the problems he knew she must have faced?
He followed her into the kitchen. His eyes stayed locked with those of the child until she sat him on one of the high backed stools and moved to the refridgerator.
He ll fall. He stepped quickly to the bar stool, his hands almost shaking at the little boy wiggled around on it.
Anna turned back at him in surprise. He ll be fine. He sits there all the time.
Blake eased himself slowly into the stool beside the child. He still couldn t take his eyes off him.
How old is he?
I m three, the little boy piped up. My name is Mike.
He answers pretty good for himself. Her laughter was warm, if a bit strained. I m sorry about that thing outside. She pushed a bowl of chilli into the microwave. That was Charlie Austin. He decided Blake s farm would make a nice addition to his. He bought the property beside it.
Austin. He was going to have to kill that bastard, Blake thought. Should have done so before he ever went on that last mission.
Are you my daddy? Little Mike s childish voice sent pain and anger flooding Blake s system. Rage. So much fury he wanted to scream out with it.
No Mike. Anna s voice was soft. This is Uncle Devon. Remember? Momma told you about Uncle Devon. This is daddy s brother.
He looked at her, barely comprehending her words.
He knows who his daddy is. She met his gaze directly. I didn t have pictures of you.
She shrugged. You resemble his daddy.
He was his daddy. Blake wanted to scream the words. Wanted to shout them to the rooftops. But he couldn t. Especially not now. The danger was too great. Son of a bitch, why hadn t Ridgeway at least warned him.
You re welcome to stay while you re here, her voice was as soft and sweet as summer rain. There s a guest room. Major Ridgeway called yesterday and told me he had met you. He likes you. He doesn t like many people. I just didn t expect you so soon.
At least Ridgeway had warned someone.
Blake ate the chilli, but he barely tasted it. He ate chocolate cookies and milk with the boy, but he couldn t tell if they were even any good. He watched his son. His son. The little boy wasn t neat, but Anna was patient and filled with smiles as she cleaned the toddler up and then sent him back to his toys.
Silence filled the room then as she cleaned up the dishes. Once again, she patient, waiting. Giving him time to come to grips with his thoughts.
I didn t know about the boy, he finally told her, his voice rough. I d like to stay a while.
He couldn t go through with the earlier plan. Visit her when he could. Seduce her. Stay at his motel. Become her friend then her lover. Not now. He couldn t do that. He had to be here. Had to protect her. Protect their child.
She turned back to him. She was gripping the dishtowel she held with desperate hands, but her expression was understanding. Gentle. She nodded slowly.
I ll make up the guest room for you, Devon. Blake would have wanted you to stay.
The name pierced his skull. Her careful impersonal expression seared his soul. He stood slowly to his feet, hunger beating a hard tempest through his blood, rage eating at his guts.
I ll get my things. I ll see you soon Anna. Touch you soon. Love you soon. I ll reclaim it all. But before he returned, he d teach Austin a thing or two about manners.
CHAPTER EIGHT
He had a child. A child he hadn t known about. A child Anna had borne and raised along in the nearly five years he had been gone. He bet little Mike was close to four. Couldn t be more than a few months from it. And he was a strong, healthy little boy.
His chubby little face was as innocent as anything Black had ever seen. Thick black lashes laying along his cheeks, his mouth pursed, fist clenched against Blake s chest as he slept soundly.
You could have lain him on the couch. Anna stood at the doorway of the living room watching them, her lush body leaning against the wide doorframe as she dried her hands on a dishrag. Cleaning up after Mike s evening snack sometimes took her
He followed her into the kitchen. His eyes stayed locked with those of the child until she sat him on one of the high backed stools and moved to the refridgerator.
He ll fall. He stepped quickly to the bar stool, his hands almost shaking at the little boy wiggled around on it.
Anna turned back at him in surprise. He ll be fine. He sits there all the time.
Blake eased himself slowly into the stool beside the child. He still couldn t take his eyes off him.
How old is he?
I m three, the little boy piped up. My name is Mike.
He answers pretty good for himself. Her laughter was warm, if a bit strained. I m sorry about that thing outside. She pushed a bowl of chilli into the microwave. That was Charlie Austin. He decided Blake s farm would make a nice addition to his. He bought the property beside it.
Austin. He was going to have to kill that bastard, Blake thought. Should have done so before he ever went on that last mission.
Are you my daddy? Little Mike s childish voice sent pain and anger flooding Blake s system. Rage. So much fury he wanted to scream out with it.
No Mike. Anna s voice was soft. This is Uncle Devon. Remember? Momma told you about Uncle Devon. This is daddy s brother.
He looked at her, barely comprehending her words.
He knows who his daddy is. She met his gaze directly. I didn t have pictures of you.
She shrugged. You resemble his daddy.
He was his daddy. Blake wanted to scream the words. Wanted to shout them to the rooftops. But he couldn t. Especially not now. The danger was too great. Son of a bitch, why hadn t Ridgeway at least warned him.
You re welcome to stay while you re here, her voice was as soft and sweet as summer rain. There s a guest room. Major Ridgeway called yesterday and told me he had met you. He likes you. He doesn t like many people. I just didn t expect you so soon.
At least Ridgeway had warned someone.
Blake ate the chilli, but he barely tasted it. He ate chocolate cookies and milk with the boy, but he couldn t tell if they were even any good. He watched his son. His son. The little boy wasn t neat, but Anna was patient and filled with smiles as she cleaned the toddler up and then sent him back to his toys.
Silence filled the room then as she cleaned up the dishes. Once again, she patient, waiting. Giving him time to come to grips with his thoughts.
I didn t know about the boy, he finally told her, his voice rough. I d like to stay a while.
He couldn t go through with the earlier plan. Visit her when he could. Seduce her. Stay at his motel. Become her friend then her lover. Not now. He couldn t do that. He had to be here. Had to protect her. Protect their child.
She turned back to him. She was gripping the dishtowel she held with desperate hands, but her expression was understanding. Gentle. She nodded slowly.
I ll make up the guest room for you, Devon. Blake would have wanted you to stay.
The name pierced his skull. Her careful impersonal expression seared his soul. He stood slowly to his feet, hunger beating a hard tempest through his blood, rage eating at his guts.
I ll get my things. I ll see you soon Anna. Touch you soon. Love you soon. I ll reclaim it all. But before he returned, he d teach Austin a thing or two about manners.
CHAPTER EIGHT
He had a child. A child he hadn t known about. A child Anna had borne and raised along in the nearly five years he had been gone. He bet little Mike was close to four. Couldn t be more than a few months from it. And he was a strong, healthy little boy.
His chubby little face was as innocent as anything Black had ever seen. Thick black lashes laying along his cheeks, his mouth pursed, fist clenched against Blake s chest as he slept soundly.
You could have lain him on the couch. Anna stood at the doorway of the living room watching them, her lush body leaning against the wide doorframe as she dried her hands on a dishrag. Cleaning up after Mike s evening snack sometimes took her
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