Fatherhood (Various)

She's not ready for motherhood. As the only female mechanic in Joyous, Tennessee, Ronnie Carter is more used to fixing carburetors than dressing for a date. So when Jason McDeere asks her out, she's thrown into a panic. Not only is the handsome high school teacher Ronnie's secret crush, he's the single father of an adorable toddler…who wants a mommy. A tomboy in overalls isn't the role model Jason had in mind for his young daughter. But the better he gets to know her, the more he's convinced that she's exactly what he's looking for. He has no doubt she'd make the ideal mother. Now, how can he convince Ronnie?

Is love enough to keep them together?  Jolyn Sutherland goes home to Blue Ridge, Arizona, to rebuild her life after a career-ending fall from a horse. But the onetime star lands smack in the middle of a brewing domestic storm that could sabotage her blossoming relationship with Chase Raintree, her first love.  Jolyn's homecoming is a complication the vet and devoted single father doesn't need. Especially with her family questioning whether Chase is the biological father of his eight-year-old daughter, Mandy. Chase won't let anyone take his child away from him, even if it means losing his second chance with Jolyn...;

Baby Steps...;  Helen Shaw loves her independence. On the rodeo circuit for months at a time, Helen's focused on her championship dreams. That all changes when she discovers she's pregnant with Colt Granger's baby. Friends with Colt since childhood, Helen always hoped they might be something more, but not like this. Not because he feels an obligation.  As a single dad, Colt's got his hands full with three raucous young boys and a busy ranch, but he can't stop thinking about Helen. He's thrilled when she suddenly quits competing and returns to Briggs, Idaho...;until he finds out why. Colt's night with Helen was definitely more than a fling, but he never meant for it to lead to another baby. Could this misstep actually be a step in the right direction?

Daddy Material? Blake Adams thinks he's dreaming when he wakes up to find a beautiful baby girl on his doorstep. With her curly red hair and sparkling green eyes, "Annie" quickly makes an indelible impression on his hardened heart. Needing advice, Blake turns to the only person he feels he can trust: criminal attorney Marissa Mason. It's been years since he's seen his childhood friend, and it's clear this stunning woman is no longer the tomboy of their youth. Now, with Marissa looking into Annie's mysterious arrival, Blake can't imagine letting either of them go. And when she unearths a shattering twist to Annie's birth, Blake knows his fate is sealed-;and that his future is not going to be spent alone. Fatherhood: Dedicated father and darling daughter-;what an unbeatable combination!

The Sara Lewis Betting Pool Is Officially Open!And everyone in Erskine, Montana, has been gambling on where and when the next "incident" will take place. Sara can't seem to help the fact that every time she gets near her neighbor, rancher Max Devlin, she inevitably winds up causing some sort of chaos. But enough is enough. She's been in love with Max for six years now, and it may just be time for her to move on.Easier said than done. Single dad Max also has an eight-year-old son, Joey, whom she loves as if he were her own. Together the three of them would make the perfect familyif only Max could see her as more than the sweet, perennially klutzy girl next door.

She once loved a cowboy...; When Tate Walker was killed in a barroom brawl, he left his widow with a small run-down ranch in south Texas and a daughter he falsely claimed wasn't his. Willow had accepted Tate's proposal because Cooper Drummond, the love of her life, refused to put aside his rodeo plans, despite her fears for his safety. A year later, a cowboy appears out of nowhere, looking for work. He'd heard about a widow who could use some help. To Willow's shock, it's Cooper Drummond. And to Coop's shock, the widow is his onetime fiancée, now the mother of a little girl who's been diagnosed with a troubling condition. She still loves that cowboy...; And that cowboy's never forgotten her. Can the two of them-;the three of them-;become a family? Can Coop love her daughter as his own?

Tara Montgomery is nobody's fool. She's known love 'em and leave 'em types before-;heck, she was left pregnant by one. There's no way charmingDylan Ross can tempt her into anything. Except the womanizing bachelor has more in common with Tara than she'd like. He's just discovered he's a father to a four-year-old girl. Single parenthood is tough, and Dylan needs the daycare employee's help. But Tara has her own problems. In a vicious custody battle, a high school diploma and empty bank account are no defense. Throw in "single working mother," and Tara could lose her son. That's the only reason she's considering Dylan's outlandish proposal. Marriage may be their only solution, but Tara is going into it with her eyes open. Her son has to come first-;no matter what her heart wants.

Having His Baby...; Twenty-Five Years Later It starts when Natalie Briggs runs into her ex-husband, Josh, at their high school reunion. A romantic dance leads to a kiss...;and a kiss to a blissful night of lovemaking. Then Natalie gets the shocking news. She's finally going to have Josh's child-;twenty-five years better-late-than-never! Her adopted daughter is excited about becoming a big sister. Josh's teenage sons don't know what to think. And her former mother-in-law is full of maternal advice...; before Natalie even gives birth! Starting a family was what Josh and Natalie always wanted. But when Natalie couldn't conceive, their marriage unraveled. Now they've been given a miraculous second chance. Life has just gotten more complicated-; will the second time around be sweeter?

A Picture-Perfect Husband?  Mack Bannerman is many things-;a rancher, a Texan, a father...;a widower. His twelve-year-old daughter, Zoey, wants him to remarry, so she enters Mack in a magazine contest, hoping to find a wife for him-;and a mother for her.  Photojournalist JJ Walker, formerly from Texas, is sent to Turkey Creek Ranch to take photos of him for the feature. But JJ and Mack have a past together. One full of mistakes and misunderstandings that left them both with broken hearts. When Zoey catches on that they used to be involved she'll stop at nothing to make them fall for each other again. Never underestimate a girl who's determined to play cupid!

Finding out he's a father is life-changing enough. Only now the four-year-old daughter Garrett Miles never met is coming to live with him. Turning to Libby Carter for guidance could be the ideal solution. Garrett thinks Libby is great, and she seems to like him and the idea of sharing child care. But there are some things the single mother isn't sharing. Libby fled with her son to Desperation to escape her abusive ex. She's hoping the close-knit Oklahoma small town will be the place where she can finally stop running. Especially now that Garrett's in her life. But Garrett is a lawyer, and if he discovers she violated her custody agreement and crossed state lines, he'll have to turn her in. After one man nearly destroyed her, can she trust another with her son's life?

Sheriff Neil Lovitt was looking for a fresh start in Payson. Small-town Arizona is about as far away as a man can get from New York and all its painful memories. His job has already made him a widower and robbed his five-year-old girl of her mother. Now Neil's just looking to keep his daughter, and his heart, safe. But Carolina Sweetwater isn't interested in safety; the headstrong rancher's daughter wasted plenty of time running from her own broken heart. Now she's ready to take a chance at love again, but Neil refuses to put another woman he cares about in danger. Can Carolina make the sexy sheriff see that he stands to lose more by risking nothing at all?

If there's one thing Corinne Sweetwater dislikes, it's chaos. As kitchen manager at her family's Bear Creek Ranch, the ex-warrant officer faces a different kind of challenge. Professional fisherman Greg Pfitser and his mischievous cherubs seem intent on ignoring all her rules and turning her well-ordered world topsy-turvy. Suddenly discovering he's father to a pair of rambunctious twins is a challenge for any man. Maybe the Arizona guest ranch is the ideal place for Greg to do some serious bonding with his son and daughter. The laid-back single dad and by-the-book chef have differing views on just about everything. Still, the attraction sparking between Greg and Corinne can't be ignored. Is it strong enough to lead to a true meeting of hearts and minds?

One Big Secret...;  Broke and in need of a job, barrel racer Erin Walker has returned home after years of traveling the rodeo circuit. But the only job available is working for the man who broke her heart and left her pregnant and alone. Not a day goes by that she doesn't wonder about the son she and Jake had, whether he's happy with his adoptive parents or what her life would have been like if the three of them had become a family.  Jake Canfield just wants to get close to Erin again and perhaps rekindle what they once had. But is that possible? It depends on the sudden appearance of the one person who could bring them closer together!

When six-year-old Vicki Hathaway emails a request for a new mommy to the entire PTA mailing list, there's no end of trouble for interim principal Shay Morgan. Then bigger trouble walks into her office in the form of Mark Hathaway. Instant attraction. Mark hasn't been called to the principal's office since he was a kid. And he's never seen a principal who looked like Shay! For Shay, mixing business and pleasure is a big no-no while she's being evaluated for a permanent position. And it's quite possible Mark will relocate to Colorado for his job in a few months. It wouldn't be fair for Mark to introduce a temporary mommy figure into Vicki's life. But how can Mark and Shay deny the feelings growing between them? Could it be a little girl is about to get her valentine wish after all?

From Friends To Lovers To...;Parents? Claire DeAngelo's fantasy was the white picket fence and a husband and babies. She thought she'd found it, but now she's getting a divorce. Her ex's behavior is bordering on harassment, so it's lucky Claire runs into her college buddy-;now undercover cop-;Luke Devlin. Luke can't believe his luck. He's investigating a smuggling ring, and Claire lives in the building he has under surveillance. What better way to keep an eye on the criminals than to move in! When Claire's ex becomes hostile, Luke's protective instincts take over and the attraction between old friends heats up. Back in college, Luke was a carefree playboy. So when Claire discovers she's pregnant, she knows better than to expect Luke to be family material. She's finally getting that white picket fence and a baby...;even if there's a piece missing!

It takes two to tango, but Rose Vasquez hasn't felt likedancing since her husband died. For her little girl's sake,she's determined to make a new life in warm, friendly Hot Pepper, Louisiana. But something strange andwonderful is happening in the dance studio she justbought, where her latest student is-;literally!-;sweepingher off her feet. Being groomed to someday take over his family'sbanking business is one thing, but performing the tangoat this year's Miss Hot Pepper Pageant could beDalton Montgomery's greatest challenge. Especially whenhis alluring teacher and her irresistible daughter showhim what's been missing in his bachelor world.Now he'd like to return the favor by filling Rose'sdance card and becoming her partner-;for keeps. But is Rose ready to let another man into her life? Daltonhopes so, because he's not willing to sit this one out!

She's not ready for motherhood.  As the only female mechanic in Joyous, Tennessee, Ronnie Carter is more used to fixing carburetors than dressing for a date. So when Jason McDeere asks her out, she's thrown into a panic. Not only is the handsome high school teacher Ronnie's secret crush, he's the single father of an adorable toddler...;who wants a mommy.  A tomboy in overalls isn't the role model Jason had in mind for his young daughter. But the better he gets to know her, the more he's convinced that she's exactly what he's looking for. He has no doubt she'd make the ideal mother. Now, how can he convince Ronnie?

When little Tommy Phillips walks into the Forest Glen sheriff's office and asks Chance Drayton to find his dad, the lawman's heart goes out to him. As a single father, he knows what it's like to be far away from your family. Then he meets Tommy's attractive mother…and knows he's really in trouble! Jessie knows how badly Tommy wants a father. And he thinks he's found one in the sheriff. Jessie has to admit, the sexy, six-two ex-Marine is irresistible. He's also involved in a custody battle that could see him moving to Chicago to be closer to his son. Now, with the whole town playing matchmaker, Jessie and Chance know they have to do what's best for their boys. Which could end up surprising them all!