HER ONE AND ONLY VALENTINE - Read Online Free PDF Page A

Then, just like that, the frown momentarily disappeared, a far-off look in his eyes as his rumbling voice swiftly followed with an edge of realization.
    'I had someone clear it out for me when I left. I told them there was nothing in there I needed, that they could keep the books they wanted and dump the rest.'
    What was he talking about?
    Rhiannon tried to focus her exhausted mind. Then her eyes widened in disbelief. 'You're seriously trying to tell me now, after ten years, that you never got itl Oh, surely you can do better than that?'
    He glared again.
    'That is what you're saying.' Full of incredulity, she repeated the words, as if somehow saying them again would make it real for her. Surely he couldn't be serious? But if he hadn't got it— no, that wasn't right. It couldn't be. She'd always believed—
    The letter that she had spent days debating writing; the one that she had carried clenched in her hand while she'd stood in front of the locker, willing herself to put it in. The one he had completely ignored, which had laid the first foundation stones for the resentment and hatred she had carried for more than ten years.. .and he hadn't got it?
    'Didn't it ever occur to you when I didn't reply that I might not have got it?'
    She frowned at the question, the chill in the room seeping into her already tired bones, forcing her to shake inwardly. She sat down on the large stuffed chair closest to the wood-burning stove and tangled her cold fingers together on her lap.
    Reluctantly she admitted the truth. 'Maybe for a very brief moment, but after the way you just disappeared off the face of the earth—'
    'You figured that you'd made enough of an effort and to hell with me?'
    'No!' She stared into his angry eyes, not prepared to even contemplate the notion that she might have been at fault during a time when she'd had so many important decisions to make— alone. "You were the one who had an overnight personality transplant and then left! Do you think that at eighteen, with no well paid career in my near future, that I was ready to face having a baby on my own? Get real.'
    'But you still had her.'
    She wasn't even going to grace that with a comeback. It had never occurred to her for a single second not to—no matter how terrified she had been at the time. And it wasn't because she'd wanted a part of Kane or to remain tied to him in some way. They hadn't been together long enough for her to form that kind of attachment, had they?
    No, from the moment the test had turned blue Lizzie had been hers —a part of her. And she had done her best to forget where the other part of her beautiful child came from.
    'You'd already made it plain that you didn't want to be tied down, by anyone or anything. When you didn't respond to the letter I assumed you wanted nothing to do with the responsibility of a baby. You can't be that surprised that I'd make that assumption. And I wasn't going to chase after you to beg for a handout either. I'd made the choice to have her, so caring for her needs was down to me too.'
    It was the condensed version and Rhiannon knew it. But none of her explanation seemed to placate him any. In fact, if anything, he was looking at her with the same incredulity she'd felt only moments before, as if he couldn't possibly understand why she'd done what she had.
    'As her father I had certain rights. I still do.'
    Her shaking increased. Because she hadn't paid as much attention to the first part of what he'd said. 'What do you mean, you still do?'
    'If she's my child, Rhiannon, then you've already had nearly ten years alone with her.'
    She couldn't—he couldn't just—
    When she managed to speak her voice came out smaller than she could ever remember it sounding before. She'd never allowed herself to feel like some helpless waif of a female before. Not once. No matter what life had thrown at her. But he couldn't—
    'I won't let you take her from me.'
    Because money could buy practically anything as far as some people