âDo you remember our baby?â
âOur baby?â Emma stared at the man whoâd identified himself as her husband. The man with the deep, soothing voice who had whispered to her in the darkness.
âYesâ¦her name is Carly. Here, Iâll show you.â Almost frantically he took his wallet from his back pocket, pulled out a picture and handed it to her.
Emmaâs hands shook as she studied the photo. Grant looked totally masculine, his arm draped around her. She cradled a beautiful infant in her arms.
But it was the tender smile of pride on her face that squeezed at her heart. She really had a child. And she was married.
But she had amnesia.
Forgotten Lullaby
Rita Herron
Rita Herron is a teacher, workshop leader and storyteller who loves reading, writing and sharing stories with people of all ages. She has published two nonfiction books for adults on working and playing with children, and has won the Golden Heart Award for a young adult story. Rita believes that books taught her to dream, and she loves nothing better than sharing that magic with others. She lives with her âdreamâ husband and three children, two cats and a dog in Norcross, Georgia.
Emma WadsworthâA strange accident robbed her of her past; now she must find her future.
Grant WadsworthâHeâll fight for his wife with the strongest weapon he has: love.
Kate DillardâDid Emmaâs loving sister like Grant far more than sheâd ever admitted?
Martha GreerâThe Wadsworthsâ housekeeper has a dark secret.
Pete LandersâHow far would he go to take Grantâs place?
Doug McGuireâEmmaâs former employer and old friend is a charming manâbut is he a criminal at heart?
Priscilla WestonâDo her career ambitions extend to after hours?
To my three great kids for all the precious memories:
AdamâIâll never forget the camouflage suit you wore every day to kindergarten, the first time you hit a home run, all the emergency room visits, the teacher who thought youâd be president one day, the day you left home for college and the day you turned my pep talk into a challenge to try something new myself. I did, sonâI started writing. Thanks to you.
ElizabethâIâll never forget racing from the bus stop to the house to get your blanket in kindergarten because you couldnât leave home without it, the day we put the house up for sale and you colored the walls with red crayon, the day you set your first Junior National swimming time and won the State Championship meet, your first Homecoming dance, but most of all, your positive attitude and your never-ending beautiful smile.
EmilyâIâll never forget the mustard handprints on the refrigerator, the day the rabbit had babies (when youâd conveniently forgotten to tell us you had bred her), the posters you made when you wanted a big dog, the numerous awards you won in eighth grade, your first soccer goal and most of all, your wonderful independence and drive.
Love always,
Mom
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
Bright headlights appeared in Emmaâs rearview mirror, almost blinding her. She sped up slightly, yet the car behind bore down on her tail. Suddenly uneasy, she adjusted the mirror to deflect the light. She hit a pothole and had to brake. Tires squealed behind her, and she clutched the steering wheel, afraid the other vehicle was going to hit her.
She grimaced, wishing heâd back off. The road was deserted, and too curvy for high speeds. Thank goodness she only had a few more miles to go and sheâd be home with her baby and husband. Her sister Kateâs comments about Grant traveling all the time struck a chord of worry, and she fought the troubling feelings. She and her husband were happyâthey were simply going through an adjustment phase with the new baby. All couples went through it. Didnât they?
An image of Grantâs chic co-worker, Priscilla, hovered in her mind. So cool and sophisticated, hair perfect, body trim, lips painted a deep kiss-me red, Priscilla wouldnât be caught dead looking as rumpled as Emma had since the baby had arrived. Emma and Grant needed to spend some time alone, quality time without their daughter in tow. Maybe they should hire a sitter, have a romantic evening alone, rekindle their romanceâ
She swerved to avoid another pothole. The vehicle behind her roared straight over it without even slowing. The woods flanking the road suddenly seemed eerily dark and lonely. A sprinkling of snow dusted the North Carolina highway and dotted the windshield, and tree branches swayed and dipped in the evening wind. She dragged her gaze from the shadowy woods, deciding sheâd been watching too many late-night movies while feeding Carly.
Poor baby. Carly had cried with an earache all morning. Emma finally understood how much a mother could hurt for her child. Automatically her hand swept the front passenger seat for Carlyâs prescription. Instead, she contacted a tubeâof lipstick. She gripped the wheel tight with one hand and brought the tube up for inspection. Odd, it wasnât a color she wore. It was red. Priscillaâs red. Kateâs warnings about men having affairs strummed through her conscience. No, Grant wouldnâtâ