Her Secret, His Child

Finally, he got up. Padding around the house in his underwear, he searched for something to do. He didn't feel like working or unpacking or reading. TV held no interest. It was too late to listen to music. Eventually, he ended up back in his bedroom, at the open window, leaning on the sill. As if the night held answers. The power to make his world right again.

At least the cool air brought relief to his heated skin. Earlier he'd been freezing. Now he was burning up.

He must be coming down with something.

Except that he never got sick. Didn't have the time for it. Or the patience, either. Besides, he didn't

HER SECRET, HIS CHILD

want to be sick. He couldn't see Ashley if he was sick, couldn't risk giving her a virus.

Not that he really had any worries on that score. He was perfectly healthy and he knew it.

Kyle stared up at the stars for a while, trying to remember a single constellation from his college astronomy class.

And remembered, instead, the shine of tears in Jamie's eyes earlier that night. No matter how disgusted he was by what she'd told him, what she was, he had to admire the way she'd come right out and confessed her terrible secret. She'd made no excuses for herself. Asked for no mercy.

That was his Jamie.

Thinking of her standing there at her fireplace, hands at her sides, bravery in every sinew of her body as she faced her one-man firing squad, Kyle felt his throat tighten up. The stars above him blurred and, blinking, he looked out into the darkness beyond the town.

The first tear was dripping off his chin before he finally acknowledged what was happening. And then he gave up, gave in and let them fall. The world was such a damn sad place to live.

He thought of Jamie's little room, felt honored that she'd shared it with him and sick to think of her hiding from her life in that make-believe place.

Kyle stood at the window until dawn was breaking, trying to make sense of it all. He couldn't turn his back on his daughter—or her mother. Neither could he tolerate the thought that Jamie had made a career out of bedding men. He'd grown up living

TARA TAYLOR QUINN

with a woman who'd allowed strangers to touch her, to have sex with her for money. And he felt sick to his stomach just thinking about the fact that his own child had a mother who'd done the same.

But he couldn't stand the prospect of life without Jamie. He'd never felt as good, as valuable, as he did when he was with her.

He had no idea at all where that left him.

Finally, crawling into bed a couple of hours before he was due in class, Kyle drifted off with one last thought.

First thing in the morning he had to call his lawyer. He needed to find out how to get custodial rights. If anything ever happened to Jamie, he didn't want any doubts about who this child's father was.

On the first day of April, Ashley rushed outside the minute she saw Daddy's car pull into the driveway. She'd been waiting for him ever since she got home from school.

"Daddy!" she yelled as loud as she could. "Daddy!"

As soon as he got out of his car, he caught her in a big hug, just like he was supposed to.

"What's up, squirt?" he asked her. "Is Kayla here yet?"

"Nope." Ashley was double happy. She had her plan for Daddy, and Kayla was going to the movies with her and spending the night.

Daddy rubbed his sharp face against her neck.

"Don't!" she squealed. "That tickles."

HER SECRET, HIS CHILD

Daddy laughed, kept rubbing her neck with his cheek.

"I'll wet my pants!" she cried.