Little Girl Lost
Page 22
Surprise and shock sifted through Barbara’s too-full heart. She set Missy down, but held tightly to her hand, her gaze locked with Chad’s. “You said it was a one-ina-million chance. Why did you have the DNA testing done?”
He grinned wryly, but his voice cracked with emotion. “Joy Emerson insisted on it. Even though Marshall will likely be locked up for a long time, she wanted to raise his daughter.”
Missy tugged her hand. “We came to get you, Mommy, so we can get married and live together. Forever.”
Laughing and crying at the same time, Barbara squeezed her daughter’s hand and reached out for Chad’s hand, too. A one-in-a-million chance that Chad could be Missy’s father. A one-in-a-million chance that she could be her mother. She’d won the biggest lottery life offered, had gained riches beyond the dreams of kings and queens.
Chad kissed Barbara’s hand and folded it against his chest, where she could feel his heart thundering with bliss, and in that moment, her chest swelled with a sensation so alien, so filling, she realized it had swallowed every ounce of despair that had once taken residence there. “You know, I have a hunch that my mother and sister are smiling down on us with approval.”
“I think so, too,” Chad said, his eyes alight with adoration. He crooked his pinkie finger around hers. “No more walls.”
She nodded. “No more fears.”
He squeezed his finger with hers. “Just love, trust, and—”
“Commitment,” they said together.
eISBN 978-14592-6854-8
LITTLE GIRL LOST
Copyright © 1997 by Adnanne Lee Undsderfer
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, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retneval system, is forbidden without the wntten 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 This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S A.
® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countnes.
Printed in U.S.A.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Excerpt
About the Author
Other Books By
Dedication
Cast of Characters
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
Epilogue
Copyright