now?”
Josh hesitated, then shook his head. “That’s not enough, Miss Walters. She’s all I have left of Mandy, and I mean to have her.”
“You’re not thinking of her, only of yourself.”
He clenched his jaw. “I can give her much more than you can.”
“Money isn’t everything, Mr. Leland. You admitted yourself you were unused to children. What about caring for her when she’s sick or fixing her hair and teaching her to bake cookies? I don’t see a wedding ring, so I assume she won’t have a mother. A girl needs a mother.”
“And a father. I see no ring on your hand either. What do you propose to do about that?”
Eden felt the hot blush on her cheeks. “Neither situation is perfect,” she admitted. “But you need to face the facts, Mr. Leland. Katie is my daughter now, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“We’ll see.” With that last parting shot, he brushed by her and stalked to the front door. His brown eyes were haunted when he looked back. “I lost my sister, Miss Walters, I’m not going to lose my niece, too.” He slammed the door behind him.
Her throat tight, Eden ran to the door and locked it. As if that could shut away the danger. “Don’t worry, little one,” she whispered. “I won’t let him take you.”
She still remembered the horror of being ripped from her brother and sisters. Eden was still tormented with nightmares about that time. She couldn’t let that happen to her Katie.
Chapter 2
His eyes burning, Josh strode along the sidewalk on Canal Street toward the law office. His jaw hurt from clenching it. Eden Walters was an infuriating woman. Why couldn’t she see the advantages he could offer Katie? She had obviously buried herself in those foster children. It was too bad, though. She could be attractive if she ditched the sloppy clothes and did something with her hair. Maybe then she would find a husband and have her own children instead of stealing Katie away from him.
His jaw softened at the thought of Katie. She was the most beautiful child he’d ever seen. Soft blond curls ringing cherubic cheeks he wanted to pinch. Looking into her blue eyes had been like seeing Mandy again. He couldn’t lose her.
The bell on the door tinkled as he pushed into the waiting room of Grover Law Offices. The sound brought back memories of the old corner grocery with the jars of licorice and the old freezer full of Popsicles and fudge bars. And the Victorian storefronts along the street had set the mood well. Most hometowns didn’t retain the flavor of Wabash, Indiana. Too bad he wouldn’t be staying long. It would have been a nice place for Katie to grow up.
An hour later he stalked those same streets back to his car. The attorney had not held out much hope that he could overturn the adoption. Preference was given to foster parents! After only six months? And Katie had been with Eden Walters almost two years now, since she was three months old.
His only hope was to get the woman to agree to give her up. He had to convince her it was best for Katie. After all, he could provide the best education and a stable home life where she was the adored only child—unlike growing up in a run-down foster home. He appreciated what Eden was trying to do, but let her take in some abandoned urchin without an uncle who wanted her.
He drove to his room at the Wabash Inn and planned his strategy. The first thing would be to run some paperwork to show her his assets. Maybe if she knew Katie would be his sole heir, she would relent. She didn’t seem an unreasonable young woman.
He spent the evening jotting down reasons Katie would be better off with him and printing out financial information to show Eden. Eden. What kind of a name was that for a woman, anyway? But she looked the type to have an old-fashioned name. Maybe that was what drove her to take in all those kids.
The next morning he dressed in khaki chinos and a carefully pressed navy shirt. His shoes were buffed to a high
Josh hesitated, then shook his head. “That’s not enough, Miss Walters. She’s all I have left of Mandy, and I mean to have her.”
“You’re not thinking of her, only of yourself.”
He clenched his jaw. “I can give her much more than you can.”
“Money isn’t everything, Mr. Leland. You admitted yourself you were unused to children. What about caring for her when she’s sick or fixing her hair and teaching her to bake cookies? I don’t see a wedding ring, so I assume she won’t have a mother. A girl needs a mother.”
“And a father. I see no ring on your hand either. What do you propose to do about that?”
Eden felt the hot blush on her cheeks. “Neither situation is perfect,” she admitted. “But you need to face the facts, Mr. Leland. Katie is my daughter now, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“We’ll see.” With that last parting shot, he brushed by her and stalked to the front door. His brown eyes were haunted when he looked back. “I lost my sister, Miss Walters, I’m not going to lose my niece, too.” He slammed the door behind him.
Her throat tight, Eden ran to the door and locked it. As if that could shut away the danger. “Don’t worry, little one,” she whispered. “I won’t let him take you.”
She still remembered the horror of being ripped from her brother and sisters. Eden was still tormented with nightmares about that time. She couldn’t let that happen to her Katie.
Chapter 2
His eyes burning, Josh strode along the sidewalk on Canal Street toward the law office. His jaw hurt from clenching it. Eden Walters was an infuriating woman. Why couldn’t she see the advantages he could offer Katie? She had obviously buried herself in those foster children. It was too bad, though. She could be attractive if she ditched the sloppy clothes and did something with her hair. Maybe then she would find a husband and have her own children instead of stealing Katie away from him.
His jaw softened at the thought of Katie. She was the most beautiful child he’d ever seen. Soft blond curls ringing cherubic cheeks he wanted to pinch. Looking into her blue eyes had been like seeing Mandy again. He couldn’t lose her.
The bell on the door tinkled as he pushed into the waiting room of Grover Law Offices. The sound brought back memories of the old corner grocery with the jars of licorice and the old freezer full of Popsicles and fudge bars. And the Victorian storefronts along the street had set the mood well. Most hometowns didn’t retain the flavor of Wabash, Indiana. Too bad he wouldn’t be staying long. It would have been a nice place for Katie to grow up.
An hour later he stalked those same streets back to his car. The attorney had not held out much hope that he could overturn the adoption. Preference was given to foster parents! After only six months? And Katie had been with Eden Walters almost two years now, since she was three months old.
His only hope was to get the woman to agree to give her up. He had to convince her it was best for Katie. After all, he could provide the best education and a stable home life where she was the adored only child—unlike growing up in a run-down foster home. He appreciated what Eden was trying to do, but let her take in some abandoned urchin without an uncle who wanted her.
He drove to his room at the Wabash Inn and planned his strategy. The first thing would be to run some paperwork to show her his assets. Maybe if she knew Katie would be his sole heir, she would relent. She didn’t seem an unreasonable young woman.
He spent the evening jotting down reasons Katie would be better off with him and printing out financial information to show Eden. Eden. What kind of a name was that for a woman, anyway? But she looked the type to have an old-fashioned name. Maybe that was what drove her to take in all those kids.
The next morning he dressed in khaki chinos and a carefully pressed navy shirt. His shoes were buffed to a high
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