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Slade's Secret Son
Elizabeth August
Memories flooded Slade Logan at first glimpse of Lisa Gray. More than two years ago she'd shared his bed, but deeply guarded guilt had made it impossible for him to share his life. So Lisa left…though not alone. She'd taken with her a precious part of him…and borne their baby.A brush with tragedy told Lisa that her child needed his father…even if Slade could never need her. And when Slade demanded they marry, she knew it was for their son's benefit. But something in her husband's rough-hewn features changed when he looked at her and their little boy. Could Slade make room in his haunted heart for two?
“We are going to get married,”
Slade said. “It’s the right thing to do for Andy’s sake. And I’m not taking no for an answer. I want the boy to have my name and to know that I wanted to be his father in every sense of the word, including the legal one.”
“You don’t want me for your wife,” Lisa argued. “You made that very clear.”
“It’s not personal. I don’t want any woman for a wife.”
“That’s supposed to appease me?”
“We were good together. And we both knew how to please each other physically,” he said huskily.
Lisa reluctantly admitted to herself that Slade’s arguments were valid. Still, she was uneasy. He was asking her to go back to the way they had been before. Well, not exactly. This time she was forewarned. She would know better than to give her heart to him. “All right, I’ll marry you…for Andy’s sake.”
Dear Reader,
The year is off to a wonderful start in Silhouette Romance, and we’ve got some of our best stories yet for you right here.
Our tremendously successful ROYALLY WED series continues with The Blacksheep Prince’s Bride by Martha Shields. Our intrepid heroine—a lady-in-waiting for Princess Isabel—will do anything to help rescue the king. Even marry the single dad turned prince! And Judy Christenberry returns to Romance with Newborn Daddy. Poor Ryan didn’t know what he was missing, until he looked through the nursery window….
Also this month, Teresa Southwick concludes her much-loved series about the Marchetti family in The Last Marchetti Bachelor. And popular author Elizabeth August gives us Slade’s Secret Son. Lisa hadn’t planned to tell Slade about their child. But with her life in danger, there’s only one man to turn to….
Carla Cassidy’s tale of love and adventure is Lost in His Arms, while new-to-the-Romance-line Vivienne Wallington proves she’s anything but a beginning writer in this powerful story of a man Claiming His Bride.
Be sure to come back next month for Valerie Parv’s ROYALLY WED title as well as new stories by Sandra Steffen and Myrna Mackenzie. And Patricia Thayer will begin a brand-new series, THE TEXAS BROTHERHOOD.
Happy reading!
Mary-Theresa Hussey
Senior Editor
Slade’s Secret Son
Elizabeth August
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Books by Elizabeth August
Silhouette Romance
Author’s Choice #554
Truck Driving Woman #590
Wild Horse Canyon #626
Something So Right #668
The Nesting Instinct #719
Joey’s Father #749
Ready-Made Family #771
The Man from Natchez #790
A Small Favor #809
The Cowboy and the Chauffeur #833
Like Father, Like Son #857
The Wife He Wanted #881
* (#litres_trial_promo)The Virgin Wife #921
* (#litres_trial_promo) Haunted Husband #922
* (#litres_trial_promo) Lucky Penny #945
* (#litres_trial_promo) A Wedding for Emily #953
* (#litres_trial_promo) The Seeker #989
† (#litres_trial_promo) The Forgotten Husband #1019
† (#litres_trial_promo) Ideal Dad #1054
† (#litres_trial_promo) A Husband for Sarah #1067
The Bridal Shower #1091
* (#litres_trial_promo) A Father’s Vow #1126
* (#litres_trial_promo) A Handy Man To Have Around #1157
The Rancher and the Baby #1187
* (#litres_trial_promo) The Determined Virgin #1229
Paternal Instincts #1265
The Bride’s Second Thought #1288
Marrying O’Malley #1386
Truly, Madly, Deeply #1404
A Royal Mission #1446
Slade’s Secret Son #1512
Silhouette Books
Jingle Bells, Wedding Bells 1994
“The Forever Gift”
36 Hours
Cinderella Story
Silhouette Special Edition
One Last Fling! #871
* (#litres_trial_promo) The Husband #1059
Silhouette Intimate Moments
Girls’ Night Out #880
Logan’s Bride #950
ELIZABETH AUGUST
lives in the mountains of North Carolina with her husband, Doug, a chemist. They have three grown sons. Their oldest is pursuing a career in medicine, their middle son is a chemical engineer and their youngest is now in college.
Having survived a bout with cancer, Elizabeth has now joined the ranks of cancer survivors. Writing remains at the top of her list of loves just below her husband, sons and daughter-in-law. Elizabeth has also written under the pseudonym of Betsy Page for Harlequin.
Contents
Chapter One (#udb9e55f4-4d2b-5865-93e7-ec33f913ff06)
Chapter Two (#u3b2a73d2-f273-55e8-bac1-86ab212632fe)
Chapter Three (#ucadc9239-bb6e-59df-8de7-5610744edf02)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
“Warts. Warts on top of warts,” Lisa Gray cursed under her breath as she parked in front of the modest two-story house on the outskirts of Lubbock, Texas. The white frame structure was set in the midst of twenty-five acres of land. The owner, she knew, liked his privacy and a lot of elbow room. In fact, he was the most determinedly insular person she’d ever known. At one time she’d thought she could change that, but she’d been wrong.
The muscles in her jaw tensed so tightly they threatened to spasm. She hated being here. The urge to turn the rental car around and go back to Seattle was close to overwhelming. Then she shifted her shoulder. A sharp twinge of pain traveled through her, reminding her of why she’d come. “I have to do this. I have no choice.” She repeated the liturgy that had gotten her this far.
Climbing out of her car, she made her way to the porch. At the door she hesitated. Then, again telling herself that she had no choice, she rang the bell.
A pleasant-featured, brown-haired, brown-eyed woman opened the door. “Hello.”
Silently Lisa berated herself for not checking the phone book to ascertain Slade’s current address. It had never occurred to her that he would have moved. This place suited him perfectly. “I’m sorry I bothered you. I thought Slade Logan lived here.”
The woman smiled. “He does, but he’s not home yet. Would you like to come in and wait?”
Lisa glanced at the woman’s left hand. There was a wedding ring. So Slade had remarried. She felt as if a knife was being twisted inside her. Furious that she was letting this affect her so strongly, she ignored the sensation and maintained a facade of indifference. “I’ll catch up with him later.”
As Lisa started to walk away the woman came outside. “Can I tell him your name?”
Lisa turned back. She’d find another solution. She wasn’t certain what, but she’d find one. Again, hurt that he’d remarried cut through her. I should feel sorry for the woman, she told herself. Claudette, Slade’s first wife who had died tragically, would always be uppermost in his heart. In the next instant Lisa laughed at herself. That was jealousy talking. She’d simply never been able to touch his heart while this woman had.
This admission was the most hurtful yet. Until now she’d blamed Claudette’s hold on Slade for him not allowing himself to fall in love with her. Now she had to face the fact that while he’d meant everything to her, she’d been just a warm body to satisfy his needs.
“To be honest, I’m on my way out of town,” Lisa said, then she turned and headed back to her car.
“I’m sure he’ll be sorry he missed you,” the woman called from the porch.
“I doubt that,” Lisa muttered under her breath.
The sound of a vehicle approaching caused her to look up the dirt driveway leading to the house. A heavy-duty, four-wheel drive, double-cab, red pickup equipped with an extra roll bar and high-beam spotlights was approaching. It was Slade’s truck. Bile rose in her throat as he parked. The last thing she wanted was to witness him with his new wife. But she had no choice. Pride refused to allow her to turn tail and run. Coming to a halt, she stood stiffly.
“Looks like you won’t miss him, after all,” the woman said, coming off the porch and approaching Lisa.
Lisa barely heard. Her attention was riveted on the tall, muscular Texas Ranger climbing out of the truck. Half Apache, his Native American heritage was obvious in his facial features, his coal-black hair and eyes so dark brown that at times they looked almost ebony. She hated the way the sight of him still caused her heart to pound double time. You never really meant anything to him, she snapped at herself, and bitterness for having cared so much for a man who had never honestly cared for her slowed her heart to a more normal rate.
