In Hawke's Eyes: Vermont Mates, #2

By Tressie Lockwood

Sequel to For Toron's Pride.

Stephanie is injured in a car accident and declared legally blind until she can get cornea transplants after a year of healing. Taking care of her ten year old daughter as a widowed mom is hard enough without Meechi’s grandmother and uncles insinuating she’s not capable. Her dead husband’s family doesn’t care about Meechi. They want the inheritance left for her to save their failing company. Stephanie is at the end of her rope until she meets Hawke.

Hawke is kind, strong, and sexy. She can’t see him clearly yet, but her fingertips tell her all she needs to know when she explores his body. While he is protective of her, he doesn’t make her feel weak and useless. Stephanie can see herself falling in love with this man, even though she’d decided not get involved with another man. When danger threatens her and her daughter, Hawke sweeps them away to a small town in Vermont, but can Stephanie accept Hawke when she learns his secret?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tressie Lockwood
• Release date: Nov 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781937394745

Book preview

Prologue

Stephanie yawned and reached for her cup of coffee to take a sip. She knew she shouldn’t have the caffeine so late in the day, but she had work to do when she got home, and she’d already put in eight hours on the day job. Not that she complained, of course. All she did, she did for Meechi. Maybe she should ease up on the pride and use some of Meechi’s money, but somehow it seemed wrong. A pinch here and there to buy her daughter some extra items was all she could allow. The rest was up to her to provide for her little one. As long as Meechi had food, clothes, and shelter, that was enough. They didn’t need to live in the lap of luxury.

Just thinking of that lifestyle got her back up. Not so much what money could buy, rather the people it had bought and the fact that Meechi’s grandmother thought she was one of them. Well she could keep thinking it, and Stephanie would have nothing to do with any of them. Meechi, when she turned twenty-one, could make her own decisions regarding her father’s family.

A light rain began to fall, so she flipped the windshield wipers on. She checked the time. At just after six, she needed to get a move on. Meechi insisted she was old enough to go straight home after school, but Stephanie kept her ten year old at the daycare center she had used since her daughter was five. Her baby might be growing up, but she wasn’t there yet.

Stephanie stepped on the gas and punched it to sixty-five in a fifty-five mile zone. That wasn’t so bad, and the narrow back road was all country with light traffic. She hadn’t come across anyone for several miles now. As if she called him by thinking it, another driver crested the slight incline in the distance. No light on the top of the vehicle, Stephanie didn’t bother slowing down, but when the car veered onto her side of the street, her chest muscles constricted.

What the hell? Get on your own side, you idiot.

She pressed the break and pounded on the horn. The car veered back on his side, but she lowered her speed anyway. Less than a quarter mile away, the car veered again, and everything around her seemed to slow down. She flicked a glance to her rearview, pressed harder on the break, and searched her mind for solutions if the other driver didn’t alter his course.

Stephanie pulled to the opposite side of the road, but the other car moved to that side as well. She swerved over the yellow lines. The other driver veered back and forth.

Drunk, she thought in a panic.

With a last ditch effort, she left the road and drove in the dirt on the shoulder and bounced to a halt, her heart hammering. Stephanie put a hand up to her head and shut her eyes. The harsh cry of a bird somewhere nearby startled her, and she looked up in time to see the car coming at her.

No! She screamed, and the sound of crunching metal and fiberglass filled her mind. Glass shattered, and pain tore through her body. She tried sucking in a breath, but it hurt to breathe. Her head spun like a top, and darkness descended.

The next time she opened her eyes, she whimpered in pain. Her blurred vision didn’t allow her to see much, but someone held her in his arms. His deep, comforting voice soothed the panic to some degree.

Meechi, she whispered. She’s waiting for me.

Everything will be okay, the man said.

Stephanie had trouble holding her head up as it lolled against the man’s chest, a bare chest, if she wasn’t mistaken. Who would be out in this chilly, wet weather without a shirt on? Her fingers brushed dirt, and pain shot up her arm. She cried out, and he begged her forgiveness.

It hurts. I think there’s glass in my eyes. I can’t see.

Hold on, he encouraged her. Just hold on a little while longer.

Chapter One

Seven months later...

Stephanie bent closer to the paper until her nose touched, but it made no difference. She could not make out the words. She grumbled in annoyance. Meechi, come here a minute, please.

Her daughter appeared at the entrance to her room, which looked like it had thrown up the color pink on every spot. Or rather it did to her now that she couldn’t see the distinctive designs very well. Mommie, I’m right in the middle of the good part.

Stephanie raised a single eyebrow. "Excuse me, miss? I think you better check the attitude and come help me. Now."

Her daughter pressed her lips together and set the book in her hand aside. Then she hurried over to Stephanie. Sorry, Mommie.

That’s better. Now, what time does it say this program begins? She handed the page to Meechi.

It says seven o’clock. Are you really going to that, Mommie? You can’t even see the costumes.

But I’ll be able to hear the music. Stephanie smiled. Everything has been put on hold, but this is the one thing I can enjoy.

You still write in your notebook, her daughter suggested.

Stephanie hugged her. Meechi was a typical child with little patience for anything other than her interests, but at least she tried to help Stephanie with the little things she had trouble with. She didn’t know what she’d have done if the accident happened when Meechi was an infant. A shiver raced over her skin, drawing goose bumps. And that man...

Stephanie had inquired about who pulled her from her car and called an ambulance for her, but no one had any info. He disappeared after making sure she would get help, and that was the last she heard from him. Either way, he had her gratitude.

The TV blared in the background while Stephanie went about finding clothes to wear to the play. She liked to listen to her shows while straightening the apartment, and when Meechi read from her endless supply of books, Stephanie sat as close as she wanted to the screen. In that way, she could just make out what was going on. With her writing, she’d had to switch from notebook paper to drawing paper because she couldn’t see the lines. She made sure to make her letters large and to keep the lines straight. What she missed most of all being legally blind was seeing Meechi’s sweet face. She encouraged herself with the fact that it wouldn’t be much longer until she had surgery and could see again.

By six, Stephanie was dressed for her rare evening out, and kissing Meechi good-bye. Don’t stay up late reading. I know how you are.

Meechi peered up at her, she knew, with wide, innocent eyes. Stephanie couldn’t help kissing her again.

As she stepped from the building and strolled toward the taxi, Stephanie had the feeling someone watched her. She paused and scanned the area. Shapes, colors, and shadows were all she could make out. She heard the neighborhood kids playing on the opposite side of the street. Someone strolled along the walk not far away, but it didn’t appear that they paid her any mind. Maybe paranoia had set in after the accident and because of her limited vision. This was why she liked to get past her fears and go out sometimes, to shake off that helpless sensation.

She jumped into the waiting taxi and settled back with a smile. She loved jazz music,