Copyright © 2006 Darlene Ryan
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Ryan, Darlene, 1958-
Saving Grace / Darlene Ryan
(Orca soundings)
ISBN 1-55143-668-X (bound) ISBN 1-55143-508-X (pbk.)
I. Title. II Series.
PS8635.Y35S29 2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â jC813â.6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â C2006-903257-2
Summary: Evie is determined to care for her babyâeven if
it means kidnapping her.
First published in the United States, 2006
Library of Congress Control Number: 2006928468
Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
Cover design: Lynn OâRourke
Cover photography: Getty Images
Orca Book Publishers                               Orca Book Publishers
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Printed and bound in Canada
09  08  07  06  â¢Â  5  4  3  2  1
For Judy
Chapter One
I ran across the bare front yard. What kind of home for a kid didnât even have any grass? I shoved the car seat onto the front seat of the truck and jumped in.
âGo!â I yelled at Justin.
He stared at me with his mouth hanging open. âJesus, Evie,â he said. âWhat the hell did you do?â
âWill you just drive? Come on. Move the damn truck. Go!â
âGo where?â
I leaned across the baby seat and smacked his arm. âI donât care. Just get us out of here now.â
Finally Justin put the truck in gear and pulled away from the curb. I frigged with the seat belt, trying to thread it through the bottom part of the car seat. The baby was still asleep.
I got the belt buckled, sat back and fastened my own. We got to the stop sign where the road from the subdivision crossed the old highway. âThat way,â I said, pointing to the right.
Justin looked over at me. Then he looked at the baby. But he turned and started up the old river road. âYou said you just wanted to see her,â he said.
âSo I lied.â
âEvie, you canât just take someone elseâs kid.â
I reached into the car seat and stroked the babyâs cheek with one finger. It was the softest thing I had ever felt. Bits of dark hair, the same color as mine, stuck out from under her pink hat. âI didnât stealsomeone elseâs kid, Justin,â I said. âSheâs mine and Iâm keeping her.â
Justin pulled one hand back through his own hair. âDammit,â he muttered.
Okay, so he was kind of pissed. But heâd change his mind. Heâd see that this was the right thing to do. And anyway, I knew how to get around Justin.
I looked down at the baby again. My baby. Not the Hansensâ. They werenât even good parents. I knew because Iâd been watching that house for almost two weeks.
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