From the way his sister looked, Luke knew he was in trouble
âWhatâs wrong with you?â Rachel asked without preamble.
âWrong?â
âYes, genius. Kealeyâs been assigned as caseworker to the kids. Which means she has control over whether you can keep them.â Her tone grew caustic. âCouldnât you have dipped her hands in acid, or set fire to her shoes to really show your feelings?â
Exasperated, Luke stared at his sister. âShe was on the date with me. She knows we didnât hit it off.â
âIf there was the slightest possibility sheâd forgotten, it was certainly diplomatic of you to remind Kealey that you canât stand her.â
âDo you think sheâll hold it against me?â
âYouâd better hope not. For the childrenâs sake.â
Luke glanced toward the living room. In a matter of hours heâd turned his life upside down. And now the fate of three innocent children depended on whether he could change his tone with Kealey Fitzpatrick.
He shook his head, knowing he had a better chance of getting rid of his sisters before they drove him crazy.
Dear Reader,
As a hopeless romantic, I am always drawn to a hero who protects and inspires. Luke Duncan is that kind of hero. Protector of children and animals, he is a man without equal.
Enter stage left, a heroine who no longer believes people with integrity like his exist. Throw in three orphans, a menagerie of pets and strays, and you have Substitute Father.
This book is special to me for many reasons. I hope you will fall in love with the characters as I have, perhaps even reserve a spot in your heart for the pets who love us for who we are, rather than who we wish to be. And, most of all, I hope you enjoy the journey Iâm about to take you on.
Sincerely,
Bonnie K. Winn
Greenville, Texas
LUKE DUNCAN IDLY scanned the metallic streamers that hung over the cash register of the grocery storeâs film counter. It looked to him as though the booth contained enough lottery tickets for half the smallish town.
âFeeling lucky?â the clerk asked, following his gaze to the lottery tickets.
Luke glanced at the sacks of groceries resting in his cart. âActually, I need to pick up my pictures. Nameâs Duncan.â
She nodded and turned to a drawer holding the developed film. As she did, he maneuvered his cart to the end of the counter to clear a path for the other customers. It was clever of the storeâs management to position the film and lottery counter so close to the exit. The location made it easy for patrons who had already paid for their groceries, to pause and purchase a bit of the state-run fantasy.
âDid you say Duncan?â the clerk asked, sifting through the drawer.
He leaned over the counter, trying to read the names on the plump yellow envelopes. âYes, Luke Duncan. I brought in my film about a week ago. I had two rolls.â
âHereâs one of them,â the clerk announced, placing the packet on the counter.
Eager to look at the photos, Luke opened the envelope, letting the pictures spill out into his hands.
The clerk rummaged a bit more, then spun back around with the other packet in her hand. Her flirtatious smile faded as her brows drew together. âIsnât that your cart?â
Distracted by the pictures he was viewing, Luke didnât glance up. âMy cart?â
âLook!â She pointed toward the exit.
Belatedly, he saw what she was talking about. âWhat theâ¦?â
Luke spotted a young boy wheeling his grocery-filled cart out the door. Shock held him still for a moment, then he hollered. âWait!â
The boy turned for an instant. But instead of slowing down, he began to run, pushing the loaded cart across the lot with remarkable speed.
Luke watched for a few seconds in disbelief, then fumbled with the slippery pictures filling his hands. Dropping the photos on the counter, he barely paused. âKeep an eye on these, will you?â
The clerk, looking equally dumbfounded, nodded.
Luke tore off toward the door, still unable to believe the boy was stealing his groceries. That sort of thing didnât happen in their midsize Texas town. Greenville was big enough that you didnât know everyone, but small enough that you could leave a cart of groceries unattended and expect it to be safe. But that same cart of groceries was barreling across the busy street.
Luke sprinted the length of the parking lot, but the light was red when he reached the curb. Fast-moving cars and trucks filled the road since it was shift change at the local machine works factory.
Lukeâs feet scarcely remained on the concrete as he waited to cross the street, determined to catch the little thief. But when the light changed and the traffic cleared, the boy wasnât in sight.