by Jane Jamison
She sensed her men closing in around her, her pack protecting her when she felt so vulnerable. “That’s him,” she whispered. She recognized him from the photos, but they hadn’t prepared her for how beautiful he really was.
“Are you all right, darlin’?”
She didn’t answer. Her full attention was focused on the boy following behind his family.
He has a family. Parents and a little sister. And grandparents, too.
Tears stung her eyes, and she wiped them away. The family strolled down the path from their home and over to a SUV parked at the curb.
“If you want to meet them, now’s the time,” urged Sterling.
She took a step into the street and then stopped.
“They’re a family.”
“They are. And from everything we found out, they’re a good one, too.”
She knew how Brogan felt. He’d suggested she leave her son to his new life but had promised to support her decision.
The boy turned at the last moment, hesitating to get into the car. His gaze locked to hers.
Lucas. It’s me. I’m your mommy.
She started to call to him, but nothing came out. Instead, she lifted her hand.
Lucas—Caleb—frowned then slowly lifted his hand, returning her wave.
His mother handed the baby to her husband and turned to see who he was waving at. A soft smile lit up her face, and she, too, lifted her hand in greeting.
“Baby, now’s the time.”
Yet instead of hurrying across the street, she dropped her hand and spun around. She broke into a fast walk, needing to get away before she changed her mind.
I can’t breathe.
Her men followed her, letting her have her space.
He’s happy. I can’t take that away from him.
She picked up speed until she was running. They ran behind her, their footsteps the sounds of her protectors staying with her, ready to come to her aid.
Dragging in breaths made her throat burn and her chest hurt. Her inner wolf howled, demanding she shift and run.
She ran past the picturesque homes and into the tourist section lined with seafood restaurants and gift shops. She darted around the horse-drawn carriages until, at last, she came to the water’s edge and could run no farther.
The Wilson men didn’t touch her. Instead, they waited.
“He has a good life.” She said the words out loud, not only for them to hear but, hopefully, for her heart to understand. Logic told her she’d done the right thing all those years ago, but her heart still yearned to hold him, still ached to tell him how much she’d always loved him without ever seeing him.
“He does. He has everything any little boy could want.”
She whirled to confront Garner. “But does he have love? Do they love him? Are you sure?”
Amber flecks filled his eyes. “They love him, darlin’. Almost as much as you do.”
She studied him, searching for any tiny chance that he was lying and saw none. “I do, you know. I love him so much.”
“We know, baby. That’s why you gave him up. You loved him enough to give him a great life.”
Sobbing, she fell against him and felt Garner and Sterling surround her. She knew in her heart she’d done the right thing by giving him up, by thinking more about him than herself. All those years, her family had made her feel ashamed of getting pregnant and had given her no choice but to turn him over to someone else. Yet, now that she’d seen him, she knew she’d done the right thing.
They cocooned her as she cried, ignoring other people who walked past them and wondered what was happening. When at last the tears dried up, she left their protective circle and walked along the edge of the water.
Seeing him had torn her apart. Yet seeing him had also put her back together. In time, she’d grow to think only of how he looked today. Happy and loved. If in time he sought her out, she’d welcome him with open arms. But it would be his choice.
She faced her men. “Take me home.”
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Jamison has always liked “weird stuff” as her mother called it. From an early age, she was fascinated with stories about werewolves, vampires, space, aliens, and whatever was hiding in her bedroom closet. To this day, she still swears she can hear growls and moans whenever the lights are out.
As an avid reader, she fell in love with romance novels. Then one day, she put her favorite things together and found her life’s true ambition—to be an erotic paranormal romance author.
Jane spends her days in her home office surrounded by the characters she loves and the furry pets she adores. Often a new character will knock on the door of her imagination and spark the idea for another book.
Her future includes traveling, learning the art of photography, and writing more books. Thanks to her loving husband, she continues to turn her dreams into realities.
For all titles by Jane Jamison, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/jane-jamison
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
