Free Vow to Protect by Ann Voss Peterson

hold him close. To convince herself he would be all right. She folded her hands in her lap.
    Tears surged at the backs of her eyes, tears she didn’t know she still had in her. Swallowing hard, she forced them back.
    â€œMom?”
    She hadn’t known he was still awake. “Yes, Ethan?”
    â€œYou don’t have to worry. Cord will keep us safe. I know he will.”
    She’d like to believe that. But after Cord’s comment about this being the least he could do, she couldn’t help but wonder if somewhere in his mind he had an idea of what the most might be. And the desire to fulfill it.

Chapter Seven
    Cord looked up from the cot where he stretched out, his chest bare. Thick lines of tattoos etched the contours of muscle and marred smooth skin. “Can’t sleep?”
    Trepidation shot through Melanie. She’d spent the last hour listening to the gentle sound of Ethan’s breathing, trying to push Cord’s comment from her mind. But she’d had about as much luck as she was now having keeping her eyes off his bare chest. “What you said before was bothering me.”
    â€œAnd what was that?” He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the cot.
    â€œI think it would be a good idea to set things straight.” Crossing her arms over her breasts, she leaned back against the doorjamb. She needed the support. “You can’t suddenly step into Ethan’s life and be his father. He has a good life. He doesn’t—”
    â€œNeed me?” Cord rose to his feet. He crossedthe room toward her. The shadows of individual windowpanes scrolled over his bare arms and chest as he walked, morphing and changing the tattoos. “I know. I don’t belong near a kid. I don’t need you to tell me that.”
    â€œThen what was your comment about? That this was the least you could do?”
    â€œJust that.” He stopped ten feet from her. “I’ll never be much of a father, and I don’t want him using me as some kind of role model any more than you do. But I can keep my son safe. I can kill Kane if he shows his face. You don’t need to thank me for doing the one thing I can. It really is the least I can do. I wish I could do more.”
    She bit down on the inside of her lip. Maybe she shouldn’t have thanked him for saving his own son. But since she’d first learned she was pregnant, Ethan had been hers and hers alone. Thinking of him as also being Cord’s son would take getting used to.
    She caught herself. She wasn’t going to get used to it. Cord wasn’t going to be in Ethan’s life long enough. “I’m sorry. But I’m glad we had this talk. I’m glad we understand each other.”
    â€œWe do.”
    She lowered her lids and rubbed her fingers over her forehead, suddenly so tired she could hardly stay upright. It would be hard to get through these next days holed up in this shell of a condowith Cord, but she could do it as long as she knew that Cord would walk away when it was over. That Ethan would be okay in the long run.
    And that she’d be okay, too.
    When she opened her eyes, Cord was staring at her. The intensity of his blue eyes sparked a tremble high in her stomach. “What?”
    He blew a derisive laugh through his nose and shook his head. “I’ve thought about what I’d say to you for the past ten years.”
    She didn’t want to hear what he had to say. “Cord…”
    â€œI rehearsed it. Honed it. Even though I never planned to actually say any of it.”
    â€œI don’t think we should talk about this.”
    â€œWhy not? If Kane hadn’t included your name in his invitation, you never would have seen or heard from me. But he did. And I can’t pretend you’re not standing here in front of me now.”
    â€œI don’t want to hear it. I can’t.” She turned, the need to get back into the room with Ethan almost