Angel Mine

Angel Mine
Sherryl Woods

Welcome back to Whispering Wind, Wyoming, where New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods proves yet again that family comes first Heather Reed thought she was making the right choice when she decided to raise her daughter, Angel, on her own.But three years later, Heather realizes she needs help. Her career as an actress is faltering, and Angel’s more than she can handle alone. It’s time to track down Angel’s father…only problem is, he doesn’t know Angel exists. Heather’s search leads her to Whispering Wind, Wyoming.If Todd Winston is dismayed to see his old girlfriend show up in town, he’s shocked when he looks into the angelic eyes of the little girl who is clearly his daughter. Todd flatly refuses to open his life to Angel. Heather flatly refuses to leave town until she finds out why. Amazingly, they discover that through compromise and understanding lies the road straight to family.“Woods is the master of conveying emotions of the heart.”—RT Book Reviews on Beach Lane

Eyes flashing a challenge, Heather smiled at him. “You don’t think it’s pure coincidence that I showed up in Whispering Wind, where you happen to live?”

“Not in a million lifetimes,” Todd said. “I saw the look on your face in there. You weren’t the least bit surprised to see me. You knew I was here.”

“You always were brilliant.”

He ignored the sarcasm in her voice. “Get to the point,” he said.

Though he wanted badly to deny it, he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that he already knew the reason for her arrival. He prayed he was wrong, but what if he wasn’t?

“Okay,” Heather said at last. “You want the truth, here it is.”

Suddenly Todd didn’t want to hear the truth, after all. He wanted to finish his day in blissful ignorance. It was too late, though. Heather clearly had no intention of remaining silent now that he’d badgered her for the truth.

Her expression softened ever so slightly and her voice dropped to little more than a whisper, as if by speaking softly she could make the words more palatable. “I figured it was time you met your daughter.”

“Energetic pacing, snappy dialogue and an appealing romantic hero.”

— Publishers Weekly on After Tex

Angel Mine

Sherryl Woods

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

For Kristi and Ron on their first anniversary—

May your love and your family continue to grow.

For Kerri and Tom as they marry—

May you share a lifetime of blessings and joy.

Contents

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

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

1

Despite her name, there was nothing the least bit angelic about Heather Reed’s toddler, not when she was tired, anyway. And on this unseasonably warm early May afternoon she was exhausted and hot and hungry. Heather should have known that disaster loomed before she even considered taking Angel with her to the store. Not that she had any choice in the matter. She just should have anticipated something like this. It was the way her day had gone.

Screaming as if she was being tortured, Angel threw herself onto the floor in the cereal aisle. Why? Because she was in pain? No. Because she was close to starvation? No. Simply to express her displeasure over her mother’s refusal to buy her some sickly sweet product that was not only overpriced but would probably induce cavities after the first bite.

Heather debated what to do. She could snatch her up and run out of the crowded grocery store on New York’s Upper West Side before anyone recognized her as an actress who’d spent a year as a hated villain on a popular soap opera. Or she could 8 Sherryl Woods wait out her daughter’s full-blown tantrum and endure the stares.

Embarrassment won. She’d taken enough abuse from enraged fans over that soap role. If anyone recognized her, they’d likely assume she was being deliberately cruel to her daughter. Who knew where that could lead? Some soap fans had a hard time distinguishing between reality and fiction. By the time the truth could be sorted out, Heather’s reputation would be in tatters.