Baby Daddy, Book #1

• Buying a Dad
• Cowboy Romance
• Single Mom Romance

Child genius, Hutch Lonigan knows exactly what his mom needs for her birthday — a husband! And if that also provides him with a dad, he won’t complain. But his mother has put any possibility of marriage firmly behind her. No way, no how will she end up in another disastrous relationship.

So Hutch decides to solve the problem logically by walking into the Yellow Rose Matchmakers agency with all his savings and demanding the best man he can get for nine dollars ... and change!

As the sleeping partner in the family business, rancher Ty Merrick didn’t expect the computer to cough up his name, but it did, with a 99.2% almost-perfect match. After meeting Cassidy Lonigan and snatching one deliciously passionate kiss, Ty is hearing wedding bells.

Only it's going to take more than sweet talk and kisses to persuade this stubborn woman up the aisle.

To his surprise, he receives help—if you can call it that—from Hutch, who uses his brilliance to devise devious schemes to throw the two together and convince them that they’re 100% meant to end up as husband, wife, and son.

Baby Daddy is a slow-burn, tender, contemporary romance, guaranteed to make you a believer in happily-ever-after.

Note to Readers: Baby Daddy is Book #1 of 6 in The Baby, Oh Baby! Series, a contemporary romance series by USA Today bestselling author and eleven-time RITA© (Romance Writers of America) finalist, Day Leclaire. This story features a hot, take-charge alpha hero and the perfect woman for him, and a sizzling romance between soul mates.

“Class is dismissed,” the teacher announced. “Have a good spring vacation. Oh, and Hutch Lonigan? I’d like to see you before you leave.”

Uh-oh. He could tell from her tone that she wasn’t happy. A stream of hulking seventh-graders filed out, flicking him quick, amused glances. Of course, they always looked at him that way. As a ten-year-old daring to invade their territory, he was often treated with a mixture of scorn, suspicion and occasionally open dislike.

Stacking his books in a neat pile on his desk, he slipped from his seat and approached Mrs. Roon. “Yes, ma’am?” The teacher shuffled some papers. She’s nervous, he realized. Okay. Maybe that would work to his advantage. Settling his glasses more firmly on his nose, he fixed her with a cool, direct gaze. That particular look always seemed to bother people. “I hope there isn’t anything wrong.” He didn’t phrase it as a question.

She glanced at him quickly, then away. Flipping open a folder, she thumped her index finger against a neatly printed set of papers. “It’s about your proposed science experiment.”

Uh-oh. He’d been afraid of that. “Yes?”

“It’s... You must admit, it’s a bit unorthodox.”

Nothing wrong with that. He waited, allowing his silence to weigh on her.

Mrs. Roon cleared her throat, leafing through the papers in his file as though they held the words she so desperately sought. “I’d like you to consider choosing a different subject.”

“No.”

“Hutch...”

Her voice had softened, grown motherly. He thrust out his chin another inch. He already had one mother. And she never used that pitying tone on him. Not ever. “No,” he repeated.

“I understand why you want to conduct this experiment. But it’s not acceptable. You must see that?”

“It’s a logical approach to resolve a problem that no one else has been able to correct.”

“Meaning your mother.”

“She’s not logical.” He ticked his points off on his stubby fingers. “She doesn’t see the problem. Therefore she’s unlikely to attempt a solution. This experiment will remedy that.”

“I’m sorry, Hutch. But I can’t authorize your project. At least, not without her agreement.”

He balled his hands into fists, then realizing how much they gave away, shoved them into his pockets. “No! If she knows about it, the results will be compromised.”
Mrs. Roon sighed. “I’m afraid my decision’s final. Without your mother’s written permission, you’ll have to choose another project. Even with her permission, I’m not certain I’d approve. It’s too...too...” She gave a helpless shrug. “You’re an intelligent boy. And it’s a sweet, noble thought. But you must see that it’s not appropriate?”

She was using that tone again. He pressed his lips tightly together and continued to glare. “Is that your final word?”

“Yes, Hutch. I’m afraid it is.” She closed the folder and slid it across her desk toward him. “We’re off these next two weeks for spring break. Take that time to choose another project.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll speak to your mother about it.”

“You realize you’re not giving me any choice.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“Me, too,” he muttered beneath his breath. “It’s been nice working with you, Mrs. Roon.”

Picking up the folder, he returned to his desk. He stood and stared at the tidy stack of books, his brain working at a furious rate.

Mrs. Roon wouldn’t change her mind and he couldn’t risk his mother’s finding out about his experiment. With those two premises a given, he analyzed his predicament. In his mind, the problem formed the trunk of a massive tree, the various solutions growing from it into a huge network of crisscrossing branches. It took only a moment to settle on one of the more intriguing choices.

A tiny smile played around his mouth. It was a thin branch, one way off by itself. A very shaky limb indeed. Risky to climb. But the potential results... They far outweighed that risk.

Turning, he took one final look at his teacher. “Thank you, Mrs. Roon. I’ll take care of it.” Picking up his empty backpack, he settled it over his shoulders.

“I’m glad, Hutch,” she said with a huge, relieved smile.
“Aren’t you taking your books home with you?”

“No need.”

She laughed at that, the sound a little too high-pitched. He made most people nervous, though he’d never understood why. Smart must scare some adults—at least when it was a kid being smart.

“I guess not,” she said. “You probably have them all memorized anyway.”

“Most of them,” he agreed, heading for the door. “Goodbye, Mrs. Roon,” he added as an afterthought. He didn’t look at her again, his mind already busy listing what he’d have to accomplish over the next sixteen days to achieve his goal. It was a daunting agenda. But then, he always did love a good challenge. He closed the schoolroom door with a decisive click.

And finding his mom a husband would undoubtedly be the greatest challenge of all.