The Drifter by Vicki Lewis Thompson Read Free Book Online Page B

something to eat, so I’ll leave you alone,” Belinda said. Then she glanced around and scowled. “I just noticed Chase doesn’t have that cradle in here yet. I’ll go ride herd on him and find out what he’s doing with all his time.”
    Amanda started to rise to bid Belinda a proper goodbye.
    â€œSit down, sit down,” Belinda said, waving her hand at Amanda. “You must be exhausted. I’ll have that cradle over in a jiffy, and then you and the little one can take a nap before dinner. We eat at six. Will you be able to find your way back to the main house?”
    â€œI’m sure I will. And thank you for all your help, Belinda.”
    Belinda cast a fond look at Bartholomew. “I didn’t realize I was so eager to have a baby around. We don’t accept guests with children that young, so I don’t get much chance to see really little ones. They brighten up the place. I guess I’ll have to start pestering Ry and Freddy about having one.” She paused to gaze at Bartholomew again. “Well, I’d better go hunt down that Chase Lavette.” With a smile, Belinda left, closing the door firmly behind her.
    Still holding Bartholomew, Amanda propped pillows against the headboard of the bed and kicked off her shoes before she unbuttoned her blouse and allowed him to nurse. With a sigh, she relaxed against the soft pillows. Maybe it was exhaustion, as Belinda had suggested, but she felt more relaxed than she had in a long time. She hadn’t realized keeping secrets could be so stressful. Here at the True Love her secret was out, and nobody had shunned her, which brought more relief than she could have imagined. Chase had been upset, but who could blame him?
    Maybe all he needed was a little time to see that she’d done the right thing. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to cut off all contact. As long as Chase planned to stay in Arizona, she could bring Bartholomew out here once in a while for visits and nobody back home would ever have to know the truth. Of course, that would depend upon Chase and what he’d agree to, but it seemed like an ideal situation. Eventually, she might even tell her friends and family about Chase, when time had softened the scandalous nature of her behavior in the cab of that big black truck.
    She and Chase had produced such a beautiful baby that night, she thought, stroking Bartholomew’s downy head as he suckled on her breast. Had she gone to a sperm bank as she’d told everyone, she couldn’t have found a finer candidate to father her child. A memory of Chase floated up, not the angry Chase she’d dealt with today, but the daring man who’d dug through three feet of snow to free her from her car and had carried her, shivering and scared to death, back to his truck. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the truck, the warmth of his arms.
    He hadn’t kissed her then, or made any sexual advances. Once he’d settled her safely in the cab with a cup of coffee in her hands, he hadn’t touched her except to rub her feet to make sure they weren’t frost-bitten.
    Then when he was convinced she was okay, he’d pulled the big truck onto the snowy road, determined to drive them both safely back to the city. They’d talked as he’d battled the treacherous road conditions for another hour, until finally he’d given up and pulled into a rest stop. That’s when it had dawned on her that she was about to spend the night with this sexy truck driver, that prim and professional Amanda Drake had never had a one-night stand in her life and that it was an extremely tempting possibility.
    Bartholomew’s suckling grew less vigorous and she eased him away from her breast. It didn’t look as if Chase would arrive with the cradle in time for the baby’s nap, and she didn’t trust putting him on the bed now that he’d begun to roll. Lifting him in her arms and reaching for a