Harlequin American Romance May 2014 Bundle: One Night in Texas\The Cowboy's Destiny\A Baby for the Doctor\The Bull Rider's Family (14 page)

Her eyes narrowed. “Unless someone called them to file a complaint about how I raise Erin.”

“Who...” He quickly got to his feet. “You think my father might have called them?”

“Would he do that? Would he try to take Erin from me?”

“Angie.” He pulled her into his arms, and she felt safe, as if nothing could come between her and her child. “I would never let him do that. Please believe me. I’ll talk to him, but let’s wait and see what the lady has to say.”

“Okay.” She raised her head and he bent toward her. Her lips were starved for the touch of his, and she really needed him tonight. Even though it was wrong. Even though he was with someone else.

“It’s time for ice cream,” Erin shouted from her room.

Hardy groaned and rested his forehead against hers. Laughing, they walked to the kitchen. But the uneasiness wouldn’t go away. Angie still had that bad feeling in her stomach, as if her world was about to be shattered once again.

Chapter Thirteen

By the time Hardy reached the ranch, his dad was in bed. He planned to question him in the morning, but he believed his dad wouldn’t do something so devious. His father was already forming a connection to Erin. Unless he’d deemed, in his own mind, that Hardy should have full custody.
Damn!

Hardy didn’t sleep much. He was up early, waiting for his dad to make an appearance. It didn’t take long. The judge was an early riser.

Leaning against the counter, Hardy sipped his coffee. He waited until his dad got a cup and sat at the table. Mavis was somewhere else in the house, and it was the perfect opportunity.

“Have you made arrangements for Erin to come visit us?” his dad asked.

“Not yet.” Hardy pulled out a chair and sat facing his father. “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer honestly.”

The judge’s eyebrows knit together. “Why would I answer any other way?”

“Did you call Child Protective Services about Erin?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe for the same reason you asked Angie to deny I was the father. Don’t act all indignant. I just want an answer.”

“No.”

Hardy stared into stubborn blue eyes just like his, and knew he wasn’t lying. A feeling of relief surged through him. He was tired of fighting his dad. He was tired of so many things.

“Good. I want us to have a good relationship with Angie for Erin’s sake.”

Instead of answering, the judge took a sip of coffee, his eyes never leaving Hardy’s. “Are you sure it’s not more than that?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re spending a lot of time at Angie’s and you’ve forgotten about your campaign. You have to get back to business. We’ll hire publicists to make the announcement about Erin, and it should get the attention of the voters and pull on a few heartstrings. At first, I thought it would hurt your campaign, but I’m revising that decision. People love human-interest stories and it will certainly get your name in front of the voters.”

Hardy groaned and got to his feet. “I’ll see you later.” He couldn’t be angry at his father for championing his career because Hardy had made it clear since he was a boy that was what he wanted—to follow in his dad’s footsteps. But now so many things were pulling at him and he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted. A grown man should know what he wanted without any doubts. Without any guilt. Without any heartache. Was that possible for him?

He was at Angie’s early because he wanted to reassure her she didn’t have anything to fear from the Hollisters. She wore a yellow-and-white sundress that came just above her knees. Her hair was loose around her shoulders—she rarely wore it that way. He stared at the glow in her eyes and thought how beautiful she was. He’d never really thought of her as beautiful, but at that moment he saw the woman she’d become: strong, mature and incredibly attractive.

He loved being with her in her kitchen, watching her, soaking up the calmness that was a part of her. Well, usually. Today she was nervous and edgy, going from the refrigerator to the stove and back to the table.

He caught her arms and stopped her. “Please calm down. I have to go to work, but I plan to be back in time to talk to the lady with you. I won’t let you do that alone.”

“Thanks.” The sadness in her eyes tore at him.

“No one is taking Erin. You have my word on that. I’m a lawyer and the D.A., remember?”

She smiled slightly, an infectious smile he remembered well, and he left on that note. “Tell Erin I’ll see her at lunch,” he called, going out the door.

On his way back to Angie’s, he stopped at the grocery store and bought ice cream. He felt they would need it to cheer them up. He held the half gallon up as he walked through the back door.

“Rockslide Brownie. How does that sound?” He slipped the ice cream into the freezer.

Her honey-brown eyes sparkled. “Decadent.”

Erin raised her arms. “Oh, boy, a new flavor. Can we have it now?”

Hardy winked at his daughter and glanced at Angie. She brushed back Erin’s hair. “You’ve been playing all morning with your friends and I want you to take a nap now. We’ll have the ice cream later.”

“I’m not tired. And I’m not a baby, Mama.”

Angie lifted an eyebrow.

“Okay, but I’m not going to sleep.”

They heard her fumbling around in her room and then it was silence. Together they tiptoed down the hall to check on her. She was curled up on the bed, her injured leg stretched out, with her arms wrapped around the big teddy bear Hardy had given her. She was sound asleep.

They made their way back to the kitchen. Before they could sit down, they heard a knock at the front door.

Angie ran her hands down her skirt. “That must be her.”

“Calm down. It’s probably nothing. Or at least nothing we can’t handle together.”

She smiled that smile again and they both walked into the living room. Angie opened the door. A middle-aged woman with graying hair stood there, holding a briefcase.

She held out her hand. “I’m Sharon Dunlap. I spoke with you yesterday.”

Angie took her hand and then opened the door wider. “I’m Angie, and this is Hardison Hollister. He’s the D.A. here and also Erin’s father.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Hollister. I was unaware you would be here today.” They shook hands.

“Is that a problem?”

“I would prefer to speak to Ms. Wiznowski alone.” Ms. Dunlap pulled back her shoulders in a defensive stance.

“Sorry, as Erin’s father, I will sit in on this discussion.”

“Suit yourself.”

Hardy was getting a bad feeling. Something was going on.

“Please have a seat,” Angie said. He sat by Angie on the sofa, while Ms. Dunlap took a chair close to them. She opened her briefcase and took out an iPad.

“I would like to talk about your daughter’s accident.” Ms. Dunlap started the conversation.

“Why?” Hardy asked.

“I’ve received an accident report from the sheriff’s office,” she stated instead of answering. “As I understand it, Erin ran out into the street and was hit by you, Mr. Hollister.”

Hardy’s cell buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw the caller ID. It was Wyatt. He stood. “I have to take this call.” He walked into the kitchen. “What is it, Wyatt?”

“A lady from Child Protective Services has been here asking questions. I just wanted to give you the heads-up.”

“Thanks. I’ll get back with you.”

“Why are you asking questions about the accident?” Angie asked as he resumed his seat.

“Because someone has filed a complaint,” Hardy said. “Am I right, Ms. Dunlap?”

“I can’t divulge that kind of information.”

“I’m the D.A., and I can get that information within the hour.”

Ms. Dunlap bristled. “I’m doing my job, Mr. Hollister.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

Ms. Dunlap cleared her throat, looking down at the iPad and then at Angie. “Is your daughter ever left alone?”

Angie frowned. “No. Someone is always with her.”

“Yet she’s ten years old and ran out into the street and was hit. Why wasn’t someone watching her?”

“Excuse me?” Angie got to her feet. Hardy caught her hand and pulled her back down on the sofa.

“Ms. Dunlap, you have the sheriff’s report.” Hardy stared directly at her. “Please read it.”

“I have.”

“You didn’t read it correctly, then,” Angie said. “It was Erin’s tenth birthday, and I gave her a party. She was having fun with her friends in the late afternoon playing on a Slip ’N Slide in the front yard. Erin ran into the house to get a beach ball we had bought for our trip to Disney World. The girls played with the ball for a while and then it bounced into the street. Erin ran after it. I shouted and ran after her, but she didn’t hear me. I was right there. My child was not left alone at any time. The sheriff and his wife were there, as were two other parents and their children. It was an accident, just like it says in the report.”

“At the time Mr. Hollister did not know he was the child’s father. Am I correct?”

Angie gripped her hands in her lap, and Hardy glanced at the stark terror on her face.

* * *

P
AIN
SLICED
THROUGH
Angie, and for moment she couldn’t speak. This woman was implying she was a bad mother. And she had the power to take Erin from her. Her worst fear was tearing at her heart. She quickly collected herself. Too much was at stake for her to fall apart.

“Mr. Hollister did not know Erin was his daughter at the time of the accident,” she said in a clear voice.

“You withheld this information from your child?”

A steely calm came over Angie. “You do not have the right to come into my home and question my decisions.”

“I do if your child is in danger.”

“I assure you she is not.”

Hardy got to his feet. “This conversation is over, Ms. Dunlap. And you’d better have a warrant in your hand if you want to talk to Angie or my daughter again. Someone is feeding you false information. Erin is loved and cared for.”

“I would like to speak to the child.”

“No way in hell.”

“Mama,” Erin called weakly from the doorway. Angie jumped up and went to her.

“Can we have ice cream now?” Erin looked at the strange woman in their house and Angie had to make a decision. She had nothing to hide. She was a good mother. She believed that with all her heart. No one had a right to say that she wasn’t.

“We have company,” she told Erin. “Come say hello.” She made the decision in an instant, and she didn’t miss the puzzled look in Hardy’s eyes.

Angie returned to the sofa. Erin hobbled behind her on the crutches and sat between her and Hardy. Hardy took the crutches and laid them against the sofa.

“Hi, Daddy. You stayed so we can have ice cream together?”

Hardy hugged his daughter. “You bet, peanut.”

Erin looked at Ms. Dunlap again. “I’m Erin,” she said.

“Nice to meet you, Erin. I’m Ms. Dunlap and—”

“Ms. Dunlap is investigating the accident,” Hardy interrupted quickly.

Erin made a face. “I was a doofus.”

“What do you mean?” Ms. Dunlap asked.

“I ran out into the street even after my mama told me probably a million times to always look both ways before crossing a street. I just wanted to get my ball before Mrs. Wimby saw it. If anything goes into her yard, she doesn’t give it back. Mama and I were going to Disney World and I wanted my ball to play with on the beach, so I had to get it and I wasn’t thinking. That’s why I’m a doofus.”

“Do you remember anything about the accident?”

Erin shook her head. “I just remember Mama screaming at me to stop and then I woke up in the hospital.”

Ms. Dunlap tapped on the iPad. She looked up. “Do you love your mother?”

Erin smiled. “I have the best mother, but she can be mean sometimes.”

Angie had no idea what her daughter was talking about, but she let her talk because she knew Erin was her best defense.

“How can she be mean?” Ms. Dunlap inquired.

Erin leaned over and whispered, “She makes me eat healthy. Like whole-wheat bread and whole-wheat pancakes and whole-wheat waffles. Yuck. Not to mention vegetables like broccoli and asparagus, but she does put cheese on those so it’s not too bad. My friend Jody and I are thinking about writing a petition and taking it to the capital in Austin to protest kids having to eat healthy meals. We should have a say in what we eat. Don’t you think?”

“Uh...” Ms. Dunlap was stumped. Angie wanted to smile, but she didn’t. “I’m sure she has your best interest at heart.”

“Yep, that’s my mama.”

Ms. Dunlap studied her iPad and then asked, “Erin, does your mother ever leave you alone?”

“I can’t even stay by myself while she goes to the grocery store. I have to stay with one of my aunts, my grandma or at Jody’s. That’s something else Jody and I were talking about. A ten-year-old should be able to stay by themselves. That’s another petition we’re thinking of writing. We’re not babies.”

“I’d listen to your mother on that one.”

“I always listen to my mother, except that day when I was a doofus.”

“I believe we covered that.” Ms. Dunlap took a moment. “Erin, how do you feel about your father?”

“I wrote about him. Do you want to read it?”

“Uh...”

“I’ll get it.” Erin began to get to her feet, but Angie stopped her.

“I’ll get it, sweetie.” She went into Erin’s room to retrieve one of the several copies of the paper that Erin had on her desk. In the living room, she handed it to Ms. Dunlap.

Hardy glanced at Angie over Erin’s head, and she could see that he was as stunned by Erin responses as she was.

“Very nice,” Ms. Dunlap said, laying the paper on the coffee table. “So you’re not mad at your mother for keeping your father a secret from you?”

“I was for about ten seconds, but my mama loves me and I couldn’t stay mad at her. And now I have my daddy.”

Ms. Dunlap shoved the iPad back in her briefcase. “Thank you, Erin, for talking to me.”

“Why do you have to know about the accident? Sheriff Wyatt takes care of everything in Horseshoe.”

“It’s just standard procedure.”

“Oh.”

Angie squeezed her daughter. “Why don’t you get the ice cream out of the freezer and we’ll have a snack?”

“Oh, boy.” Erin got to her feet, and Hardy handed her the crutches.

Once Erin disappeared into the kitchen, Ms. Dunlap said, “I’ll file my report and someone will be in touch with you.”

Hardy stood. “I’ll have that complaint on my desk by the end of the day and then I will be in touch with the head of Child Protective Services. There is no abuse or neglect in this house. Someone’s going to pay for this visit, because it was totally uncalled for.”

Ms. Dunlap also stood. “I’m just doing my job, Mr. Hollister.”

“And I’ll do mine, as her father and as the D.A. of this county. And for the record, I would’ve never let you talk to Erin, but Angie has made all the right decisions concerning our daughter, and I didn’t question it. As you can see, Erin is a well-adjusted, happy little girl. I intend for her to stay that way.”

“Good day.” Ms. Dunlap walked out without another word.