A Family Man Read online

  Courteous, courageous and commanding—these heroes lay it all on the line for the people they love in more than fifty stories about loyalty, bravery and romance. Don’t miss a single one!

  AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2010

  A Vow to Love by Sherryl Woods

  Serious Risks by Rachel Lee

  Who Do You Love? by Maggie Shayne and Marilyn Pappano

  Dear Maggie by Brenda Novak

  A Randall Returns by Judy Christenberry

  Informed Risk by Robyn Carr

  Five-Alarm Affair by Marie Ferrarella

  AVAILABLE MARCH 2010

  The Man from Texas by Rebecca York

  Mistaken Identity by Merline Lovelace

  Bad Moon Rising by Kathleen Eagle

  Moriah’s Mutiny by Elizabeth Bevarly

  Have Gown, Need Groom by Rita Herron

  Heart of the Tiger by Lindsay McKenna

  AVAILABLE APRIL 2010

  Landry’s Law by Kelsey Roberts

  Love at First Sight by B.J. Daniels

  The Sheriff of Shelter Valley by Tara Taylor Quinn

  A Match for Celia by Gina Wilkins

  That’s Our Baby! by Pamela Browning

  Baby, Our Baby! by Patricia Thayer

  AVAILABLE MAY 2010

  Special Assignment: Baby by Debra Webb

  My Baby, My Love by Dani Sinclair

  The Sheriff’s Proposal by Karen Rose Smith

  The Marriage Conspiracy by Christine Rimmer

  The Woman for Dusty Conrad by Tori Carrington

  The White Night by Stella Bagwell

  Code Name: Prince by Valerie Parv

  AVAILABLE JUNE 2010

  Same Place, Same Time by C.J. Carmichael

  One Last Chance by Justine Davis

  By Leaps and Bounds by Jacqueline Diamond

  Too Many Brothers by Roz Denny Fox

  Secretly Married by Allison Leigh

  Strangers When We Meet by Rebecca Winters

  AVAILABLE JULY 2010

  Babe in the Woods by Caroline Burnes

  Serving Up Trouble by Jill Shalvis

  Deputy Daddy by Carla Cassidy

  The Major and the Librarian by Nikki Benjamin

  A Family Man by Mindy Neff

  The President’s Daughter by Annette Broadrick

  Return to Tomorrow by Marisa Carroll

  AVAILABLE AUGUST 2010

  Remember My Touch by Gayle Wilson

  Return of the Lawman by Lisa Childs

  If You Don’t Know by Now by Teresa Southwick

  Surprise Inheritance by Charlotte Douglas

  Snowbound Bride by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  The Good Daughter by Jean Brashear

  AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2010

  The Hero’s Son by Amanda Stevens

  Secret Witness by Jessica Andersen

  On Pins and Needles by Victoria Pade

  Daddy in Dress Blues by Cathie Linz

  AKA: Marriage by Jule McBride

  Pregnant and Protected by Lilian Darcy

  MINDY NEFF

  A FAMILY MAN

  MINDY NEFF

  published her first book with Harlequin American Romance in 1995. Since then, she has appeared regularly on the Waldenbooks bestseller list and won numerous awards, including a National Readers’ Choice award, an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, three W.I.S.H. awards for outstanding heroes and two Gold Medal reviews from RT Book Reviews. She has also been nominated for the Holt Medallion, a Golden Quill, an Orange Rose and twice for a prestigious RITA® Award. Originally from Louisiana, Mindy settled in Southern California, where she married a really romantic guy and raised five kids. Family, friends, reading, grandkids and a very spoiled Maltese named Harley are her passions.

  To Gene, my real-life hero, my husband and my friend.

  I love you.

  Contents

  Prologue

  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 Fifteen

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Desperation clawed at her, emotions so fierce she thought she’d break under their weight. She wanted to scream, stamp her feet, cry out at the injustice…shake her fist at God.

  Lightning streaked the sky, creasing the inky darkness of the backwoods road. The clap of thunder that followed shook the car like an explosion, making her heart pound in both fear and repentance.

  She shouldn’t have run. She shouldn’t be out in this storm. But the entire fabric of her life had begun to unravel today, shaking her faith, twisting her insides into knots of hopelessness. Oh, God. Why now? Why me? Why Bobby?

  Anger, despair and crushing guilt assailed her. She’d never allowed herself to go this far, to truly let her anger consume her this way.

  One thing. Just one little thing. That’s all she was asking for. A tiny seed. A miracle that so many people took for granted. That she’d taken for granted.

  Until today.

  Until the horrible, final judgment, handed down by a dispassionate doctor, had shattered her world. Words. A death sentence. The imminent end of a beautiful, cherished dream. A beautiful life. Bobby’s life.

  “Oh, God, please,” she cried silently. If only there was a way. She wasn’t asking for herself—but for Bobby, for the one thing he most wanted.

  Driving rain slashed against the windshield, the wipers barely able to keep up with the torrent.

  Fierce, angry lightning burst from the heavens, illuminating the country road as if it were high noon instead of close to midnight. A flash of hope. Gone in an instant. Like her dreams. Like Bobby’s dreams.

  And then she saw the stranger.

  Her heart lurched so hard she felt an instant of vertigo. Her foot eased off the gas pedal, the car creeping to a mere crawl.

  He stood in the shadows, cloaked in darkness, no hat, no umbrella, a lone force whose strength alone could withstand the storm.

  An explosive, rash idea, born of despair—and of love—took hold and grew. A lifetime of caution, of always doing the right thing, urged her to press the accelerator and run for her very life. Yet something else ruled her actions.

  She didn’t allow herself to consider the risk. She only considered the consequences.

  Brake lights splashed a crimson glow across rain-drenched asphalt as the car rolled to a stop. She gripped the steering wheel with damp palms, her body so tense she ached. It could have been hours or mere seconds. Time lost all meaning. Get in, she prayed silently. Please, just get in. Let it be right.

  At last, the passenger door opened. The dome light shone like a spotlight in an interrogation room, giving her just enough time to doubt her sanity.

  She stared straight ahead as his weight settled into the seat next to her. She couldn’t look at him. Not yet. Not when her mind was so consumed with the enormity of what she’d just done, what she was about to ask.

  The smell of expensive leather assailed her. A bomber jacket, she noted, the kind worn by jet jockeys in the popular air force movies.

  Without speaking she eased her foot off the brake and drove on, heading into the storm. A storm created by nature and of her own emotions.

  She was smart enough to realize that the rationalizations flipping one right after another through her mind were born of despair, yet a small, hopeful part of her grasped onto one repetitious thought.

  Fate seemed to have thrown this man in her path. It must be right, she thou
ght.

  It had to be.

  Four sinful, desperate words were rehearsed over and over in her mind, yet they remained choked in her throat. Fear robbed her voice like those long ago nights as a child, wanting desperately to call out to her mama, but so afraid that the actual sound of her voice would alert the monsters who were lurking just outside the door. Those same feelings of helpless silence once again assailed her.

  He might have been battling his own demons, for he hadn’t spoken in the ten miles or so they’d traveled. If she didn’t act soon, she’d lose her nerve. The opportunity was here. Serendipity. An open door that held a tiny spark of hope.

  She heard the rustle of his clothing and knew that he’d turned to look at her as she pulled into the parking lot of the small motel.

  Perspiration slicked her palms. Staring straight ahead, she turned off the ignition. “Make love to me,” she whispered at last.

  Silence seemed to stretch for an eon. She knew he was watching her.

  She nearly called back her words, but desperation drove her forward. Dropping her hands from the steering wheel, she turned to face him. His eyes were steady, haunting, as if he too were weighted down by sadness, a bleak sadness that should never, ever be borne alone.

  “Please, just say you will. One night is all I’m asking.”

  The impact of his probing gaze caused her heart to trip and stumble, yet she held his look. Don’t think, she cautioned herself. Fate takes care of itself. If not…

  Rain drummed on the roof of the car. For an instant, the stern lines of his face gentled. He never uttered a word, yet with his sharp gaze locked onto hers, he acquiesced by the barest nod of his head.

  She let out a trembling breath and closed her eyes.

  Destiny had just charted its course.

  By unspoken agreement, she waited in the car while he registered in the lobby, then taking only her keys, she followed him to the room.

  He switched on a lamp by the bed, then turned to face her. For a wild moment, she wanted to bolt. She felt awkward and conspicuous and scared. Drops of rain slid down his temples. With strong fingers, he smoothed his midnight hair straight back from his forehead, then removed his leather jacket.

  She remained frozen by the door, so very unsure.

  He was a tall man with eyes that seemed to see clear into her soul. He must have sensed her indecision, yet he came toward her. Stopping just a bare pace from her, he cocked one dark brow.

  “It’s your call, sugar. Tell me what you want.”

  His voice was low and gravelly…sexy. It sent chills up her spine. She couldn’t allow herself to become swept away like this. She had one purpose only.

  “No words,” she whispered.

  She could almost see the questions he wanted to ask, questions she could never answer. All she wanted was one tiny seed of hope…of life.

  Once again he acknowledged her wishes with a single, slight nod of his head, then slowly reached out, holding her with his eyes, giving her all that she’d asked for and more—tenderly, reverently, as if he knew her secrets…her fragility…her desperate, haunting despair…and hope.

  Wind-driven rain tapped a fierce staccato against the windowpanes, but it was nothing compared to the tempest created within the small motel room.

  He was a fantasy lover, gentle yet masterful, always considerate. She’d never been brought to such fulfillment, not just once, but time and again throughout the long night.

  As dawn crept over the horizon, she watched him as he slept. Her hand trembled as she reached out to touch the dark hair that fell over his brow. It was a featherlight touch of gratitude. Of goodbye.

  With a sense of reluctance that shamed her, she gathered her clothes and silently slipped from the room.

  She didn’t even know his name.

  She wanted it that way.

  Chapter One

  The yellow, pointy nose of the AT 502 Turbine Air Tractor angled downward like a hound hot on the scent of a fox. The Mercedes of the bug bombers, Chase lovingly called the plane. Cupped wheels made contact with the short, bumpy runway. He shook his head at the sad state of disrepair of the landing strip, but it didn’t affect his thistledown landing. It might be a big old plane, but Chase knew he could set her down just about anywhere.

  From the side door canopy, he noticed mechanics and pilots alike had stopped what they were doing to watch him come in. He didn’t blame them. It was almost as big a thrill to stand on the ground watching these ag planes perform as to fly them. The wind whistling in the spray booms almost covered the soft whine of the turbine and idling prop as he hauled the plane around and backtracked what little turf he’d used to land. Off to the side of the hangar, he neatly maneuvered the plane within reach of the loader truck.

  Steady nerves, steady hands and good judgment. Chase wasn’t modest. He knew he was the best.

  He climbed out over the canopy sill and removed his helmet. Sweat dripped from his temples and down the back of his shirt as he finger-combed his short, dark hair.

  “She’s all yours, Bubba. Treat her like a lady.”

  “Ain’t no other way, boss.” Bubba Simpson touched the wing of the bright yellow plane as if indeed she were a fine lady. Bubba was the only other pilot besides himself that Chase trusted to fly the quarter-million-dollar turbine.

  The two men were the same age, thirty-two, and had gone to school together over in the next parish. Bubba hadn’t hesitated a minute when Chase had asked him to relocate to Alexander. Business was good, work was steady, and the financial hold Chase had been slowly gaining in this town guaranteed both his and Bubba’s future.

  “Kid hanging around over there’s looking for a job,” Bubba said as he ducked under the plane’s belly and ran his hand over the prop.

  Chase saw the guy—young, he noted—pacing outside the hangar, hands stuffed in the back pockets of his jeans like a kid who was dying to touch but had been threatened with dire consequences if he did.

  He grinned. That young man had pilot written all over him. They were a certain breed he could spot a mile off.

  As much as Chase loved to fly, he could sorely use a couple more pilots. He was right in the middle of his busiest season and he had more acres under contract to spray than he and Bubba could handle on their own.

  In addition to his ag work, the airstrip needed minor repairs and the house needed a major face-lift…and somewhere in amongst all this, there was a little family matter that needed tending to. A question he figured it was high time he got an answer to. A thirty-two-year-old question.

  Heading toward the crude office that was fashioned off to one side of the hangar, Chase noticed that the painters had done their job. A sign above the bay doors of the hangar read: Fowler’s Flying Service. He liked the look of it. He especially liked the name. He figured it was about time somebody else’s name was touted about town besides the Alexanders’. Yeah, he thought, just seeing his name up there in big letters made the eighteen-hour workdays go down a little easier.

  He stopped in front of the lanky kid, in his early twenties he guessed. “Chase Fowler.” He extended his hand. “Help you with something?”

  “Name’s Junior Watkins. Heard you were looking for ag pilots.”

  “Maybe. Come on inside.”

  He noticed how Junior’s eyes kept straying to the turbine as Bubba readied it for takeoff. Chase laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up, kid. So far, nobody flies that baby but Bubba and me.” Chase fed quarters into the Coke machine and extracted two bottles, handing one to Junior.

  “Man, she is a honey. How does she handle?”

  “Takes some getting used to.” Chase shifted papers on his cluttered desk and rested one hip against the edge. “Sort of like having power steering. Nothing at all like horsing the 301’s around where it takes two hands on the stick to turn. Rudder’s easier, too. After thirteen hours on the tach, my knees appreciate the hell out of it.”

  “I’d sure like to give her a try sometime.”

>   “We might be getting ahead of ourselves here. Why don’t I tell you what I’m looking for and you can tell me if you’re qualified.”

  “Fair enough.”

  The irony of his own words wasn’t lost on Chase. He believed in letting people speak for themselves—but somehow no one in this town had ever let his qualifications speak for him. In Alexander, Louisiana, only the Alexanders were heard. Chase nodded, his eyes steely. Yes, he’d been obsessing on this lately, on his past. He’d been consumed by it. But, he thought as he took a swig of Coke, that was about to change. Chase Fowler was about to speak—and soon everyone in this town would hear him. No one, or nothing, would stand in his way.

  Chase was in a hurry, which was a lame excuse for nearly mowing down the lady coming in the opposite direction on the sidewalk.

  “My apologies, ma’am.” Quick thinking and a sure grip were the only things that kept the woman on her feet.

  “No. My fault. I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking wh—” Her gaze lifted and she froze.

  And so did Chase. A distant memory slammed into his gut, rendering him immobile.

  He hadn’t expected ever to see this woman again.

  “I remember you,” he drawled. It’d been close to four years, but he could’ve called up her image any time, day or night. He’d done it more times than he cared to admit. The part that had eaten at him, though, was that he didn’t even have a name to go with the vivid face and erotic memories.

  Man, she’d been incredible. It had been strange, meeting up with her like that. He’d been on his way back from Dallas, picking up a plane, when the oil gauge had gone haywire forcing him to set the Cessna down on an old service road next to a field. He hadn’t figured on hitching a ride with a dark-haired beauty whose eyes were filled with sadness and desperation. A desperation that had pretty much matched his own that night.

  Those green eyes held a similar look just now. Chase couldn’t figure it. He didn’t normally arouse this particular reaction in women.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t remember me, sugar.”