She picked up the pen that had been placed precisely beside the envelope. Her hand shook as she turned to the tabs clearly marking where she needed to sign. After signing and initialing each page, she threw down the pen and rose from the chair.
“Pack your bags and get the hell out of my house now. The money will be in your account as soon as this is filed.” Without a word, she hurried upstairs.
Chapter Forty-Six
Brad sat out on the front porch, breathing in the cool night air on this unusually warm spring night, smiling to himself at the way things had turned out. The day he received the news in Keith’s office flooded him with sweet, overwhelming relief. To have Crystal gone and out of their lives was a black tension-filled cloud dissipated. Even the sunshine seemed to beam brighter around them. Crystal had left town right after signing the papers, leaving instructions for the rest of her belongings to be sent to a condo in Seattle.
Keith filed the papers that day. He pulled strings to have a judge sign the divorce decree a few days later. Thirty-one days and Brad would be a free man.
For the first time in his life, he felt as if he was living with his eyes wide open. “You know, Dad, I’m glad you and Mom are going to stay for a bit.”
Brad’s father clinked his glass to Brad’s. “Here’s to a good woman, your son, and finally getting it right.” He swallowed the single malt scotch, and turned when the screen door squeaked.
“Are the kids asleep?” asked Brad.
Emily nodded, and rested her hand on his shoulder.
When he looked up into the passion burning in her sparkling eyes, a lump formed deep in Brad’s throat. She took his breath away.
“I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.” Rodney stopped and rested his hand fondly on Emily’s shoulder, looking down on her as a father would his daughter.
“Thanks, Dad.” Brad reached around and lifted Emily onto his lap.
“Mmm, yep, all fast asleep.”
He leaned his head down and kissed the tip of her nose. She still couldn’t believe he’d done it: showing up, ordering his men to pack up all their things and move them back out to the ranch. He hesitated for only a moment, and informed her he loved her. And as soon as both their divorces were final, he planned to marry her.
The way he looked at her, with such everlasting desire, friendship and love, she knew he’d just handed her his heart. For him, it was a rare gift of trust.
Sitting on his lap now, his fingers linked with hers, she knew they had a future filled with possibility.
“You never answered me, Em.”
She slid around on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Answer you about what?”
“I think I asked you to marry me. And you’ve left me hanging.”
She caressed his face with the back of her fingers, unable to remember her heart ever being so full. “If I recall, you informed me we were getting married. But the answer’s yes.”
She snuggled a little closer, she couldn’t wait to share the news with him. She took his hand and placed it on her stomach as a slight blush rose in her cheeks. The doctor said the baby would be born in November.
###
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading The Forgotten Child. The Forgotten Child was a labor of love, a story I enjoyed writing, a story that means so much to me.
The Forgotten Child, is a romantic western , the first book in Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series. The Forgotten Child explores the devastating issue of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism has hit epidemic proportions and affects 1 in 150 children. These statistics are provided by the CDC, but many have indicated these numbers may not be accurate and are in fact on the low side. For more information about autism contact your local Autism Society and ask to be put in touch with a local parents group to find more information on resources, how to obtain a diagnosis, credible therapies available in your area, and any funding resources available. And remember it is other parents who have walked through what you’re facing now who truly understand what is at stake and what obstacles you face now.
If you enjoyed The Forgotten Child, then I’d love to ask you a favor and have you go back to Amazon and provide a review.
Although this book and all my books have been edited and proofed, editors, proofreaders and I are all human. If you spot a typo, please email me at [email protected] and let me know. Also, I would like to thank everyone who has emailed and told all their family and friends about my books. And if you’d like to know more about my other books please scroll to the next section or visit my website at www.LorhainneEckhart.com
If you’d like to sign up for my newsletter, I promise to not flood you with emails, but I will notify you of all new releases and special promotions.
All the best,
Lorhainne Eckhart
Informational Blog Posts on Autism from Blog - The Choice of Giving
Autism is not a social problem
What if your child were diagnosed with Autism?
How do you tell a parent there is something wrong with their child?
Profiting off the back of the special needs
The Forgotten Siblings of Special Needs Children
Why are autistic children no included in community programs?
When you suspect your child has Autism
Autism in Public Schools
How does a child with FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) get diagnosed with Autism?
How does Autism affect Families
A Blog list of popular posts for families affected by Autism
FEAT (Families for Early Autism Treatment)
Autism Speaks
Other Works by Lorhainne Eckhart
What’s next in Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series?
A Baby And A Wedding
Fallen Hero
The Search
The Awakening
Or Grab the box set with all four stories:
The Perfect box set for the western romance fan including ~ A Baby And A Wedding (a short story following The Forgotten Child ~ Brad & Emily’s wedding), Fallen Hero, The Search and The Awakening ~ A western romance box set collection of dramatic romance stories of The Friessen men and the women they love.
To download a sample or purchase Finding Love ~ THE OUTSIDER SERIES, simply click here.
SECRETS
Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series
"Jed always told me he'd take care of everything. And I believed him, I trusted him, I loved him."
To download a sample or purchase SECRETS, simply click here.
RUNAWAY
Finding Love~THE OUTSIDER SERIES
Andy’s in for a surprise when he finds his runaway wife.
To download a sample or purchase RUNAWAY, simply click here.
SAVED
Growing up I had dreams that one day I'd fall in love, get married and start a family. Then one night I was taken. But I survived, I escaped and I was saved. Eric didn't see me as damaged. He didn't see my baby as a monster. He protected me, he kept me safe ... he saved me.
To download a sample or purchase SAVED, simply click here.
Walk the Right Road Series
The Choice, Book 1
One Woman...
Two Men...
And a choice that could kill her...
Praise for The Choice…
Mystery, romance, and age-old evil collide in this spellbinding thriller, THE CHOICE
"From the Pacific Northwest to New Orleans, with its rich Cajun heritage, dialect, food...and voodoo, comes this spellbinder from Ms Eckhart. From drugs to the DEA, all combines into a masterful book of suspense...you cannot put down, or look away from."
Elysabeth Fasland
To download a sample or purchase The Choice, simply click here.
Lost and Found, Book 2 of the Walk the Right Road Series
From Romance Junkies ~ LOST AND FOUND is one of the best romantic suspense books I have read this year
A Hit and Run—A Dese
rted Country Road—A Parent’s Worst Nightmare.
To download a sample or purchase Lost and Found, simply click here.
Merkaba, Walk the Right Road Series #3
Everyone thought he was dead and that's exactly how he needs it to stay. But the mysterious dark haired beauty has secrets of her own and could ultimately be his undoing.
To download a sample or purchase Merkaba, simply click here.
Or buy the box set: Walk the Right Road Series ~ Danger ~ Deception ~Devotion
(Includes the first two books in the Walk the Right Road Series, along with three exclusive short story prequels)
*Warning – This series is not for those looking for a light easy read. It is filled with rough language, sexual tension, and steamy hot romantic suspense!
"Genius at weaving a story of love and redemption"--Amazon Reviewer –Kyblondern
Two full-length books plus three bonus short stories ~ Over 100,000 words of suspense and romance.
RUNNING LATE--A prequel to THE CHOICE- Read how Dan and Marcie met.
DREAM MAN--A Prequel to THE CHOICE
THE CHOICE--One Woman. Two Men. And a choice that could kill her.
I MATTER TO HIM--A prequel to LOST AND FOUND
LOST AND FOUND--A Hit and run. A Deserted country road. A parent’s worst nightmare.
To download a sample or purchase Walk the Right Road – A Box set, simply click here.
The Gift
A devastating plane crash and a father’s only hope are the dreams connecting him with his son.
“Very unexpected plot. VERY good book. The faith of a little boy says it all.” Amazon Reviewer
To download a sample or purchase The Gift, simply click here.
About the Author
2012 was an amazing year in the publishing world for me. And it started with, The Forgotten Child, which landed on the Amazon bestseller list for western romance and romance series. And with the publication of each novel and short story each one made its way to the top 10 for its respective genre. 2013 has seen me posted in the top 100 authors on Amazon for Romantic Suspense and Mystery/Thrillers, Police Procedural.
Where did it all begin? In 2008, I published my first novel, The Captain's Lady, a Contemporary Military Romance through The Wild Rose Press. This year I have a crazy writing schedule with four books scheduled for release and six short stories.
I write three genres, edgy romantic suspense (Walk the Right Road Series), western romance (Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series, and young adult mystery and I warn my readers to expect the unexpected. I'm the mother of three children, one a special needs child. We live on a small Island in the Pacific Northwest where I advocate for the environment, and rights of special needs children. And somewhere in my busy schedule I do find time to write. I encourage you to contact me by email, I do answer every email I receive.
Stay tuned. There is more to come from Walk the Right Road Series and Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series. Runaway will be released May 30.
And to my readers and all of you who have shared my stories with your family and friends, a big heartfelt thank you.
Contact Information
Lorhainne Eckhart loves to hear from readers!
Contact at:
Email:[email protected]
Twitter: @LEckhart
Facebook: LorhainneEckhart
Blog: The Choice of Giving
Blog: Illusions
Lorhainne Eckhart Author Website
Copyright
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
The Forgotten Child
COPYRIGHT 2011 © Lorhainne Ekelund
All Rights Reserved
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by Steven Novak
Editors: WildAboutBones, Robert Reed
National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication
ISBN: 978-0987822611 (eBook)
Table of Contents
Book Cover
Main Menu
About the Author
Other Works by Lorhainne Eckhart
Finding Love~ The Outsider Series
The Forgotten Child
A Baby and A Wedding - Getting married and having a baby … for Emily and Brad everything was perfect, or so they thought until an unexpected surprise threatens to derail their happy day.
Fallen Hero – A young lawyer returns for justice, but finds love instead.
The Search (Short Story) – When her husband goes missing she’s forced to call the one man she shouldn’t.
The Awakening – Can a sexy rancher restore a young woman’s hope?
Secrets – “Jed always told me he'd take care of everything. And I believed him, I trusted him, I loved him.”
Runaway – Andy’s in for a surprise when he finds his runaway wife.
Walk the Right Road Series
The Choice - ...One woman. Two men. And a choice that could kill her.
Lost and Found – From Romance Junkies “Lost and Found is one the best romantic suspense books I’ve read this year!”
Merkaba – Everyone thought he was dead and that's exactly how he needs it to stay. But the mysterious dark haired beauty has secrets of her own and could ultimately be his undoing.
*Coming soon* Book 4 – Bounty
Military Romantic Suspense
Saved – A passionate tale of love during the Iraq war.
Young Adult Suspense
The Gift: A 10,000 + word short story - A devastating plane crash and a father’s only hope are the dreams connecting him with his son.
A Father’s Love (Illustrated Children’s Short Story) – Two children struggle to survive when trapped by an angry mother bear.
Box Sets:
Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series
Walk the Right Road Series ~ Danger ~ Deception ~ Devotion
Contact Information
Copyright Information
Chapters:
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 Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
C
hapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
To return to the Main Menu click here
The Surrogate’s Secret
Surrogate mother, Sheri O’Connor, loves her adorable twins. Since the donor parents were killed before their birth, she’s gladly taken on the responsibility to raise them herself. When their Chilean Uncle, Miguel Rivera, arrives with no warning, expecting to take them back to his country, she unravels and coldly informs him that isn’t going to happen. After all, they were her eggs used in the In Vitro process. Consequently, her claim supersedes anyone else’s. Never in a million years does she dream that the South American heartstopper wants her babies so much that he will force her to marry him by threatening to withhold the money she needs for an operation for her tiny son.
Miguel knows women aren’t to be trusted. Didn’t his devious fiancé give him up for dead and marry someone else while he spent months being held hostage in the jungles of Columbia? If his mother hadn’t brought a team to save him and end up getting shot during the rescue, he wouldn’t be alive. Therefore, if the only thing that can help his Mamacita from succumbing to her wounds is to adopt his dead brother’s surrogate children, then he will do anything to see that happen. Even marry the ditzy blonde whose saving grace, beside her gorgeous body and beautiful face, is her absolute devotion to her babies.
Praise for The Surrogate’s Secret:
“Mimi Barbour has done it again! There is also a lovely little twist in the novel that will make you smile.”
The Ultimate Romance Box (6 Bestselling Romance Novels) Page 20