Bayou Jeopardy. Rita Herron

son after him.

      “I have to see him,” he said, heading toward the door. “I’ve missed eight years of his life.”

      Lily ran after him and grabbed his arm. “Wait, Mack, you can’t, not tonight.”

      He swung toward her, his jaw clamped tight. “Dammit, Lily, I thought you two were dead. I…thought I’d lost you, but you were both alive all along.”

      “I’m sorry, Mack.” Lily’s voice cracked. “I…I’m so sorry.” Mack was trembling. “What did you tell him about me?”

      Lily blinked back more tears. “Just what I thought, that you died in the storm.”

      “Well, I’m not dead,” he said. “And I want to see my son.”

      “You will,” Lily said. “But he’s sleeping now, Mack. We can’t wake him up. Let’s wait until the right time.”

      When would the right time be?

      When he cleared his name? When he arrested Lily’s father?

      Dammit, he had to find out the truth, but if he had to arrest her father, Lily would hate him.

      And so might his son.

       Chapter Three

      Mack reined in his temper. She was right. It would be a shock for Winston to learn his father was alive. No use doing it in the middle of the night. “How about in the morning? I’ll go with you to pick him up at your father’s.”

      Lily rubbed her arms, her face panicked. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Mack. Especially considering the trouble between you and my father.”

      “He lied to us both,” Mack said. “He owes us an explanation.”

      Lily flinched. “I’m sorry, Mack.”

      “Stop apologizing for him,” Mack said. “It’s your father who should be sorry. He never wanted us to be together, and by lying he got his wish.”

      “Mack—”

      “It’s true and you know it.” Mack inhaled a calming breath, questions bombarding him. “What happened that night, Lily? Where have you and Winston been all these years?” God, was she involved with someone else?

      Lily sighed. “The night of the storm, I went into labor. Daddy’s friend flew me to Alabama in his helicopter before the worst hit. I gave birth to Winston that night, and we lived there until a couple of months ago.” She rubbed a hand over her mouth, drawing him to those damned kissable lips. “Meanwhile, Dad was working with Mayor Barrow on the rebuilding campaign, and he convinced me to move back and help.”

      Mack gestured to the house. “But you didn’t move in with him?”

      Lily smiled sardonically. “No, I wanted to be queen of my own castle.”

      Mack nodded. “You always did like having your own space.” And she had stood up to her father. At one time, he’d even wondered if she’d dated him as an act of rebellion.

      Still, rebelling and helping him get dirt on her father were two different things.

      “What time are you going to your father’s house in the morning?”

      Lily chewed her bottom lip. “Eight. I want to have breakfast with Winston.”

      Eight o’clock sounded like decades away. But he didn’t want to frighten his son by storming in and attacking Landry.

      Which was exactly what he might do if he saw him tonight.

      “Mack?”

      “Breakfast with our son sounds good.” He paused. “And, Lily, don’t tell your father I’m coming.”

      Her eyes darkened with worry, but she gave a short nod, and he left before he dragged her into his arms and reminded her that she was his wife.

      But he couldn’t push her.

      Because he was afraid of what he might find—that she’d moved on without him.

      He couldn’t tell her that he was investigating her father, either. Not until he was sure about his facts.

      He climbed into his Range Rover and started the engine. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Melvin Landry’s face when he realized he’d been caught in his lies.

      And when he discovered that Mack was back in their lives.

      THE NEXT MORNING Lily was ready to go by seven. She hadn’t slept a wink for thinking about Mack. She opened her jewelry drawer, removed her wedding ring and rubbed her fingers over the silver band.