Free Repressed (Deadly Secrets) by Elisabeth Naughton Page A

she only continued to stare at him, he tipped his head. “Ever cheat on a test in school, Samantha?”
    “Of course not.”
    Of course not. Silly question. “Sneak out of your parents’ house late at night?”
    She shook her head.
    He couldn’t help but smile. He’d never been attracted to a woman as straightlaced as Samantha Parker. “Get caught buying alcohol with a fake ID?”
    When she pinned him with a look, he laughed. “Honey, you’re with the wrong guy.”
    “You did all that?”
    “And way worse. I was a class-A juvenile delinquent. Why do you think I’m so comfortable around kids like Thomas?”
    She leaned against the hood next to him. He didn’t miss the fact that she set the bottle at her feet, as close to being under the car as possible should anyone venture their direction.
    “You look like you turned out all right.”
    Her face was cast in shadows as she took a bite of her sandwich, but her eyes danced in the dim light. Something in his gut tightened under her watchful gaze, something other than lust. He lifted his beer for a deep drink. “I was reformed. A lot of kids like me don’t get a second chance.”
    “Is that why you became a juvenile counselor?”
    “Partly.” Ethan debated how much to tell her. He didn’t want to scare her off, but at the same time, if he wanted her to open up to him, he knew he needed to take the first step. “I told you my siblings and I were each adopted. My father’s a psychiatrist; my mother’s an ER doctor. I don’t know if it was their need to help others or what, but when they couldn’t have kids of their own, they decided instead of adopting a baby, they’d help some of the kids they see walk through their doors on a daily basis.”
    “Did one of your parents treat you at some point?”
    “Sort of. I met Michael McClane after I got into some trouble. I’d kind of bounced from foster home to foster home before that. He was the first person who actually gave me a chance.”
    “Huh.” She looked down at her feet.
    “What?”
    “Nothing, it’s just . . . your background sounds a lot like Thomas’s.”
    It did. Ethan knew that was probably the reason Judge Wilson had asked him to take this case. There was just one minor difference. Thomas hadn’t gotten himself into the same kind of trouble Ethan had. Not even close.
    He wasn’t ready to explain that whole ordeal to Samantha—wasn’t sure he ever would be—so he decided to change the subject. “The other reason I’m a child psychologist is because I like working with kids. Keeps me young.”
    A wry smile toyed with the edge of her lips. “They definitely keep you on your toes. The kids are the one part about my job I really like.”
    “Where did you teach before?”
    “I didn’t. I was a research scientist for a pharmaceutical company in California up until a few months ago.”
    “Really?” When she nodded, he said, “What brought you to Hidden Falls?”
    “My mother was sick. I came home to help take care of her. It was only supposed to be temporary. Some things . . . ” She looked out over the football field, her gaze growing distant. “Some things just never go as planned, you know? I guess all you can do is adapt and move on.”
    The emptiness in her voice touched him in a way he hadn’t expected. She was an intricate puzzle, feisty one minute, sweet the next, reserved and outspoken and mysterious all at the same time. And he wanted to know why. Wanted to know what had happened in her life that had shaped her into the woman she was today. Wanted to know everything about her.
    He took the sandwich from her hand and set it on the hood of the car. She glanced up with wide eyes as he grasped her hand and pulled her away from the vehicle.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Enjoying the moment.” He slid one arm around her waist and drew her close. From the speakers, some country singer’s deep voice crooned about the lost days of youth. Soft rays from the headlights washed