Chapter 1
“I’ve come for my niece.”
Eden Walters’ smile faded, and she took a step back from the man’s overwhelming presence in her doorway. Though she barely came to his broad shoulder, he would soon find he couldn’t push her around.
“You–your niece?” Her thoughts ran through the children squealing in laughter behind her. The older children were playing Candyland while two-year-old Katie and infant Braden slept upstairs. Five children, three of them girls, but she had no idea which one this man wanted. She tilted her chin in the air, leery of handing any of her children over to this bulk of a man who oozed self-confidence that would put an emperor to shame. He was probably used to getting what he wanted with his size and dark good looks.
“Katie Leland. I’m Josh Leland.” He thrust his hands in his pockets and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
“Now see here, Mr. Leland,” Eden began.
“Isn’t there somewhere quieter we can discuss this?”
Eden compressed her lips and reminded herself she was a professional. “Very well, follow me.” She led him to the library across the hall from the front parlor where the children played. Tugging on the pocket doors, she was panting by the time she managed to close them and turned to face Josh Leland.
His warm brown eyes took in the gap where they didn’t quite close, then traveled around the room. Eden saw it afresh from his eyes. Stained and torn wallpaper that she wished she could afford to replace, old furniture she’d bought at Goodwill, and a threadbare carpet on the floor. She felt a bit like Jo in Little Women and suppressed a smile at the errant thought.
Those brown eyes were regarding her now, and she knew what he must think. A short young woman with flyaway blond hair, curves that were too generous, and clothes as shabby as her house. A warm flush started up her neck, and she forced her eyes up to meet his.
“I’m quite busy this morning, Mr. Leland. If you check in with Child Welfare Services, you will find you have no legal right to see Katie. Even if you really are her uncle.”
He ran a broad hand through his thick brown hair. Eden always noticed hands. His were muscular with long fingers and neatly clipped nails. She pushed away the stir of attraction. His expression told all too clearly what he thought of her. Disapproval radiated from every pore of his immaculately clothed being.
“I don’t want a visit, I mean to take her permanently. I’ve been to Child Welfare, and they tell me you have already filed adoption papers. Surely you can see it would be better for her to be raised by her uncle than by a stranger.”
“I’m no stranger to Katie! I’ve cared for her—and loved her—since she was three months old. You, Mr. Leland, are the stranger. She is two years old. Where were you when her mother brought her to the welfare office and dumped her like an unwanted suitcase?” Eden clenched her hands to keep from slugging him. “You’re the stranger, Mr. Leland.”
Her barb struck home for he colored and lost a bit of his superiority. “I didn’t know about Katie,” he mumbled. “Last I heard, Mandy was in college and nearly finished with her degree in accounting. Then I was called and told she’d died.” His face paled. “Drugs, they said. The college sent her stuff to me. That’s when I discovered I had a niece. I chucked my job with Sutter Petroleum in Saudi Arabia and came straight here.”
That explained the tan. Eden pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and bit her lip. His bald recitation of the facts touched her more than she wanted to admit, but facts were facts.
“That’s all very interesting, Mr. Leland, and I’m sorry for your loss, but I’m afraid you’re too late. The adoption papers were signed yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” He paled beneath his tan and sank onto the sofa. He breathed deeply, then raised his gaze to hers. “May I see her?”
Eden flinched at the thought of
“I’ve come for my niece.”
Eden Walters’ smile faded, and she took a step back from the man’s overwhelming presence in her doorway. Though she barely came to his broad shoulder, he would soon find he couldn’t push her around.
“You–your niece?” Her thoughts ran through the children squealing in laughter behind her. The older children were playing Candyland while two-year-old Katie and infant Braden slept upstairs. Five children, three of them girls, but she had no idea which one this man wanted. She tilted her chin in the air, leery of handing any of her children over to this bulk of a man who oozed self-confidence that would put an emperor to shame. He was probably used to getting what he wanted with his size and dark good looks.
“Katie Leland. I’m Josh Leland.” He thrust his hands in his pockets and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
“Now see here, Mr. Leland,” Eden began.
“Isn’t there somewhere quieter we can discuss this?”
Eden compressed her lips and reminded herself she was a professional. “Very well, follow me.” She led him to the library across the hall from the front parlor where the children played. Tugging on the pocket doors, she was panting by the time she managed to close them and turned to face Josh Leland.
His warm brown eyes took in the gap where they didn’t quite close, then traveled around the room. Eden saw it afresh from his eyes. Stained and torn wallpaper that she wished she could afford to replace, old furniture she’d bought at Goodwill, and a threadbare carpet on the floor. She felt a bit like Jo in Little Women and suppressed a smile at the errant thought.
Those brown eyes were regarding her now, and she knew what he must think. A short young woman with flyaway blond hair, curves that were too generous, and clothes as shabby as her house. A warm flush started up her neck, and she forced her eyes up to meet his.
“I’m quite busy this morning, Mr. Leland. If you check in with Child Welfare Services, you will find you have no legal right to see Katie. Even if you really are her uncle.”
He ran a broad hand through his thick brown hair. Eden always noticed hands. His were muscular with long fingers and neatly clipped nails. She pushed away the stir of attraction. His expression told all too clearly what he thought of her. Disapproval radiated from every pore of his immaculately clothed being.
“I don’t want a visit, I mean to take her permanently. I’ve been to Child Welfare, and they tell me you have already filed adoption papers. Surely you can see it would be better for her to be raised by her uncle than by a stranger.”
“I’m no stranger to Katie! I’ve cared for her—and loved her—since she was three months old. You, Mr. Leland, are the stranger. She is two years old. Where were you when her mother brought her to the welfare office and dumped her like an unwanted suitcase?” Eden clenched her hands to keep from slugging him. “You’re the stranger, Mr. Leland.”
Her barb struck home for he colored and lost a bit of his superiority. “I didn’t know about Katie,” he mumbled. “Last I heard, Mandy was in college and nearly finished with her degree in accounting. Then I was called and told she’d died.” His face paled. “Drugs, they said. The college sent her stuff to me. That’s when I discovered I had a niece. I chucked my job with Sutter Petroleum in Saudi Arabia and came straight here.”
That explained the tan. Eden pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and bit her lip. His bald recitation of the facts touched her more than she wanted to admit, but facts were facts.
“That’s all very interesting, Mr. Leland, and I’m sorry for your loss, but I’m afraid you’re too late. The adoption papers were signed yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” He paled beneath his tan and sank onto the sofa. He breathed deeply, then raised his gaze to hers. “May I see her?”
Eden flinched at the thought of
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