Duplicate Daughter
MISSION: ALASKAKatie Fields came to Alaska demanding answers. What she found was a much-too-appealing single father determined to protect his little girl–and their hermit lifestyle–from outsiders. Nick Pierce may have been reluctant to help her, but Katie was convinced the rugged pilot could track down her missing mother. Now, with a storm raging and Katie's long-lost twin recovering back home, she and Nick had no choice but to journey through the icy wilderness, avoiding an unknown enemy tracking their every move…and an all-too-dangerous desire threatening to erupt.
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Sheâd taken far too many liberties.
But the moment of ire was brief.
Katie and his little girl looked so right lying there together. A woman with a big heart and strong convictions and a child who had lost her mother.
Katie was worming her way into his house, his heart, his childâs life.
He had to put a stop to this. He couldnât be the hero Katie wanted, the hero she needed. He couldnât take a chance of leaving his child alone in the world, he couldnât riskâ¦
Risk. Thatâs what it amounted to. Terrible risk.
He left the room with a heavy heart. When Katie woke up heâd have to be firm, heâd have to make her understand. Heâd get her to safety and thatâs all.
For now, heâd be her protector. Beyond that, he could do no more.
This book is dedicated to Katherine Jones, Hayden Jones
and Carmen Sharpe, with everlasting love.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alice Sharpe met her husband-to-be on a cold, foggy beach in Northern California. One year later they were married. Their union has survived the rearing of two children, a handful of earthquakes registering over 6.5, numerous cats and a few special dogs, the latest of which is a yellow Lab named Annie Rose. Alice and her husband now live in a small rural town in Oregon, where she devotes the majority of her time to pursuing her second love, writing.
Alice loves to hear from readers. You can write her at P.O. Box 755, Brownsville, OR 97327. A SASE for reply is appreciated.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Katie FieldsâThis Jill-of-all-trades newly discovered twin sister is injured, and their honeymooning mother is missing. Can Katie reclaim her family before itâs too late?
Nick PierceâA widower whose three-year-old daughter is his sole priority. Can Katie convince him heâs her motherâs only hope?
Lily PierceâA three-year-old enchantress whose mother died tragically. It doesnât take Katie long to realize why Nick will go to the ends of the earth to protect Lily.
Caroline Mays-SwopeâKatieâs missing mother. Sheâs made some difficult decisions in her life. Have they now come back to haunt her?
Bill Thurman (aka Bill Swope)âNickâs father and Carolineâs new husband. Trouble follows this man.
Helen DelaneyâNickâs housekeeper and Lilyâs babysitter. Sheâs sworn to do whatever it takes to keep Lily safe.
Frank CarsonâThis cop gone bad brags that he always gets his man. What else is he searching for?
Benito MutziâA mob boss who wants back what was once his. He isnât finicky about how he goes about it.
DocâAn old army buddy of Nickâs. It helps to know a doctor who wonât ask tricky questions about gunshot wounds.
FBI agent Loni BooneâIs she as good as her word or does she have her own agenda?
Tess MaysâKatieâs twin sister, injured while helping Katie, depending now on Katie to help her.
Ryan HillâThe Oregon cop who loves Tess.
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Prologue
She awoke in the dark, head throbbing, throat dry. For a second, she didnât have the slightest idea where she was or what had happened to her.
First things first. Get to your feet. Find out where you are.
Struggling to her knees, she reached forward until her hands touched a rough, damp dirt wall. Leveraging her body, she attempted to stand. Her head hit the ceiling while she was still crouching and she cried out, her voice a muffled squeak. Wherever she was, there was no standing room and she sank back down to the dirt floor, a geyser of hopelessness welling up inside her chest.
Into the cold, dank air she whispered, âMy name is Caroline. I have a daughter named Tess.â
This last thought made her wince. Thoughts of her beloved Tess always made her wince. Not because of Tess herself, but because of Katie, frozen forever in her mind as a six-month-old baby, born in the spring when the roses bloomedâ¦
Flowers! White roses. Yellow freesias.
Of courseâ¦a weddingâ¦her weddingâ¦
Bill!
Visions of men with masks, men with guns. Bill crumpled on the motel floorâ¦
Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as the past few days came back in total clarity.
Bill.
Where was Bill?
Chapter One
Nick Pierce stood on the tarmac gazing upward, though he knew from experience the high mountain air of Frostbite, Alaska, meant heâd hear the single-engine plane before he actually saw it.
He was anxious to get this over with. He was anxious to get back home. There was nothing he could tell the woman flying out of her way to talk to him. He would have made that clear when she called, but like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand, heâd figured if he ignored her sheâd go away, and heâd never actually taken one of her calls himself.
It hadnât worked. Hell, that approach to problems never worked, but he always seemed compelled to give it a try anyway.
