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mother died. For nine years she’s done fine without you and will continue to do so for ninety more.”
    She faced him like a lioness defending her young, her green eyes flashing a challenge and her chin lifted defiantly. The breeze tugged at the ends of her shoulder-length blond hair, and he couldn’t help but notice the graceful sweep of her slender fingers as she absently brushed the strands back.
    He moved closer to her, and the scent of magnolias drifted in from the open door. He’d heard the term “steel magnolia” before, but he’d never been face-to-face with it. He felt a tug of desire as he stared at the woman, then reminded himself she’d lied to him. There were few things he tolerated less than lying. Very few things. “Why did you pretend to be Angela?” he asked tightly.
    Sighing, she closed her eyes, then opened them again. “Emma is all I have. Surely you can understand that I would do anything to protect her.”
    Jake frowned. “You thought you had to protect her from her own brother?”
    â€œHalf brother,” she corrected him.
    His jaw tightened. “Family is family. All I want, and Jessica and Jared, as well, is an opportunity to get to know Emma, and for her to know us.”
    The fear was back again, Jake noticed. Her green eyes darkened with it momentarily before she quickly wrestled it down. He couldn’t help but give her credit for her control.
    â€œI suppose,” she said, and that enticing accent of hers turned icy. “If you call first, we might be able to make arrangements for visits.”
    The idea of making arrangements grated on Jake’s already shredded patience almost as much as Savannah’s cool formality. Tipping his hat back, he let out a heavy sigh. “Well, now, ma’am—” he forced a heavy Texas drawl “—that’s right nice of you, but that’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
    â€œOh?” She lifted one delicate eyebrow. “And what exactly did you have in mind?”
    â€œWhat I have in mind—” his gaze locked with hers and his voice dropped dangerously low as he stepped closer “—is for my little sister to come home with me.”

Two
    I t was her worst nightmare come true. The very thing she’d dreaded since the day she’d received the phone call from the private investigator. Savannah felt her skin go cold and her heart stop for one terrifying split second.
    Nobody was taking Emma away from her. Nobody.
    She stared at Jake, letting the shock wave travel through her, and felt relief at the anger that followed in its wake. She knew better than to show weakness to a man like Jake Stone. Lifting her chin, she faced him and locked his intense gaze with her own. “I don’t know you from Adam, Mr. Stone. I wouldn’t let you take my niece around the block, let alone to Texas. Emma is in my charge and she stays with me.”
    Jake shrugged. “I don’t have a problem with that. There’s plenty of room for both of you.”
    Go to Texas? He couldn’t be serious. He couldn’t. But he was, Savannah realized. Dead serious. “That’s ridiculous.”
    He walked to her, stopping so close she felt the heat of his body and smelled the pure masculine scent that radiated from him. She desperately wanted to step away, but refused to give in to his obvious attempt at intimidation.
    â€œWhy?” he asked.
    Why? There were at least a dozen logical reasons she could easily throw at him—two dozen—but she was having a difficult time thinking with him so close. “Because...because we can’t, that’s why.”
    He raised one eyebrow. “Is school out for you and Emma?”
    â€œWe finished three days ago, but—”
    â€œFine. Then you can get someone to watch this place for you for a couple of months.”
    â€œA couple of months!” Savannah’s mouth dropped open.