A Texas Family. Linda Warren

and tossed her shoulder-length dark hair to emphasize its layered effect.

      But even with the expensive clothes, artfully applied makeup and professionally cut hair, Jena couldn’t disguise who she really was—the girl from the wrong side of the tracks whose father had killed Jared Corbett in cold blood.

      Because of her.

      Or that was what everyone in Willow Creek, Texas, thought.

      She took a deep breath and opened the door.

      Carson looked up. His green eyes narrowed as he recognized her. “You have a lot of nerve coming back to Willow Creek.”

      She closed the door and marched to the chair in front of his desk. His harsh words grated on her sensitive nerves like a cocklebur and oddly boosted her courage.

      “You won’t believe the nerve I have, Mr. Corbett.”

      Sitting with as much grace as her trembling limbs could provide, she placed her purse on the floor and crossed her legs. Her pencil skirt shimmied up, revealing more of her legs than she’d wanted.

      She stared straight at him, resisting the urge to tug at her hemline, and was surprised to catch his eyes on her legs. Briefly.

      He leaned back in his leather chair, the fabric of his light blue shirt stretching taut across wide shoulders.

      “Why are you here?”

      “Revenge.” She fired the word at him with the force of a bullet intending to annihilate his composure. But it didn’t work.

      His self-possession seemed firmly intact as he asked, “For what?”

      “You know what.”

      “Sorry.” He shrugged. “You’ll have to fill me in.”

      “Do the Corbetts have a patent on that dumb expression?”

      He leaned forward, his eyes never leaving hers. “Ms. Brooks, we can trade snide remarks back and forth all day, but I have work to do. So, once again, why are you in my office?”

      “I came back for my child.”

      “And that has something to do with me?”

      “You really have that blank expression down.”

      “That’s because I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” His voice rose with frustration.

      “Then I’ll fill you in.” Her voice rose, too. “I would be talking to your father, Asa, but I heard he’s had a stroke. You’ll pardon me if I don’t offer any consolatory words.”

      His face darkened.

      “Just before I turned eighteen, I was pregnant with your brother’s child.”

      “Wait.” He held up a hand. “Pa always insisted it wasn’t Jared’s.”

      “Yeah, that’s why after Jared’s death...”

      “Murder,” he corrected in a chilling voice.

      Her control slipped for a split second, but she would not be intimidated or stopped. Not this time.

      “Asa’s goons kidnapped me a week before my due date and took me to the Bar C Ranch. Minnie Voltree, the midwife, gave me something to induce labor, and six hours later I gave birth. The baby was taken away. I never saw it and don’t even know if it was a boy or a girl. Your father came in and said to my face, ‘A life for a life, girlie. Now you’ll never pass that kid off as a Corbett. My advice to you is to get out of town as fast as you can because if I see you in Willow Creek, I’ll bury you so deep your body will never be found. And your mother and sister will join you.’”

      She’d spoken the words in a cool and unemotional imitation of Carson’s father, but at the end her voice cracked. She hated that she couldn’t control that weakness.

      “That’s a tall tale, Ms. Brooks, and I’m not sure why you’re telling it to me. This supposedly happened years ago.”

      She reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. Placing it on his desk, she said, “I work for a criminal attorney in Dallas—a very good criminal attorney. He’s given me the courage to fight for what’s mine. I left here a broken, naïve girl, but I’ve come back a mature, strong woman. I want my child, and your father knows where my baby is. I intend to get that information.”

      “Shouldn’t you be talking to the sheriff?”

      She picked up her purse and stood. “Out of respect for my child and for my mother and my sister, who still live here, I’d rather do this discreetly. I’ll give you two days to question your father. After that, my attorney will be contacting the proper authorities.” Without another word, she walked out.

      * * *

      CARSON CURSED UNDER his breath, feeling as if he’d been sideswiped by a Mack truck going about ninety miles an hour. Was she telling the truth? His mind grappled with what she’d said. It didn’t make sense. He’d been in the Marines at the time, so he couldn’t be sure about anything. And he sure couldn’t imagine his father doing something so barbaric. But then again, Asa Corbett lived by his own rules.

      He picked up the card. Blake Davenport and Associates, PC. Jena Brooks was one determined woman, and he couldn’t ignore that. He’d start by verifying some facts and take it from there.

      Glancing at his watch, he got to his feet and headed for the door—time to pick up the kids. It was the end of May and the end of another school year. His kids were excited about the summer break. Trey, his son, more so than his daughter, Claire. At four, Claire was more excited about playing with her Barbie dolls or watching SpongeBob SquarePants.

      Trey was an outdoor boy. He loved fishing, hunting, riding his horse, helping with the cows and basically just getting dirty. When he was five, Beth had died giving birth to Claire. Trey’d been sad for so long. They all had been.

      Beth had been the love of Carson’s life, his high school sweetheart. Living without her was an indescribable heartache. But he had two kids to raise, and he had to be strong for them every day.

      He couldn’t imagine someone taking one of his children. That would kill him. His thoughts turned to Ms. Brooks. He knew she’d been pregnant all those years ago. Beth had written him many times about her and about Asa’s wrath that she planned to pass her bastard child off as a Corbett. Then Jared, his brother, had been murdered by Lamar Brooks, and Carson had never given the pregnancy another thought. At the time, he’d wanted the whole Brooks family to rot in hell.

      When he heard of his brother’s murder, he was devastated and soon made the decision to leave the Marines. His family needed him. Beth was about to give birth to their son, and he wanted to be there.

      Jared’s body had been found on the side of the road next to his truck. He’d been shot with a shotgun at close range. The gun belonged to Lamar Brooks. Before Lamar could be arrested, he was found dead in his own driveway. The weapon used was also a shotgun. Asa owned one, but when the sheriff ran a ballistics test, it didn’t match.

      Everyone thought Asa had killed Lamar to avenge the death of his son. It was never proved, though. To this day it remained the biggest crime and scandal to ever happen in Willow Creek. Now Jena Brooks was dredging it all up again.

      What had happened to her baby? And was it Jared’s? Whatever the answers were, he was being dragged right into the middle of it. Their peaceful town would be abuzz with rumors and half-truths. And it was up to him to sort through it all.

      He didn’t relish the task.

      He’d just as soon never see Jena Brooks again.

      * * *

      JENA DROVE OVER the railroad tracks that ran through Willow Creek. She passed a trailer park and then took a right onto a gravel road. Another left and she rolled into the Brookses’ driveway. She turned off the engine of her Honda Accord and stared at the run-down frame house. It once was white,