Promise to a Boy
The small Montana town of St. Adelbert was supposed to be a refuge for Abby Fairbanks and her young nephew, Kyle.But the well-dressed, far-too-good-looking stranger standing outside her front door could threaten all that. His name is Reed Maxwell, and he's looking for his missing brother - possibly the father of the boy Abby has sworn to protect. Abby refuses to believe Reed is the type who'd take a child from his home and the people who love him.Because Reed seems like a good man, who didn't come to destroy a family but to mend one. Maybe even to find one. But when events beyond their control threaten to come between them, will Reed walk away and take Kyle - and Abby's heart - with him?
Читать Promise to a Boy онлайн беплатно
She glanced at Reed and wondered if he could be the type of man to take Kyle away from here, from the people who loved him
Too complicated. Too scary.
In a perfect world, sheâd ask Reed what he thought about the possibility Kyle was Jesseâs and what they should do about it. In her dream, heâd tell her it would be great to have a nephew and maybe the boy would come visit when he was older, say eighteen and a half. In the meantime, heâd busy himself setting up a college fund.
That could happen. Maybe Reed Maxwell was a good man, a fine man. He certainly looked fine. The dark knit of his shirt stretched across muscle that nearly begged to be touched. His face cleanly shaven did the same for kisses.
Heaven help her, she needed to make her mind go someplace else.
Dear Reader,
When you read my books, I feel like a real storyteller. Thank you for that!
The past has been harsh with Abby Fairchild and Reed Maxwell. What they donât knowâat firstâis they can help each other mend whatâs broken about their lives and brighten their future.
I hope you enjoy Abby and Reedâs story and that you have fun meeting more of the residents of the fictional town of St. Adelbert. Some of these characters will help Abby and Reed and some will hinder, but together these people offer color, heart and a sense of belonging.
Also get a peek at how Maude DeVane and Guy DaleyâHe Calls Her Docâare doing. Hint: Maude has gained several âgoodâ pounds.
Iâd love to hear from you. Visit my website at www.marybrady.net or write to me at [email protected].
Enjoy,
Mary Brady
Promise to a Boy
Mary Brady
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Brady lives in the Midwest and considers road trips into the rest of the continent to be a necessary part of life. When sheâs not out exploring, she helps run a manufacturing company and has a great time living with her handsome husband, her super son and one cheeky little bird.
To my husband and son who appreciate me on many levels and on most days.
Acknowledgements
To my critique group: Denise Cychosz, Pamela Ford, Victoria Hinshaw, Laura Iding, Laura Scott and Donna Smith who freely offer their wisdom and encouragement.
To the people of Montana who have allowed me to build a fictional town in their beautiful state.
And last, but never least, to Kathryn Lye, my editor who helps me focus on giving my readers the best story.
CONTENTS
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
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
âYOUâRE NOT ANGELINA Fairbanks.â
âI knew that.â Abby Fairbanks smiled at the man who had rung her front doorbellâinsistentlyâinterrupting an excellent game of Candy Land with her nephew. She brushed a clump of dark curls out of her eyes so she could get a better look at the tall and sullen stranger.
He studied a photo in his hand and then looked at her again. His dark brown eyes gave nothing away, but his frown deepened. âThis is supposed to be the address of A. Fairbanks who moved here from Denver. Is Angelina here?â
Abby reached out and tipped the edge of the photo so she could see the image. It was Lena all right, from a few years ago when they lived in Denver, and it looked as if it had been taken at one of the parties during which her sister had partaken of more than one mood-altering substance.
She looked up at him and gave him a long steady not-quite glare.
âI guess that would depend on who you are.â And what you want with my sister, mister. He didnât look like the law, thankfully, because Lena had cleaned up her act.
The man eyed her suspiciously.
Abby fingered a button at the V of her flowered Henley-style shirt and then tugged down the edge of the hem that must have flipped up when she sat on the floor playing with five-year-old Kyle. When she realized these twitchy actions probably made her look less confident than she wanted to look, she put one hand on the doorknob and stood up straighter.
âWhat do you mean, it depends on who I am?â he asked.
The manâs rumpled blue-and-white-striped dress shirt had a small drop of something redâketchup hopefullyâon the front of it, and the quilted leather bomber jacket he wore looked high fashion, or ratherâ¦well, sheâd think girlie if he didnât look so hot in it. Whoever he was, he had traveled far away from home.
âMontanaâs a big state and St. Adelbert is a small out-of-the-way town. We donât get many strangers here, especially on our doorsteps. It makes us cautious.â Abby hoped the nudge acted like a warning shot fired over his head.
âItâs important that I speak with Angelina. Is she here or not?â He widened his stance to look more intimidating. He didnât need to. His muscular body and deep frown were enough for that.
Abby suddenly felt something she hadnât felt since she moved back to the small town of St. Adelbert.
Fear.
What if there was something in Lenaâs past she didnât know about, something bad enough to have some city man chase her down?
