Moonlight on Water (44 page)

Lifting his gaze to a face that seemed to have no more color than the pillows beneath her, he tried to imagine her at Megan's age so he could finish this conversation with what dignity he had left. It was impossible. Even though her high cheekbones and softly rounded chin surrounded by rich auburn hair were the same as the child's, he could not ignore the pink invitation of her lips or the very adult emotions in her dark eyes.

He mumbled something and went out of the bedroom. As he walked toward the front door, he was not surprised to hear the kitchen door open and shut and running feet behind him. He paused in the doorway to see both Brendan and Lottie vanishing back into the bedroom. A moment later, her hands covered with flour, Megan followed them.

Walking out onto the porch, Samuel stretched his tense shoulders as he gazed out over the fields of ripe corn. He had spent too much time during the past few days standing guard at Cailin's door so the children would not sneak in and disturb her. Now he had work to catch up on. Lots of it.

Good. That would keep his mind on something other than dark brown eyes and soft lips. He had thought he had learned his lesson, but it was clear he would end up being taught the same lesson over again if he was not careful.

As he crossed the yard toward the red barn, he heard laughter coming through the bedroom window. He paused and listened to Brendan talk about the first stop the orphan train had made, and how the older boys had tried to sneak off the train to figure out where they were. This tale was one Brendan had never told him.

Walking on toward the barn, he picked up a shovel. He tossed it in the back of the wagon. He had gotten his life to where he wanted it. He had the children to fill his days with chatter. Teaching them their letters so they would be able to keep up with the other children in Haven was a pleasure after a hard day's labor. Now everything was changed, because of a woman who was dependent upon him to take care of her until she took the children and left.

His hands curled into fists on the side of the wagon. She should not be able to come here and take them away so easily, not when her story had more inconsistencies than a felon's when facing a jury. Even without his legal experience, he knew she was hiding something from both him and the children. She had left the children in danger once. If she took them away, who could guess what she might do next?

There had to be something he could do. Tonight, when the children were sleeping, he would push aside the pocket doors to the back parlor and unpack the law books he had left in their crates. If there was anything he could do legally to keep her from endangering these children again, he would find it.

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About the Author

Jo Ann Ferguson is a lifelong storyteller and the author of numerous romantic novels. She also writes as Jo Ann Brown and Mary Jo Kim. A former US Army officer, she has served as the president of the national board of the Romance Writers of America and taught creative writing at Brown University. She currently lives in Nevada with her family, which includes one very spoiled cat.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author᾿s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2002 by Jo Ann Ferguson

Cover design by Julianna Lee

ISBN: 978-1-4532-4831-7

This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

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New York, NY 10014

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THE HAVEN TRILOGY

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