Daddy By Default Read online




  Who was Brian’s father?

  Letter to Reader

  Title Page

  Books by Nikki Benjamin

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Copyright

  Who was Brian’s father?

  Gabriel Serrano knew.

  Madelyn St. James thought she knew.

  But sometimes there was a difference between the facts and the truth.

  Gabriel and Madelyn shared a secret—and a past they would both rather forget. Yet out of their darkest hours blossomed a love neither one could ever have predicted....

  DADDY BY DEFAULT

  by Nikki Benjamin

  (Author of THE WEDDING VENTURE,

  IM#645)

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome back to another month of great reading here at Silhouette Intimate Moments. Favorite author Marie Ferrarella gets things off to a rousing start with The Amnesiac Bride. Imagine waking up in a beautiful bridal suite, a ring on your finger and a gorgeous guy by your side—and no memory at all of who he is or how you got there! That’s Whitney Bradshaw’s dilemma in a nutshell, and wait ’til you see where things go from there.

  Maggie Shayne brings you the next installment in her exciting miniseries, THE TEXAS BRAND, with The Baddest Virgin in Texas. If ever a title said it all, that’s the one. I guarantee you’re going to love this book. Nikki Benjamin’s Daddy by Default is a lesson in what can happen when you hang on to a secret from your past Luckily, what happens in this case ends up being very, very good. Beverly Bird begins a new miniseries, THE WEDDING RING, with Loving Mariah. It takes a missing child to bring Adam Wallace and Mariah Fisher together, but nothing will tear them apart. Kate Hathaway’s back with Bad For Each Other, a secret-baby story that’s chock-full of emotion. And finally, welcome new author Stephanie Doyle, whose Undiscovered Hero will have you eagerly turning the pages.

  This month and every month, if you’re looking for romantic reading at its best, come to Silhouette Intimate Moments.

  Enjoy!

  Leslie Wainger

  Senior Editor and Editorial Coordinator

  * * *

  Please address questions and book requests to:

  Silhouette Reader Service

  U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

  Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

  * * *

  DADDY BY DEFAULT

  NIKKI BENJAMIN

  Books by Nikki Benjamin

  Silhouette Intimate Moments

  A Man To Believe In #359

  Restless Wind #519

  The Wedding Venture #645

  The Lady and Alex Payton #729

  Daddy by Default #789

  Silhouette Special Edition

  Emily’s House #539

  On the Whispering Wind #663

  The Best Medicine #716

  It Must Have Been the Mistletoe #782

  My Baby, Your Child #880

  Only St. Nick Knew #928

  NIKKI BENJAMIN

  was bom and raised in the Midwest, but after years in the Houston area, she considers herself a true Texan. Nikki says she’s always been an avid reader—her earliest literary heroines were Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Beany Malone. Her writing experience was limited, however, until a friend started penning a novel and encouraged Nikki to do the same. One scene led to another, and soon she was hooked.

  When not reading or writing, the author enjoys spending time with her husband and son, needlepoint, hiking, biking, horseback riding and sailing.

  Prologue

  With a muttered curse, Ethan Merritt sat back in his chair, pressed the heels of his hands to his forehead and closed his eyes, blocking out what little he could see of the small, sparsely furnished room where he’d slept the past four weeks. The sharp, stabbing pain shooting through his skull was almost unbearable, but soon now, he would finally have some surcease.

  Outside the open window, a chorus of frogs peeped and croaked, rhapsodizing melodically, while myriad night-flying insects, drawn by the light, thunked and fluttered against the fine mesh of the screen. Familiar sounds underscored by the whisper of waves upon the sandy shore a few hundred yards from the wood-frame house he shared with his assistant, Madelyn St. James. Sounds he had grown accustomed to during their stay in the Bay Islands of Honduras. Sounds that soothed his soul when daylight faded into darkness and he had no choice but to sit alone and contemplate his fate.

  He was only forty-five, and he was known internationally for the excellence of his outdoor photography. Until six months ago, he’d believed he had everything to live for. Now he was going blind. And worse, he was slowly, surely succumbing to a creeping paralysis that would eventually leave him as helpless as a newborn.

  He could have dealt with the loss of his sight, and he would have. But the prospect of ending up dependent on the kindness of strangers for the simplest of his wants and needs was more than he could countenance. And considering what a bastard he’d been all his life, who but a stranger—a highly paid stranger, at that—would look after him?

  His half brother? Ethan mused. Or his lovely assistant?

  Gabriel would hardly welcome him with open arms, but neither would he turn him away. He had already proven himself to be the kind of decent man who willingly did what he believed to be his duty. But Ethan had no right to burden Gabe again. No right at all after what he had done to him ten years ago.

  Madelyn, too, had proven to be a decent person. She had already indicated her willingness to stay with him as long as he wanted, and she would. She was good and kind and capable, and lately, so damned dependable. But Ethan couldn’t allow himself to take advantage of her, either. She had put up with enough of his guff, standing by him long after someone less principled would have walked away without a backward glance.

  Poor girl. She’d had no idea what she was getting herself into when she agreed to hire on as his assistant. Either she hadn’t heard or had chosen not to believe the rumors going around about him.

  Ethan could only imagine how dismayed she must have been when she finally realized what a jerk he could be. Yet she hadn’t cut and run. Rather, she had given as good as she got, putting him in his place whenever necessary, treating him much as she must have done the more obnoxious of the adolescents she’d taught in junior high school.

  Against all odds, her skill with a camera had also surpassed his wildest expectations. As the virus he’d contracted in South America half a dozen years ago began to take its toll, robbing him of his sight, more and more of the work he’d sold as his own had actually been hers.

  She’d probably go on letting him use her indefinitely, but he couldn’t do that. Unfortunately, neither could he get her to leave of her own accord. For the past few days, he had done his damnedest to drive her away. Ignoring his foul mood, she had quietly completed the photographs he’d been hired to do for Travel International. Then, having read about a doctor in Houston who specialized in the treatment of rare tropical diseases, she had made arrangements for them to fly there the day after tomorrow.

  With a weary sigh, Ethan dropped his hands to his lap and opened his eyes again. Despite the bright light shed by the bare bulb hanging overhead, he could make out little more than vague shapes and shadows.

  He wanted to share Madelyn’s belief that there could be a cure for him, but he knew better. And he wasn’t about to use the money he had left on what would o
nly prove to be a futile effort to save himself. Not when he had the boy to consider.

  Thus, he had made arrangements of his own. Arrangements meant to benefit the three people involved. More than likely, they wouldn’t realize that at the outset. But maybe one day... Maybe Gabriel, Madelyn and the boy would—

  “You’re up later than usual. Having trouble sleeping again?”

  Caught off guard, Ethan turned toward the sound of Madelyn’s voice. He wished he could see her clearly one more time. Tall and slim and young and lovely—her auburn hair falling thick and straight to her shoulders, her gray-green eyes bright with interest, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

  But he couldn’t allow her to come any closer. Her concern for him was almost palpable. All too easily, albeit unknowingly, she might tempt him to hang on a little longer, and that he simply couldn’t do. Not with his window of opportunity closing more rapidly than he’d originally anticipated.

  “Actually, I was just on my way to bed.” He stood, tugged his T-shirt over his head and tossed it on the chair. Arching an eyebrow, he added sardonically, “I don’t suppose there’s any chance I can induce you to join me?”

  “Ethan, please, give it up, will you?” she replied, her exasperation evident despite her teasing tone.

  “Come now, Maddy, admit it. You’d be hurt if I didn’t hit on you at least once a week.” He favored her with a slight smile, turned and moved toward the bed, the weakness in his legs slowing his progress.

  “Not necessarily,” she answered. Then, more seriously, she asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been kind of quiet all day.”

  “Just thinking about all I have to do before we head back to the States. I don’t want to leave any loose ends.”

  “You never do,” she assured him.

  “Mostly, thanks to you.” He paused, then glanced back at her, adding before he could stop himself, “I really do appreciate all you’ve done for me.”

  “In your own churlish way?” she responded with the barest hint of sarcasm.

  “I’m not always a boor, am I?”

  “Not always,” she conceded. Seeming to hesitate, she shifted in the doorway. “Ethan—?”

  “As you said, it’s late, and I’m tired,” he cut in, unwilling to allow their conversation to take a maudlin turn.

  “Then I’d better let you get to bed.”

  “I’ll probably sleep late in the morning.”

  Casually, he slid one hand into the pocket of his khaki shorts and curled his fingers around the vial of pain pills he’d been hoarding for almost two months.

  “Sounds like a good idea to me. I’ll probably do the same.”

  She lingered a few moments longer, then finally murmured a quiet “good night.”

  Barely resisting the urge to call out to her, to beg her to stay, Ethan stood still and silent until he heard the door close. Then he sat on the edge of the bed, took a deep, steadying breath and eased the vial from his pocket.

  Chapter 1

  “You’re not serious, are you, Cullen? Please, tell me you’re not serious,” Gabriel Serrano demanded as he shot to his feet, almost overturning the sturdy leather armchair he’d been sitting in.

  Making no attempt to hide his anger, he leaned forward, braced his hands on the desk and glared at the lawyer.

  “I wish I could, Gabe. But in this addendum to his will, Ethan bequeathed his half ownership of the house the two of you inherited from your mother to a woman by the name of Madelyn St. James.”

  Obviously caught off guard by Gabriel’s immoderate behavior, Cullen Birney eyed him uncertainly as he held out a small sheaf of papers.

  His fury mounting, Gabriel grabbed the papers, crumpled them in his fist and tossed them on the desk.

  “The bastard. The dirty, rotten, stinking bastard.”

  Turning away, he paced across the office, paused, shoved his hands in the pockets of his suit pants and stared at the floor.

  Over the years, Ethan had taken great pleasure in letting Gabriel know just how little he meant to him, treating him unconscionably on more than one occasion. That he had chosen to do so from beyond the grave, as well, was almost more than he could bear.

  There had been many times when he’d had good reason to damn his older brother to hell. But lately there had also been times when Gabriel had hoped the two of them might one day reconcile. Not so much for their sake, but for Brian’s.

  Now he realized what a fool he’d been to consider such a possibility. Ethan wouldn’t have been interested. In fact, he probably would have laughed in his face had Gabriel found the courage to suggest it. And then, knowing Ethan, he would have taken even greater delight in the little... surprise he had been planning for his younger brother.

  How could he have done it? How could he have left his half of the house to some bimbo? Had his brother hated him that much? Or had he fallen under the woman’s spell? Considering his brother’s track record, Gabriel found that hard to believe. She’d have to be one hot little piece of—

  “I’m sorry, Gabe,” Cullen said. He stood, crossed to Gabriel and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know how much the house means to you.”

  “You’ve made sure the damn thing’s legit?”

  “I’ve gone over the will as well as the addendum, looking for loopholes, but there aren’t any. I also took a look at the copy of your mother’s will I found in my father’s files. I had hoped that she’d left instructions regarding the disposition of the house should one of you die, but unfortunately, she didn’t. So, yes, as far as I can see, the addendum is legitimate, and thus, legally binding.”

  “Is there any way I can challenge it? Maybe prove that he wasn’t in his right mind or that he was coerced?” Gabriel asked, eyeing his friend hopefully.

  “You could, but I’m afraid you’d be wasting your time and your money,” Cullen advised. “I contacted Gerald Goodson, the New York lawyer who drew up the addendum for Ethan before he left for Honduras. Goodson indicated your brother was of sound mind and body when he signed the papers. He also told me, in no uncertain terms, that he was prepared to say as much in court. I gather Ethan must have expressed some concern that you would try to interfere—”

  “And he wanted to make sure his lady love wouldn’t have any trouble collecting the payment he obviously promised her for services rendered,” Gabriel cut in bitterly.

  “Actually, Madelyn St. James was his assistant,” Cullen replied, his tone placating.

  “Oh, yeah. I can just imagine how inventively she saw to his... needs.”

  “When I talked to her earlier, she sounded quite nice. A little young maybe, but nice.”

  “Of course, she would be. Nice and young. That’s the way Ethan always liked them,” Gabriel muttered.

  For one long moment, he recalled what a nice, young woman Lily had been the day Ethan had taken a fancy to her ten years ago. Then, realizing Cullen had indicated he’d spoken to the St. James woman, Gabriel shoved that sad memory aside and rounded on the lawyer.

  “You talked to her? When?”

  “Yesterday afternoon,” Cullen replied, returning to his desk.

  “You called her?”

  “Actually, she called me. Then I called you and, as you may remember, insisted we meet today.”

  “Why did you wait until now to tell me you’d talked to her?” Glaring at the lawyer, Gabriel stalked back to the leather armchair and sat down again.

  “I thought we ought to go over Ethan’s will and the addendum first.”

  “Well, we’ve done that,” Gabriel shot back impatiently.

  “Yes, we have,” Cullen agreed. “And, as I’ve told you, both documents appear to be legitimate. Consequently, you and Madelyn St. James now share ownership of the property located at 15 Alameda Road.”

  Sitting back in his chair, Cullen seemed to hesitate.

  “And?” Gabriel prodded.

  Had he any choice at all, he would rather not know what had given his friend pause
. But he was afraid that where the St. James woman was concerned, avoiding the inevitable—even for a short time-would put him at a disadvantage.

  “She would like to take a look at the house sometime later today.”

  “Oh, really?”

  Unable to ignore the flicker of worry edging around his anger, Gabriel eyed Cullen narrowly. Having to allow a stranger access to his house made him feel powerless. But what could he do about it? According to Cullen, she had just as much right to be there as he did.

  “She arrived in Santa Fe yesterday afternoon,” his friend offered by way of explanation. “Apparently, she found a letter addressed to her among Ethan’s personal papers. In it he advised her to contact me about the house. From the little she said during our conversation, I gather she hasn’t seen a copy of Ethan’s will or the addendum, and she doesn’t seem to know about you or...your son.”

  “So she thinks she’s inherited sole ownership of the house?” Gabriel muttered.

  “Yes.”

  Ethan had always been good at throwing monkey wrenches into the works, but he’d really outdone himself by adding that addendum to his will. With what amounted to little more than the stroke of a pen, he had turned Gabriel’s life upside down, and more than likely, Madelyn St. James’s, as well.

  Gabriel could have almost felt sorry for the woman. But then, he reminded himself, she had chosen to associate with his half brother of her own free will. And any woman foolish enough to do that deserved to suffer the consequences.

  “Did you set her straight?”

  “I thought it would be wiser to explain the situation in person,” Cullen said.

  “When are you planning to do that?”

  “She’s agreed to meet with me at three o’clock this afternoon. I’ll go over Ethan’s will with her, and then...” As he had earlier, the lawyer hesitated. Glancing down, he straightened the papers Gabriel had tossed aside as he added, “John Santos will be joining us at my request.”