Unexpected Daughter

Unexpected Daughter
Suzanne Cox

He was born into luxury…Returning to Cypress Landing brings back the best–and worst–moments of Cade Wheeler' s life. Because the bayou was where he' d first tasted the sweetness of love and the bitterness of loss….She was born to be wild…Ten years ago Brijette Dupre had been a pregnant backwoods girl who felt her only choice was to accept the Wheelers' money–to leave Cade alone. She couldn' t know his family had lied to them both….Now Cade' s back. Considering their past relationship and current attraction, working with him is hard enough. Add to the mix his unknown daughter–the daughter Brijette had kept despite the Wheelers' demands–and it becomes close to impossible.

“Dylan doesn’t bother me, and I didn’t ask you to stay in the car so you could thank me.”

At last Cade could get his mind back on track to the most important question he’d ever ask.

“Right.” Brijette brushed a stray wisp of hair off her face. “Which patient did you want to discuss?”

“I don’t want to talk about a patient. I wanted to speak to you in private.”

She squirmed in her seat and he imagined she knew what was coming.

“I want you to tell me who in hell is the father of that child.”

Dear Reader,

Sometimes we all have secrets we want to keep and preconceived ideas that are hard to let go. In this story, Brijette Dupre has to deal with both. But she’ll learn that occasionally when the truth comes out and we let go of our preconceptions, life can be all the richer for it.

I hope you enjoy Brijette and Cade’s story as I revisit Cypress Landing, Louisiana, and their volunteer search and rescue team. I love to hear from readers. You can send me a note at Suzanne Cox, 107 Walter Payton Dr., # 271, Columbia, MS 39429 or by e-mail to suzannecox@suzannecoxbooks.com. Be sure to visit me on the Web at suzannecoxbooks.com or superauthors.com.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Cox

Unexpected Daughter

Suzanne Cox

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Suzanne remembers writing her first stories when she was about nine or ten years old, and she’s been writing ever since. In February of 2002 she decided to try to get her writing published. On February 14, 2005, she sold her first book, A Different Kind of Man, to the Harlequin Superromance line.

While trying to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up—besides a writer—she worked a variety of jobs. She has a bachelor of arts in English with a minor in secondary education, a bachelor of science in nursing and a master of science in career and technical education with an emphasis in adult education. She’s also a National Board Certified Teacher in career and technical education. Along the way she’s worked as a high school English teacher, an elementary school teacher, a registered nurse on a cardiac unit, brain injury rehab unit and several different medical-surgical units. She’s also done stints as a home health nurse and a community health educator at a hospital. These days, when she’s not writing, she’s at her day job as an allied health instructor at a high school career and technology center.

In her spare time, when she can find some, Suzanne enjoys reading, painting, biking and fishing. She’s presently “livin’ her dream” in south Mississippi with her own personal hero husband, Justin, and her boy in puppy dog clothes, Toby, who masquerades as a miniature pinscher.

To my husband, Justin, for being perfect

even when it’s hard, like when

I’ve misplaced my checkbook, again.

To my friends at CLCC—Jan, Steph, Lisa,

Cathy and the guys, who are more like family than

anything else.

To my in-laws for just keeping me in the family

amid all this insanity.

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