The Treasure Man. Pamela Browning

      “It was another kind of dream.”

      The worst kind, he could have added, but didn’t. It was a nightmare that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

      Chloe lay awake long after Ben had gone back to sleep. Not for the first time, she sensed that he had deeper, sadder memories than he wanted to reveal.

      To be honest, she was glad he hadn’t told her about them. Once he let her in on what was bothering him, she’d feel duty-bound to make things right. And at this point in her life, that wasn’t supposed to be an option. She was trying her hardest to focus on herself, never mind that she’d taken on the responsibility for her niece. That was turning out to be easier than she’d expected.

      Ben was another story. She was planning to stay uninvolved in his problems, whatever they were, and no matter how sympathetic she might be.

      That didn’t mean she didn’t care—far from it. Ben was far more important to her now than she could have thought possible when she’d first arrived at the Frangipani Inn.

      The key was to keep things in perspective. Wasn’t it?

      Dear Reader,

      This is Chloe’s book.

      Chloe Timberlake appeared briefly as my heroine’s best friend in my last book, Breakfast with Santa. I didn’t intend for her to remain in my consciousness after I finished writing the book. After all, she was a minor character, named after one of my favorite cats.

      But sometimes writers create characters who just won’t let go. Chloe was at a juncture in her life; she was on the brink of leaving her hometown of Farish, Texas, to strike out on a new venture. I kept wondering what would happen to her. And besides, she was alone, and she seemed too nice not to have someone special in her life.

      Fortunately, I found exactly the right guy for her. Ben Derrick is someone she knew long ago—a man who, as it turns out, appreciates Chloe’s quirky qualities. He’s suffered great tragedy in the past and has finally managed to start putting his life back together. Enter (ta-dah!) Chloe.

      Their love story illustrates that sometimes you have to wait a long time to find true love, but that the greatest riches of all are the treasures of the heart. Enjoy!

      Love,

      Pamela Browning

      P.S. Please visit my Web site at www.pamelabrowning.com.

      The Treasure Man

      Pamela Browning

      

www.millsandboon.co.uk

      For the Florida hurricane victims of 2004, and for those who came to the rescue…thank you.

      Books by Pamela Browning

      HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

      854—BABY CHRISTMAS

      874—COWBOY WITH A SECRET

      907—PREGNANT AND INCOGNITO

      922—RANCHER'S DOUBLE DILEMMA

      982—COWBOY ENCHANTMENT

      994—BABY ENCHANTMENT

      1039—HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

      1070—THE MOMMY WISH

      1091—BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

      Contents

       Prologue

       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

       Epilogue

      Prologue

      Afterward, Ben couldn’t recall when he first smelled smoke. He had a vague memory of a whiff of it as he left Ashley in her seat at the front of the auditorium, but it was intermission at the Chico Chico concert, and a lot of people had gone out for a cigarette. If he’d noticed it then, he would have thought it was people smoking.

      A long line of concertgoers wended their way through the lobby to the refreshment stand, and he hoped there would be some root beer left by the time he reached the counter. Root beer was his thirteen-year-old daughter’s favorite drink, and since it was her birthday, he didn’t want to substitute cola or 7-Up or whatever else might be left. Still, he hung back, figuring it was more important for the kids attending the show to buy their drinks and hurry back to their seats; he could always slip into place beside Ashley after the performance resumed.

      And then he saw it—a huge black billow of smoke rushing toward him down the aisle. Simultaneously, someone in the theater yelled, “Fire!” A woman screamed over the cacophony of voices, and people started to pour into the lobby.

      Ben knew this was bad trouble. With the acrid odor of smoke stinging his nostrils, the crackle of flames in his ears, he fought his way past the first wave of panic-stricken concertgoers.

      “Daddy! Daddy! Help!”

      It was his daughter’s voice. He’d recognize it anywhere. People pushed past him, running, screaming, crying. He tried to forge a path through the crowd, but there was no space. He noted with alarm that flames were now licking at the stage curtains, and the ceiling was ablaze.

      Someone struck Ben a glancing blow on his forehead, but he kept pushing. It was like swimming against a fierce current, something he’d done many times in his work as a diver. Despite his anguish, he was driven away from Ashley, not toward her.

      Desperately, he shouted her name, choking on the smoke. “Ashley! Daddy’s coming!”

      He fell to his knees, struggled and stood, was bowled over again.

      “Out of the way, man! The place is burning!” A man tried to help him to his feet but was swept into the melee.

      Ben accidentally tripped a woman, but together they managed to regain