When proximity for the sake of the baby leads to passion… Born prematurely during a devastating tornado, baby Grace is the littlest miracle in Royal, Texas. Now, with Grace's mother in a coma and her father missing, rancher Keaton Holt and nurse Lark Taylor must come together to care for their niece, putting aside a century-old family feud for the child's sake. For these two, the road to forgiveness is paved with passion. Even as the family feud continues around them, Lark and Keaton forge a feverish bond. But what the tornado brought together it can tear apart as new revelations surface in the aftermath of the storm… Be sure to read other scandalous stories from the Texas Cattleman's Club: After the Storm series, only from Harlequin® Desire! STRANDED WITH THE RANCHER by USA TODAY bestseller Janice Maynard SHELTERED BY THE MILLIONAIRE by USA TODAY bestseller Catherine Mann PREGNANT BY THE TEXAN by USA TODAY bestseller Sara Orwig HIS LOST AND FOUND FAMILY by Sarah M. Anderson MORE THAN A CONVENIENT BRIDE by USA TODAY bestseller Michelle Celmer FOR HIS BROTHER'S WIFE by USA TODAY bestseller Kathie DeNosky Cat Schield lives in Minnesota with her daughter, their opiniated Burmese cats and a silly Doberman puppy. Winner of the Romance Writers of America 2010 Golden Heart® for series contemporary romance, when she's not writing sexy, romantic stories for Harlequin Desire, she can be found sailing with friends on the St. Croix River or in more exotic locales like the Caribbean and Europe. You can find out more about her books at www.catschield.net. Lark Taylor gathered a deep breath as the elevator doors opened. Plastering a pleasant expression on her face, she straightened her spine. Time to go to work. With a cake box balanced carefully in her hands, she strode down the short hallway to the nurses' station in front of the ICU. The three women behind the desk didn't notice her approach, or if they did, they ignored her. "So I told him if he thinks he's going hunting two weekends in a row, he can find a new girlfriend." Marsha Todd, a forty-year-old divorced woman with no kids, was holding court as usual. With her bleached teeth, flawless makeup and manicured nails, she was the same sort of shallow individual who had tormented Lark in high school. "So naturally he's staying home. He might not be the brightest guy I've dated, but he's smart enough not to mess with all this." Jessa and Chelsea, the two other nurses working the ICU today, laughed in appreciation. Taken separately, either woman was tolerable to work with. Jessa was a quiet single mom with a three-year-old son and Chelsea had an alcoholic husband who worked construction. With Marsha as their ringleader, however, they took on a pack mentality. Which meant, if they didn't want to be on the bottom of the pecking order, they'd better make sure someone else was. That person was Lark. "You're early," Marsha remarked, her tone pitched in criticism as Lark set the cake box on the counter. "I'm going to spend some time with Grace. I just wanted to drop this off first." "What is it?" Jessa asked. The nicest of the trio, she had borne the brunt of Marsha's bullying until Lark transferred to the ICU three months ago. "A cake for Marsha's birthday tomorrow." "You bought me a cake?" "Actually I made it." Chelsea opened the cake box and peered in. "You made this? Really? Looks store bought." "It's a hobby of mine." "It's beautiful." Jessa's brown eyes were wide with appreciation. "How long did this take?" "A couple hours," Lark said, her anxiety easing beneath her coworkers' admiration. "How did you do the flowers?" Jessa asked. "The roses look real." "I use a frosting tip and something called a rose nail." Marsha barely glanced at the three-layer white cake painstakingly decorated in a basket weave pattern with but-tercream frosting and royal icing daisies, roses and forget-me-nots. "If it's not gluten free, I can't eat it." "Sorry, I didn't know that." "I don't know how. I talk about it all the time." But never to Lark. "I guess I'm so focused on the patients." Lark realized even as she uttered the excuse that it was the wrong thing to say. "I haven't heard you mention it." "And speaking of patients," Marsha said, shooting looks at both Jessa and Chelsea. "We'd better get in and check on them." All three of her coworkers walked away, abandoning Lark at the desk with her cake and her disappointment. Her efforts to make friends with the other nurses these last few months had all been a bust. Marsha was top of the social order in the ICU and she didn't like Lark. Not knowing what to do with the birthday cake that Marsha couldn't eat, Lark took it down to the surgical floor. She knew her former coworkers would appreciate the treat. Leaving the cake box on the desk of her friend Julie with a brief note explaining what had happened, Lark headed to the stairs. One floor down from the surgery floor was the maternit