discovered later that the stranger was her best friend’s fiancé. It was a disaster. Never, ever again was she going there. And seriously. How many men would go there with her in her condition anyway, even if she were out hunting them down?

So. What do you do when you want it bad and you’ve reconciled yourself to the fact that you’re not going to get it?

Maybe you fantasize.

Rachel did. A lot.

About Brad Pitt, shirtless. About Ben Affleck, buck-naked and giving her hungry looks…

But don’t get the wrong idea here. Rachel didn’t let herself get hot and bothered over just any handsome guy. No, no. She made a point of maintaining certain standards when it came to choosing imaginary partners for starring roles in her forbidden fantasies.

The rules went like this: Movie stars were okay. But no one in her real life. Not the muscular guy who lived down the street and mowed his tiny square of front lawn bare-chested, his baggy cargo shorts riding low on his lean, hard hips. And no one at Portland General—no handsome doctors, no hunky radiation techs. At the Cancer Care Center, she kept her mind firmly on what mattered.

And no innocent bystanders, either. Somehow, it seemed to her just one step beyond awful that she might get caught staring dreamily at some good-looking guy whose only mistake was that he happened to wander into a sex-obsessed pregnant lady’s line of sight. Strangers were definitely out.

Or at least, they were until that April day at Becky & Huck’s…

* * *

It was a Friday, the first day of a three-day weekend for Rachel. When you’re in nursing, a three-day weekend is something to savor. A precious, uninterrupted span of time all to herself. Her plans for that Friday included running errands, a little shopping and then a movie…starring Brad or Ben, of course. In the evening, she would sink into a scented bath with a smile on her face and naughty fantasies in her head.

Rachel took care of her errands early and arrived at Portland’s biggest mall, Lloyd Center, at a little after ten. By noon, she’d bought herself a couple of new pregnant-lady outfits—on sale at Motherhood Maternity—and wandered through Gymboree, Gap Kids and the Children’s Place.

Becky & Huck’s was her last stop—before she took a break at the food court and made a decision about which movie to see. The store was brand-new and sold seriously upscale kids’ clothes. Out of her price range, really. But no harm in browsing….

Beyond the store entrance, bright banners hung from the ceiling and the cheery décor was in pink, yellow and apple-green. The clerks were right there, asking if they could help her.

Just looking… She smiled her most beatific expectant-mother smile and headed for the banner that announced, Baby Girls: Birth to 3 Months.

The clothes were so darling: infant capri sets of organic eyelet cotton; ruffled creations accented in the softest, prettiest lace; tiny dresses with patchwork tops; a downy-soft baby cardigan embroidered with flowers and trimmed in bright ribbons…

And wasn’t there just something about baby clothes? Especially baby clothes like these, so sweet and unique and beautifully made. They were the kind of clothes a loving grandmother or doting aunt might create and they spoke to Rachel of hope—for the future in general and for her unborn child, specifically.

Okay, she was doing this solo with no man to lean on. And true, her mother was not going to be the kind of grandma who knits darling sweater sets and begs for a chance to baby-sit. The future didn’t look perfect by any means. But still, Rachel and her little one were going to do just fine.

Setting her Motherhood Maternity bag between her feet, she picked up one of the embroidered, beribboned sweaters. It was fluffy as a kitten’s belly, downy as a baby chick. She shook it out and held it high—and saw that a man was watching her.

He was right across the display stand from her, directly in her line of sight as she admired the tiny sweater—and he was gorgeous! A tender mouth, thick blond hair. He wore a lightweight cobalt-colored sweater that clung to his broad shoulders and made his blue eyes look deep enough to drown in.

Before she could remind herself that this was real life and he qualified as an innocent bystander—which made him not someone she ought to be drooling over—he winked at her.

Seriously. Actually.

That incredible guy winked at her. And she let herself smile at him.

At that point, she caught herself. She cleared her throat, dropped her gaze and—with slow,