She wished Matt were here so she’d at least have a comforting hand to hold on to. She had to tell him she didn’t blame him for confronting her father. This was her fault. She should have told him Matt was back.As the ambulance had raced away. Matt had merely told her to go ahead and be careful not to drive so fast she killed herself, assuring her he’d see about Will.Amidst all the commotion, she’d nearly forgotten about her son. She told herself he should have been her first concern. He’d come rushing downstairs at the noise, and seeing his grandfather lying there on the floor must have conjured up terrible images about Ben for him. What would she have done if Matt hadn’t been there? But then, if he hadn’t . . .No, she couldn’t blame him for this. He didn’t have to hide from her father or anyone else. Her father had over-reacted, brought this upon himself. She still stung from his calling her a whore. Matt was the only real man she’d ever slept with. The only man she’d ever slept w

‘I haven’t had a chance to wrap it properly,’ she apologized, handing him the flat package wrapped in brown paper.Matt began tearing the wrapping off. The phone rang, and Sierra went to answer it.He heard the distant sound of her voice as he uncovered the oil painting, a portrait of Sam in his younger, vibrant days, the glory of Texas’s vast blue sky and open spaces in the background.Staring at it, he swallowed a thick lump in his throat. His normally steady hands were shaking.Sierra returned. ‘That was someone wanting to rent the carriage for a party tomorrow night,’ she reported brightly. As she glimpsed his solemn expression, her tone dropped. ‘Like it? The newspaper had an old photo of Sam on file and let me borrow it. It’s the first thing I’ve done in a long time, and I’m afraid it’s not my best work.’‘It’s fine. Sierra. Real fine. Thank you. I didn’t think there was anything I wanted for Christmas until I saw this. I love it. When did you start working on it? This must have

The acrid smells of the hospital burned in Matt’s nostrils. He looked down on Sam, small and shrunken in the bed, plugged into monitors and bottles. Pain was etched in the old rancher’s weathered face despite the barrage of drugs intended to mask it.‘I knew you’d come,’ Sam said, his voice barely audible, fading out.‘You should have let them call me sooner, Sam. I wanted to be here.’‘I don’t want a lot of moanin’ and cryin’. I had a good life. Matt.’‘I don’t know where I would have been without you.’‘Thank you for bein’ a part of it. I want ya’ to know you’ve never let me down.’‘Yeah, I did, Sam. I stayed gone so long . . .’‘Don’t make no difference. You’re here now. Matt, I lied when I told ya I didn’t care what ya do with that land. You take it and make yourself a home. Show this town what you’re made of.’‘Sam, I don’t know . .‘I won’t make you promise. Wouldn’t be fair. I’ve always believed in you. Matt. Enjoyed watching you grow into a man. But I’m gonna have to give it

SYNOPSIS ‘I want you to have my baby. Give me an heir and I’ll offer Petros a deal which will save his skin!’‘You must be mad! ’ Carrie floundered for words; she was so shocked by his proposition. ‘I couldn’t marry you!’As he raised a dark, sardonic eyebrow Alexis’s low voice drifted across to her,‘I want an heir, not a wife!’But Petros had other ideas and Carrie and Alexis soon found themselves bound for a wedding neither of them wanted...CHAPTER 1A grey shadow of doubt settled unceremoniously onto Carrie’s slim shoulders. Was she doing the right thing? There zvas no other alternative. She’d gone over this with a fine-tooth comb since her return to Greece, and each time she’d come up with the same answer. Alexis Stephanides held the key; he was the only man rich enough!‘Miss O’Riordan, Mr Stephanides will see you now,’ said the pleasant dark-haired girl, in heavily accented English, as she emerged from the office with CHAIRMAN engraved on the gold plaque of the heavy mahogany

‘You are, Carrie, Why, I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen you drunk,’ he admonished softly, amusement lifting his voice slightly.‘I am not drunk! I’m ill!’Urging her to move, he ignored her remark, keeping a tight hold around her waist as he hailed his limousine.The cold night air almost knocked Carrie off her feet. She shivered and looking around the illuminated street in a hazy stupor, she suddenly felt much worse.Alexis opened the car door, ordering her to get in. Feeling faint, she caught the heel of her shoe on the curb and would have fallen had he not come to her rescue again. Once inside the comfort of the expensive car he rapped out orders to the driver. ‘My hotel!’Carrie couldn’t understand why she felt so light headed. Her legs looked perfectly capable of moving, and yet they felt numb. She prodded one in sheer horror and fascination.‘Like I said, it’s called being drunk, my sweet, little Carrie,’ he admonished teasingly; he wasn’t annoyed, there was amusement