Destined To Be A Dad (Welcome To Destiny Book 9) by Christyne Butler Page A

took that bubble bath she’d been longing for, memories be damned. So what if the tub stood in the exact same spot it had sixteen years ago?
    The antique hadn’t been in working order back then. Not that they had let that stop them on a stormy afternoon, lining the tub with old quilts and sharing a picnic there, the roomy fixture big enough to fit both of them comfortably. So comfortably that they’d—
    Okay, so the bubbles did little to relax her. Nor did the cup of Earl Grey tea she’d made after finding a selection of loose teas and a darling little pot in the cozy kitchen.
    Setting the empty cup in the sink, Missy crossed the parlor, drawn to the French doors that led to the covered porch. She hoped a few moments in the fresh air would clear away her whirlwind thoughts as she slipped outside, closing the door behind her.
    She tightened the sash on her dressing gown. The air was cool as she walked to the porch railing, drawn by the full moon lighting up the night sky and dancing over the gentle current of the river-fed lake.
    Leaning forward, she gazed up at the stars shining overhead, so clear and bright. Not a sight she saw often from her London neighborhood. Years ago, her first glimpse at a Wyoming sky at night had made her feel much as she felt right now.
    Lost and alone. Small. Insignificant. The same emotions that had swamped her the day she’d discovered she was pregnant and had no idea who the baby’s father was.
    She’d prayed it was Liam. Hoped and prayed for weeks, even after her parents and Stanford had learned about the pregnancy. She’d debated constantly over getting in touch with Liam while having no idea how to explain the crazy situation.
    Then she’d found out he’d married someone else. Trying not to allow her heart to be filled with pain and sorrow over the news had been hard. She hadn’t wanted her baby to be stuck inside a body racked with such intense emotions for the remaining months of her pregnancy.
    And she’d stopped hoping.
    Now, fifteen years later, those long-ago prayers had been answered and their lives—hers, Casey’s and Liam’s—would never be the same.
    Would it be fair to separate Casey and Liam so soon? Her daughter had pleaded to stay in Destiny, easily brushing aside the temptation of a month on a tropical beach in order to get to know the man who was her father. Her real father.
    Casey and Stanford had never bonded, mostly because of his business schedule and a quiet disdain over Missy’s refusal to hire a nanny. He had never gotten over the fact she had wanted to be the one to raise their child, even if it meant putting off her own schooling until Casey was older. Putting him and his career ambitions off, too, at times when it came to fancy parties or corporate travel. She had been a mother first, a wife second. Was it any wonder their marriage foundered after such a short time?
    Casey had never seemed to miss having a father after Stanford’s death, mainly because Missy’s father had been such a doting presence in her life, especially when Missy and Casey had moved back home. To learn he’d played with their lives all those years ago damaged the memories both of them had of the man.
    Missy sighed. Could she do it? Could she stay here at Liam’s home, where she’d be surrounded by the memories from a lifetime ago?
    During her first visit to Destiny, she’d stayed with a family in town. The McIntyres had been nice people, even if their daughter had soon come to regret having to share her room. Not that it had mattered, because from the moment Missy and Liam had become a couple, her life had revolved around him, his family and the Murphy family home.
    She’d traveled with the Murphys on weekends to the rodeos Liam and his brothers had competed in, marveling at his strength and commitment to the sport. A rising star on the rodeo circuit, Liam had been popular with everyone he came in contact with but still down-to-earth. So easy to talk to, to be with.
    And