Read Online With Family In Mind (Saddle Falls Book 1) by Sharon de Vita - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sharon de Vita
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Family, Reporter, small town, Kidnapping, Childhood, trust, salvation, mysterious past, Screts, Investigate, Sensuality
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wanted was five hundred words to fill the white space in the Sunday Lifestyle section.” She smiled in remembrance, aware that Jake had turned toward her and was watching her intently. It was a bit disconcerting to be the sole focus of his attention. “But I wasn’t ready to give up. I felt like I had a responsibility to get to the truth. To find out what was bothering me about this little girl and her mother.”
“And did you?” he asked, realizing he probably knew the answer before she even spoke. He’d already seen her sadness, but now, watching her, he saw beyond the sadness to something else—the passion.
She was obviously passionate about her work, and in spite of the fact that he didn’t like what she did, he had to admire her dedication to her craft.
Heat and passion, he thought, letting his gaze roam over that beautiful face. It was a helluva combination, making him wonder if she’d be that passionate, or use that heat, for anything other than her career. If she wasn’t a reporter, it might be interesting to find out.
“It took me three months, and almost cost me my graduation because I cut so many classes, but Icouldn’t give it up, Jake. I had to find out what was wrong in this situation. I had to get to the truth. There was something there, something that just didn’t add up.” Lost in the story, he watched her face become animated, losing some of its haunting sadness. “On the surface, the kid’s mother seemed totally devoted to her, attentive, loving, caring. She baked her daughter’s favorite cookies almost every day and brought them to the hospital, along with at least one of her daughter’s favorite meals, either spaghetti and meat-balls or chicken soup.” Rebecca shrugged. “Every kid’s dream of the perfect mother,” she added quietly, sadly, thinking of her own poor excuse for a parent.
Her gaze had grown cool and cloudy, and it was deliberate, Jake realized, so he couldn’t read her expression. Something about what she’d just told him had made her withdraw from him. What? he wondered. And more importantly, why?
Cocking his head, he thought about it, letting his gaze linger on that beautiful mouth of hers. It was definitely a mouth that begged to be kissed. “I hate to tell you this, Slick, but a mother who is devoted to her sick kid, and bakes and cooks the kid’s favorite foods—well hell, none of this sounds very suspicious to me.”
“No, on the surface, it doesn’t,” she admitted. “But there was something there. I could just feel it.”
“So you dug until you got to the truth.” His words sounded like an accusation again, and she had to quell her natural urge to get defensive.
“Exactly,” she said, forcing herself to meet his gaze and keep her voice neutral, even though her pulseleaped like an Olympic vaulter every time she looked into his glorious eyes. Those eyes, she thought, ought to carry a warning label. “Have you ever heard of Munchausen syndrome by proxy?”
“Munchausen syndrome?” She’d caught him off guard. He was still thinking about what it would be like to kiss her, and he frowned in thought. “I think so, but I’m not sure I know what it is.”
“It’s when a parent, in most cases the mother, deliberately makes a child sick because of the attention it focuses on the parent.”
His gaze narrowed dangerously. “Are you telling me that this kid’s mother was deliberately making her kid sick?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Shaking her head at the memory, Rebecca blew out a breath. “I knew there was something seriously wrong. Things didn’t add up. I kept digging until I found out the girl’s father had had a complete thyroidectomy and had to take daily medication until his death. I went to the doctors with my suspicions and at first they didn’t believe me until they did some additional tests and discovered the child had a thyroid drug in her system. The food the mother was bringing the child every
“And did you?” he asked, realizing he probably knew the answer before she even spoke. He’d already seen her sadness, but now, watching her, he saw beyond the sadness to something else—the passion.
She was obviously passionate about her work, and in spite of the fact that he didn’t like what she did, he had to admire her dedication to her craft.
Heat and passion, he thought, letting his gaze roam over that beautiful face. It was a helluva combination, making him wonder if she’d be that passionate, or use that heat, for anything other than her career. If she wasn’t a reporter, it might be interesting to find out.
“It took me three months, and almost cost me my graduation because I cut so many classes, but Icouldn’t give it up, Jake. I had to find out what was wrong in this situation. I had to get to the truth. There was something there, something that just didn’t add up.” Lost in the story, he watched her face become animated, losing some of its haunting sadness. “On the surface, the kid’s mother seemed totally devoted to her, attentive, loving, caring. She baked her daughter’s favorite cookies almost every day and brought them to the hospital, along with at least one of her daughter’s favorite meals, either spaghetti and meat-balls or chicken soup.” Rebecca shrugged. “Every kid’s dream of the perfect mother,” she added quietly, sadly, thinking of her own poor excuse for a parent.
Her gaze had grown cool and cloudy, and it was deliberate, Jake realized, so he couldn’t read her expression. Something about what she’d just told him had made her withdraw from him. What? he wondered. And more importantly, why?
Cocking his head, he thought about it, letting his gaze linger on that beautiful mouth of hers. It was definitely a mouth that begged to be kissed. “I hate to tell you this, Slick, but a mother who is devoted to her sick kid, and bakes and cooks the kid’s favorite foods—well hell, none of this sounds very suspicious to me.”
“No, on the surface, it doesn’t,” she admitted. “But there was something there. I could just feel it.”
“So you dug until you got to the truth.” His words sounded like an accusation again, and she had to quell her natural urge to get defensive.
“Exactly,” she said, forcing herself to meet his gaze and keep her voice neutral, even though her pulseleaped like an Olympic vaulter every time she looked into his glorious eyes. Those eyes, she thought, ought to carry a warning label. “Have you ever heard of Munchausen syndrome by proxy?”
“Munchausen syndrome?” She’d caught him off guard. He was still thinking about what it would be like to kiss her, and he frowned in thought. “I think so, but I’m not sure I know what it is.”
“It’s when a parent, in most cases the mother, deliberately makes a child sick because of the attention it focuses on the parent.”
His gaze narrowed dangerously. “Are you telling me that this kid’s mother was deliberately making her kid sick?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Shaking her head at the memory, Rebecca blew out a breath. “I knew there was something seriously wrong. Things didn’t add up. I kept digging until I found out the girl’s father had had a complete thyroidectomy and had to take daily medication until his death. I went to the doctors with my suspicions and at first they didn’t believe me until they did some additional tests and discovered the child had a thyroid drug in her system. The food the mother was bringing the child every
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