Her Secret, His Child

Suddenly filled with a burning rage, Kyle knew he was capable of hunting Nelson Monroe down and killing the man to keep him from bothering Jamie. Kyle didn't know why she'd made the choices she had before, but he was certain that desperation had driven her. She wasn't desperate anymore. She'd fought her way out of that life because she was a good person and she'd known the life she'd been living wasn't good.

TARA TAYLOR QUINN

And that was the difference between Jamie and the woman who'd borne him. His mother had never seen how wrong her life had become, how degrading, how damaging to her young son.

In order to protect their daughter from what Jamie had once been, she'd gone so far as to create an entirely new life for herself. In a new town, among strangers.

He could only imagine how horrifying it must have been to have had that safe harbor invaded by a man from her past.

Kyle needed to hit something. Hard.

Without even reading the rest of her note, Kyle could have told himself what it said. Because he knew Jamie. She hadn't gone to Monroe. But Monroe had driven her away.

He's threatening to tell Dean Patterson about me if I don't do what he wants, Kyle read. Please take care of Ashley for me, Kyle. She'll need extra care for the next little while. Love her.

Kyle had to look up from the note then, tears blurring his eyes, scrambling the words on the page. Blinking the tears away, he continued reading.

/ love you so much, Kyle. And I love Ashley, with all my heart. But if it's easier for her not to know that, please don't tell her. Do whatever you must to make her happy…

The note was signed simply J.

He already had the phone in his hand by the time he got to that part. The note was wadded up in the pocket of his jeans when Karen answered.

"I need you and Dennis to keep Ashley for the night," he told her without preamble. He pushed the

HER SECRET, HIS CHILD

sleeves of his white oxford shirt up his arms. He was way too hot.

"Of course," she replied instantly. "What's wrong?"

"Jamie's gone."

"What? Where?"

"Some guy from her past's been bothering her. She decided we were better off without her."

"Oh, God." Karen started to cry. "She's the most honorable, decent woman I know. And she's paying for things she mostly didn't even do. It's just not right."

"I know." Kyle's jaw was clenched, his fingers damp with sweat as he removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Where is she?"

"I have no idea, but I'm going to find her."

"How long has she been gone?" Karen was still crying.

"Not long. She called me just over an hour ago."

"She probably had to stop for gas. She was low yesterday…"

Kyle's mind wandered for a second, reacting to something Karen had said a few minutes earlier.

"You said she's paying for things she mostly didn't do," he interrupted her. "You know details about her past."

"Some."

"I'm going after her, Karen, and when I find her, I'm asking her to marry me." He paused, but when she said nothing, he continued. "I'm not going to take no for an answer."