Blinking in confusion, Julia couldnât make sense of his words.
âAct like you know me and Iâll handle the rest,â he continued, his eyes locking on hers.
When Julie had been six years old sheâd left the back door of their Mississippi home open and a rattler had slithered inside. When sheâd seen the snake in the kitchen a few minutes later, sheâd screamed so loudly the yard man had run into the house without even knocking. Heâd compensated for his lapse in protocol by dispatching the unwanted guest.
Since her marriage, sheâd often thought sheâd let another snake into her life.
Now Julia had the feeling sheâd done it once again.
Dear Reader,
Our children are our most precious possessions, even though one might argue they are not possessions. We argue over them, though, as if they were, making them pawns in our battles, whether we mean to or not. The reason for their importance in these awful situations is obvious. We love them so much we are willing to lie, steal, cheat and possibly even kill for them.
Not Without Her Son is the story of a woman who is willing, able and prepared to do all of the above and more. Julia Vandamme, the victim of a ruthless man and her own bad choices, finds herself imprisoned in a foreign country with her son, Tomas. Sheâs married, sheâs trapped and sheâs desperate. The last thing she wants is her son to become his father. For Julia Vandamme nothing comes before her son, including her own life.
Wouldnât it be great if every parent felt this way? What would it mean to the world if everyone who was a parent put their children first? What if nothing mattered but our kids?
I was lucky enough to have a mother and father who gave their all to me, my sister and my brother. Believe me, they gave so much of their love and attention that there were plenty of times all three of us wished for parents who would just leave us alone! And when they couldnât be there, their own parents took over.
Families are the building blocks of our society, and if you put your child above everything else, like my parents and the heroine in this book, then youâre performing the most important job in the world. I hope you enjoy this story and find inspiration in it, as well.
Kay David
This book is dedicated to the memory of my mother and
father, Pauline and Earl Cameron. Their legacy was priceless and their love will never fade.
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
San Isidro, Colombia
JULIA VANDAMME-RAMIREZ LOOKED over the crowd milling about her living room. Sipping drinks and eating hors dâoeuvres, her guests, all dressed expensively if not tastefully, mingled and laughed, clearly enjoying themselves. She smiled tightly and waved to one of the women, catching her husbandâs attention with the motion. Miguel followed Juliaâs gesture, then he turned in her direction and gave her a slight nod.
Julia acknowledged him and drew a deep breath, relief washing over her at his approval. Standing by Juliaâs side, Meredith Santera looked out over the crowd in obvious amazement. She was Juliaâs best friend. Juliaâs only friendâ¦from before.
âWhere on earth did these people come from?â Meredith asked. âSurely they donât all live in San Isidro?â
âThey live all over,â Julia answered. âThey come to San Isidro because San Isidro is where we live. If they want to do business with Miguelâand they all doâthen they make the trip.â
âTheyâre business associates?â Meredith sounded doubtful. âIncluding the old broad over there whoâs laughing so loud?â
âNot her. Sheâs the governorâs wife.â Her mask of gaiety intact, Julia waved at someone else then spoke under her breath. âBut Miguel told me to be especially nice to her. I guess he wants something from them.â She smiled and dipped her head at someone else. âBut if I donât get out of here in the next two minutes, my head is going to explode.â
Meredith mimicked Juliaâs nod to Miguel and spoke graciously, her slow drawl reflecting the Southern past they shared. âThen shall we retreat to the patio? If youâre gonna do something messy, we might be better off outside.â
Julia grinned, her expression authentic this time. âGood point.â She tilted her head to the French doors at their back. âLet me grab another glass of wine and Iâll meet you on the patio. We have a lot of catching up to do. Itâs been way too long.â
Meredith murmured her consent before sliding away soundlessly. Handing her empty flute to a passing waiter, Julia waded into the crowd and continued to greet as many people as she could, her mood lifting as she anticipated visiting with her friend. The last time theyâd seen each other had been at Juliaâs wedding, almost four years ago. She still couldnât believe her good luckâif she hadnât left that department store in Bogota at just the right time, their paths would have never crossed. As it was, Julia had cried her friendâs name and grabbed her in a tight hug, impulsively insisting she come to their party a few nights later. Miguel had not been happy about it, but heâd finally relented, realizing it would have created more of a problem to uninvite her.