The Outsider (36 page)
“He hit me. A lot. I don’t remember much else. Tyler heard me crying later, and he must have guessed what had happened. He packed my clothes and helped me get out of the house. And I left him to deal with that monster all alone. I’m to blame for what he’s become.”
“Good Lord! Neither of you is to blame for anything.”
She looked up then, surprised by his fierce outburst and by the emotions working his tense features. She didn’t believe him.
Dodge took a deep breath to get control of his inner turmoil. He pitched his voice low and even. “Did Tyler know about Christien?”
“No. I was so afraid that he would hate me, hate both of us.” Her smile was small, a fragile bloom of faith restored. “I was wrong.”
“Your brother’s stronger than he looks, stronger than I’ve been.”
Starla drew a sharp breath as he placed his hands over hers. She didn’t move. “I never told anyone. When I found out I was pregnant, I prayed for the father to be Stephen, but every time I looked at Christien, I wondered. It wasn’t his fault. So you see, I know how you’re feeling.”
“I’m sorry, Star, for what happened to you, for what can’t be changed. I’m sorry for all you had to go through alone. You won’t have to again, not ever again.”
She stared at him, a flicker of hope sparking in her teary gaze as his hand pressed tightly over hers.
“And that little boy won’t ever have to wonder if he’s loved, because we’re going to spoil him so shamelessly.”
“We?”
“I keep my promises, Starla. I won’t fail you. I’m sorry I was a little shaky there for a minute. I tend to give myself more credit than I deserve sometimes. I thought I could handle anything.”
She smiled wryly. “It’s a lot to handle.”
He smiled back. “That’s for damn sure. But I’ll handle it because I love you and I want you and that little boy more than anything I’ve ever dreamed of.”
She closed her eyes for a brief prayer of thanks. When she opened them, her gaze shone with unconditional belief in everything he said.
“Tony, there are two more things you need to know.”
He opened his arm wide. “Tell me from over here.”
She went gratefully into his arms, finding no
heaven on earth as perfect as his surrounding embrace. Carefully snuggling close.
“Cole Fairfax isn’t my father.”
“W-what?”
“The man my mother ran away with, they’d been lovers. Cole Fairfax was punishing her through me. He threatened to harm me if Tilly told me the truth, which she finally did. But he suffered from a terrible fever after Tyler was born. He couldn’t have fathered me any more than he could have fathered Christien. Yet he let me think—all these years—”
“He can’t hurt you anymore, Starla. He’ll never hurt you again. And neither will I.”
He tipped up her face, letting her see the sincerity in his eyes before kissing her, slowly, deeply, sealing that vow in exquisite detail … until a sudden twinge in his thigh made him wince away. He frowned for a moment, mystified, then began to concentrate.
“Star?”
“Yes, Tony?” She followed his nod to the foot of the bed where his toes were moving under the drape of the sheet. With a joyful cry, she hugged him again, kissing him firmly, whispering how very much she loved him.
He glanced up, remembering suddenly. “What else did you want to tell me?”
Smiling a small, secretive smile, Starla burrowed against him. If what she suspected over the last few mornings was fact, their family number would soon be expanding. But because this moment was just
for the two of them, she said, “I’ll tell you later, once we’re home.”
Family, home, the woman he loved, and soon, the boy who would be his son. Dodge was content enough to accept her answer, for in his arms he held the future.
Dear Reader,
One of the reasons I love to read romances is that they reaffirm by belief that wishes really can come true. And in next month’s Avon Romantic Treasure WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE by Cathy Maxwell, a lonely English lord gets his wish for a bride, when a beautiful, mysterious maiden enters his life. Cathy’s love stories are a delight, and this one is especially charming. Don’t miss it!
I can’t resist a strong hero—he might be infuriating, but you always know he’s a man who’ll love and protect you. In Alina Adams’ contemporary romance, ANNIE’S WILD RIDE, you’ll meet Paul, an unforgettable, exasperating man whose love for Annie is so strong he’ll do anything for her—even risk his own life.
Of course, I want heroines who know their own mind … just like Aleene in Malia Martin’s HER NORMAN CONQUEROR. Aleene must marry to save her beloved castle, but she’s reluctant to wed at all … until she meets a virile stranger she is powerless to resist.
And there’s nothing more satisfying than a man and woman, destined to be together, just like Raimond LeVeq and Sable Fontaine in Beverly Jenkins’ THROUGH THE STORM. Raimond believes that Sable has betrayed him, but then fate reunites this pair in an unforgettable romance.
Enjoy!
Lucia Macro
Senior Editor
ROSALYN WEST
made a smashing Avon Books debut
with
A Man’s Touch
, which critics called “one of the best books
of the year,” followed by
A Woman’s Heart
, described as
“a book you won’t want to end.”
She is currently continuing work on the
Men of Pride County
series, which follows friends who return from the
Civil War to find not only their lives changed, but themselves
as well. The series began with
The Outcast
in February 1998;
The Outsider
is the second book; and the third will be
published in late 1998.
Rosalyn West lives in southwestern Michigan,
and invites readers to write to her for promotional materials
and a newsletter update by sending a SASE to
P.O. Box 896, Portage, MI 49081. Readers may also
contact her on the Web at:
www.tlt.com/authors/ngideon.htm
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
ARIZONA RENEGADE
by Kit Dee
BY LOVE UNDONE
BY SUZANNE ENOCH
HER SECRET GUARDIAN
by Linda Needham
KISS ME GOODNIGHT
by Marlene Suson
ONLY IN MY DREAMS
by Eve Byron
THE PIRATE LORD
by Sabrina Jeffries
WHITE EAGLE’S TOUCH
by Karen Kay
Coming Soon
HER NORMAN CONQUEROR
by Malia Martin
THROUGH THE STORM
by Beverly Jenkins
And Don’t Miss These
ROMANTIC TREASURES
from Avon Books
PERFECT IN MY SIGHT
by Tanya Anne Crosby
SLEEPING BEAUTY
by Judith Ivory
TO CATCH AN HEIRESS
by Julia Quinn
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
AVON BOOKS, INC.
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New York, New York 10019
Copyright © 1998 by Nancy Gideon
Inside cover author photo by McClain Images
Published by arrangement with the author
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Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 97-94931
ISBN: 0-380-79580-9
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EPub Edition © OCTOBER 2012 ISBN: 978-0-062-24325-6
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