by Addison Fox
“Come in.” She gestured them into the house, giving Daphne a hug before turning to him. Landon pulled her close, the warm, subtle scent of roses wrapping around him. She’d smelled like that forever. Soft. Warm.
Welcoming.
She’d welcomed him and his brothers when they had no one else. She’d made them a family, and then she’d seen to it that they felt just how much they belonged each and every day that came after.
“I love you, Mom.”
She clung to him, her arms tight around his waist. “I love you, too.”
The tread of Daphne’s footsteps echoed down the hall, and he heard the light swish of the kitchen door. He squeezed even tighter before stepping back. “There are so many things I want to tell you.”
“About?”
“About my case. And about Amber. And about Daphne.”
“I want to hear all of it.”
Landon followed her to the dining-room table and took a seat next to hers. Her coffee cup still steamed, and he couldn’t help but smile when he saw the bright yellow legal pad half-scribbled in to-dos.
“Still making lists?”
“It’s the only way to get things done.”
“I can write you a computer program to do the same thing.”
“But a computer program won’t give me the satisfaction of crossing items off that list.”
They’d had the debate for years, his promise he could make things better and her promise they were already pretty damn good.
Why had it taken him so long to listen?
“So tell me about your case.”
“Daphne got Gretchen to confess. Or at least confess to her daughter, who called it in earlier today. Apparently she hired a private detective to go nosing around our lives and my office. He took the servers and then put them back after Gretchen canceled the job and told him she wasn’t going to pay his bills.”
“Are you pressing charges?”
“Not if I can figure out a way to shove both of them into community service instead.”
“I like it.” His mother grew quiet as she picked up her coffee. Her gaze was focused on her mug when she asked, “And what about Amber?”
“I went to see her. I wanted to get her side of the story. Understand where she’s been all this time.”
“And?”
“And she told me why she signed the papers. Why she gave me to you.” He reached for his mother’s hand. “Why she made the best decision of my life.”
“Oh, Landon.” The gaze she’d held fixed on the coffee lifted, tears spilling from her eyes. “I’ve been so afraid I lost you.”
“You can’t lose me.”
“I thought I did. That whole thing with Kincade, and then Amber’s return . . . All of it.”
Had he really put her through that?
“If you even thought that was a possibility, it’s on me. You’ve been nothing but wonderful to me my whole life. You took me in and you made us a family. You can’t lose me.”
He stood and pulled her into his arms and held tight.
Amber McGee had given him life, and she loved him. Had always loved him. But Louisa Mills had given him the foundation and the home and all the love that really mattered. She’d helped him build a new life—a good life—and more than that, she’d paved the way for his future.
To another woman who meant everything to him.
“Now,” he whispered against his mother’s hair, just above her ear, “let me tell you about this wonderful woman I met. Her name’s Daphne, and I know you’re going to love her.”
About the Author
© Lifetouch Portrait Studios Inc. Used with permission.
Addison Fox can’t remember a time when words weren’t a part of her life. In addition to being an avid reader, she loves writing novels about strong-willed and exciting heroes and heroines—individuals who are meant for each other and who deserve their happily ever after. After she makes them work for it, of course!
First published in 2010, Addison has written across romance genres, including paranormal, contemporary, and romantic suspense. A romantic at heart, she’ll take her heroes any way she can get them—from ancient warriors to computer geeks to sexy cowboys. She’s not picky, but she is deeply grateful her readers are willing to come along for the ride.
Addison lives in New York.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraph
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Epilogue
About the Author
Copyright Page
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
JUST ONCE. Copyright © 2017 by Frances Karkosak. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover art Jacket photographs: couple © EpicStockMedia/Shutterstock.com; bridge © Tony Shi Photography/Getty Images
e-ISBN 978-1-250-11422-8 (e-book)
First Edition: February 2017
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