Bonnie Winn - Substitute Father

“What’s wrong with you?” Rachel asked without preamble.

“Wrong?”

“Yes, genius. Kealey’s been assigned as caseworker to the kids. Which means she has control over whether you can keep them.” Her tone grew caustic. “Couldn’t you have dipped her hands in acid, or set fire to her shoes to really show your feelings?”

Exasperated, Luke stared at his sister. “She was on the date with me. She knows we didn’t hit it off.”

“If there was the slightest possibility she’d forgotten, it was certainly diplomatic of you to remind Kealey that you can’t stand her.”

“Do you think she’ll hold it against me?”

“You’d better hope not. For the children’s sake.”

Luke glanced toward the living room. In a matter of hours he’d turned his life upside down. And now the fate of three innocent children depended on whether he could change his tone with Kealey Fitzpatrick.

He shook his head, knowing he had a better chance of getting rid of his sisters before they drove him crazy.

Dear Reader,

As a hopeless romantic, I am always drawn to a hero who protects and inspires. Luke Duncan is that kind of hero. Protector of children and animals, he is a man without equal.

Enter stage left, a heroine who no longer believes people with integrity like his exist. Throw in three orphans, a menagerie of pets and strays, and you have Substitute Father.

This book is special to me for many reasons. I hope you will fall in love with the characters as I have, perhaps even reserve a spot in your heart for the pets who love us for who we are, rather than who we wish to be. And, most of all, I hope you enjoy the journey I’m about to take you on.

Sincerely,

Bonnie K. Winn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dedicated to my brother, Gary Yedlovsky, a true hero in every possible way.

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

EPILOGUE

Greenville, Texas

LUKE DUNCAN IDLY scanned the metallic streamers that hung over the cash register of the grocery store’s film counter. It looked to him as though the booth contained enough lottery tickets for half the smallish town.

“Feeling lucky?” the clerk asked, following his gaze to the lottery tickets.

Luke glanced at the sacks of groceries resting in his cart. “Actually, I need to pick up my pictures. Name’s Duncan.”

She nodded and turned to a drawer holding the developed film. As she did, he maneuvered his cart to the end of the counter to clear a path for the other customers. It was clever of the store’s management to position the film and lottery counter so close to the exit. The location made it easy for patrons who had already paid for their groceries, to pause and purchase a bit of the state-run fantasy.

“Did you say Duncan?” the clerk asked, sifting through the drawer.

He leaned over the counter, trying to read the names on the plump yellow envelopes. “Yes, Luke Duncan. I brought in my film about a week ago. I had two rolls.”

“Here’s one of them,” the clerk announced, placing the packet on the counter.

Eager to look at the photos, Luke opened the envelope, letting the pictures spill out into his hands.

The clerk rummaged a bit more, then spun back around with the other packet in her hand. Her flirtatious smile faded as her brows drew together. “Isn’t that your cart?”

Distracted by the pictures he was viewing, Luke didn’t glance up. “My cart?”

“Look!” She pointed toward the exit.

Belatedly, he saw what she was talking about. “What the…?”

Luke spotted a young boy wheeling his grocery-filled cart out the door. Shock held him still for a moment, then he hollered. “Wait!”

The boy turned for an instant. But instead of slowing down, he began to run, pushing the loaded cart across the lot with remarkable speed.

Luke watched for a few seconds in disbelief, then fumbled with the slippery pictures filling his hands. Dropping the photos on the counter, he barely paused. “Keep an eye on these, will you?”

The clerk, looking equally dumbfounded, nodded.

Luke tore off toward the door, still unable to believe the boy was stealing his groceries. That sort of thing didn’t happen in their midsize Texas town. Greenville was big enough that you didn’t know everyone, but small enough that you could leave a cart of groceries unattended and expect it to be safe. But that same cart of groceries was barreling across the busy street.

Luke sprinted the length of the parking lot, but the light was red when he reached the curb. Fast-moving cars and trucks filled the road since it was shift change at the local machine works factory.

Luke’s feet scarcely remained on the concrete as he waited to cross the street, determined to catch the little thief. But when the light changed and the traffic cleared, the boy wasn’t in sight.

Cursing to himself, Luke thought he’d lost his quarry, but then he caught a glimpse of the cart as it whipped around a corner. Luke bolted across the street, gaining speed as he neared the spot he’d last seen the cart. But when he turned into the alley, it was empty.

Then his eyes narrowed. One screen door in the deserted lane stirred ever so slightly, possibly the result of being slammed shut. Luke approached cautiously. It occurred to him that the boy might not be working alone. Perhaps it was a ruse orchestrated by an adult who wanted bigger pickings than groceries.

His gaze alert, Luke pushed open the door. It was dark inside, but as his eyes adjusted to the dim interior, he could see that it appeared to be an abandoned store. Empty metal racks and cardboard boxes were scattered through the musty space. But there were no signs of an ambush.

Still, Luke didn’t lower his guard as he stepped farther inside. Then he spotted it—the shiny metal of a grocery cart gleaming through the dust motes. Although it was partially pushed behind a curtain, there was no mistaking the distinctive buggy. The kid was clever, but not clever enough. He’d picked the wrong sucker to steal from.

Luke ripped open the curtain. “All right you…” The words died away as Luke stared at the young robber. The terrified boy stared at him defiantly as he shielded two younger children, a boy and a girl. As Luke fumbled for words, the girl burst into tears.

The child who had stolen his cart pulled her closer, but she continued crying.

Luke knelt down, patting her shoulder. “It’s okay now, no need for tears. No one’s going to hurt you.” Then he met the oldest boy’s eyes. “Why don’t you tell me what this is all about?”

For a few moments the boy stood mute, his mouth set in a stubborn line.

Luke, however, didn’t back down.

Finally the boy wavered a fraction. “You didn’t need this stuff.”

Seeing how frightened the children were, Luke kept his tone mild. “That’s not the issue. I want to know why you stole my groceries.”

“They gotta eat!” the boy burst out.

Luke stared at the child, a sickening pit forming in his stomach. “What do you mean?”

“We don’t have no food,” the youngest boy explained.

The pit in Luke’s stomach hardened. “Were you planning to take the groceries home to your parents?”

The oldest boy momentarily looked panicked, then his mouth thinned again, a determined if futile gesture.