Sheri WhiteFeather - Lost and Found Father

What happens when an adoptive daughter finds love for her estranged biological parents? Find out in this first Family Renewal title by Sheri WhiteFeather. . .

Reuniting with her daughter was a dream come true for Victoria Allen, but when Kaley wanted to meet her father—well, all bets were off. She would not, could not, allow the older and undoubtedly sexier Ryan to get under her skin. But how could she deny their child a chance to know the man who’d once captured her own heart?

When Ryan Nash opened the door to find his first love—and their child!—on his doorstep, he was surprised to find his feelings for Victoria were stronger than ever. He now had the chance of a lifetime to right the wrongs of the past. And maybe, in the process, build a family for the future….

Victoria shrugged, trying to appear unaffected. “What can I say? I was a nice girl.”

“And you smelled really good.”

“That’s not the same kind of sweet.”

“I know, but you always smelled like dessert or something.”

Because she used to douse herself in vanilla-scented lotion. “I wore too much fragrance.”

“Not to me.”

Instantly, she was reminded of him burying his nose in her sugary skin. Oh, the memories that invoked: curling up in Ryan’s bed when his dad wasn’t home, slipping her greedy hands into his half-undone clothes, closing her eyes while he peeled hers off. Even now, her eyes were starting to drift closed, until she realized that Ryan was looking at her.

She told herself to get a grip. But it didn’t work. She couldn’t get her memories under control. “I think I should go now.”

He made a puzzled expression. “Go?”

“To my room. To get some work done.” She needed to escape. If she didn’t, those intimate feelings would only get stronger.

She walked away, praying for the strength to make it through the rest of the week without feeling more for him than she should.

Dear Reader,

Do you have a home away from home? I do. I live in California, but I’ve been visiting Oregon for the past thirty years. My sister, Elaine, resides in Oregon, and I go there as often as I can. She has even begun calling Lost and Found Father “The Oregon Book” because I used Oregon as the setting. The hero and heroine grew up in a small fictitious town, and the hero’s farmhouse is surrounded by woods. The diverse Oregon landscape has always fascinated me, and I wanted to create a town where towering trees reigned supreme. I even tossed in a bit of tree-inspired mythology.

Another captivating thing about Oregon is its waterfalls. Years ago, my sister and I hiked the Silver Falls State Park trails, a breathtaking location with ten majestic waterfalls. Naturally, I couldn’t resist making those waterfalls part of this romance, too.

The romance itself is a heart-scorching reunion between a man and a woman coming to terms with their teenage past and the baby they gave up for adoption. Their daughter is all grown up now and wanting to be part of their lives, just as they desperately want to be part of hers.

Writing this book took me on an emotional journey of love lost and love found, amid the backdrop of flowing waterfalls and magical trees. I hope it affects you in the same way.

Hugs,

Sheri WhiteFeather

Lost and Found Father

Sheri WhiteFeather

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SHERI WHITEFEATHERis a bestselling author who has won numerous awards, including readers’ and reviewers’ choice honors. She writes a variety of romance novels for Mills & Boon. She has become known for incorporating Native American elements into her stories. She has two grown children who are tribally enrolled members of the Muscogee Creek Nation.

Sheri is of Italian-American descent. Her great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Italy through Ellis Island, originating from Castel di Sangro and Sicily. She lives in California and enjoys ethnic dining, shopping in vintage stores and going to art galleries and museums. Sheri loves to hear from her readers. Visit her website at www.SheriWhiteFeather.com.

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To my sister, Elaine, for helping me with

The Oregon Book. I love you, my sweet sis.

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 One

Ryan’s past had come back to haunt him. But it had always been there, chipping away at his soul.

He glanced at the clock. Victoria was on her way to see him. Yes, that Victoria. The girl with whom he’d fathered a child. They’d dated steadily during their sophomore and junior years in high school, and they’d been crazy about each other. But after she got pregnant, everything fell apart.

Two sixteen-years-olds scared beyond belief.

Although Victoria couldn’t bear to terminate the pregnancy, keeping the baby wasn’t an option, either. Her parents convinced her that adoption was the answer. Ryan’s dad was equally adamant. Under no circumstances should Ryan become a teenage father.

An open adoption was discussed, but both families thought that a closed adoption was more suitable and would make the situation easier for everyone.

Soon an ultrasound revealed that the baby was a girl. Victoria cried all of the time, and Ryan walked around in a daze. Although their relationship started to unravel, they agreed to hold their daughter, just once, to say goodbye to her together.

Only when the time came, Ryan panicked and never showed up at the hospital. A decision that tore him and Victoria apart for good. After that, she refused to speak to him. And rightly so. He’d spurned her when she’d needed him most.

He couldn’t fathom how many times over the years he’d thought about Victoria and the baby, or how badly he’d regretted his decision. It had even interfered with his marriage. But Ryan didn’t want to go there. He didn’t want to think about that.

So what did he want to think about?

The day Victoria had moved away? After the baby was born, her parents had relocated to Los Angeles to give Victoria a fresh start. And now she was back in Oregon for the sole purpose of knocking at his front door.

Cripes, he was nervous.

Last week she’d called and told him about Kaley, making him an expectant father all over again.

Apparently, six months ago, Victoria had contacted numerous adoption-reunion registries, hoping to find their daughter. Swiftly and miraculously, she had. Kaley, their eighteen-year-old daughter, had contacted some of the same registries, trying to locate her birth parents.

According to Victoria, she and Kaley had gotten quite close. They’d formed a strong and steady bond. And now Kaley wanted to meet him, too.

He was humbled and downright awed by his daughter’s interest in him. But it wasn’t happening today. Victoria wanted to see him first, to evaluate his sincerity, no doubt. He couldn’t blame her for being cautious, not after what he’d done.