“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

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Books by Elizabeth August

Silhouette Romance

Author’s Choice #554

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† The Forgotten Husband #1019

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* 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

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Silhouette Special Edition

One Last Fling! #871

* 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

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

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.

“Lisa,” he greeted coolly.

“Slade,” she returned with equal coolness.

“Never figured I’d be seeing you again.”

The frost in his voice told her that he wished he hadn’t. Self-directed anger that she’d come, raged through her. Her gaze shifted to the brown-eyed woman and a flush of embarrassment reddened her cheeks. Not only had she made a fool of herself by coming here, she’d made it in front of Slade’s wife. “Sorry I interrupted your evening.” Stiffly she added, “Congratulations on your marriage.”

The brown-eyed woman grinned, clearly finding this last statement humorous. “You have the wrong idea.” Extending her hand, she said, “We never introduced ourselves. I’m Katrina Logan, Slade’s sister-in-law. Boyd and I are just staying here while our place is being painted.”

“Lisa Gray,” Lisa responded, accepting the handshake. Even this new knowledge didn’t make her feel less like a fool.

Katrina’s gaze shifted between Lisa and Slade. Releasing Lisa’s hand, she said, “I think I’ll just go inside and finish cooking dinner. You two look like you’ve got some private business to discuss.” And, putting action to her words, she started back toward the house.

Lisa’s gaze returned to Slade. The ice was still in his eyes and nowhere on his face could she find even a hint of welcome. All the way here she’d waged a constant battle with her pride and she’d been winning. But his coldness turned the tide and pride suddenly took control. “This was a mistake,” she said tersely, and turning on her heels, she strode to her car.

Tears of frustration filled her eyes as she drove away making Slade a blurred vision in her rearview mirror. And that was how she wanted him to be…a blurred memory that would eventually fade with time until it was nothing but a shadow at the back of her mind. But that wasn’t going to happen. She had a reminder of their relationship that would never let Slade be completely erased from her life the way he had obviously erased her from his. The tears began to flow down her cheeks.

Slade remained where he was, and frowned at the departing car. Seeing Lisa had been a shock.

She hadn’t changed. He remembered the first time he’d seen her. The rangers had been asked by the Lubbock police to help with a case and she’d been one of the officers assigned to work with him. The moment she’d entered the room, he’d sensed she was trouble. Five feet, eight inches tall, athletically built, long thick black hair plaited into a single braid that hung down the middle of her back, those jade-green eyes and soft kissable lips…He jerked his mind from the path it was traveling. What had happened between them had ended better than two years ago.

“An old girlfriend?” Katrina asked, returning to Slade’s side, her retreat into the house halted by Lisa’s abrupt departure.

“Yes.”

Surprise registered on Katrina’s face and she studied him narrowly. “How old?”

“She left town more than two years ago.”

“The family is under the impression you haven’t had a serious relationship in the ten years since Claudette died.”

“I haven’t.” The statement tasted like a lie. So maybe Lisa had strolled through his dreams once or twice in the past couple of years. She’d come uninvited. When she’d walked out of his life, he’d been relieved. He didn’t want her back.

Katrina frowned thoughtfully. “I wonder why she came.”

Silently, Slade admitted to himself that he, too, was surprised Lisa had shown up on his doorstep after all this time. When she’d left, she’d made it clear she had no desire to ever see him again.

His mind flashed back to their final date. They’d gone out to dinner at their favorite restaurant. Lisa had only picked at her food. He’d thought she was preoccupied with a case or was maybe worried about her mother. Her father had died a couple of years earlier and her mother had moved to Seattle to live with her mother’s sister. The two older women got along fine most of the time, but when they had their squabbles her mother would call. Finally, Lisa had set her fork aside and faced him levelly. “There is something I need to know,” she’d said.

A terse edge in her voice told him that he was the source of whatever was troubling her. “What?”

“When we first started seeing each other, you made it clear you never intended to remarry. And, at the time, I was willing to accept that. But things have changed for me. I need to know if we have a real future together.” Her jaw had tensed, a sign he’d recognized as an indication that this was difficult for her. “I need to know if there is any possibility that you will reconsider and we might marry.”

“No,” he’d answered honestly.

Anger had shown in her eyes. “You would rather continue to live with a ghost than with me?”

“I have my reasons.”

“I need more than an affair.” She’d risen from the table. “I do not want to see you again. I’ll call a cab to take me home.”

Saying nothing to stop her, he’d simply sat and watched her walk out. Deep within he’d experienced a twist of regret, but he’d told himself it was for the best. She deserved more than he could give.

Less than a month later she’d moved to Seattle to live with her mother and aunt. They’d kept their affair very private, even from his own family. Granted Boyd had known Slade had dated her, but even he’d been made to understand that their relationship was not an emotional one. So there had been no gossip at work nor any outsiders trying to get them back together. During the short time she’d remained in Lubbock, she’d avoided him as much as possible and, he admitted, he’d avoided her. There had been only one final encounter. He shoved that memory from his mind.

“I got the impression she didn’t really want to be here,” Katrina mused out loud, jerking Slade’s mind back to the present. “Must have been something important. She certainly wasn’t here for a social call.”

Slade had to admit that Katrina was right. So, why had Lisa come here?

A blue pickup similar to Slade’s came down the driveway, parked beside Slade’s vehicle, and a man also wearing the badge of a Texas Ranger climbed out of the cab. “I swear I just passed Lisa Gray on the road,” Boyd Logan, a younger version of Slade, said, striding toward his wife and brother.

“You did,” Katrina replied.

“You chased her off again?” Boyd frowned at Slade. “I only met her a couple of times, but I was under the impression she was not only a terrific police officer, she was a good woman…strong, honest.”

“I didn’t chase her off the first time,” Slade replied. “She just figured there was nothing worth staying for.”

Boyd shook his head at his brother. “If you don’t learn to put the past behind you, you’re never going to have a future.”

Slade’s jaw hardened. “I’m satisfied with my life just the way it is.”

Boyd didn’t look convinced, but let the subject drop. “So why was Lisa here?”

“She didn’t say,” Slade replied.

Boyd raised an eyebrow. “She came all the way from Seattle and didn’t say why?”

A part of Slade wanted to let Lisa go her own way, but a stronger part couldn’t. Katrina was right. Lisa wouldn’t have come here without a very strong reason. “Think I’d better find out why she came.”

Boyd nodded his agreement.

“Looks like you won’t have to go far.” Katrina motioned toward the road with twist of her head.

The men turned to see Lisa’s car returning.

“Boyd and I’ll just go in the kitchen and finish cooking dinner,” Katrina said, taking hold of her husband’s arm and pulling him along with her.

Slade didn’t even acknowledge their departure. He was already on his way to meet Lisa as she climbed out of her car. “What’s going on?” He read the proud defiance on her face. “Must be something real important to make you overcome that pride of yours.”

Lisa swallowed the lump of rebellion that had formed in her throat. “It is.” She steeled herself and met his gaze. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Slade could see how much this was costing her. “Then tell me.”

“I want you to know that I would never have come here if I’d had any other option.”

“That’s pretty obvious,” Slade said, noting that the strain lines in her face were deepening by the second.

Her jaw tensed even more. “I took a bullet three weeks ago. I was lucky. A quarter of an inch to the right and I would have been dead. My mortality is why I’m here. I’d never really come to grips with it before.”

The thought of her close brush with death caused a spasm of fear for her to race through him. “I’m glad you’re all right.”

Lisa read the honesty in his eyes. There was even a touch of warmth. That’s not going to last long. “Anyway, I realized that if I’d died…” She paused to swallow the lump that had again formed in her throat. “I never wanted to ask you for anything, but my mother is too old and not in a financial position to take on the responsibility of raising a child.”

Slade’s gaze narrowed on her. “Child?”

Lisa breathed a terse sigh. “Our son.”

He had a son. A surge of joy, pride and excitement he’d never expected to ever experience mingled within him. These emotions were followed by anger. “You had my child and weren’t even going to tell me?”

“You refused to open your heart to me. You’ve made it into a shrine to Claudette. I figured you wouldn’t want a child of mine. And I’m not asking you for anything for either of us right now. We’re doing just fine on our own. As long as nothing happens to me, you’ll never have to concern yourself about us. I just want your word that if anything does happen to me, you’ll see that Andy is taken care of.”

“You’re joking, right? You think I’ll just walk away from my child?”

Lisa was tempted to point out that he’d had no trouble walking away from her, but bit back the words. She didn’t want him to know how much he’d hurt her. “I didn’t come here to invite you into our lives. I came here because I want to know my son has a safety net.”

“Our son. And I intend to be a great deal more than a safety net to him.”

Lisa had convinced herself that while Slade would do his duty by Andy and see that the boy was looked after if anything happened to her, he would be perfectly happy to stay on the sidelines unless involving himself in Andy’s life became necessary. She had, in fact, been certain he would be grateful to her for not telling him she’d gotten pregnant and for allowing him to remain on his own. Apparently she’d been wrong on this point.

“Where is he? I want to see him.”

“He’s in Seattle with my mother.”

Slade caught her by the arm and began pulling her along with him toward the house. “I’m calling my commander and telling him that I need a few days off. Then we’re booking the first flight to Seattle.”

A spasm of pain from her healing wound shot through Lisa, but it was the way her body reacted to his touch that shook her to the core. After all this time he could still make her blood race. “Let go of me.”

Slade heard the edge of pain in her voice. Coming to an abrupt halt, he released her. “I’m sorry. I forgot you’d been shot,” he apologized gruffly. “This has been a shock.” His jaw hardened. “I know I’m partially to blame for you not coming to me when you discovered you were pregnant, but the boy’s my blood and I will do right by him and you.”

“I suppose you should at least meet him,” Lisa conceded.

Slade motioned for her to precede him into the house and Lisa obeyed. Like a physical contact, she could feel his eyes on her back. A warm tingling started at the nape of her neck and began to work its way through her. Silently she cursed. She wanted to be as immune to him as he was to her.

In the living room, the exhaustion from her trip mingled with her anxiety over facing Slade caught up with her and she sank down onto the couch while Slade punched numbers into the phone. Watching him, she was certain that once he got over the shock of being a father, his determined allegiance to Claudette would cause him to lose interest in a child that wasn’t hers.

“We heard you come in…” Katrina’s cheerful greeting died in her throat as she and Boyd entered the living room and she saw Lisa. Concern spread over her features. “Are you all right? You look pale.”

“I’m still recovering from a bullet wound,” Lisa replied, not wanting them to guess that Slade’s presence had anything to do with how shaken she was feeling.

Boyd took a stride closer. “You suffer any serious damage?”

“No.” She’d always liked Boyd. He was a kind man, strong and dependable…like Slade in a lot of ways, but without the dark brooding side created by Slade’s haunting past.

Boyd smiled with relief. “Glad to hear that.”

“You look like you could use something to eat. I’ve got a pot roast ready to be served. There’s plenty. Come join us,” Katrina coaxed.

Lisa considered refusing. But her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten all day. Reasoning that some of the effect Slade was having on her could be due to light-headedness caused by lack of food, she nodded gratefully. “Thanks. I’ll take you up on that invitation.”

Boyd had been catching bits of Slade’s conversation. As his brother hung up, he turned to him. “Heard you tell the commander you were going to take some time off. What’s going on?”

Slade’s gaze came to rest on Lisa. “It seems I have a son I’d never have learned about if Lisa hadn’t had her brush with death.” His jaw hardened into a grim line. “I would have married you.”

Ignoring the surprised looks on Boyd’s and Katrina’s faces, Lisa met his gaze with defiance. “I wanted a man who loved me, not one who prefers to live with a ghost and would only marry me because I was pregnant with his child and he felt it was the only honorable thing to do.”

For a long moment Slade regarded her in stoic silence. Then, heading to the doorway, he said curtly, “I’ve got reservations to make and a bag to pack.”

Chapter Two

Seated on the plane a few hours later, Slade recalled how Boyd and Katrina had reacted to his news. They’d been shocked, but he’d seen the understanding in their eyes when Lisa had said she didn’t want a man who preferred to live with a ghost. His jaw tensed. He had his reasons.

Returning his thoughts to his brother and sister-in-law, he pictured them and Lisa at the dinner table. Lisa had been obviously uneasy, but Katrina and Boyd had done their best to make her feel less awkward. They’d even expressed excitement at having a nephew. His expression hardened. And the rest of his family had better behave as well or they’d be answering to him.

Pushing his family to the back of his mind, Slade studied Lisa covertly as the plane taxied down the runway, then rose into the sky. She was more pale than normal and he recalled how she’d winced when he’d pulled on her arm. “How did you get shot?”

She’d begun to wonder if he was even going to ask or if his feelings toward her were so shallow, he really didn’t care. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When I moved to Seattle, I decided to not join the police force. I wanted more flexible working hours so I started my own detective agency and hooked up with a couple of groups of lawyers, doing investigations, serving subpoenas…the legwork kind of stuff.

“Anyway, I was serving divorce papers on a guy named Tommy Cross. He was a medium-class hood who’d been caught in a sting operation. People were distancing themselves fast and furiously from him. Even though the man’s Mr. Stonewall himself, someone must have been worried that he might cut a deal and name names. They took a shot at him, missed and hit me instead.”

Abruptly she grinned dryly. “Talk about a ‘shot heard’ round Seattle and further.’ Tommy didn’t take well to being a target. But I think what bugged him the most was that he’d given his word that he’d be silent and he hadn’t been believed. Tommy always prided himself on keeping his word. The next thing the locals knew, he was talking his head off. He knew so much, it crossed state lines and they had to bring in the Feds.”

Slade recognized the glitter of excitement in her eyes. She liked action, especially when it went well. He recalled the way his stomach had knotted when he’d heard about some of her exploits in the field. She believed in getting her man, even if it involved personal injury. Anger that she took placing her life in jeopardy so lightly built inside of him. “You have a child. And until today, you were raising him on your own. I can’t believe you are still being so cavalier about risking your life.”

Lisa glared at him. “I was never cavalier about my life. I was doing my job, the same as you and every other lawman.”

Maybe he was being unfairly critical, Slade admitted to himself. Law enforcement was innately a dangerous occupation. Still… “The problem is that if there’s trouble anywhere in your vicinity, you seem to find it.”

“I do not.” When they’d been dating, he’d said that he accepted her being in danger as part of her job, but there had been a couple of times when he’d come close to overreacting when she’d had a close call. At those times, a shuttered look had descended over his features and she’d wondered if maybe he did care for her more than he’d wanted to admit. Stupid girl. It was fantasies like that that had caused her to think he might fall in love with her. But he hadn’t. He would never betray his precious Claudette.

Slade told himself to drop the subject, but he couldn’t. That she’d had such a close brush with death continued to taunt him. “I’d have thought that with a child depending on you, you’d have found a less dangerous occupation.”

“And I thought I had found a safer venue,” she snapped back, angered by the accusatory tone in his voice. “The jobs I took were mostly paperwork type of investigating…going through state, federal and county records, checking out phone bills, bank records, that kind of stuff. There was some surveillance, but nothing anyone would consider dangerous.” Her jaw tensed defensively. “I didn’t want to burden you with a child you didn’t want so I ignored the fact that no one’s life is guaranteed.”

“I thought you knew me better than that. I would always want to be involved in the life of any child I fathered,” Slade returned curtly.

To herself, she admitted that she had known that. It had been her pride that had kept her from telling him until now. That, and one other worry. “There is one thing I won’t abide. I won’t allow you to make my son feel second best to the child Claudette was carrying when she died. Even if you think that, you’d better keep it hidden from him or you’ll have me to answer to.”

As angry as he was for having been kept in the dark about his son, Slade knew he had to accept some of the blame. He had been adamant about never loving anyone except for Claudette. It was only reasonable for Lisa to assume he might feel the same about his and Claudette’s unborn child. But she was wrong. Any child he fathered would be special to him. With every passing moment his need to see his son, to hold him, was growing in intensity. “I promise you, he will never be made to feel second best. I was raised to believe that every child is uniquely special.”

He sounded sincere, but although she would have accepted his word on anything else, her son was too important to her. She’d keep a close eye on Slade. At the first sign that he was comparing Andy to the child he’d envisioned having with Claudette, she’d boot Slade out of their lives. Giving in to exhaustion, she closed her eyes and slept.

Between delayed flights and scheduled layovers, dawn was nearly breaking when they finally landed in Seattle. Driving to the house she and Andy shared with her mother and aunt, Lisa grew more and more tense. Slade had never been one to make small talk and the silence in the car felt deafening.

“What have you told Andy about me?” He asked, abruptly breaking the stillness.

“Nothing. He’s barely two years old and, so far, he hasn’t asked about his father so I’ve never said anything.”

Slade studied her narrowly. “What were you going to tell him when he did finally ask?”

“To be honest, I wasn’t really sure.” Her shoulders stiffened defensively. “But I wouldn’t have told him anything that would have turned him against you.”

“Just the fact that I wasn’t contributing to his upbringing in any way would have done that.”

“I did what I thought was the right thing to do at the time.”

Slade held back an angry retort. In all fairness, he knew he couldn’t entirely fault her. He’d so much as told her that he didn’t want a relationship that went beyond the surface.

No further conversation passed between them until they were pulling into the driveway of the huge old two-story home in one of the older districts of Seattle. Again, it was Slade who broke the silence. “I like to know what I’m walking into. Just how opposed are your aunt and mother to my being here.”

“They’re uneasy, but not really opposed. They’re afraid you don’t honestly want Andy and that he’ll sense it and feel rejected.”

“I would never do that to him.”

Lisa knew he believed what he was saying and, as a mother, she felt her son was so adorable that anyone would fall in love with him. However, having been stung by Slade’s past herself, she vowed to not allow her son to be equally harmed.

Entering the house, they smelled coffee brewing along with the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Before they could close the door behind them, two women came out of the kitchen. The one in the lead, Slade judged to be in her fifties. With her green eyes and once black hair, now streaked with gray, she was an older version of Lisa. The woman following her, whom he guessed to be in her sixties, also bore a strong family resemblance.

“We both woke early and couldn’t go back to sleep,” the younger of the two women said, her voice curt with anxiety as she studied Lisa, then turned her gaze to Slade.

Lisa forced a calmness she wasn’t feeling into her manner. “Mother, this is Slade. Slade this is my mother, Helen Gray.”

Slade extended his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

Helen accepted the handshake but made no response.

“And this is my aunt, Ester Kelso.” Lisa completed the introductions.

“Pleased to meet you,” Slade said, extending his hand to her, as well.

“I’m not ready to say the same about you,” Ester replied, accepting the handshake but continuing to regard him with distrust.

“Aunt Ester,” Lisa admonished sternly.

“Ester can be a bit too outspoken,” Helen said. “But she is merely saying out loud what I’m thinking, as well.” A fierce protectiveness glistened in her eyes as she, too, turned her full attention on Slade. “We won’t stand by and allow you to harm Andy in any way.”

Slade glowered at the women. “I’ve come here to accept my responsibility as his father. If I had known about the pregnancy, I would have married Lisa and taken care of her and our child from the beginning.” He turned to Lisa, his jaw set in a resolute line. “It’s never too late to right a wrong. I’ve given this situation some thought and decided that we have to get married. And it should be done as quickly as possible.”

Lisa had always known Slade was a man who lived by a strong code of duty. She also knew that it was duty and nothing more that was the reason he was willing to marry her. Her shoulders straightened with pride. “I didn’t bring you into Andy’s and my life because I wanted you for a husband.”

“And I will not allow my son to go through life as a bastard. We will marry and I will have his name changed to Logan. I want him to know that he is as much a member of my family as he is of yours.”

“We can have his name changed without you and me marrying.”

“That’s not enough. I want him to be able to say his parents were married. I know that sounds old-fashioned, but that’s the way I am.”

Helen stepped between her daughter and Slade. “I realize that life might be a lot easier for Andy if he has a father who wants to claim him, but I will not allow you to bully Lisa into doing something she thinks is wrong.”

Ester placed herself beside her sister, forming a human wall between Lisa and Slade. “And neither will I.”

They reminded Slade of the women in his own family…strong-willed, determined, self-reliant and stubborn. “I’m just trying to do right by my child.”

Even though Lisa was still not certain Slade would be able to find a real place in his heart for her son, she found herself coming to his defense. He was, she knew for certain, a man of honor. “I know Slade means well,” she said, stepping out from behind the protective barrier.

Aware of her doubts about him as a father, Slade was surprised by the conviction in her voice.

“I suppose we really didn’t have any other option but to bring him in on this,” Helen said with a heavy sigh, still not looking convinced that this had been the best course of action.

Ester continued to stare sternly at Slade. “Our Lisa is a wonderful woman. No man in his right mind would ever consider her second best. She’s strictly first-rate.”

So, Lisa had been honest with them about why she’d kept their child a secret. “I’ve always respected Lisa. I know she’s a first-rate person.”

Both Helen and Ester tossed him disgruntled glances, letting him know they found his response less than satisfactory.

“She’s a woman any man should be proud to love,” Helen snapped, and Ester nodded curtly.

“It’s been a long trip,” Lisa interrupted. She’d confessed to her aunt and mother that she’d been in love with Slade and hoped that he’d fall in love with her. Even if Slade had guessed that was the case, she didn’t want them confirming it by blurting it out. “I’ll show Slade to his room.”

“There’s coffee and fresh cinnamon rolls in the kitchen,” Ester said.

“As soon as we’ve freshened up, we’ll be down,” Lisa returned, motioning Slade toward the stairs.

Picking up both his and her satchel, Slade nodded his goodbye to her mother and aunt, then waited for Lisa to precede him up the stairs. When they reached the second-floor landing, he stepped in front of her, stopping her. “I want to see my son.”

Lisa, too, was anxious to see her child. The mere sight of him gave her strength. “He’s asleep and I don’t want to wake him,” she cautioned as they neared a room, the entrance blocked by a child’s safety gate.

From the doorway, Slade peered inside. The window shade was up, allowing early morning light to give dim illumination to the interior. His gaze went immediately to the twin-size bed nestled in the corner. The top and one side each against a wall, a child’s bed rail protected the side open to the room. Realizing Lisa was not about to open the gate that separated him from his son, Slade frowned. “I want a closer look.”

“I told you, I don’t want to wake him.”

“Mommy?” A small voice issued from the bed.

In the next instant there was movement as the occupant of the bed wiggled to the open bottom end, climbed off and headed for the door. He was rubbing his eyes, a sign he was still in the process of waking. Halfway across the room, he looked in the direction of his destination. Abruptly, he came to a halt.

Lisa wasn’t surprised. Slade was an imposing figure. But she didn’t want her son’s first encounter with his father to leave any taste of fear. Quickly she switched on the light. “Hi, sweetheart,” she said, smiling warmly as she unfastened the gate.

Andy stood rooted, staring at the tall, dark stranger in the doorway.

“It’s all right,” Lisa soothed, then realized that there was no fear on Andy’s face. Instead, he was studying Slade with a guarded speculation, his expression a child’s version of the one she’d seen on Slade’s face so many times when he encountered someone for the first time and wasn’t certain if they were friend or foe.

Glancing over her shoulder, Lisa saw that Slade had not moved. He was standing like a statue in the doorway, staring down at their child. The thought that he was disappointed at the sight of his son caused a rush of rage inside her. Motherly pride bubbled to the surface. Suddenly a look of tenderness, so intense it took her breath away, spread over Slade’s features.

It took all of Slade’s willpower to not stride into the room and pick up his son. He didn’t want to frighten the boy. There was no doubt that this was his child. Andy was the exact image of him at that age. But then, he’d never for a moment questioned Lisa’s honesty. Remaining in the doorway, he squatted so that he was at eye level with his child, then said in an easy drawl, “I’m real pleased to be meeting you.”

Andy remained where he was, his head cocked to one side, and continued to study the man.

Lisa held out her hand to her son. “I want you to meet Slade Logan,” she coaxed.

Andy accepted her hand and walked with her toward Slade, stopping a couple of feet in front of him.

“Slade’s a friend.” Lisa saw Slade’s jaw twitch with controlled anger and added, “He’s also your father.”

“Sllaade,” Andy said, as if tasting the feel of the name on his tongue.

“You can call me dad.” Slade wanted to waste no time establishing his true position.

Watching the two of them, Lisa found herself thinking how much alike they were. She’d known Andy resembled his father but until now she’d never realized just how much. And the resemblance wasn’t merely physical, either. Andy’s mannerisms, the way he held himself, the way he faced his father right now, studying him with guarded interest…all of these things combined into a miniature Slade.

Lisa could tell by looking at him that with every fiber of his being, Slade wanted to pick up his son and hug him. Instead he extended his hand and said, “How about a handshake?”

Releasing his hold on his mother’s hand, Andy took another step toward the man and placed his hand in Slade’s.

Slade’s huge hand swallowed up the toddler’s. The desire to hold on to the boy forever was strong, but Slade made himself release his hold after only a moment.

“Sllaade,” Andy repeated with a smile that indicated he’d decided to accept the man as a friend.

“Dad,” Slade corrected with a crooked grin to let the boy know that he, too, considered them friends.

Andy looked up at his mother as if confused by this double name.

“Dad. You should call him dad,” Lisa responded to the question in her son’s eyes. Silently she prayed that, for her son’s sake, the tenderness she’d seen on Slade’s face would remain untainted by the ghosts that haunted him.

Andy turned back to Slade. “Daa,” he said as if imprinting the name in his memory bank.

A lump the size of Texas formed in Slade’s throat. “Son,” he said around it, and ruffled Andy’s hair. “Think I could have a hug?” he coaxed.

Lisa was stunned by the depth of feeling she read on Slade’s face. She’d never seen this openly loving side of him. He’d been tender with her, kind, generous and thoughtful, but she’d always been aware of the wall he kept between himself and her. For a moment jealousy that her son had been allowed to enter Slade’s heart while she’d always be left on the outside flowed through her. Then pride came to her rescue. She refused to waste emotions on a man who preferred a ghost to a real flesh-and-blood woman. “Give your father a hug,” she encouraged, giving Andy a small nudge toward Slade.

Andy hesitated for a second, then with a crooked grin that matched Slade’s, he opened his arms, approached Slade and wrapped them around Slade’s neck.

Emotions too strong to even categorize pervaded Slade as he wound his arms around his son. Feeling Andy attempting to wiggle free, Slade forced himself to release the boy.

Satisfied he’d been properly introduced to the stranger and the stranger was not a threat, Andy turned to his mother and held up his arms to her.

“I suppose you want to get dressed and have some breakfast.” Because her shoulder was still too sore to allow her to pick him up, she knelt, wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his neck.

Andy nodded vigorously.

Feeling the need to have some time alone with her son, Lisa rose and, holding her son by the hand, headed to the door. “We’ll just show your father to his room first.”

Slade knew she was trying to get rid of him and wanted to protest, but stopped himself. His relationship with his son was still on shaky ground and he didn’t want to do anything that would evoke anger from Lisa in front of the boy. Picking up both her satchel and his, he said, “I’ll drop your satchel off at your room.”

Relieved he wasn’t going to give her any argument, Lisa nodded toward the next door on the same side of the hall as Andy’s room. “That’s my room,” she said.

Slade dropped her bag just inside, while she paused in the hall.

She nodded toward a door on the other side of the passage. “That’ll be your room.”

Pleased that he would be so close to his son’s room, Slade smiled. “Thanks.” With a final wink toward Andy, he entered his room.

Lisa had finished changing Andy’s diaper and was dressing him when she felt a prickling along her spine. Without turning around, she was certain it was Slade in the doorway watching her. From the first time they’d met, she’d been acutely aware of his presence. She’d hoped that had faded during the past couple of years. Obviously, it hadn’t.

Andy peered around her. “Da,” he said, confirming what she already knew.

Approaching them, Slade held his arms out toward the boy. “Can I give you a lift downstairs?”

Lisa expected Andy to refuse. He was cautious around strangers. Even more, Slade had an intimidating effect on people. The first time they’d met, he’d gone immediately to the top of her list of men she most wanted to avoid in the future. I would have been smart to have followed that instinct, she admonished herself. Then she thought of Andy and retracted that thought. Her son was precious to her and she would never regret having him.

Andy cocked his head and again studied the tall, mountain of a man while his mother finished tying his shoe. When she was done, he slid off of his bed and stood beside her for a long moment, then clearly making up his mind, he held out his arms toward Slade.

Grinning with pleasure, Slade picked up his son.

They were a matched pair, Lisa thought, watching the two of them together. Her pride still stung some, but she was forced to admit that bringing Slade and his son together had been the right thing to do.

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