Page 1 of Texas Temptation

Prologue

Jordan Carhart hated spring break. It wasn’t only because of the long hours, though for those two weeks every spring her shifts doubled up and days off were only a memory. She was certain half the college students from eastern schools and most of the ones in the Midwest flocked to South Beach to party hardy. They came to drink, have fun and fall in love.

It was the best of times because of the extra tips and the exuberant spirits rampant among the visitors.

It was the worst of times because of the memories that surfaced. Memories kept tucked away for most of the year. Only the lingering sadness remained when she looked into her son’s eyes.

Jordan wiped the table, stacking glasses and dishes in the bin. Where was that blasted busboy? Honestly, if she were the manager of Joe’s Fish Tacos, she’d fire Manuel and hire someone more reliable.

Lifting the heavy bin, she carried it into the kitchen and dumped it by the sink. The steam from the simmering pots and soup cauldrons made the restaurant’s kitchen an instant steam bath. The greasy smell of frying shrimp filled the air. She glanced at the counter. None of her orders were up yet, so she escaped to the relative coolness of the restaurant proper.

Glancing around her assigned area with a practiced eye, Jordan noticed the group of giggling college girls were about to leave. She watched as they laughed among themselves and threw saucy glances at the boys that wandered into view on the spacious open-air deck. Skimpy swimsuits were the order of the day. And the coverups never did their job, revealing more than concealing.

She’d worn one such over her own bikini five years ago when—

No, she would not go there again. It’d been five years, time to move on beyond the Cinderella story that had an unhappy ending. She was older and far wiser now than she’d been then. Never again would she get caught up in the frenzy and romance of spring break. Never listen to lies wrapped in romantic overtones. Nor believe a man when he said he loved her after only two weeks.

Now she was a single mother, with a son who gave her more delight than she had a right to. Her life hadn’t taken the path she’d wanted so long ago, but she wouldn’t trade Caleb for all the tea in China, as her aunt Maggie used to say.

Nothing came without a price, however. She smiled at the girls when they waved on their way out, hoping they left a large tip. They’d been extravagant in ordering, then left half the food on the table. Sure enough, they’d been equally lavish in their tips.

Jordan scooped up the money and put it in her pocket. Another few dollars for Caleb’s surgery fund. Her goal was to save enough to have the operation done before he started school next year. It wasn’t right that a little boy should have crossed eyes. She’d done her best to shelter him from cruel insults, but she knew starting school that way would cause unmerciful teasing. She refused to accept that for her son.

But since the surgery was elective rather than lifesaving, the meager insurance coverage she had from the restaurant didn’t cover the procedure. The full cost would have to be borne by her. And she was still a few thousand dollars short.

Jordan stacked the dishes from the crowded table in another bin, resigned to the fact Manuel had disappeared once again. Taking the discarded newspaper, she folded it and tucked it beneath her arm. She enjoyed reading the newspapers from all over that customers left. Once she’d had dreams of leaving South Beach and seeing Atlanta, or Washington, or even New York. But dreams of college and travel had vanished from her horizon when she’d become pregnant with Caleb.

She dumped the dishes, then served another two tables before time for her break. Reaching for the purloined newspaper, she hurried outside, away from the din and commotion. Sitting beneath a huge old palm, which offered scant shade in the heat of the day, she spread open the paper. It was theDallas Tribune. For a second, her heart clutched.

She looked up, glimpsing the blue Atlantic between the souvenir shops and sidewalks crowded with randy college kids. It was as if she looked into the past. Texas.Hehad been from Texas.

Sighing softly, she picked up the paper and scanned the various articles. She was almost finished with the front section when a small headline on the lower left caught her eye.

Cade Cullen Everett and Family Donate One Million Dollars to the Children’s Last Wish Foundation.

Jordan started at the words, unable to believe her eyes.

Cade Cullen Everett.

Five years vanished immediately, and she was once again the young girl who had been swept away by the big brash Texan who had charmed her socks off, overcome her innate inhibitions and seduced her into bed.

Two weeks of heaven. The glamour of it, the rush of excitement, the heady delight, the spellbinding glory of those days filled her mind. Her heart raced in memory. She had enjoyed luxurious wining and dining. Told over and over, she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. She could almost hear the echo of that sexy Texas drawl.

Then—he’d vanished without a word. Spring break had ended, and he’d returned to Texas.

Jordan never heard from him again.

She hadn’t known where to contact him. She’d poured over telephone books and searched the Internet, trying to locate any and every Everett to contact and ask if they knew Cade Cullen, especially after she had discovered she was pregnant. The man should know he was to become a father.

To no avail. No one she talked to claimed to know him. It was as if he vanished from the face of the earth.

Until now.

Quickly she read the article. A ranch was mentioned in Tumbleweed, Texas. She remembered his wild and outlandish stories of the family ranch. Most she’d taken with a grain of salt, but the basis must have been true, she’d thought. No wonder she’d never found him in the city phone books. He lived in a town she’d never heard of—fifty miles west of Fort Worth.

The gist of the article centered on the magnificent grant he and his family provided. One million dollars.

Anger simmered. His disappearance had cheated Caleb of knowing his father. And from the article, he had the means to give Caleb proper care from the beginning. She’d been saving for more than four years for the operation that would enable Caleb’s eyes to track properly. Scraping together every dime she could manage, doing without so they could add to the surgery fund.

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