Seduced

Martha’s lips tightened, etching deep lines at the corners of her mouth, but her voice was cool, controlled. “Despite what you believe, I never wished your sister any ill will.”

“No. Not as long as she stayed away from your precious son.”

“If you’ll recall, I did offer to help her before she ran off.”

“You mean you tried to buy her off! And when that didn’t work, you used threats. If I had known—”

“That’s enough, Grayson!” Bradley took a step toward Michael.

“Stop it,” Martha commanded. “You’ll frighten the child.”

Bradley stilled, but his eyes flashed dangerously. Michael could almost smell the other man’s anger.

Martha glared openly at both men before turning toward Summer. “Don’t pay any attention to them, dear,” she said gently. “I’m Martha Winthrop and you must be Summer.” She held out her gloved hand.

Summer hesitated. She looked from Martha to Michael and back again. Tentatively, she shook Martha’s hand. “You were staring at me,” she said.

A flicker of surprise crossed Martha’s face. “Yes. I suppose I was.”

“Why?”

“Probably because I was so glad to see you again.” Martha stooped down in front of Summer and touched her cheek. “You were such a little thing the last time I saw you. You’re even prettier now than I remembered.”

“You know me?”

“Yes.”

“Did you know my mother, too?”

“Yes, dear.” Martha smiled. “I knew both of your parents.”

She shot Michael a triumphant look and he fought the urge to strangle the woman.

“I’m hoping now that you’ve come home, you and I can become friends. Would you like that?”

Anger and the beginnings of fear raced through Michael. He grabbed Summer’s hand. “Come on, Summer. We have to go.” He ushered her inside the car and shut the door, then turned back to Martha. “I’m warning you. Stay away from her. There’s no place in Summer’s life for you or any Winthrop.”

“I have rights, Michael,” she whispered. Her voice dropped lower. “Or need I remind you that she’s my—”

“She’s a Grayson.” Michael took a menacing step toward her. “You may have been able to frighten my sister, but I don’t scare so easily. If you come within so much as a mile of her...” He shot a glance at Bradley. “Either of you—I swear, I’ll make you wish you’d never been born.”

Before she could respond, Michael marched over to the other side of the car and jerked open the door. He slid onto the seat beside Summer. As they pulled away from the cemetery, he looked in the side-view mirror. He recognized the determination in Martha’s expression.

Gradually the figures grew smaller in the distance as the car moved slowly down the road. Curling his hands into fists, Michael looked over at his silent niece. Don’t worry, Sara. I’ll never let her have Summer. Never.

One

How did the kid do it? Michael wondered as he stepped inside the reception area of Saint Margaret’s Grade School. How could one pint-size little girl manage to get into so much trouble?

Quickly he took in the familiar surroundings—the wall lined with file cabinets, bulletin boards crammed with colored bits of paper, an ever-changing assortment of parents and students waiting to meet with counselors and teachers. He glanced over at the closed doors leading to the offices of the principal and the school’s administrative staff.

Bracing himself, he moved across the worn, beige tile and tried to ignore the annoying hum of the fluorescent lights overhead.

The silver-haired receptionist greeted him with a smile. “Can I help you?” she asked in a voice as thick and sweet as molasses.

“I’m Michael Grayson. Sister Mary Grace is expecting me.”

“I thought I recognized you, Mr. Grayson. You were here last week to see Sister Mary Grace, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I was.” The truth was, he’d been to the principal’s office four times in the six weeks since he had enrolled Summer.

“I thought so,” she said, obviously pleased at her recognitive ability. “You’re little Summer’s father.”

“Uncle,” he corrected. Impatient, he looked at the closed door to the principal’s office again. “I’d appreciate your letting Sister know that I’m here.”

“Of course, but I’m afraid she’s running a bit behind schedule today. She shouldn’t be too much longer, though. You can have a seat if you’d like.” She gestured toward the row of metal chairs positioned along the wall. Two chairs were occupied by students who looked a bit green around the gills. A third seat was taken by a woman resembling Florence Henderson on the old “Brady Bunch” sitcom who was busily chatting with a pregnant brunette.

Michael eyed the two remaining seats. They looked small and uncomfortable. “Thanks, but I think I’ll just stand,” he said, feeling extremely large and decidedly out of place.

“I guess you’re here because of Summer’s problem in Mrs. Green’s class this morning,” the receptionist said.

Michael snapped to attention. “What problem?”

Amanda Bennett winced at the edge in his voice as she watched the exchange from the doorway.

So this is Michael Grayson.

Amanda took in the crop of dark hair, the navy jacket that spanned his wide shoulders, the large hands braced on the reception desk. One of the younger teachers had described him as a “hunk... Six foot plus of muscle and sex appeal.” Seeing him for the first time, she could understand the other woman’s reaction.

“Oh, my.” The receptionist’s face turned a bright pink. “I assumed Sister Mary Grace had told you...”

“Told me what?” he demanded.

Obviously, the “hunk” had a temper, Amanda thought, frowning. She studied the stiff lines of his body, his thunderous expression. And Gracie expected her to persuade him to allow his niece to participate in the school’s counseling program?

“I mean, I thought that was the reason you were here...because of what happened.”

He loomed over the desk and glared at the receptionist; the woman paled under his ferocious scowl.

No, Amanda decided. Michael Grayson definitely didn’t look like the kind of man one “persuaded” to do anything. In fact, she suspected he did exactly what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it.

“Why don’t you just tell me exactly what happened,” he commanded.

“I—”

“Mrs. Evans,” Amanda said, stepping forward. “I believe Sister Mary Grace can see Mr. Grayson now.”

The other woman’s shoulders slumped in obvious relief as Michael Grayson swung his angry gaze from the nervous Mrs. Evans to her. At the sight of those flashing blue eyes, Amanda immediately wondered at her wisdom in rescuing the older woman.