The daddy secret

The daddy secret: When Mallory Dickinson comes home with the son she gave up for adoption at seventeen, she knows she has to face her past. Ten years ago, she fell hard for Rick Martinez. The irresistible Brighton Valley troublemaker with a capital T is now the town's beloved vet. But is he ready to be a father? When Rick finds out Mallory's planning to raise their child—the son he never met—he knows this is their second chance. But how long can he keep his true identity a secret from his son…when every day brings him closer to Mallory and the boy who looks just like him? It's time for this rebel with a cause to prove he's got what it takes to become the family man he's always wanted to be. Her accidental engagement: Julia Morgan is in the midst of a nasty custody battle, trying to prove she provides a stable environment as a single mother for her son, Charlie. When the opposing lawyer starts to play dirty, she has a few tricks up her own sleeve…one that involves the hunky, most eligible bachelor in town. As Brevia's police chief, Sam Callahan is used to saving others, so when he sees a cute, sassy blonde in need of help, he gladly plays hero. Not only will pretending to be her fiancé help Julia's case, it will also get his father off his back about finding "the one." But what happens when pretend doesn't seem so—well—pretend anymore?

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Fiction, Romance. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.