Stand-In Texas Dad

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

His heart was closed to love… 

But could a single mom and her triplets pry it open? 

Pediatrician Zach McCabe is Laramie's very own Sir Galahad—with cardiologist Claire Lowell being the latest damsel on his to-rescue list. Even so, after losing his fiancée in a car crash, Zach has sworn off love. And maintaining his emotional distance from the elegant single mom may be tougher than wrangling her adorable three-year-old triplets. 

Claire refuses to rely on anyone, but resting her burdens on Zach’s broad shoulders is a dangerous temptation. When her nanny leaves her in the lurch and Zach is evicted from his place, the two find a way to help each other—and grow closer. Can Zach move past his grief for a second chance at love…and an instant family? 

From Harlequin Special Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

A Marrying a McCabe Romance

Book 1: A Double Christmas Surprise
Book 2: Stand-In Texas Dad

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published May 27, 2025

About the author

Dear Readers,

The love stories in my family have always been fodder for romance novels.

My maternal grandmother and grandfather simultaneously ran a business together and raised four daughters, long before it was an accepted thing to do.  Grandpa O’Dell ran the gas station and the barber shop; Grandma O’Dell managed the grocery and cooked for customers.  They were true partners and madly in love and parted, tragically, way too soon when he succumbed to cancer when he was in his early fifties.  Grandma grieved deeply but eventually picked herself up, started a new career as a cafeteria chef, and eventually found deep romantic love and happiness again, in the form of a second marriage.

Read more here...

Reviews

[Kate Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the Marrying a McCabe Romance series, in which cardiologist Claire Lowell and pediatrician Zach McCabe work together with a child whose cardiac arrythmias are a puzzlement. What is also a puzzle is why Zach isn't already married, given how he feels about women in need of assistance, as single mother Claire is with her 4-year-old triplets.

Then her ex-husband reappears on the scene. Will he demand custody of the babies he's never seen or ever even acknowledged? Will Claire allow herself love after being hurt so badly? And will Zach stop feeling guilty about the death of his fiance and start moving forward again? Isn't that what he's doing with Claire, or is she really just another one of his one-offs?

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 of 2 in the "A Marrying a McCabe Romance" series. Please check out Book 1, "A Double Christmas Surprise." It invites you into the series. This is the story of Pediatrician Zach McCabe, who tragically lost his wife in an auto accident, and cardiologist Claire Lowell, who is a single mom of 4-year-old triplets. They work to figure out what is going on with a child whose cardiac arrhythmias are a puzzlement. There is quite a bit happening in this story, which makes for a good read.