The Reluctant Father by Diana Palmer

Author:Diana Palmer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-07-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Blake drove over the bridge that straddled the Canadian River, but he didn’t stop on its banks. He kept driving until finally he turned off on a dirt road and they went still another short distance. He stopped the car under an oak tree and helped Meredith and Sarah Jane out into the shade.

“Where are we?” Meredith asked, disoriented.

He smiled. “Come and see.” He took Sarah’s hand and led them through the trees to a huge body of water. “Know where you are now?” he asked.

Meredith laughed. “Lake Thunderbird!” she burst out. “But this isn’t the way to get to it! And this isn’t the North Canadian or the Canadian. It’s in between!”

“Don’t confuse the issue with a lot of facts,” he said with dry humor. “Isn’t this a nice place for a picnic?” he went on. “We have shade and peace and quiet.”

“Who owns this land?”

He pursed his lips. “Well, actually, it’s part of what I inherited from my uncle. It’s only fifteen acres, but I like it here.” He looked around the wooded area with eyes that appreciated its natural beauty. “When I need to think out something, I come here. I guess that’s why I’ve never built on it. I like it this way.”

“Yes, I can see why,” Meredith agreed. Birds were singing nearby, and the wind brushed leafy branches together with soft whispers of sound. She closed her eyes and let the breeze lift her hair, and she thought that with Sarah and Blake beside her, she’d never been closer to heaven.

“Sarah, don’t go too near the edge,” Blake cautioned.

“But you said I could go wading,” the child protested, and began to look mutinous.

“So I did,” he agreed. “But not here. After we eat, there’s a nice place farther down the road where you can wade. Okay?”

For several long seconds, she matched her small will against his. But in the end she gave in. “Okay,” she said.

Blake got out the cold cuts and bread, and a heavy cloth to spread on the grass. They ate in contented silence as Sarah offered crumbs to ants and other insects, fascinated with the variety of tiny life.

“Haven’t you ever seen a bug before, Sarah?” Meredith asked.

“Not really,” the little girl replied. “Mama said they’re nasty and she killed them. But the man on TV says that bugs are bene…bene…”

“Beneficial,” Blake said. “And I could argue that with the man on TV, especially when they get into the hides of my cattle.”

Meredith smiled at him. He smiled back. Then the smiles faded and they were looking at each other openly, with a blistering kind of attraction that made Meredith’s body go hot. She’d never experienced that electricity with anyone except Blake. Probably she never would, but she had to get a grip on herself before it was too late.

She forced her eyes down to the cloth. “How about another sandwich?” she offered with forced cheer.

After they finished the makeshift meal, Blake drove them down to the small stream. It

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