Lover of My Dreams by Lynnette Bernard Read Free Book Online

evident in her eyes. “You won’t be able to use me to destroy your son.”
    Edwin McCoy looked at her with something very close to boredom. That irritated Rachel more than anything. She turned to leave, determined not to give this man any more of her time or attention. He watched her silently, not moving to stop her.
    “Ms. Williams,” he said quietly. “You’d be surprised just how much I am willing to do to have my son follow the path in life that I have chosen for him.”
    Rachel stopped and turned to look back at him. He hadn’t moved and was looking at her calmly with his hands casually placed inside the pockets of the black silk robe that he was wearing.
    “Are you really willing to risk Sam’s future, and the future of Roy Monroe and the Monroe Ranch?” he asked her evenly.
    “You keep my family out of this,” she warned him, her voice strong and under control despite her fear.
    “That’s entirely up to you, Ms. Williams,” he told her calmly. “Just understand that I only need to make one phone call to purchase the mortgage to the Monroe Ranch. Your aunt will be tied up in financial difficulties immediately since I plan to call for the full payment of the loan. That would sufficiently prevent your cousin from finishing college. Even if he is able to procure loans to finish his last year of schooling, he won’t be able to find work anywhere in this state.”
    Rachel just stared at him, unable to speak. She wanted to scream at him that Sam had his own choices to make. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to tell him what a poor excuse of a father he was. But a sudden realization overcame her. Edwin McCoy had money. That meant he had power. He had the control in this situation. She did not.
    The decision she made right then would determine the fate of two families. She would not be the reason for the ruination of Sam’s career and the certain destruction of her cousin and aunt. She knew of the power that Edwin McCoy uncaringly wielded. She knew how far his influence stretched.
    Rachel faced him directly, trying desperately to hide what she was feeling. Her heart was pounding. She was sure that he was able to hear it in the deafening silence of the room. There was no doubt in her mind that Edwin McCoy would follow through on his threats against her family and Sam. Rachel looked at the man before her, knowing there was only one choice open to her in order to keep everyone that she loved safe.
    “I’ll keep clear of your son,” she told him calmly. “You keep clear of my family and Sam’s dream.”
    She reached forward and pulled open the study door. She was glad that she hadn’t cried. As much as she wanted to, her anger and disgust toward this man made her more determined not to let him see any weakness. She made her way to the front door as fast as her crutches would take her.
    She had made a promise to Joanna McCoy to be there for Sam. But she also knew that the only way to protect Sam and be there for him as she had promised, was to never see him again. As she walked slowly toward her car, her heart ached for the love that she would never know with the only man she could ever love.

Chapter 2
     
    Present Day
     
    Rachel Williams walked confidently out of Grand Central Station and headed out to join the throng of people that walked the busy streets of New York City. She wore denim shorts and a red T-shirt that showed off her feminine figure. She carried herself with confidence as she hailed a cab and reached forward to open the rear door as it cruised to a stop beside her.
    “Plaza Hotel,” she told the cab driver quickly, settling her garment bag, briefcase, and overnight suitcase beside her. She leaned back against the seat and looked out into the busy traffic.
    It was a quick ride to the elegant hotel. The doorman opened the cab door and stood back to allow her to exit the cab, quickly beckoning to the staff that waited behind him. The bellhop reached out to take the luggage from her and stood