by Rita Herron
Elsie smiled at her daughter. “Honey, we don’t have to rush—”
“Speak for yourself,” Deke growled into her ear.
The little girl skipped toward them and smiled up at Deke. “You don’t have to wait on account of me.”
“No?” Deke asked.
“No, but I have a question.”
Elsie brushed a strand of hair behind one ear, still hesitant, still afraid to push too hard, but still in awe that Deke had found her little girl. “What is it, Allison?”
“Is Mr. Deke going to be my daddy?”
Elsie glanced at Deke, waiting on a reply.
“Yes,” he said, squeezing Elsie’s hand then reaching for Allison’s. “The three of us are going to be a family.”
Allison’s mouth quirked sideways, the tilt to her chin a replica of Elsie’s. “Three?”
“Well, five,” Elsie said with a smile. “Grandma Leberman, and Grandma Timmons are our family, too.”
The little girl wrapped her arms around their legs, and they embraced her, hugging her close. “Goodie. I always wanted a mommy and a daddy, and two grandmas.”
Deke leaned over and swung her up on his hip. “You actually have another grandmother and a grandfather. Mom and Pop Falcon.”
“And Aunt Hailey and Uncle Rex and Uncle Brack,” Elsie added.
“Wow.” Allison’s eyes lit up. “Just one more question?”
“What is it, sweetie?” Elsie asked.
“Mr. Deke, will you teach me how to talk to the birds?”
Deke brushed a kiss on Allison’s cheek. “Of course, any time you want, pumpkin.”
Tears dampened Elsie’s eyes as she hugged her daughter to her side, then leaned over to kiss her husband-to-be. Deke was the man who had given her everything, the love and family she’d always wanted.
The future they would share together with her daughter.
And maybe one day, a baby of their own, a little boy who could continue the falconer’s legend.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7859-6
RETURN TO FALCON RIDGE
Copyright © 2006 by Rita B. Herron
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, nown or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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†Nighthawk Island
Table of Contents
Prologue
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
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
