A Gentle Magic

Cattleman Cody O'Fannin had never shied away from an adventure in his life, so when a high-pitched scream rang out across the harsh New Mexico Territory, he rode straight in the heart of danger, expecting to find a cougar or a Comanche. Instead, he found a scene far more frightening: a woman in the final stages of childbirth. Alone, the beautiful Melissa Wilmeth clearly needed his assistance, and although he would rather have faced a band of thieving outlaws, Cody resolutely ignored his quaking insides and helped deliver her baby.

When the infant's first wail filled the air, Cody gazed into Melissa's bewitching blue eyes and was spellbound. How else could he explain the queer tightening in his chest and the sparkles he saw shimmering in the air above her honey-colored hair? Then thoughts of marriage crept into his head, and he knew for sure that both his sense and his courage had deserted him on the same day. But as he got to know the new mother with the engaging smile, he didn't need a crystal ball to realize he hadn't lost his mind or his nerve, but his heart.