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Chapter One “They say he killed his wife.” The old man’s grizzled eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Killed her then tried to feed her to the gators.” Amanda Rockport stared at him, unsure if he was pulling her leg. “Then why isn’t he in jail?” she asked. “Circumstantial evidence, but not enough proof to put the man behind bars. Besides, he’s rich. Money talks and the guilty walks. You best go back to where you came from and leave Sawyer Bennett to the devil where he belongs.” Amanda fought the impulse to reach up and rub the center of her forehead where a tension headache had lived for the past month. “I’ve never been one to put much stock in idle gossip,” she replied. She wished she hadn’t stopped in the small café before reaching her final destination—Sawyer Bennett’s home. She cupped her hands around the hot cup of coffee and considered doing exactly what the old man had suggested, going back to where she’d come from. Unfortunately that really wasn’t an option. She’d used the last
Chapter One
Chapter Two Sawyer saw the lift of her chin that displayed a touch of bravado, which was incongruent with the loss of color from her face. She was a pretty woman, with her soft brown hair and guileless blue eyes. She smelled like jasmine, and he felt a stirring deep inside him as he breathed in her fragrance. “If you’re trying to shock me, then you’ve failed,” she said. “I stopped at a café on my way here and heard all the rumors about your being responsible for your wife’s murder.” “Then why did you come? Why didn’t you high-tail it out of here when you heard the rumors?” Some of the color was slowly returning to her cheeks. “Because Melanie needs somebody. Because my brother told me you’re a good man.” The knot of tension that had been in his chest for weeks eased somewhat at her words. He’d always believed he was a good man, but Erica’s murder had turned him into somebody he scarcely recognized. “I didn’t kill her.” The words came from him without passion. “But I need to know how st
Chapter Two
Chapter Three Sawyer shot out of the chair and raced from the room. He knew that scream. Oh, God, but he knew that scream. Melanie! He took the stairs two at a time, vaguely aware of Amanda hurrying behind him. His heart crashed against his rib cage as the scream came again. The sound of sheer terror ripped through him. The minute he entered the dark bedroom, he saw his daughter silhouetted in front of the window. As he grabbed Melanie and pulled her tight against his chest, Amanda flipped on the overhead light. The sleep glaze in Melanie’s eyes fell away and she uttered a single small sob as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When he realized it must have been the darkness of the room and a bad dream that had tumbled her out of bed and not some physical threat, he relaxed a bit. “Shh, it’s all right,” he soothed as he stroked down her trembling back. “It was just a dream, just a very bad dream.” Although he said the words, he knew it was a very bad memory that had caused his daught
Chapter Three
Chapter Four Melanie was asleep by eight-thirty. By the illumination of the night-light Amanda could see the slight puff of her little lips with each exhale. She fought the impulse to lean over and swipe a strand of the little girl’s hair away from her cheek. She was falling in love with Melanie. In the two days she’d been with her, the little girl had managed to crawl into Amanda’s heart like no other child had ever done before. Maybe it was because Melanie was so needy, locked inside herself by a terrible trauma. Or perhaps it was the fact that somehow, deep inside, Amanda thought that if she could help Melanie, if she could save Melanie, it would take away the memory of Bobby Miller. She shoved the painful thoughts of Bobby aside and left Melanie’s room. As she walked down the massive staircase, she found herself wondering why Sawyer didn’t have more household help. Certainly he could afford it. Helen and George were the only two people she’d seen, but she knew the house and the est
Chapter Four
Chapter Five As Sawyer drove away from James and Lillian’s place where he’d just left Melanie for the night, his thoughts turned to the night ahead. With every hour that passed he was aware of a clock ticking off the minutes of his freedom. Lucas would only be able to stall so long and unless Sawyer found another reasonable suspect, he was going to be arrested. He frowned and tightened his hands on the steering wheel. When Erica had insisted they name James and Lillian as godparents to Melanie, Sawyer had never imagined there being a time when they would be raising his daughter. But there was no other choice. Both his parents and Erica’s were dead. There were no aunts or uncles, no other family members to take in Melanie. He’d certainly rather see her with James and Lillian than in the foster care system. Of course the best-case scenario would be that the guilty party was identified and Sawyer and his daughter picked up the pieces of their lives and remained together. He pulled up in f
Chapter Five
Chapter Six Amanda was still in her room the next morning when she heard the familiar sound of footsteps running up the stairs. A moment later, Melanie burst through the door. “Ah, you’re home! I missed you,” Amanda exclaimed. Melanie grinned and walked over to the dry-erase board Amanda had hung on the wall. I missed you, too, she wrote with the marker. “Did you have fun last night?” Amanda asked. Melanie nodded, then walked over to Amanda and leaned into her. Amanda had worried that it was going to take time to break through Melanie’s defenses, but she’d never met a child more ready to accept love. She seemed starved for it, and as Amanda gathered her into her arms, she realized there was a part of her that had been starved, as well. “What are we going to do today?” she said. “Should we have a picnic? We could take lunch down to the dock and eat there.” She wanted Melanie to recognize that the dock wasn’t just a place of tragedy, but could be a place of fun once again. Melanie tensed
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven It was a gorgeous Friday afternoon, and Amanda sat at the patio table sipping a glass of iced tea. Sawyer had taken the afternoon off from work and had come home to take his daughter to a movie. He’d asked Amanda to come along, but she’d declined, believing that father and daughter could use some quality time alone. Melanie hadn’t spoken since that one time. It had been five long days since the knife had been dug up by the shed. Each minute of each day she had feared the knock on the door that would take Sawyer away, but so far that knock hadn’t come. Sawyer had contacted his college friend Jackson Burdeaux to represent him if and when he was charged with the murder. She stared off toward the dock and remembered the kiss they had shared. There had been several times during the past week that she’d thought he was about to kiss her again, but each time, he’d moved away from her and the moment had passed. Taking another sip of her tea, she acknowledged to herself that she’d
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight Where Erica’s room had been an explosion of color and energy, Sawyer’s bedroom held a subtle masculinity. A black-and-gray spread covered the king-size bed, and massive dark wood nightstands stood sentry on either side. A single lamp burned on one of the nightstands, casting shadows on the walls of the room as they stepped inside. Sawyer dropped her hand and faced her, his features radiating his want but also a calm acceptance of whatever might happen. “It’s not too late for you to go to your own room,” he said, his voice gentle. “I’ll understand. You found that box of Erica’s things. Our emotions flew out of control.” The fact that he was giving her an opportunity to change her mind, to save face and make a hasty exit, only made her want him more. She stepped closer to him and placed her hand on his jaw, enjoying the faint brush of whiskers beneath her palm. “I don’t want to go back to my room,” she replied, her voice thick with her own emotion. “I want to be with you, S
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine “I heard Sawyer quit his job,” Lillian said as she and Amanda walked down the sidewalk toward Glad Rags, the absolutely most awesome boutique in town, according to Lillian. It was Thursday midmorning and Sawyer had given her the morning off as he and Melanie had been invited to have brunch at a friend’s home. “Yeah, he went in Monday morning and told Adam he wanted out,” Amanda replied. “Why?” Lillian asked curiously. “Why would he want to quit his job?” “He just decided maybe his time right now would be better spent at home with Melanie.” It was the story Sawyer had come up with to tell people, even though he’d told Amanda what had really happened between him and Adam. They had turned over the box of Erica’s keep-sakes to Lucas, and Amanda desperately hoped Lucas was doing his job and trying to find out who those items belonged to. It was quite possible that one of them was a murderer. “Anything new in the investigation?” Lillian asked. “No, nothing,” Amanda replied. She
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten Sawyer walked the grounds of his estate, needing to work off the restless energy that pulsed in his veins. The energy was one part frustration and one part desire, the combination making him wonder if he was losing his mind. As he’d tried to type in a list of potential suspects, all he’d really wanted to do was lose himself in Amanda. In her arms he knew he could find escape from his reality. He was confused about his feelings for her, and in any case was wary of exploring them. At the moment he felt as if he had no future. He was having difficulty looking beyond the next minute. He wound up on the dock where the moonlight found it impossible to pierce through the thick trees. He’d held on to Erica too long, unwilling to admit failure, hoping she’d change for Melanie’s sake. “I should have let her go,” he murmured. He should have divorced her, given her a big settlement then shoved her out the door. If he’d done that, she would probably be alive today. Funny, he hadn’t love
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven Amanda awoke late the next morning. She knew it was late by the bright sunshine that poured through her window. She rolled over on her side and gazed at the clock on her nightstand. Ten o’clock! She couldn’t remember the last time she’d overslept like this. She shot straight up, and the dull throb in her head sent all the events of the previous night back. Although her head ached, it wasn’t the sharp, nauseating pain of the night before. She slid from the bed and checked Melanie’s room, not surprised to find it empty. If she were to guess, there had been a conspiracy between Sawyer and Melanie to let her sleep in. She was thankful. After the horror of the night before, she’d needed the extra rest. She dressed quickly, and as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror and brushed her hair she remembered the tenderness of Sawyer as he’d washed her hair in the kitchen sink. She’d never known a man like him before, a man who exhibited such inner strength, such a command of th
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve You have to tell him. The little voice inside Amanda’s head whispered those words throughout the rest of the day, as they ate dinner and now as she stood in Melanie’s doorway and watched Sawyer kiss his daughter good-night. He has a right to know. She couldn’t agree to being here permanently with Melanie without telling Sawyer about the tragic events that had brought her here. She focused on Sawyer, seated on the edge of Melanie’s bed. He’d be gone tomorrow, and none of them knew what the future held. Her heart squeezed painfully at the very thought of his absence. They’d spent some time this evening going over things while Melanie was playing with Buddy. It would just be Amanda and Melanie in the house for the next couple of days. Knowing that everyone was a potential suspect, he’d given Helen and George two weeks off. He’d reminded Amanda to be sure and use the security system and had done everything he possibly could to ensure their safety while he was gone. They both
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen Amanda knew he was gone before she opened her eyes. There was an emptiness in the silence that surrounded her that let her know Sawyer had left the building. She rolled over on her side and opened her eyes in time to see the clock change from four minutes after seven to five after. She closed her eyes once again and thought of the night before. Their lovemaking had been fierce and intense. Afterward they had clung to each other like two storm-tossed sailors who knew that eventually the sharks would arrive. Telling him about Bobby had been one of the most difficult things she’d ever done, but once the story was out, she’d been relieved by his response. She cried sometimes for Bobby, who had chosen such a tragic exit from this life. And now she had another child to worry about. She’d told Sawyer she’d think about staying on to raise Melanie if he was convicted. It was certainly something she didn’t want to agree to without giving it a lot of thought. If she did agree, th
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen Amanda pulled away from the house with all her senses on full alert. Melanie was buckled into the passenger seat and thankfully appeared unaware of Amanda’s tension. There’s no reason to be nervous, Amanda told herself firmly. She hadn’t seen anyone lurking around the house or on the property as she and Melanie had left and gotten into her car. They were only driving a short distance down the road to the Cordells’ and she had a loaded gun in her purse as an added measure of security. The alarm was set on the house, and the doors were locked. She’d left lights on in nearly every room, so they wouldn’t return to darkness. “How do you spend your time when you stay the night with James and Lillian?” Amanda asked as she checked the rearview mirror for the hundredth time. Nobody behind her, nobody in front of her. She liked it that way just fine. “Sometimes Aunt Lillian and I play dress up. She lets me wear her jewelry and we put on makeup. If she’s working in her studio the
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen “WWW, those are odd initials for you.” Amanda was grateful her voice betrayed none of her shock. She’d recognize that towel anywhere. “James got me these towels last year for Christmas. He told me the initials stand for wild, wonderful woman, but I have a feeling he picked them up cheap on a clearance table in some store.” She laughed and threw the towel next to the sink. James. Hadn’t Lillian told Amanda that Erica had slept with somebody right here in her studio while Lillian had gone to the store? James. His name thundered in her head. He’d had an affair with Erica. Amanda knew the certainty of it in her heart, in her soul. And how easily it would have been for him to sneak through the woods that terrible night and confront Erica on the dock. “You sure you don’t want a cookie to go with the coffee?” Lillian turned and opened one of the cabinet drawers. “No…thanks.” Amanda looked at the display on the wall. A swamp monster, that’s what Melanie had said she’d seen, a s
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen Amanda stood at the window in her bedroom and stared out at the lawn where Buddy and Melanie were playing under Helen’s watchful eye. Sawyer was downstairs in his study. He’d decided that Bennett Architectural Enterprises could just as easily be conducted from here as from an office in town. Earlier that morning he’d landed a huge job that would keep him busy for the next couple of months. It had been ten days since that horrible night when Amanda had nearly lost her life. Lillian had confessed to Erica’s murder and to plotting to see Sawyer in prison so she could raise her goddaughter. Thankfully, the wound on Amanda’s thigh had been superficial, and although there would probably be a scar it would be nothing compared to the scar she’d carry in her heart. James had put the Cordell house up for sale and had left town. The most difficult part of everything was trying to find a rational explanation for Lillian’s actions for Melanie. Amanda and Sawyer had finally agreed to
Chapter Sixteen
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