A Cowgirl's Secret(4)



“Stop!” Not knowing what she’d survived, he had no right to make such hurtful claims. Taking a tissue from the coffee table to dab her eyes and cheeks, she summoned the same strength that’d gotten her this far and pointed toward the door. “Get out. Report to Dallas I’m alive and well and thank him for his concern, but no matter how much I miss all of my family and friends, I’m never going back.”

His jaw hard, Luke stood. The cold stare he leveled at her chilled her to her core.

Tell him! her conscience screamed.

Tell him how everyone’s favorite ranch hand, the kind and lovable family friend, Henry Pohl, had molested her nine ways to Sunday. Don’t leave out the parts where he’d threatened to kill her family if she told, or how the abuse had been a daily occurrence until she’d been strong enough to fight him off physically.

“If that’s how you feel,” Luke said, not a trace of compassion in his words, “far be it from me to force you to do the right thing. If you’re able to live with the consequences of what you’ve done, knowing how many nights your mom still cries herself to sleep, then by all means—” he strode to the kitchen, taking his hat from the counter to slap it on his head “—carry on with this madness of yours till it chokes you.”

“Luke, wait,” she called when he opened the door and stepped into the hall. Why, she couldn’t say, but she couldn’t let him leave like this—angry and blaming her when Henry was the real villain in this story.

When Luke kept right on walking toward the elevator, she followed. “There’s so much you don’t understand. Stay and maybe—”

The elevator signaled its arrival with an elegant ding.

Off stepped a feverish-looking Kolt, followed by his best friend’s mom.

“Hey,” Heidi said, an arm around Kolt’s sagging shoulders. “Knowing you’re sick, too, the hall is the last place I expected to find you.”

“Um, yeah,” Daisy said, biting hard enough on her bottom lip to draw blood. Get on the elevator, Luke. If I can’t handle telling you about Henry, there’s no way I’m able to introduce you to your son.





Chapter Two





Craving closure when he feared there was none, Luke drummed his fingers on a narrow black table holding white lilies with an overpowering scent.

“Th-thanks for bringing him home,” Daisy said to a brunette soccer-mom type and a kid.

Luke froze. Home? Since when did Daisy have a kid?

“Mom,” the boy mumbled, hugging her waist, “I threw up at practice.”

“I’m sorry.” Skimming her hand over his head with a tenderness she’d never had for Luke, Daisy said, “Heidi, I can’t thank you enough for bringing him home.”

“No problem,” Heidi said, glancing from Daisy to Luke. “Everything all right?”

“Fine.” Daisy hugged the boy to her. When she turned toward her loft, the color had long since drained from her face. “I—I’ve got to go.”

“Sure,” her friend said. “But while I’m here, Toby lost this week’s craft supply list. Mind if I copy Kolt’s? I’m afraid if I ask their teacher again she’s going to land both of us in day camp detention.”

Pouring on the speed, Daisy said, “I’m not sure where Kolt’s is. When I find it, I’ll call.”

“Slow down,” the boy complained. “You’re gonna make me puke again.”

Glancing over her shoulder to Luke, as he followed them, Daisy’s friend asked, “Are you sure you’re all right? I didn’t interrupt, did I?”

“Not at all,” Daisy assured, practically shoving the boy into her loft.

“Ouch!” he complained. “Mom, you’re hurting me.”

“I feel like I stepped into the middle of something. Want me to watch Kolt?” Eyeing Luke, Daisy’s friend said under her breath, “You know, in case you two need to talk.”

It was on the tip of Luke’s tongue to admit just how weary he’d grown of even being in the same space as Daisy until the dark-haired boy glanced at him through eyes matching his own.

Dawning, slow and building, spread through Luke, igniting both wonder and fury. No wonder Daisy was acting so skittish. For the past ten years, she’d hidden his son.

Luke snagged her by her upper arm, not caring he’d caused her to wince. “We’d really appreciate you watching Kolt, wouldn’t we, Julie?”

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