Page 2 of The Duke's Surprise Heir

“Close the door…please?” the stranger pleaded, stepping deeper into the shadows of the foyer.

Since he was wearing only a well-worn pair of jeans that he hadn’t bothered to button, Edward closed the door. Not because of the woman’s request, but because he didn’t want any wandering paparazzi to snap a shot of him without a shirt or shoes on.

So he shut the door and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the strange woman.

“Door is closed. Now explain!” he ordered in his best ducal voice.

Normally, that tone was all that was needed for the recipient to quake with fear, then proceed to stammer out an apology and an explanation.

Apparently, this woman was immune to his authority. Interesting. He pulled out his cell phone, one thumb hovering over the emergency button. “Get out of my house, or I’ll call the police.”

Before he could follow through on that threat, the baseball cap and gloves were removed and a mass of sleek, brown hair tumbled down over her shoulders. The hair still covered the woman’s face, but Edward immediately recognized that hair! A year ago, he’d had that long, beautiful hair draping over his chest or twisted around his hands as he’d made love to the most beautiful, amazing woman!

“Macie?” he hissed, all ducal authority melting away as he stared down into the exhausted green eyes of the only woman who had gotten close enough to touch his heart.

She didn’t even smile as she pushed her hair out of her eyes, then gently, almost reverently, shifted the heavy bag on her shoulder.

Edward reached out to take the heavy load from her. She looked exhausted. “Let me help you with-”

“No!” she yelped, stepping out of his reach while her hands splayed protectively in front of the bag. Then she tenderly lifted the duffel bag off of her shoulder, cradling it in her arms. “I need to sit down,” she told him, looking around for a place to sit. When she didn’t see any chairs, she lifted those deep, green eyes to him.

Edward was still stunned. Macie Meyers was here? In Bristol?

Her eyes pleaded with him. “Please?” she whispered again. “I really need your help, Edward.”

That word; “help”. In the short time that he’d known Macie, she’d always been annoyingly confident and self-sufficient. The plea yanked him out of his stunned silence.

“This way,” he said, regrouping and leading the way through the foyer to the great room. Looking around, he couldn’t help but wonder what Macie might think about his ducal estate. Would it matter? Would she care about the elaborate elegance? Would she even notice the ancient décor? And why did he care?

No! It couldn’t matter! Bringing himself up short, Edward reminded himself of his past, of his heritage. He’d made a vow to himself more than a decade ago. He couldn’t break that vow. Not even for Macie.

He watched while Macie slowly lowered herself down into the caramel colored sofa, holding that ridiculous duffel bag as reverently as if it held the crown jewels.

Edward followed her, watching as she took a deep breath.

Suddenly, his anger overwhelmed his curiosity.

“Why are you here?” he demanded. Information, logic, and rational thought were the way he’d learned to live his life. The one time he’d ignored logic was a year ago. With Macie. He’d let his body take control and it had been the worst decision of his life.

Macie gave him a heavy, relieved sigh and turned to the duffel bag. Slowly, she unzipped the bag, beaming as she peered inside.

Edward stepped back, images of a nest of snakes coming out of that bag flashing through his head. The way she peeled back the zipper, then slowly, carefully, reached inside, set off his alarm bells.

However, the bundle that came out of the bag wasn’t something he could process!

Macie smiled as she lifted her still-sleeping son into her arms. “You’re such a wonderful darling!” she praised. “Momma loves it when you sleep!”

She cradled Kyle as she leaned back against the uncomfortable sofa. Sighing, she shifted her position so that she was more comfortable. For a moment, she closed her eyes, reveling in the moment of safety.

“Macie?”

Macie sighed again and pushed away the exhaustion as she opened her eyes and looked up at Edward.

“Yes, Edward?” she replied, trying, and failing, to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. When she looked up at him, she saw the stunned horror in his eyes, the tension in the muscles of his bare chest and ramrod straight posture. If she hadn’t been awake for the past forty-eight hours in a panicked sprint to find a safe hiding place, she might have laughed at Edward’s expression.

But she had been on the run since her house had been burned down. And the barn. And everything inside of both.

Thankfully, her small, family farm, which she’d inherited from her mother, no longer had any livestock. The horses and cows that had previously roamed the pastures had been sold off. The barn only contained rotting hay and farm tools.

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