Outcast (The Friessen Legacy Series, Book 2), A Western Romance

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  OUTCAST

  The Friessen Legacy Series, Book 2

  By Lorhainne Eckhart

  Other Books in The Friessen Legacy Series

  The Forgotten Child

  Outcast

  The Search

  Praise for The Forgotten Child, Book 1 of the Friessen Legacy…

  Ms. Eckhart has crafted a delightful story with engaging characters, enough drama for a Hallmark movie, and enough unconditional love to last a lifetime. The Forgotten Child is one enticing story that will keep you engrossed until the very end, as the past collides with the present. So be sure to check it out!

  Blackraven’s Reviews

  READERS FAVORITE 5-Star Review: A real page turner with … a fast moving plot. A must read!

  Reviewed by Brenda C. for Readers Favorite

  Main Menu

  Start Reading

  Afterword

  Other Works by Lorhainne Eckhart

  About the Author

  Contact Information

  Copyright Information

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  She pushed aside the creamy lace curtain and gazed out on a yard decorated in pinks and frothy whites, with ribbons and bows and enough flowers to decorate the entire county. The midday sun had turned the sky a deep blue, and mixed with the flowers and miles of open land, it would seem to anyone as if they had stepped into paradise. Several long tables were draped with lacy white cloth, glasses stacked in pyramids. Waiters in black vests and white shirts, all starched and impeccably groomed, weaved through the hundreds of wedding guests all dressed in their Sunday best. Rows of white chairs faced a beautiful arbor covered with pink and white roses, and baby’s breath weaved through the chain of flowers, a spectacular sight. Everyone was here: her groom, his family, and what appeared to be every resident of North Lakewood. But there would be no family for Diana, and no father to give her away.

  She let the antique lace curtain fall and stepped away from the window when her soon-to-be husband glanced up at her from the yard, his dark eyes mirroring her piercing love and never failing to take her breath away, always letting her know she was his. Looking back and imagining where she’d come from, she wanted to pinch herself to make sure this wasn’t all just a dream that she had never imagined would come true. After all, coming back to North Lakewood had been risky, but she’d followed her heart and was now going to marry her fairytale prince, having survived her trials and faced her demons while holding her head high. He loved her for it, accepting her for who she truly was.

  Their love was so precious, and just thinking of being his wife had her heart pounding furiously and her hands trembling. But it wasn’t fear or dread that had her shaking. It was the thought of being Mrs. Friessen—loved so completely for who she was, respected by the community and accepted for being just Diana.

  He’d buy her the world. She knew that now, and he’d fight all her battles for her if she let him. He was a proud man and could be ruthless in a fight, and she needed all her wits about her to face him without backing down.

  Diana glanced in the antique mirror one last time. Tracing her finger under her eye, she wiped away a tear she hadn’t realized she’d shed. Her makeup was perfect: not too heavy, just enough to enhance her healthy glow. Her fiery red hair was combed and pinned up with cascading curls, a shimmering white veil with roses fastened to the back. She smoothed down the chiffon of her wedding dress, feeling like a princess about to wed her handsome prince, when a soft knock on the bedroom door interrupted her thoughts.

  “Diana, are you ready?”

  She nodded to herself in the mirror and pulled open the door, accepting the lovely bouquet of pink and white roses.

  “Yes,” she answered.

  Chapter 2

  Fifteen years earlier

  It was a great day for dreaming. The late autumn sun mixed in shades of rusty orange with the treetops, shadowing the carpeted path that wound through the thick forest. The day was unusually hot, which was a blessing in more ways than one for barefooted Diana Claremont as she towed her baby sister, Louisa, in her thin t-shirt and diaper, behind her.

  Dreams were an escape for Diana. She would envision a better life, a different outcome. She dreamed often throughout the day and whenever she could escape to her magical forest. In her dreams, her mama was the dashing Cinderella who scrubbed and cleaned for her ugly stepsisters, a slave to her stepmother. But the fact was that Mama would do anything for wealthy Todd Friessen, the town bad boy who owned most of Snohomish County. The problem was that Todd had a wife and a son. One he loved, the other he tolerated, and he had a meanness that could turn on a dime when he didn’t get what he wanted. Truth be told, Faye Claremont, Diana’s mama, was no Cinderella. She just had her own fantasy of one day being Mrs. Todd Friessen and having the life she believed she deserved.

  Todd’s son, Anderson Friessen, was All-American this season at Washington State. Diana lived to hear the deep rumble of his voice, to see the flash of one of his warm smiles. She lived for glimpses of him, to catch the scent of his exotic aftershave. Today, he had touched her, and she was still giddy from the encounter.

  She had gone into the town pharmacy with her older sister, Nina, who had helped herself to ten dollars from Mama’s wallet to buy the blue eye shadow that would accentuate her already dark eyes, so exotic that they turned all the boys’ heads. Nina had tucked the shadow and change in her bra, ample C cups that she didn’t hesitate to flaunt to Diana, who had no breasts, though her immature nipples had begun to swell, which was embarrassing beyond anything she could imagine. She prayed no one would notice them sticking out from her thin hand-me-down Hawaiian t-shirt, someone’s castoff that had found its way to her in a bag from the local church.

  She was nearly knocked down by Andy, who was going into the store as she was coming out with Nina. He’d grabbed her shoulder to steady her and bumped off her cap, the one with the Cougars logo on it, also from the poor box.

  “Nice hat,” he had said, laughter dancing in his eyes as he popped the cap back atop her array of dark red curls. Andy was nineteen, tall and muscular. He played football for the Washington State Cougars as a defenseman, setting PAC 10 and NCAA records, not that she understood what that meant. She only knew because she’d read it all in the sports page of the local paper. That was also how she knew he’d finished eleventh in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. She also knew he was gorgeous, not in a pretty way but in the same wild, powerful way as his golden-red prized Arabian, Valentino. Andy’s strong Celtic ancestry was evident in his thick, dark hair, his light coloring, and his strong features. To Diana, he looked like a warrior who had been set down in the present day quite by accident. Because Diana had read every romance she could get her hands on, stories of fairytale knights and their lovely ladies, she knew a knight in shining armor when she saw one.

  Diana’s arm was still tingling where he’d touched her, and she was blushing furiously. Her senses were overwhelmed by his scent, warm and pleasant.

  Nina set one hand on her curvaceous hip and stuck out her chest in the bright red tank top that fit her like a second skin. She tossed back her long mane of silvery blonde hair and pursed her lips in an invitation that she’d seen her mother make a thousand times before. Diana only blushed a deeper red.

  But Andy didn’t comment or accept the silent invite that had been dished up on a platter for him. Instead, he stepped back and swept his eyes over Nina’s generous breasts, taking in her tight jeans and the three-inch spike heels that she’d borrowed from Mama’s closet.

  “I
don’t think so,” Andy had said, contempt leaking into his hard voice. Diana knew why, as did the entire town—her mama was sleeping with his father, Todd. She’d heard the talk, and she knew what “whore” and “kept woman” meant.

  Andy brushed past Diana, disappearing into the store without giving either girl a second glance.

  Nina stared after him for a second before turning her mean eyes on Diana. “Give me your hat.”

  “No. Get your own hat.” Diana stepped away before Nina thought to take it from her. Nina scowled and obviously thought better of snatching it outside the store, where people would see.

  “Well, I’ll get my own hat. Maybe a jersey, too, of Andy’s team.”

  And she would, while Diana gazed at the treetops and dreamed of her fairytale prince riding in. But Nina wouldn’t have the cap that Andy had touched. Diana took it off as soon as she was home and stuffed it in her drawer, under her threadbare t-shirts. The only way someone would know it was there would be if they did the laundry and put the clean shirts away. Since Diana was the one who did that, she knew she could lie in bed every night knowing her hat was safe.

  Andy. The power of her emotions terrified her. He was reckless and wild, and every time she thought of him, her heart pounded wildly in her skinny chest. She’d get all hot and shivery. Andy was the only son of Todd Friessen, backed by the Friessen money, and he was like a god in this small town of North Lakewood, Washington. He was untamed, like a wild stallion, she heard people say, and even as a boy he’d had a reckless charm that made all the girls’ hearts flutter. The Friessens had spawned all kinds of scoundrels and renegades, many of them scattered throughout the Pacific Northwest, and Andy was proving to be the wildest of the bunch. The Friessens were a powerful family in Washington State and Snohomish County.

  Andy had never been unkind to Diana, unlike some other people in town, including his mama, Mrs. Friessen, who’d glared at them with such hatred once that Diana had crossed the street to get away from her. Mrs. Friessen travelled a lot, which Diana was grateful for, as it greatly reduced the chances of bumping into her in town. When Andy returned to town on holidays and long weekends, Diana would hang around in hopes of catching a glimpse of him, so tall and confident, so wickedly exciting.

  But now that it was summer, Andy was home, and that was one of the reasons for Diana’s late afternoon adventure though the forest. The forest was over five thousand acres and was entirely Friessen land, a mix of sunny meadows and shadowed fir, cedar, and young alders. The Friessen mansion opened onto lush gardens filled with every imaginable fragrant flower. In the middle of that spectacular green yard was the swimming pool that would be alive all summer with Andy and his friends. The Claremont shack was on the other side of the forest, in the shadows, most likely built by the early settlers and later upgraded for a family at the turn of the century. Andy and his friends would gather all summer around that pool, and Diana would slip through the forest and watch to her heart’s content from the edge.

  Maybe he’d be there today, she hoped as she slipped through the forest in her favorite denim cutoffs, which left her skinny legs exposed to scratches from the thorny blackberry bushes and bugs.

  Diana was at home with the other animals in the forest, and she didn’t worry about bugs, bears, snakes, or cougars. She ignored the scratches. Her curly, long hair always hung untidily past her shoulders and into her eyes, so she tied it back. She slipped through the forest like a pixie, completely at home, her big blue eyes dreamy as she conjured images of Andy in her mind. He might be there, and he might see her one day as she peered around the big maple at the edge of the forest. And maybe one day, when he spied her, he’d hold out his hand and say, “Diana, would you like to join us for a swim?” She lost herself in that daydream of being part of the laughing group of popular kids, splashing and lounging, being one of those curvy girls in their colorful string bikinis.

  As Diana edged closer, she caught the gleam of his red Porsche from the driveway at the side of the house, and her heart pounded furiously. He was home! She edged as quietly as she could around the base of a big old cedar, and it took a moment to realize she could hear nothing. No laughing, shouting, or splashing. Maybe he was inside or over with the horses, so she moved closer to get a better view. Her heart sank. Maybe he was out for a ride, and who knew how long he’d be gone? She’d taken this time for herself, but she needed to be home soon to start dinner and take care of Louisa. She was turning to leave when she heard a rustling and the nearby snort of a horse. Diana slipped back behind the old cedar—it was so large at the base that she’d swear it could hide a bear. She was soundless in the forest as she crouched down, her feet shoved into hand-me-down Nikes that, at one time, must have been white. She listened as Andy’s sleek Arabian approached with him astride. The horse neighed and snorted, and she knew it had picked up her scent, but Andy just laughed and turned the horse so elegantly. It was when he turned the horse that Diana glimpsed Hailey Whithers. Her father was the mayor, and she had even been head cheerleader at one time, always the slender, curvy blonde hanging off Andy’s arm. Diana wasn’t jealous, because she herself was so young, and he was so far above her in status. But watching him sit tall and confident, riding bareback on that prancing Arabian with Hailey’s slender arms wrapped tightly around his waist, she wished it were her.

  “Andy, slow down.” Hailey giggled as Andy’s horse trotted a few steps, and he eased it to a walk, holding the reins in one hand as he slid his other down one of her jean-clad legs and pulled her closer. He seemed to be taking such good care of her, and Diana didn’t see how she could move any closer. She was pressed against his back so tightly that there was no space between them.

  Hailey giggled again. “Oh, Andy, you feel so good.” She rubbed her breasts against his back, and Andy murmured reassurances and laughed that deep, husky laugh, the one that warmed Diana from head to toe. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be in Hailey’s place, to be touched like that or what it would feel like.

  Diana’s heart was racing, and her eyes were huge as she ducked under some branches and slipped through the brush until she had reached safety in the shadowy forest. She was late and knew that Mama would be mad. She’d most likely get cuffed on the side of the head when she walked in, as she was supposed to start dinner, finish the laundry, and look after Louisa so Mama could go out. But it would be worth it. Because she had gotten to see Andy.

  ***

  Andy dug his heels in and turned his spooked horse, spotting a flash of color out of his peripheral. He turned to the shadowy forest and caught a glimpse of tangled red hair, a scrawny young girl wearing castoffs. It was enough for him to identify the middle Claremont girl. What was she doing wandering out there alone? She must have known that there were cougars and bears in those woods. Andy didn’t say anything to Hailey because he knew she would freak if someone had seen her riding this intimately with him. Hailey was engaged to Parker Thorne, and she wouldn’t take kindly to anything messing that up—even her own messing around. The Thornes weren’t as rich and powerful as the Friessens, but Hailey could handle Parker in a way she could never handle Andy. Though Andy was far more handsome and definitely a better catch, he wouldn’t make a good husband, and Hailey was smart enough to know that.

  “What is it?” Hailey squeezed his waist and pressed her cheek against his shoulder.

  “Nothing, just a ground squirrel.”

  Andy led Valentino onto the back of the property, across the freshly mowed grass that stretched out as long and wide as a football field, and over to the barn. He didn’t hurry, as he was still thinking of the Claremont girl. She was an odd kid, always keeping to herself or with her head stuck in some book. She had long, gangly legs, and she was scrawny, with big, blue, startled eyes that were sometimes flecked with green and always reminded him of a deer in bright headlights. He didn’t think she missed much. She had to know that Faye was his dad’s piece on the side and that they lived rent free in that rundown s
hack on the other side of the forest so that her mama would be available for his dad. She had to be smart enough not to risk getting on the Friessens’ bad side.

  Poor scrawny little kid—she was born into trash, just a nobody. Her mama wasn’t much of a mother. She liked a good time, booze and weed, but it hadn’t altered her looks or that lush, voluptuous body, big boobs and curvy hips that had surprisingly borne three children, each with a different father. And she had a temper, although she was careful never to show it around his dad. She didn’t care about those kids, just about getting laid and walking around in those spiked heels and skintight skirts that hid nothing. The joke in the county was that she didn’t wear underwear and that she had been the inspiration for the famous uncrossed legs scene in that blockbuster movie. Andy thought that the problem was that she flaunted it, not using it to her advantage. She exuded sex, good times, and partying, drawing men to her like a bitch in heat.

  Nina, the oldest girl, was pure jailbait and was much like Faye, looking for good times and any guy she could latch on to. She had Faye’s one-track mind for sex, heels, and skintight skirts. He doubted that she was still a virgin at sixteen, though she kept offering herself to him. She’d be easy for the taking, but Andy wasn’t interested. He’d rather screw a dog than have anything to do with Nina.

  The youngest kid was sickly and not quite right in the head. Everyone knew it. He’d only seen her a few times, but she had always been clinging to that middle girl. What was her name, anyway? Deidre or Debbie. A girl at home in the woodlands with all the wild animals… That was it—Diana. From mythology, the goddess Diana, who could talk to all the woodland animals, the virgin goddess of childbirth and women. Andy thought that was hilarious, considering who her mother was.

  The kid didn’t stand a chance. In a few years, she’d follow in her mother’s footsteps because she hadn’t been shown a different way. Who could blame her, really? And even if, by some miracle, she figured out it wasn’t right, the boys wouldn’t care, and they’d all come sniffing around because of the Claremont name. She wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.