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“You’re my father.”
“I knew who you were the first moment I saw you. You favor Glynis. She was very beautiful.”
“You knew who I was?” Callie gasped.
“Yep. Been waiting a lot of years to see that face, but when I finally got my chance, I guess I acted like a coward. I couldn’t tell you who I was. Didn’t think you really wanted to know, but I kept coming here just to get a glimpse of you.”
Callie’s hands trembled and tears stung the back of her eyes. “You’re the reason I came to Homestead with the kids. Glynis said you were probably dead, but I had to know for sure.”
“How is Glynis?” her father finally asked.
Obviously Wade wanted Callie to be the one to tell her father the truth. Telling another person could jeopardize their safety, but when Callie looked into her father’s eyes, she knew she could trust him. So she told him their story.
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Homestead, Texas. Never heard of it? Well, you’re in for a treat. This is the third book in a series called HOME TO LOVELESS COUNTY. The books, about a fictional town in the Texas Hill Country, are written by Roxanne Rustand, K.N. Casper, Roz Denny Fox, Lynnette Kent and me. I had a great time brainstorming with these wonderful authors. Please don’t miss any of these exciting stories!
To save the dying town of Homestead, the mayor comes up with a land giveaway program. New residents arrive weekly in search of a new beginning, a new life.
Callie Lambert was born in Homestead, and when she needs a safe hiding place, she returns to her roots as an applicant for the Home Free Program. But Callie is a fugitive. She’s kidnapped her brother and sisters from an abusive stepfather. Now all she has to do is stay hidden until her case can be heard.
To do that she has to avoid the handsome sheriff, Wade Montgomery. But he keeps checking on Callie and the kids, and against her better judgment she’s drawn to the tall, lanky Texan. What will Wade do when he discovers her secret? Turn the page and find out!
I hope you enjoy your visit to Homestead, Texas.
Warmly,
Linda Warren
It’s always a pleasure to hear from readers.
You can e-mail me at [email protected] or write me at P.O. Box 5182, Bryan, TX 77805 or visit my Web site at www.lindawarren.net or www.superauthors.com. Your letters will be answered.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO TEXAS
Linda Warren
MILLS & BOON
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To the other authors of the
HOME TO LOVELESS COUNTY series,
Roxanne Rustand, K.N. Casper, Roz Denny Fox
and Lynnette Kent. It was a privilege and a joy to work
with you, even during those times of panic. Thanks for
making the newbie feel right at home. And to our editors,
Paula Eykelhof, Laura Shin, Kathleen Scheibling and
Victoria Curran, for keeping us focused and on track.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mitch Siegert, executive chef, thanks for answering all my questions so patiently. Wayne Landry, thanks for sharing your colorful friends with me. Ladies in my aqua therapy group, thanks for your encouragement and support on this book.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
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
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER ONE
SHAFTS OF LIGHT pierced the darkness, illuminating a stretch of foggy grayness. Callie Lambert drove on and on, putting miles behind her. Up ahead loomed the unknown, the unfamiliar. Her hands clasped the steering wheel with a death-like grip and her stomach roiled with the enormity of her actions. She was on the run. A fugitive. She’d kidnapped her brother and sisters and could be arrested at any minute.
Those facts kept her focused, cautious and half-crazed with fear. What if she was caught? The kids would be returned to their abusive stepfather. And Callie would go to jail.
She wasn’t worried about herself. It was the kids. She was their big sister and she’d do anything, go through anything, to protect them. But tangible fear throbbed at the back of her mind like a persistent toothache as she waited for the wail of a siren.
Raindrops splattered the windshield and she turned on the wipers. Their hypnotic action calmed her nerves and steadied her resolve. She thought of her mother and anger stirred in her breast. How could Glynis do this to them?
The past swept
