Karin Huxman Presents:
A Long Contemporary Series romance from -- New Concepts Publishing
"A delightful secret baby brings love to a jet jockey turned rancher. Karin Huxman's sweet story of the triumph of selflessness over heartless betrayal will warm your heart. You'll love this tale of commitment and the power of love and forgiveness." - Patricia Crossley, author of A Suitable Father; www.newconceptspublishing.com
The story goes like this:
Chance King finds himself the guardian of his dead friend's illegitimate baby daughter. Chance's mission: to convince his friend's widow, Christine Lafferty, to adopt the child. The fact that Chance has carried a torch for Christine for years complicates matters.
Christine knew her jet-jockey husband had cheated more than once during their marriage. As a widow, she is determined to build a stable life for her young sons. She will not trust her heart to a man again. Her quiet vision for the future is shattered the day Chance walks into her life with a baby. A child he claims is her husband's.
Chance becomes more and more a part of her life. The baby's sweet disposition and obvious need for love win Christine's heart.
When the child's maternal uncle sues for custody, a judge gives them a choice, either marry and give the baby a stable home, or give her up. Will Christine follow her heart and marry Chance? Chance's one hope of happiness is now forced on them. Will they surrender their hearts to each other for the sake of the child? And at what cost?
Interested? Here's how the story begins:
PROLOGUE
Chance,
I guess if you're reading this, I must be dead. I gave Chaplain Green instructions to give you this when he found out I bought the farm.
I need a favor, buddy. An easy one, at least the first part is easy. Look after Christine and my boys, would you? I'm not blind, I know you wish my family was yours. Well, now it is.
Next favor's a little harder to explain. I have a daughter, an infant at the time I'm writing this. Don't judge me, Chance. Just find my little Maria and take her home. My sons, her half brothers, are all the family she has now.
We'll meet again, somewhere in the wild blue yonder. - Jeff.
Air Force Major Chance King crushed the sheet of paper convulsively as he struggled against tears. His chest squeezed tight with emotions so strong he couldn't bear to name them. Jeff Lafferty, his buddy since they were eight years old, was dead.
Chaplain Green pulled the contents from a manila file folder and pushed them towards Chance. "I'm sorry for your loss, Major. These papers explain the details of Major Lafferty's situation, as far as the child is concerned."
Chance struggled with absorbing the reality of his friend's death. "How did he die?"
"Colonel Vanfleet can give you the details. All I know is Major Lafferty was on a classified mission."
Chance nodded. It suited Jeff to take the tough missions, the secret ones. Chance didn't look forward to talking with Vanfleet. His reputation as a hard-assed Colonel was well deserved.
He should be with Christine and the boys, his godsons, when they heard the news. "Has Major Lafferty's wife been notified?"
"Yes." The chaplain stood and thrust his hands into his pants pockets. The jingle of change betrayed his discomfort, as did his pacing around the small office. "I think you'd better read this material right away, Major. You must act quickly if you're to save that child."
"How soon?" Chance looked at the chaplain and reached for the papers.
"The minute I heard you'd returned from your assignment overseas, I made arrangements for your transportation."
"Where am I going?" Chance asked. The answer lay before him, written in bold, black ink on the top sheet of paper.
"Bosnia." Both men said at the same time.
#
The tiny bundle lay quietly in the protective curve of Chance's arm. He and his escort flitted through the dark streets of the nighttime city. They avoided the moonlit, empty avenues of this once beautiful place. Snipers used night vision goggles.
"In here!" His escort pulled Chance into an alley as the zing of a bullet ricocheted off the pavement at their feet.
They hunkered down as three more shots followed. Shards of cement flew as the bullets hit. Chance crouc hed over the baby, hoping that he could get her out of this hell hole in one piece. He heard a soft coo from the bundle of blankets and smiled grimly. All he'd seen of her, before her uncle accepted his proof of guardianship, was bright blue eyes and a smile that quirked at the corners, just like Jeff's. His heart went out to the baby, an orphan now. Jeff had supported her mother until a sniper had taken her life. After that, Jeff had started proceedings to officially adopt little Maria and take her to America. Now the duty fell to Chance.
He'd never felt so ill-prepared in his life.
The shooting stopped. They scooted through the alley, hugging the walls and pausing at each unidentified noise. At last, at the other end of the alley, Chance's objective appeared. His heart swelled with pride and relief as the United States Embassy, Old Glory spotlighted against the night, came into view.
"Let's do it," Chance said to his guide. He moved from the shadows a second before the other man shouted.
"Stop! Snipers --"
A shot rang out. Chance whirled around. His guide lay in a heap behind him. Maria squirmed in his arms. He must get her to safety. With deep regret, he turned his back on the man who most likely had given his life for Chance and Maria.
The lights of the embassy beckoned. He'd have to try for it. Maria depended on him. He was all she had.
The street was deserted. That didn't make any difference. Deadly bullets could come from any direction, at any time. Chance visualized an evasive pattern he'd once used as a running back during a college football game. He took a deep breath, and a firmer hold on the warm bundle, and sprinted into the void of the street.
Half way across, he was sure he'd make it. Ten feet away from the gates, a bullet pinged off the pavement to his right. He swerved. A burst of fire hit him in the thigh. Pain laced through him and he stumbled.
The Marine on duty darted from his bullet proof shed. He caught Chance as the second bullet tore through his back.
The last thing Chance remembered was hearing Maria cry.
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