âHe was conceived on our wedding night.â
He had a son? Just like that? One moment alone in the world, the next moment, a son?
Very slowly, he lowered his hand until the backs of his fingers grazed the babyâs round cheek. How could skin be that soft?
His son. Nathan.
âWill you lift him for me?â she said, glancing at him.
He nodded. And just like that, he lifted his son for the first time, careful to put one hand behind the little guyâs heavy head. The baby kicked and squirmed and Brady held on tight, terrified heâd drop him.
âRelax,â Lara said. âYouâre doing fine. Just comfort him. Hold him closer. Donât be afraid.â
He pulled Nathan against his chest, one hand all but covering the small boyâs back. Then he tipped him away from his chest for a moment, anxious to really look at this few pounds of humanity that instantly redefined his life.
The Lawmanâs Secret Son
Alice Sharpe
This book couldnât have been written without
the patient support of my son, Officer Joseph Sharpe (mistakes are mine, not his), and is dedicated, with love, to his wonderful daughter, Carmen Amelia Sharpe.
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. SASE for reply is appreciated.
Brady SkyeâThe oldest son of alcoholic parents, this ex-cop has lost both the career and the woman he loves. Now someoneâs out to take something even more preciousâbut theyâll have to kill Brady first.
Lara KirkâBrokenhearted, she left when Brady rejected her. Now sheâs back with a secret capable of destroying them all.
Tom JamesâWill Bradyâs old partner let his temper be the death of him?
Chief DixonâThe chiefâs decades-long hatred of Bradyâs father has now spilled over onto Brady.
Billy ArmstrongâBrady is almost positive the boy drew a gun. Most think it never existed. Billyâs death throws Bradyâs and Laraâs lives into a tailspin.
Bill ArmstrongâBillyâs fatherâs lust for revenge is pushing him over the edge of sanity. He swears to ruin Brady as well as anyone Brady loves.
Jason BriggsâThis teenager must be silenced.
Roberta BeatonâThe querulous old woman will pay a price for her curiosity.
Karen WylieâA rebellious teenager with dreams of becoming a movie star.
Nicole StevensâSheâs positive something horrible has happened to Karen Wylie. And she may know what.
Charles SkyeâBradyâs father has been lost in a bottle for thirty years.
Garrett SkyeâBradyâs younger brother has become a bodyguard for a casino comptroller and his attorney wife. This decision to make more money so he can gain custody of his toddler daughter is about to blow up in his face.
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
Officer Brady Skye scanned the dark, empty road. Parked on a side street, he waited for his shift to end, using the dashboard light to attend to last-minute paperwork. He checked his watchâa quarter of midnight and still hot outside. Well, that was August for you.
He checked his watch again a minute later and smiled at himself. Talk about being anxious. But in fifteen minutes, heâd be off duty for two weeks and in fifteen hours, heâd stand at the altar with Lara Kirk.
Again.
He had to admit heâd been confused when Lara suggested they elope a week before the wedding. Why would she want to ruin her big day?
Her smile had been wistful when she replied, âMy big day? You mean my motherâs big day. This wedding is turning into the social event of the year, Brady, itâs not about you and me anymore. I want to go to a justice of the peace. I want to get married, just the two of us, the way we wanted. Then weâll come back and do it Momâs way.â
The memory of that private, secret ceremony and the night that followed made Brady all the more anxious to put this shift to bed. He would make her the happiest woman in the world. Things would be perfect. Heâd make them perfect.
The squad car radio burst into life at that moment. Brady leaned forward, adjusting the volume. He caught little more than blue sedan, dented right front fender before a car matching the description sped past. He reported his location and that he had the vehicle in sight, rattling off the license-plate number as he trailed behind.
Apparently noticing Bradyâs flashing lights, the sedan accelerated. It made a series of turns, brake lights flashing through intersections. Brady followed, but not too close. They werenât going to get very far and he didnât want to push them into doing something stupid.