Lynette Eason - The Black Sheep's Redemption

Guilty until proven innocent

Everyone in Fitzgerald Bay—except his law-enforcement family—is convinced Charles Fitzgerald murdered his children’s nanny. Condemned by public opinion, his only hope for a replacement nanny to take care of his two-year-old twins is newcomer Demi Taylor. But Demi has problems of her own…starting with amnesia. She doesn’t remember who she is, doesn’t know where she’s from—and has no idea why she always feels like someone is watching her. Is she in danger because of Charles? Or has someone sinister from her old life found her yet again?

“I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to quit.”

Charles’s words jerked her attention back to him as she buckled her seat belt. “Quit? Because someone’s accusing you of something for which no one has any proof? I don’t think so.”

She jumped when his palm hit the steering wheel. “I won’t let whoever is doing this send me running with my tail tucked. I won’t.”

Charles turned, eyes narrowed as he drilled her with the intensity of his gaze. “I didn’t kill Olivia Henry. I don’t know who did. I just know I didn’t.”

FITZGERALD BAY:

Law enforcement siblings fight for justice and family

The Lawman’s Legacy—Shirlee McCoy, January 2012

The Rookie’s Assignment—Valerie Hansen, February 2012

The Detective’s Secret Daughter—Rachelle McCalla, March 2012

The Widow’s Protector—Stephanie Newton, April 2012

The Black Sheep’s Redemption—Lynette Eason, May 2012

The Deputy’s Duty—Terri Reed, June 2012

LYNETTE EASON

makes her home in South Carolina with her husband and two children. Lynette has taught in many areas of education over the past ten years and is very happy to make the transition from teaching school to teaching at writers’ conferences. She is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America), FHL (Faith, Hope, and Love) and ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She is often found online and loves to talk writing with anyone who will listen. You can find her at www.facebook.com/lynetteeasonauthor or www.lynetteeason.com.

The Black Sheep’s Redemption

Lynette Eason

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

But we had to celebrate and be glad, because

this brother of yours was dead and is alive again;

he was lost and is found.

—Luke 15:32

To my wonderful in-laws, Bill and Diane Eason. Thank you so much for your love and support.

I couldn’t do it without you!

Special thanks and acknowledgment to Lynette Eason for her contribution to the Fitzgerald Bay miniseries.

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 SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

ONE

Demi Taylor jumped as something scraped against the window behind her. Her book fell to the floor. Heart thumping, she bolted from the couch and spun to look at the window. She’d had it cracked to let in the sound of the ocean crashing on the cliffs just below the house but the blinds were closed and blocked her view.

Which was good.

If she couldn’t see out, no one could see in. Quickly, she moved the blinds, shut the window and latched it. Heart still racing, she simply stared at it for a moment as she told herself to calm down. Absently, she shoved up her wire-rimmed glasses back on her nose.

What would someone be doing anywhere near that window? Or was she just being silly and it was a tree branch knocking against the pane?

After all, this was her first week on the job as nanny to Charles Fitzgerald’s children and she wasn’t used to the night sounds of this house. A shiver danced across her skin, raising goose bumps and her blood pressure.

She walked to the front door and checked the lock.

Secured.

Pulling the curtain covering the small window to the left, she parted the blinds and peered out into the dark night. The motion-activated floodlights weren’t on which meant no one had moved in front of them.

She breathed a little easier, her heart rate slowed and she could almost laugh at her jumpiness.

It was only eight-thirty. Her new employer should be home any minute. She’d agreed to stay late while he made a house call, but she wasn’t sure she liked it.

Ever since waking up in the hospital three weeks ago with no real memory of who she was, or where she belonged, Demi quickly found out she didn’t like the dark.

The fact that no one had come forward to identify her even after her face had been all over the news and in the paper was a bitter pill to swallow. Starting over in Fitzgerald Bay, Massachusetts, had seemed like a good idea last week and getting a job almost immediately had seemed like a dream come true.

Now, doubt assailed her.

She peered out again. The inky blackness made her shiver. Charles and his family lived in the Fitzgerald Bay lighthouse keeper’s residence, but even the lighthouse beam didn’t reach far enough to cut through the dark.

All Demi knew was that darkness brought flashes of pain, screams, angry words and what she thought was a memory of heavy fists. But that was all she could pull from her shuttered mind before the pounding headache drilled into her, forcing her to abandon her efforts to remember.

No, she didn’t like the dark. Add in the weird noises and her adrenaline had stayed spiked since Charles had left three hours ago. A fine tremble set in and she clenched her fingers into fists.

She stood still, eyes closed.

And listened.

Maybe it was just her imagination.

At night, in her small apartment above The Reading Nook bookstore in town, she often thought she heard footsteps outside her door. Lurking, hiding.

But every time she checked, no one was ever there.

Maybe—

Another scrape against the house made her jerk. Then a muffled pop caused her to gasp. What was going on?

This was not her imagination.

She made her way into the kitchen and closed the blinds. Standing next to the window with the blinds now shut, she thought she heard a footfall, a rattle.

And another pop.

A muffled curse.

Her breathing quickened once again and her heart picked up speed.

Someone was definitely near the garage.

What should she do? Get the kids? Hide?

The phone.

She needed to call the police.

And Charles.

Trembling, knees almost knocking, she slapped the light switch on the wall and threw the room into total darkness.

A shudder ripped through her as she thought about the children sleeping down the hall. What if the person was trying to get into the house?

She had to protect the children.

Fighting the fear threatening to cripple her, she groped for the handset of the cordless phone on the counter beside the refrigerator.