The Maverick’s Baby Arrangement

Good book. Daniel is a wealthy rancher who plans to turn part of his horse ranch into a dude ranch. As a newcomer to Bronco, and a horse rancher in cattle country, he feels that he’s looked at with suspicion by the locals. To get his neighbors on board with his plans, Daniel wants to hold a dinner where he can explain his goals. To do that, he needs a top-notch event planner. The ones he’s hired so far haven’t met his needs. He decides to try a local company and see if they can do better.

Brittany, who made appearances in the first two books of the series, In Search of the Long-Lost Maverick and The Cowboy’s Comeback, wants this job very much. If she does well, she has a chance for a much larger event. She is focused on her career and her plans to have her own event-planning business in the future. She’s excited when she has a chance to pitch her ideas to Daniel.

I loved their first meeting. Daniel is brusque and skeptical of her abilities, and Brittany is determined to show him what she can do. The way she stood up to him and didn’t allow him to blow her off was terrific and got his attention. There were also sparks of attraction that neither could deny, though both tried to resist. Daniel has more than enough on his plate between his business and caring for the niece he inherited from his deceased sister. Brittany is focused on her career and wants neither husband nor child. As the oldest in her family, she spent a lot of time caring for her siblings and doesn’t intend to do it again.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Daniel and Brittany. Brittany was surprised by Daniel’s revelation of Hailey’s existence and Daniel’s vehement desire to keep her presence secret. Their confrontation over the matter was intense. Brittany was there filling Daniel in on his dinner event when he received news that Hailey’s grandparents planned to sue for custody. Desperate not to lose her, Daniel proposed a marriage of convenience to Brittany to improve his chances of winning custody. Though resistant at first, Brittany quickly came to love the little girl and agreed to Daniel’s proposal.

I loved watching Daniel and Brittany spend time together, with and without Hailey. It wasn’t long before their fake marriage began to feel all too real. There were some sweet scenes of them as a family, and it was easy to see that the feelings between Daniel and Brittany grew. Neither realized what was happening between them until the visit from the social worker brought it into focus. I ached for them both as they avoided confessing their feelings and hid behind their agreement rather than risk rejection. Daniel and his friend’s conversation gave him the push he needed to go after Brittany and tell her the truth. The ending was great as both Daniel and Brittany realized they could have the future they both wanted.

My only disappointment was that there wasn’t much time devoted to the ongoing search for Beatrix. Hopefully, there will be more progress in the next book.