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"I'ly to her son "I hear there's a library and ht from Denver"

"Denver," Jere players? And what do you think they have in the library? Diht do us both a bit of good to get away froht like it here Stranger things have happened"

Jeremy just snorted and looked out theat the beautiful, but empty, mountain scenery

Kathryn wanted to isolate herself in this godforsaken place about as much as her son did They'd been in Philadelphia nearly three and a half un to make friends There had even been a man…

But Kathryn wouldn't allow herself to think of that She knehen she'd run away from Ireland with Sean O'Connor's child in her belly that she'd never be able to have a normal life, a life with a man and a house and maybe other children and—

"Mother!" Jereain"

Kathryn smiled as she reached across the narrow aisle and took his hand in hers She knew she'd been wearing what Jeremy called her "dreamy look" when she was far away She'd told hireenness of Ireland when she had that look Better that than to tell him the truth of how she dreamed of a home and husband and safety No, she couldn't tell Jere his if it weren't for hiain

With a tiny shake of her head, Kathryn leaned back against the seat and looked at her son in awe He had the refined, aristocratic look of the O'Connors, a look that had taken generations of breeding to achieve He had long, thin fingers that looked as though they were meant to hold a lace handkerchief But Kathryn knew the truth At Jere lessons (free in exchange for Jere letters home for the boxer) and she knehat a punch he could make with those hands

Froh he'd never seen the outside of a drawing roouess that they had lived all their lives in tenee always surrounded them Jeremy had witnessed his first murder when he was one year old, after he'd wandered into a street brawl between two drunken sailors

It hen he was four that Kathryn finally decided to return hi to take him back to Ireland and allow his father's faed for kidnapping? What did it matter that Sean's family were the coldest, most ruthless people she'd ever met? At least Jeremy would be safe with them in Ireland And safe was all that mattered to her;

That was the first time Jeremy ran away Four years old and he ran away from home for three days Kathryn had been insane orry, not eating or sleeping for those three days The police had been no help What did they care that some slum kid had disappeared? They had leered at Kathryn and offered to give her another child

After three days Jeremy had sauntered ho back to Ireland, that he wanted to live with his ain

That had been five years ago, and since then the two of the as though he were grown-up and so wanted to stay and fight his father "He has no claim over me since you never married him," he'd said several times

Kathryn had tried to explain about , but for all the preained wisdom in his eyes, Jeremy still had a child's belief in justice

When she'd been offered the job of tutor to a nine-year-old boy in the reend, Colorado, it had seemed like a dream come true She was to be the teacher of Zachary Jordan, son of Mr Cole Jordan And maybe, just maybe, in this remote town, they'd achieve what had become the most beautiful of words to her: safety

"This is it?" Jeree "This is e left civilization for?"

"Jeremy, I really don't care for your tone of voice And I'm sure this is the… the…"

"Red-light district?" he asked, sidestepping as the stage driver threw their sround