Bridal Reconnaissance
FAMILIAR STRANGERS…Amanda Smith's worst fear had been confirmed: the man she'd sent to prison was getting released. After surviving a brutal attack that had stolen her memories, she'd spent the past six years looking over her shoulder. And she was getting ready to run again, when she suddenly found herself in the protection of Evan Quade–the husband she couldn't remember.But proof of Evan's claim was stamped on the face of her five-year-old son. Though she knew she should keep her distance, Amanda was drawn to the larger-than-life man who swore to defend her–and their son–from a madman bent on revenge. Now, with only each other to trust, could they overcome danger–and desire?
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âWho are you?â Amanda asked.
Even her voice was different, deeper. If she had hit him square in the jaw with the solid wood, Evan wouldnât have been more stunned.
âAmandaâ¦â he began.
âIâI donât know who you areââ Fear and confusion shook her voice and blurred her green eyes.
Just then a diesel engine drew his attention toward the street, and she gained an opportunity to push the door closed. But then she stopped and stepped over the threshold to stand beside him, trembling in the cold.
A yellow school bus, lights flashing, pulled to the curb. The door opened and a child skipped down the stairs and up the walk.
Evanâs knees weakened, and his heart jumped in his chest. The boy had the exact features Evan saw when he looked in the mirror every morning.
Heâd not only found his runaway wife. Heâd found a son, too. The son heâd never known he had.
Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,
Weâve got an intoxicating lineup crackling with passion and peril thatâs guaranteed to lure you to Harlequin Intrigue this month!
Danger and desire abound in As Darkness Fellâthe first of two installments in Joanna Wayneâs HIDDEN PASSIONS: Full Moon Madness companion series. In this stark, seductive tale, a rugged detective will go to extreme lengths to safeguard a feisty reporter who is the object of a killerâs obsession. Then temptation and terror go hand in hand in Lone Rider Bodyguard when Harper Allen launches her brand-new miniseries, MEN OF THE DOUBLE B RANCH.
Will revenge give way to sweet salvation in Undercover Avenger by Rita Herron? Find out in the ongoing NIGHTHAWK ISLAND series. If youâre searching high and low for a thrilling romantic suspense tale that will also satisfy your craving for adventureâyouâll be positively riveted by Bounty Hunter Ransom from Kara Lennoxâs CODE OF THE COBRA.
Just when you thought it was safe to sleep with the lights offâ¦Guardian of her Heart by Linda O. Johnstonâthe latest offering in our BACHELORS AT LARGE promotionâwill send shivers down your spine. And donât let down your guard quite yet. Lisa Childs caps off a month of spine-tingling suspense with a gripping thriller about a madman bent on revenge in Bridal Reconnaissance. You wonât want to miss this unforgettable debut of our new DEAD BOLT promotion.
Hereâs hoping these smoldering Harlequin Intrigue novels will inspire some romantic dreams of your own this Valentineâs Day!
Enjoy,
Denise OâSullivan
Senior Editor
Harlequin Intrigue
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Childs has been writing since she could first form sentences. At eleven she won her first writing award and was interviewed by the local newspaper. That storyâs plot revolved around a kidnapping, probably something she wished on any of her six siblings. A Halloween birthday predestined a life of writing intrigue. She enjoys the mix of suspense and romance. Readers can write to Lisa at P.O. Box 139, Marne, MI 49435 or visit her at her Web site www.lisachilds.com.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Evan QuadeâHe searches for his missing wife to set her free, but winds up protecting her from a killer.
Amanda QuadeâHer memory lost, she has to rely on a powerful stranger to protect her and her son.
Christopher QuadeâHeâs known only his mother, but if a killerâs quest for revenge is successful, heâll become an orphan.
William Weering IIIâAmandaâs attacker stole her memory. Now he wants her life.
D.A. Peter SullivanâHis job is to keep Amanda safe, but he fails, either by incompetence or coercion.
Martin âSnakeâ TimmerâIs his warning meant to prepare Amanda, or panic her into running?
Cynthia MooreâEvanâs secretary takes her devotion too far.
Royce GrahamâThe Tracker reunites the Quade family but canât protect them from a killerâs madness, or their unresolved feelings.
To Priscilla Berthiaume, my hardworking,
dedicated editor. Thank you for encouraging me to dig deeper into the characters and the story. I couldnât have done it without you! This one is yours!
Contents
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 One
Sheâd lost her mind. What other reason did she have for being out at night when she so hated the dark? Of course, sheâd been using that excuse for the last six years, ever since she had literally lost her mind. Or at least the part of her mind that held her memories.
Amanda sucked in a deep breath and concentrated on the relaxation exercises the last psychiatrist had taught her. But the extra oxygen in her lungs didnât brighten the dim lights of the parking garage, nor raise the sun in the dark sky outside the concrete barriers. So her pulse raced on.
The stale odors of gasoline and exhaust hung in the cold night air. When Amanda exhaled her deep breath, it lingered as a wisp of fog.
How was it her problem that the bridal shopâs deliveryman was down with the flu? Sheâd suffered through her flu shot in the fall. But when her employment had been threatened by her refusal to fill in, sheâd had to leave her sewing machine at home and pack up the wedding gowns to drop back at the shop. Not usually part of her job. She sewed. That was it. She didnât know how sheâd learned this talent, but it was hers. Her one marketable skill.
