Cynthia Thomason - An Unlikely Father

She hugged the side of the road and careened around a bend. Then she saw it—a pearl-gray automobile parked half on the asphalt and half against the roadside underbrush.

She jerked the truck to the left as a man holding a cell phone to his ear stepped onto the road. In the instant before she swerved on two wheels away from his vehicle, she noticed the man’s eyes—large, round and filled with terror.

A loud crash followed by the screech of rent metal and the squeal of her own brakes made Helen’s heart thud against her chest. She glanced in the rearview mirror. The man was nowhere to be seen. Had she struck him? She jumped out and ran toward the sedan.

“Hey, mister!” she called. “Where are you?”

“I’m in here.”

Helen walked hesitantly to the gaping hole that had been the driver’s door. She peered into the car’s interior at the tasseled tops of a pair of oxblood loafers and the twin peaks of bent knees encased in perfectly pressed tan chinos. “You okay?”

The knees parted and an ashen face rose from the passenger seat. “I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again in my life.”

Dear Reader,

To those of you who read Claire and Jack’s story in An Unlikely Match, I’d like to welcome you back to the island community of Heron Point, Florida. To those of you visiting Heron Point for the first time in this book, I hope you will enjoy this quirky little town as much as I enjoyed writing about it.

It’s autumn and change is in the air in Heron Point. The citizens are hopeful about the future, and some of them are falling in love. The leading lady of this story, Helen Sweeney, is not the typical heroine. She’s tough and strong and struggling to make her way in a male-dominated profession. And when faced with the most important decision of her life, whether or not to raise the child growing inside her without its father, she shows a vulnerable, humbling side of her character, as well. I hope you enjoy Helen and Ethan’s journey to a happy ending.

And for those readers who have asked me if Heron Point really exists, take Florida route 24 west until you hit the Gulf. There, among the cedar trees, you’ll find the closest thing to it.

I love to hear from readers. Please visit my Web site, www.cynthiathomason.com, or e-mail me at Cynthoma@aol.com. My address is P.O. Box 550068, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33355.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Thomason

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is dedicated to my favorite

hero/fisherman, my husband, Walter,

who was literally my “left-hand man” while

I recuperated from a broken wrist.

All is forgiven, honey, even though

I suffered this injury when you took me fishing.

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

EPILOGUE

AT EIGHT-THIRTY WEDNESDAY morning, Helen Sweeney waited for Maddie Harrison to raise the window shade on the door of Heron Point’s only medical office. As soon as Maddie changed the sign from Closed to Open, Helen got out of her scarred old Chevy Suburban, walked inside and strode to Maddie’s desk. The receptionist looked up and smiled. “Good morning, Helen. What brings you here? Is something wrong with Finn?”

“No, Pop’s all right. It’s me who needs to see Dr. Tucker.”

“Sorry, hon, but the doc’s out of town. Won’t be back for three days. I’m only here for a couple of hours to finish some paperwork.” She searched Helen’s face as if she could come up with a diagnosis by just looking closely. “It’s not like you to get sick, Helen.”

“I’m not sick, Maddie, but I do need to see the doctor.”

“Well, like I said…”

“I know. Three days.” Helen twisted her fingers together, a habit she had when she was nervous, which wasn’t often.

Maddie came around the desk and took Helen’s elbow. “Sit down, dear, before you do something stupid like faint on me.” She led Helen to a chair, forced her onto the wooden seat and sat down next to her. “Tell me, what can I do?”

Even though she knew no one was in the waiting room but her and Maddie, Helen still scanned all four corners of the office. She looked out the windows, stared at the door. She figured she could trust Maddie, and since Doc Tucker was away, she was going to have to. She turned toward the older woman and said, “If I tell you something, you have to abide by patient confidentiality, right? Just like if I told Doc?”

Maddie patted Helen’s clenched hands. “I don’t know about the official rules, Helen, but I do know if you tell me something you want kept a secret, I’ll go to my grave with it.” She smiled. “Now, is that good enough for you?”

Helen nodded, swallowed, then plunged ahead. “Since Doc’s not here, I guess I need one of those things from the drugstore. One of those…” She couldn’t even say the words.

“Do you need a prescription?” Maddie asked. “Because if you do, I can’t give you one without Dr. Tucker’s say-so.”

“No. It’s over the counter. I need a…pregnancy test.”

Maddie fell silent for a moment before uttering a simple, “Oh.”

“I can’t go buy it myself,” Helen said. “Within a half hour, everyone on this island would hear about it.” She stared down at her hands, stilled now by the pressure of Maddie’s comforting hold. “I can hear it now, ‘poor ol’ Helen. Now she’s gone and got herself pregnant. And no husband.’”

Maddie leaned closer. “Do you want me to buy the test for you, hon?”

Helen looked up. Relief washed over her, and finally, the spasms that had gripped her stomach since she’d stepped into the office stopped. “Would you, Maddie?”

She nodded. “You betcha. I don’t suppose anyone in town would waste gossip on me. Five grandchildren is about as close to mothering as I’m ever going to get again.” She stood up. “You answer the phone till I get back. And tell any walk-ins that Doc’ll be back on Saturday.”

Helen agreed, gave Maddie a twenty-dollar bill and watched her go out the door and turn in the direction of Island Pharmacy. And then she paced. Buying the test was only the first round.

MADDIE HANDED THE white plastic bag to Helen. “I put your change in there, along with the test.”

Setting the bag on the desk, Helen knotted the two handles together at least a half-dozen times. Anyone who tried to see inside would have to have X-ray vision or a machete. “Thanks. Did Frank ask you any questions?”

Maddie smirked. “Of course. I swear that pharmacist thinks he’s got the right to know everyone’s business.”

“What did you tell him?”

“That my daughter was coming to town, and she asked me to pick up the test.” Maddie shrugged. “Heck, the way that girl reproduces, it could turn out to be true.”

Helen tucked the sack under her arm. “I appreciate this. You’re a good friend.”

Maddie stared at her as if she wanted to ask something. But she settled for saying, “It’s still quiet. Do you want to talk anymore?”

“No. I’ve got nothing to say, yet. I’ll see what this test shows and then, if…well, I’ll make an appointment with Sam if I need to.”