The Tie That Binds

“Us?”

“Yes, us.” Lucas chuckled softly as he extended his hand toward her, seeking her hair. He could smell her—vanilla. Vanilla and spice and something else, something Rachel. Her own scent.

I want her.

One hand was in her hair then, tipping her face toward him. He bent lower, so that his lips brushed her cheek. “You smell so good, Rachel, you feel so right….” And she did. Absolutely perfect. His arms stole around her, pulling her against him, leaving no room for doubt. She fit him. Perfectly.

“Damn you, Lucas! I told you no!”

“Rachel, it’s okay. This is us, sweetheart.”

She wrenched herself away from him. “No, Lucas! It’s not okay. Maybe it never will be.” Her arms were wrapped around herself, sobs wracking her body.

That was the truth she could not hide from.

Dear Reader,

This year may be winding down, but the excitement’s as high as ever here at Silhouette Intimate Moments. National bestselling author Merline Lovelace starts the month off with a bang with A Question of Intent, the first of a wonderful new miniseries called TO PROTECT AND DEFEND. Look for the next book, Full Throttle, in Silhouette Desire in January 2004.

Because you’ve told us you like miniseries, we’ve got three more for you this month. Marie Ferrarella continues her family-based CAVANAUGH JUSTICE miniseries with Crime and Passion. Then we have two military options: Strategic Engagement features another of Catherine Mann’s WINGMEN WARRIORS, while Ingrid Weaver shows she can Aim for the Heart with her newest EAGLE SQUADRON tale. We’ve got a couple of superb stand-alone novels for you, too: Midnight Run, in which a wrongly accused cop has only one option—the heroine!—to save his freedom, by reader favorite Linda Castillo, and Laura Gale’s deeply moving debut, The Tie That Binds, about a reunited couple’s fight to save their daughter’s life.

Enjoy them all—and we’ll see you again next month, for six more of the best and most exciting romances around.

Yours,

Leslie J. Wainger

Executive Editor

The Tie That Binds

Laura Gale

LAURA GALE

is an Arizonan, born and bred, always interested in language, reading and writing. Moving to Australia allowed her to try something different careerwise, and the fiction writer that had been concealed behind her academic facade finally emerged. After moving to Australia, Laura discovered that—for the first time in her life—she had time to try her hand at writing a book, something she’d always claimed she would do…if she had the time. Having picked up her first Harlequin novel when she was twelve, romance was the obvious place to start. In 2001, her first effort at a romance novel won the Emma Darcy Award, and suddenly it seemed that writing might become more than a hobby. The EDA brought her to the attention of Silhouette editors, and The Tie That Binds is that first novel.

Laura believes in romance in real life. She has every reason to: she has been married to her high school sweetheart for over twenty years. Together they have embarked on a variety of adventures, including raising four sons. Moving to a new country is nothing compared to that!

This book is dedicated first to my mother, who was able to read an early version of the manuscript, but whose battle ended before she could see it published. It is she who taught me to color outside the lines, and to revel in the joy to be found there. She knew this was possible.

Also, to my dad,

who taught me the value of the word Why.

To my sisters, Rebecca, Melissa and especially Amy, who has hit the ground running as my PR rep.

To all the other readers (Geri!) who helped me believe that I had written a book. To Monica, for the Spanish— any mistakes were made by me.

And, of course, to Bill who supports me and believes in me, who knows how to cast me in my best light. And, finally, to our boys, who accept what Mom is doing as if every mother does this sort of thing. I love you all!

Author’s Note

Our family came to know about the miracle of bone marrow transplants via City of Hope, in Phoenix. I can’t adequately express our gratitude for their work. Any errors in describing the treatment are entirely mine.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Armor. Armor is good, Rachel Neuman decided, as she stepped into the elevator at the main office of Neuman Industries. Even if it was of the tomato-red, short-skirt, long-jacket variety of armor. It had a certain protective allure to it.

They don’t call it a power suit for nothing, she reflected.

Today, she needed all the support she could get, from all possible sources. Including her clothes. She meant business and she needed to look like she meant business.

If not, she wouldn’t have come anywhere near Lucas’s office, a place she’d avoided for the past five years.

Y todos vivieron muy felices. Rachel would do what she could to see that it came to pass that way, that everyone would live happily ever after.

I will do what I must, mija, she vowed silently. Indeed, she would.

Why would she come here now? What the hell can she possibly want?

Lucas Neuman passed a hand over his face, his initial grimace chased away by a cynical smile. He slammed shut his laptop, shoving it away, drumming agitated fingers on the shiny oak desk.

What reason could she possibly have for seeing me five years after she walked out?

Reaching toward the telephone on his desk, Lucas stabbed the button that would call his secretary. “Jennifer,” he said, “what can you tell me about the ten-thirty appointment you’ve penciled in this morning? I know it wasn’t there yesterday.”

“Yes, that’s right, Mr. Neuman. She called fairly late, when you were out of the office.”

“And?” he prompted, attempting to suppress his mounting irritation—or at least keep it out of his voice. He didn’t have a lot of patience these days, but he didn’t need to shoot the messenger. In this case Jennifer. “Any idea what it’s about?”

“Well, not exactly,” Jennifer responded, sounding uncommonly flustered. “She was…well, she was evasive when I asked.” Lucas heard her take a deep breath before rushing on. “Actually, Mr. Neuman, she said she was your wife,” her disbelief conveyed itself in her voice, “and that it was family business. I didn’t…well, you know, I didn’t push her after that. Do you want me to call and cancel, or do you want me to bring in security, not let her come in?”

“No, no, that isn’t necessary,” Lucas reassured her. “I’m sure it doesn’t merit that. I was just curious.” Nonchalant would be a good way to sound, even though curious was an understatement. “Thanks, Jennifer.”

Lucas listened for the click that would signal the disconnection from Jennifer’s phone and leaned back in his chair, alone with his thoughts. So Rachel is coming here today. God, I hope she isn’t going to be difficult. I hope she doesn’t make a scene.

Reaching toward the humidor on his desk, Lucas selected and lit a cigar, watching as the smoke drifted toward the ceiling.

“Now there’s something Rachel wouldn’t appreciate,” he murmured, thinking of cigars and Rachel’s utter revulsion at the act of smoking. She hadn’t been a health nut herself, not exactly. He shook his head, shaking off the memory.

Rachel had been to his office only once before. That day, five years ago. The day she’d brought him an agreement to separate. He’d been shocked, he recalled. Unable to comprehend what was happening.

Rachel had walked out on him. Quite decently, quite civilly, but she’d walked out nevertheless. He’d have been perfectly content to let things go on as they were.

He had loved her so much then. So completely. But he’d grown up. He no longer believed in love, not like that, not ever again.

He leaned back in his chair again, watching the smoke float to the ceiling, still pondering.

And then it hit him. Knocked the wind right out of him. It was so obvious.

Maybe she finally wants a divorce.

Stepping off the elevator at the seventh floor, Rachel approached the reception desk and introduced herself. Upon the icy instructions from the woman seated at that desk, she found a place to wait. Until her appointment.

Rachel couldn’t help thinking that the woman’s demeanor complemented the decor perfectly.

Neuman Industries—where Lucas was employed and where she was sitting—had been the family business since the 1930s, when Lucas’s great-grandfather had started the company as nothing more than a provider of cement during the WPA projects of the Depression era. His son, Lucas’s grandfather, had expanded the business to encompass large development projects: apartment complexes, office buildings, shopping centers. With Arnold Neuman leading the company, Neuman Industries now designed such projects, as well as constructing them. Lucas himself had been not-so-subtly encouraged to join the company, heavily encouraged to obtain his M.B.A. Lucas had thrown himself into the business with gusto.

As far as Rachel knew, he still did. That would be his style.

“Ma’am,” the overly bleached-blond receptionist intoned in Rachel’s direction, “Mr. Neuman is ready to see you now.”

“Thank you,” Rachel responded, rising from the couch, marveling at how clearly the receptionist had conveyed her contempt for Rachel without ever saying anything precisely negative. The receptionist had made an effort to avoid calling her Mrs. Neuman. Or even Ms. Neuman. Furthermore, she was refusing to escort Rachel to Lucas’s office.

Rachel approached Lucas’s closed office door, rapping on it smartly and entering the room without awaiting a specific invitation. She saw Lucas at his desk, sitting on the other side of a haze of cigar smoke. He leaped to his feet, apparently not prepared for her entrance, the receptionist’s statement notwithstanding.

Lucas felt as if he’d been punched. Air simply wasn’t moving in and out of his lungs the way it should have been. Mechanically he touched the cigar to his lips one last time before blindly plopping it into his ashtray. He stood, knowing he was surely gawking like a teenager. And not very happy about it.

God, she is beautiful. The words seemed to ring inside his head.

He stared at her, knowing he was staring, unable to stop. It felt good to see her, which Lucas didn’t consider to be a good thing at all. He shouldn’t respond to her in a positive way. Still—seeing her, having her there in front of him—it stunned him. It had been so long. He had stopped thinking about her…and about the lack of her. Now, though, Lucas found himself stuck on the thought. She’s beautiful, simply beautiful.

Of course, Rachel had always been lovely—not that she’d ever seemed aware of it. But she’d grown up in the past five years, too, so that the woman before him now was exactly the culmination of the potential she’d shown before. She still wore her rich, dark hair long, the mahogany highlights glinting even in the artificial light of Lucas’s office. Her amber eyes still shimmered, still seemed to look into his soul. Her skin still glowed apricot. Her mouth, always rose-petal soft and tipped up at the corners as if just ready to smile—none of it had changed.

And yet all of it was different. She seemed pale beneath the apricot; gray smudges vaguely visible below her eyes. Those eyes brimmed with shadows Lucas had never seen before, her mouth held tension in the corners along with the ready smile. Despite her very evident curves, she seemed thinner than he might have expected. She seemed tired—weary, even.

Something isn’t right, he realized suddenly, startled that he could detect such signals from Rachel after all this time. He wasn’t especially glad to know he was in tune with her that way. He needed to maintain some distance, even some animosity, he thought, if he was going to leave her with the desired image of himself—that of a man in control, self-assured, unshaken by the arrival of his estranged wife. Even though that image was the complete opposite of how he felt. Still, he was skilled at presenting a front that hid his feelings.

He did it in business all the time, when necessary. Like now.

“Hello, Lucas.” Rachel smiled tentatively, sitting down on the couch without reaching to shake his hand. “A bit smoggy in here,” she commented, eyeing the cigar smoke hovering over their heads, momentarily desperate for small talk.

Lucas continued to stare, annoyance at his inability to control the situation—and his reaction to Rachel’s presence—threatening to dwarf whatever other emotions he felt.

“Never mind, Lucas,” she said, rattled by the glare he directed her way, seeking to defuse his reaction to her observation. Attempting to ignore also the erratic beat of her heart. “I’m just surprised to see you smoking.” She followed him with her eyes as he returned to his chair, somewhat relieved that he had broken his unblinking perusal of her, knowing it didn’t mean his mood was improved. “But then—” She shrugged, affecting a calm she did not feel. After all, she had well-developed internal armor by now. “—I suppose it suits your playboy executive image.”

“Is that what you think I am?” he fairly snarled, having decided to go on the offensive, given that he had blundered his way through her arrival. He knew a brusque attack could set the enemy back, and he was thinking of Rachel as the enemy at this point. Aggression would be his weapon of choice in this case. He certainly had no intention of trying to charm Rachel. This was not the time to question his reasoning, either.

“Actually,” Rachel was answering him, “it’s not something I think about. But I imagine you might see yourself that way. More or less.”

They stared at each other for a few minutes. “Do you want anything to drink?” he inquired grudgingly, professional good manners instinctively forming the words. Maybe there was comfort in small talk.

“Just some water, please. I won’t be here all that long.”

Lucas stabbed a button on his phone. “Jennifer, please bring a glass of ice water and some coffee.” He leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing as he zeroed in on Rachel again. He needed to shake her composure the way she had shaken his. “Why are you here? Jennifer told me you claimed family business.” He folded his arms across his chest, affecting a bored yet confrontational stance. “Does that mean you’re ready for a divorce?”

She started slightly. “I hadn’t even thought of that, Lucas,” she answered, her eyes momentarily wide with surprise. “We could do that now, I suppose. But I’m actually here because…well, it really is family business. I’m hoping we can…put aside our differences and do what needs to be done.”

She broke off as a knock came at the door. Jennifer entered, pushing a cart holding a coffeepot, a mug and assorted condiments, as well as a pitcher of water and a glass of ice. She wheeled the cart to the side of Lucas’s desk, where she made a great show of pouring a cup of coffee, adding one teaspoon of sugar and handing it to Lucas—demonstrating for Rachel’s benefit her thorough knowledge of Lucas’s preferences. At least where coffee was concerned. Rachel wondered briefly if this woman knew Lucas’s preferences in other ways, too, then forced herself to ignore the question.

Meanwhile, the woman pushed the cart closer to Rachel and left the room with a flourish.

Rachel suppressed a smile, privately noting the receptionist’s continuing silent protest at Rachel’s presence. Rachel knew Lucas would never understand if she tried to explain what had occurred. He had always been oblivious to certain things. Jennifer’s performance had been utterly wasted on him. Silently Rachel poured herself a glass of water and settled back into the couch, openly examining the man who was still her husband.

So there he is, she thought, looking incredibly like Pierce Brosnan at his James Bond best. Only better. Unfortunately.

Seeing him warmed her, she acknowledged, although that, too, was unfortunate. She’d wanted to be immune to him in every way. She needed to be immune. She just needed his help. She didn’t need him. There was a difference.

Still, she could hardly avoid noticing that Lucas was now a full-grown, highly potent man, no longer the boy teetering on manhood he’d been when they had married. That fact was having an impact on her heartbeat, she knew. But there he was. He stood over six feet tall and was still lean and fit, despite having filled out some in the years since she’d seen him. Little lines had etched themselves around his eyes, lines that might be laugh lines or something else. He certainly wasn’t smiling now, so Rachel couldn’t draw any conclusions on that score. He still wore his black hair short, undoubtedly still disgusted at its tendency to curl if allowed to have any length. She didn’t detect any gray in its blackness.

His charcoal-gray eyes were the eyes she remembered—she saw those eyes every day. Dark and yet clear, having always reminded Rachel of Apache Tears, the clear black gemstone found throughout Arizona. She’d always been able to see what he was feeling in those clear gray eyes. But not anymore.

Everything about him was so familiar to her, yet she was not comfortable with this man. She couldn’t be sure she knew him at all. Five years changed a person. They had certainly changed her.

Lucas watched her link her hands around her glass of water. He took in the details: short, well-maintained fingernails—maybe some kind of clear polish. Competent hands, he thought, nothing frivolous there. No rings. Not even the ones he’d given her all those years ago. That change bothered him. He couldn’t—or wouldn’t—consider why.

“So,” he began, trying to steer the conversation back where he thought it was supposed to be heading, attempting to draw in a deep breath, “you were about to mention family business of some kind.”

She sighed and looked away, lending credence to his suspicion that something was wrong. She took another sip from her glass before setting it down.

“Yes, Lucas,” she began. “Well, there’s no easy way to say this, so I guess I’ll just…say it.” She shrugged again, completely unaware of the habit.

“That’s a good way to start,” he responded.

Looking him square in the face, she stated, “I need your help, Lucas.”

“My help?” His eyebrows shot up. “You need money?”

“No, Lucas,” she answered patiently, as if catering to a child’s limited attention span. “I’m not interested in your money. I’ve never asked you for money, and I’m certainly not about to start now. What I need is more…personal, I guess.” She paused, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. Taking a deep breath, she rushed on.

“We have a daughter, Lucas. She’s four. She’ll be five in December. She’s ill. She has leukemia. She needs a bone marrow transplant.” She paused in what was clearly a prepared, carefully rehearsed speech, a speech she was nevertheless having difficulty delivering. “The chemotherapy has done what it can. She can’t really do that anymore. And while bone marrow transplants used to be a ‘last resort’ thing, they’re a lot more common now, especially once a patient has gone into remission. They’re effective with children and used fairly often with the kind of leukemia she has. But—” she swallowed “—a compatible donor must be identified. Usually, the best matches are blood relatives. I’m not that match. No one in my family is. We’ve even done a donor drive at the hospital, and while it did a lot to improve the donor registry we have in this state, especially among Hispanics, it didn’t identify a compatible donor for her. That means we need to explore other options.”

She started to run her hand through her hair, then resorted to patting it when she remembered she had it clipped into a ponytail. “There are options, alternative means for obtaining bone marrow—but we need to exhaust the obvious routes before we turn to less traditional means. Those ways…would not be the first choice left to us at this point.” She took a deep breath. “Siblings are usually the most likely source, but with no siblings…” She shrugged again, letting that serve as an answer. “The best choice now is to test you, Lucas. As her father, as a blood relative, it’s logical that you may be the match she needs. I know she has your blood type, not that that guarantees anything. So,” she drew out the word, heard the quaver in her voice, “I’m hoping you’ll agree to be a donor for her. Or, more precisely, I’m asking you to be typed so we can see if you’re a suitable match for her.”

Lucas sat transfixed in his chair, too overwhelmed to move.

So here it is, he thought vaguely, Rachel’s second visit to my office and I’m having my second out-of-body experience.

Chapter 2

“What the hell are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? Do you think I’m stupid?”

Rachel paled at Lucas’s tone and, no doubt, at his volume, but gave no other outward sign of her trembling nerves. “What part are you having trouble with?”

“The part where you claim I have a daughter! That we have a daughter!” He laughed without humor. “And everything else that comes after that!”

Lucas stood, his agitation so deep he simply could not hold still. He began pacing behind his desk. “I don’t believe any of this, do you understand? If you want money for some reason, fine. Admit it. We’ll talk about it. I’m not sure I’d contribute to the upkeep of some kid that can’t possibly be mine—if you actually have a kid of your own, if you’ve been that irresponsible—but trying to convince me that the child would be mine? If that’s what you’re trying to do here, Rachel, you might as well leave now. I don’t have time for lies.” He quit pacing and whirled to face her. “Are you listening? Forget it! Don’t expect me to buy a story like that! Do you hear me?”

He was yelling and he knew it, but he was powerless to stop. It occurred to him that if a scene was erupting, he was to blame. But what other reaction could he have to Rachel’s ridiculous claim?

“Of course I hear you, Lucas,” she responded quietly, with dignity, although she was shaken. She’d be damned if she’d let it show.

“Where should I start?” Mentally enumerating, she began quietly, unruffled only on the outside. She had to make him understand—it was too important. “Okay, Lucas, I repeat: I do not want your money. I want your bone marrow. Or, rather, Michaela does.”

“Mee-kay-la?” he sneered.

“Yes, Michaela. I named her after my parents—Michaela Juanita. Papá, of course, is Michael and Mamá’s middle name is Juanita, as is mine.” She sounded tired but proud. “She’s beautiful, too. Smart. Sweet. La niñita más linda del mundo.” Rachel gave a start, alarmed that she had accidentally said aloud her private motto that her daughter was the most beautiful little girl in the world. “Anyway,” she rushed on, “she is indeed your child—”

“Oh, give it a rest, Rachel! She can’t be mine and we both know it! Our sex life was practically nonexistent when you decided to walk out.”

“Practically nonexistent, yes. But not entirely.” She refused to rise to the bait. This was not the time to argue over who had done the abandoning. “Think about it, Lucas. We weren’t celibate with each other, even at the lowest point in our marriage. Our sex life was irregular, yes. Inconsistent, yes. But not nonexistent. And before you start suggesting I was sleeping around, let’s just recall which one of us sought external…companionship. That was you and you know it.” She clamped her lips together, regretting her outburst. Bringing all that into it would not help her cause.