One Man's Family

One Man's Family
Brenda Harlen

When Children's Connection nurse Alicia Juarez came to private investigator Scott Logan's door, she was desperate: Her brother was in jail for a crime she was convinced he didn't commit, and his two kids were left in her care. Though he swore he wasn't much of a family man, something in the passion of the lovely woman begging him to help her got to Scott.And soon Alicia and the children became his priority in a way he never thought possible. He'd vowed never to get involved with a client. But his growing feelings for Alicia had him contemplating taking an altogether different kind of vow….

One Man’s Family

Brenda Harlen

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Special thanks and acknowledgment

are given to Brenda Harlen for her contribution to the LOGAN’S LEGACY REVISITED miniseries.

To my Dad—

because every little girl needs a hero,

and because you’ll always be mine.

I love you.

Contents

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

Chapter Fourteen

Coming Next Month

Prologue

“In the matter of the State of Oregon versus Joseph Elonzo Juarez…”

Alicia held her breath, straining to hear the words over the pounding of her heart. The jury had been deliberating less than twenty minutes, and she couldn’t help but feel reassured by the quick decision. Clearly the jurors had seen beyond the flimsy and circumstantial evidence and knew that her brother hadn’t committed any crime.

“…we find the defendant…”

Her grip tightened on the railing in front of her, her short fingernails biting into the lacquered wood, her attention fixed on the jury fore person.

This was it. Finally. The end of a seemingly endless four-day trial, and the beginning of a return to normalcy for her family.

“…guilty.”

She couldn’t hold back her shocked gasp as her gaze flew across the courtroom to where her brother was standing beside his attorney at the defendant’s table.

Joe’s shoulders were slumped with the weight of the world upon them, but he looked more resigned than surprised by the announcement. She, on the other hand, had to fight the urge to yell at him, to scream at the judge and rail at the jury for this blatant miscarriage of justice. Except that nothing she could say or do would make a difference now.

She felt a gentle tug on her sleeve and looked down into the wide, trusting eyes of her eight-year-old niece.

“Is Daddy coming home now?” Lia asked.

Before Alicia could say anything, Joe Jr. responded with all the disdain a twelve-year-old boy could muster for his little sister. “He’s not ever coming home, dummy. ‘Guilty’ means he stays in jail.”

Alicia shot her nephew a warning glare over the top of Lia’s head before kneeling beside her niece. The little girl’s eyes were filled with tears and confusion. Alicia knew just how she felt, but she couldn’t give in to the emotions that battled inside her. She was the only one these children had to look out for them right now.

“But he didn’t do it.” Lia’s bottom lip quivered as she spoke.

“I know, honey,” she said, trusting with all of her heart that it was true. “The jury just made a mistake.”

“Tell them,” Lia pleaded. “Tell them they were wrong, Aunt Alicia.”

The child’s fervent pleading broke her heart, but it was too late to tell the jurors anything. Having been thanked and dismissed by the judge, they were already filing out of the courtroom.

And it wasn’t Alicia’s job to convince them of Joe’s innocence. That was something he should have done. But her brother had chosen not to take the stand, had refused—for reasons he didn’t even try to explain and that she couldn’t begin to imagine—to defend himself.

“Tell them,” Lia said again.

Alicia only wished it were that easy.

She would do anything for these children, give them anything. But what they needed most of all was their father, and his fate had been sealed by the jury’s announcement.

Or had it?