Topaz Heat: Book 3 of the Jewel Trilogy (Excerpt Only)

She followed Darlene into the little kitchen but stopped short when she saw a man sitting at the table. He stopped reading the paper and set it down, turning in his chair to face her. Sarah's heart started pounding and she felt the urge to run. "Hi there," he said. "You sure are a tiny little thing what for being a big nine-year-old."

He stood, and Sarah backed toward the door. Darlene held her hand up to ward him off. "She apparently can't remember coming in last night." She put an arm around Sarah's shoulders. "It's okay, Sarah. Charles is your new dad. He won't hurt you."

"Of course I won't hurt you." He walked toward her slowly. She stood with her back against the door, looking around, wondering where she could run, where she could hide. Darlene's arm tightened over her shoulders, trapping her. He knelt in front of her just as Darlene had and his face filled her vision.

He smelled good; spicy and soapy and not at all like beer or cigarettes. His gray eyes behind his thin framed glasses looked so nice. The more she stared into his eyes, the more she relaxed. "I'm so happy God brought you to us. We've been praying for you before we even knew who you were." He held out a hand.

Sarah stared at it for several seconds before placing her shaking hand in his. "God brought me here?" She asked, unsure of what he meant.

"Oh yes." His eyes filled with unshed tears. "Most definitely."

He tenderly placed his other hand on top of hers and pushed his hands together, completely engulfing her little hand with both of his. She didn't feel trapped or scared by his touch. She felt … safe.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Sarah nodded and Charles Thomas stood. He set her at the table and gave her a plate with a blueberry pancake and two slices of bacon on it. The sight of the meat gave her stomach a sick little pain, but she picked up her fork and dug into the pancake.

Darlene set a little glass of orange juice next to her plate. As she swallowed another heavenly bite, Sarah reached for the glass, but the skewed eyeglasses made her vision a little wobbly and she knocked it over.

Terror immediately struck her. As Charles stood quickly and reached for the glass, Sarah flinched back, bracing for the painful slap he would deliver. Only he didn't. Nothing bad happened. No harsh words. No recriminations. Darlene actually comforted her and assured her that everything was all right while Charles took a kitchen towel and mopped up the juice.

CHAPTER 1

BLOODY claw marks left smears of scarlet along Sarah Thomas' forearm and all over her shirt and pants. Using a cotton pad, she gingerly dabbed at the scratches, thinking maybe she should have taken the doctor up on his offer to clean them for her. Sarah winced as the antiseptic came in contact with the open wounds. She slowly moved her jaw from side to side, wondering if the left cross to her right cheek would leave a bruise. It certainly felt sore.

"Nothing like a full moon on a Thursday night," Melissa Potts said with a wry smile and an always surprising British accent.

Sarah snorted at her roommate's observation. "At least it's Friday morning now."

Melissa leaned against the doorway to the nurse's station. As she crossed her arms, she gestured with her head toward Sarah. "Story?"

As she wrapped a clean cotton bandage around her arm, Sarah answered her friend. "Addict. Delivered a two-pound, four-ounce baby girl. Wasn't too happy about the whole labor part interfering with her evening cocktail hour."

Clicking her tongue with her teeth, Melissa came all the way into the room and gently prodded Sarah's jaw line. "She got you good."

"She was trying to get out of the bed to go find another fix," Sarah said, flinching when Melissa pushed against the main point of injury. "Let's just say she didn't take kindly to us restraining her."