Dead Girl Running (Cape Charade #1)(100)

Max’s mother walked toward him but asked repressively, “Are you sure, Maximilian?”

“We need time to get matters cleared up,” Max said.

What things? Kellen wanted to ask. What did they need to clear up? Who was the child?

Max pushed his relatives out of the room and shut the door behind them.

The profile Kellen was attempting to produce kept getting scrambled by that smile, that excitement, that blond hair, those dimples. “Who is she?” she asked Max.

“You don’t know?” His voice sounded as if it was coming up from a deep well.

“I swear I’ve never seen her before.” Kellen chuckled. “Except, well…she’s the spitting image of my cousin at that age.”

“Yes,” he said, which was a very odd answer.

“Funny that her name is Rae. That was my cousin’s middle name. What a coincidence that that little girl—” Kellen’s mind, her heart, her words, all stammered to a halt, yet her steps irrepressibly carried her toward the child. She couldn’t stop herself. She was on a collision course with fate, and with the year she couldn’t remember.

Max kept pace with Kellen and said quietly, “When you were shot, you were pregnant.”

The child couldn’t stand it any longer. She ran at Kellen full tilt, wrapped her arms around her hips and looked up at her. “Did you know that you’re my mama?”





I have three confessions:

        I’ve got the scar of a gunshot on my forehead.

    I don’t remember an entire year of my life. I still don’t remember, but I know what happened now. I had a baby, and that changes everything.

    My name is Kellen Adams…and that’s half a lie.



*

Can’t get enough Kellen Adams?

Don’t miss the next book in Christina Dodd’s pulse-pounding CAPE CHARADE series, WHAT DOESN’T KILL ME, coming soon from HQN Books.





Acknowledgments

The journey to create and write Dead Girl Running and the Cape Charade series has been by turns complex and challenging, funny and romantic, intricate and interesting. I couldn’t have done it without the advice and support of the publishing professionals at HQN.

Allison Carroll is unmatched in her editorial direction, as well as her bravery and humor, and her ideas and her tact inspired and guided me.

Sean Kapitain thrilled me with the evocative Dead Girl Running cover. Thank you, Sean. And thank you to the whole trade and hardcover art team, led by Erin Craig.

Thanks to Lisa Wray, manager, publicity and events, who sees Dead Girl Running in terms of a publishing event and generates excitement every day.

Dead Girl Running owes its speed and legs to Sales—always, always a huge thanks to Fritz Servatius!

Thank you to Tahra Seplowin, editorial assistant, for explaining the details of publishing with HQN and keeping me on track.

A most important thank-you to Craig Swinwood, president and CEO; Loriana Sacilotto, executive vice president; and to Susan Swinwood, HQN editorial director, for the opportunity to publish with HQN. A special thank-you to Dianne Moggy, vice president of editorial, who has consistently been enthusiastic about my work. I am so glad we were able to come together to create a story that speaks to the heart.