The Girl He Left Behind

The Girl He Left Behind
Patricia Kay

TWO LITTLE SECRETSIt should be a dream come true for divorcée Eve Kelly. After twelve years, her high school sweetheart Adam Crenshaw is back – and sexier than ever! But Eve has a problem. Her eleven-year-old twins. Twins their secret daddy can never know about…Home to care for his ailing mother, the music star didn’t expect to fall so hard for the small-town single mum…again. Adam is used to getting what he wants, and he wants Eve. This time, though, instead of a fling, he just may get a family…a family he didn’t know he had!

“I’ve never forgotten you, Eve,” Adam said softly.

“That kiss last night, it wasn’t an impulse. I wanted to kiss you from the minute I saw you at the shelter. My big hit, ‘Impossible to Forget,’ I wrote that song because of you.”

Eve swallowed. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. Even when he reached for her hand, her gaze remained glued to his. When he gently pulled her toward him, her stupid heart began to race, and even though her brain screamed Danger! Danger! No! Stop! Don’t do it! she didn’t resist when he drew her into his arms.

“I want you, Eve.”

She closed her eyes as his lips grazed her cheek and drifted down to her neck.

“I’ve always wanted you,” he whispered.

Every nerve ending in her body seemed to be alive with sensation. And when he raised his head to capture her mouth, she moaned, and instead of stopping him, she kissed him back as if her very life depended upon it …

* * *

The Crandall Lake Chronicles: Small town, big hearts

The Girl He

Left Behind

Patricia Kay

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

Formerly writing as Trisha Alexander, PATRICIA KAY is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty-eight novels of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She lives in Houston, Texas. To learn more about her, visit her website at www.patriciakay.com (http://www.patriciakay.com).

This book is dedicated to Dick, with whom I shared fifty-three years of adventures. We all love and miss you!

Contents

Cover (#ufeb35f82-4db2-57bb-b43c-f3251ee7ed17)

Introduction (#u1c7bfcc9-720b-5c33-9b45-76d0e2d7d269)

Title Page (#u6cbb3fa5-798c-5587-acf8-f6eb46a13b31)

About the Author (#ufec1ec03-bff4-511d-8438-f5b1c6146a1c)

Dedication (#uc2077b6c-8864-5de1-9b5f-9893535d7268)

Epigraph (#uf5409c5b-140a-567c-81ab-cd38c12a09d2)

Prologue (#u804584d0-77f5-52e4-8314-580cee6f8ec5)

Chapter One (#u6aed73ed-6b8f-58ba-b48a-8324720061d6)

Chapter Two (#uce7dfd7b-bd27-504d-8d00-24243f8cdc2d)

Chapter Three (#u9be1394b-2809-53a8-9769-fe45115466e5)

Chapter Four (#u482f5ace-6221-567b-978e-78336ce9da89)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

ANNA CERMAK’S PIEROGIES (#litres_trial_promo)

ANNA CERMAK’S STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS (HALUPKI) (#litres_trial_promo)

Note from the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

“There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.”

—Mark Twain

Prologue (#ulink_9eab47fb-86c9-589c-b945-d620fdf1d6d4)

The boy stands under the overhang, guitar case in hand, his backpack stuffed with his belongings. The bus will arrive any minute. Beyond the overhang the rain falls steadily. It has been raining for days here in the Texas Hill Country.

His gaze sweeps the station platform.

Is she coming?