Guarding Camille

Guarding Camille
Judy Christenberry

From Megan Maitland’s Diary

Dear Diary,

I’ve experienced many joys in the past few months, but none could compare with having my baby back home. Oh, Jake’s a man now, but he’s my youngest, and to me, he’ll always be the baby. I’ve really missed him. Of course, he’s come back on some kind of mission, but I’m going to do my best to convince him to stay. And this time, I wouldn’t mind if his “case” stays around, too!

Being around Camille Eckart and her infant son, Jamie, seems to have changed my loner son. And I, for one, am very glad to see it. Who knows, with the rash of weddings lately, maybe Jake will be inspired. Families provide an anchor—one that would keep my son home for good. And with luck, I’ll see a few more grandchildren before long….

Guarding Camille

Judy Christenberry

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. In fact, Judy recently quit her job teaching French just so she could devote her time to writing. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy is a transplanted Texan, who now lives near Phoenix, Arizona.

For Christina and Josh Willi, my daughter and son-in-law,

for their patience and support, and for Brenda Chin,

my editor, who always gives me a challenge

and hangs around to help me meet it.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

DAMN THE WOMAN.

Jake Maitland regretted that thought immediately. It wasn’t Camille’s fault. She and the baby were the innocent ones in the chaotic events of the past six months.

He rubbed the back of his neck, but his gaze remained fixed on the woman who had become the center of his universe.

“Jake? Is that you?” she called softly, leaning forward in the rocking chair.

He stepped into the doorway so she could see him, knowing she would have covered her breast where her baby was nursing.

“Yeah, it’s me. I was just checking on you.”

“I’m sorry if he woke you. I’m afraid it will be a while before he sleeps all night.”

Her soft voice matched her appearance. When Jake watched her, he always thought of the Madonna and child. Her beauty was enhanced by the sense of serenity that exuded from her.

He would never have believed the wife of a gangster could make him have such thoughts…ex-wife, he reminded himself.

“I was awake,” he muttered, and drew closer.

She laughed quietly. “Too bad you can’t feed him, then. I could use the sleep.”

He held up his hands as if warding off evil. “I don’t know anything about babies.”

“And your family runs a maternity hospital? Please!” she protested, laughing again.

“I’m not part of the family business.”

He moved past her to stare out at the darkness. No, he wasn’t a part of Maitland Maternity Clinic. Hell! Until he’d come back with Camille, he’d barely seen his family in the last few years.

Yet when he’d needed a safe place to hide Camille, coming back to Austin—his home—had been his immediate gut response.

“Do you see anything?” she whispered.