Daniel was different from any other man sheâd ever known
He was kind. Patient. Funny. Appealing. Watching him play with the boys, she noticed the graceful way he moved, as if he were comfortable in his own skin.
Her gaze lingered, and a tingle ran through her. Well, of course, it was hard to be a female and not tingle at the sight of him. He was great to look at, but he wasnât just a pretty face. He radiated energy and life, and when he smiled, he could take her breath away.
There was danger here.
He must have sensed her looking at him, because suddenly he stopped, and then, slowly, sent her that smile of his. Lilah felt attraction dance down her spine like a caress, and without thinking, she found herself smiling back.
Dear Reader,
For most of us, family means everything. Itâs especially important to Daniel, Mike and Ianâthe heroes of this three-book seriesâwho grew up on their own, struggling to survive, until they met each other.
Becoming brothers by choice, they created the family theyâd never had. By supporting and encouraging each other, the Foster brothers overcame their pasts and built new lives in Serenity Valley, an isolated community that has gradually accepted these newcomers.
This is Danielâs story. We hope you enjoy it and the two stories to follow, set in the beautiful Vermont countryside among people who cherish family above all. We love to hear from our readers. Feel free to drop us an e-mail at [email protected].
Happy reading!
Barbara and Liz
Daly Thompson is a collaboration between Barbara Daly and Liz Jarrett, both multipublished authors. Barbara brings to this joint effort her passion for reading, the characters sheâs collected from the diverse places sheâs lived and jobs sheâs held, and a firm belief in happy endings. She began writing when she discovered sheâd need a mobile career in order to follow her academic husband from coast (the Atlantic) to river (just across the Mississippi), and at last found her own happy ending in writing romance.
Liz has been writing stories since she was a child. After graduating from college, she was a technical writer for twelve years before she decided to stay home with her children. During their naps, she started writing her favorite type of storiesâromances. This enjoyable pastime is now her full-time career.
Nickâs screams jolted Daniel into action before he was entirely awake. Barefooted, with his pajama bottoms flapping around his ankles, he raced down the hall, pausing outside Nickâs room to take a deep breath and will his heartbeat to settle down. Not until heâd accomplished that did he step into the room.
âNick,â Daniel said softly. âItâs okay. Iâm here.â He switched on the bedside lamp, a figure of a baseball player in a Red Sox uniform. In the subdued glow of the light, he saw the boy sitting up in bed, eyes wild and face drained of color, his screams still bouncing off the walls.
Daniel sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed Nickâs tousled red hair. It was wet with perspiration. âItâs okay,â he said again. âI wonât let anything hurt you.â
Gradually, the screams faded into sobs, then to gasps for air. Nick didnât reach out his arms to be hugged until his terror passed. Heâd been one of Danielâs foster boys for almost two months now, and still didnât trust him enough to seek him out for comfort. What could have happened to a boy so young to make him close his heart so completely?
No one knew. A woman in a larger town nearby had found Nick, all alone and unable to give his name or his parentsâ to Child Services. How old was he? The pediatrician who examined him had put his age at seven. Danielâs hands clenched. Heâd solve the mystery of Nick one day, and when he did, the responsible parties would deeply regret what theyâd done to this child.
âWhatâs wrong?â Daniel asked, gently rubbing Nickâs bony shoulder. âTell me about it.â
With one final gasp that ended on a sigh, Nick mumbled, âIt was just a bad dream.â
âWhat about?â
âNothing.â
âYouâd feel better if you told me. We could talk about it.â
âI donât remember. Sorry I woke you up.â
Nick always said, âI donât remember.â He was calm now, safe behind the invisible wall that protected him from the demons he couldnât confront.
âHow about a little bedtime reading, then?â Daniel suggested. âWhat would you like to hear?â
âThe Swiss Family Robinson?â It was not a statement so much as a question. Is that okay with youâor am I asking too much?
âTerrific,â Daniel said. âMy favorite.â
In less than a minute he was back in Nickâs room with the book, an old copy with yellowing pages. The Swiss Family Robinson, in which the father was able to solve any problem that threatened his familyâs survival.