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//-->CopyrightPublished byDREAMSPINNERPRESS5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USAhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, andany resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.Cherish & Blessed© 2015 Tere Michaels.Cover Art© 2015 Aaron Anderson.aaronbydesign55@gmail.comCover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violationof international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannotbe legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of thePublisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital CircleSW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.ISBN: 978-1-63216-582-4Digital ISBN: 978-1-63216-157-4Library of Congress Control Number: 2014953473Second Edition February 2015First Edition ofCherishpublished as an eBook by Loose Id LLC, November 2012Printed in the United States of AmericaThis paper meets the requirements ofANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).CHERISHChapter 1EVAN FINISHEDloading the dishwasher, one ear tuned to the Rangers game on the television and theother on the hushed conversation between his youngest daughter and his boyfriend.Rangers were up a goal in the first period. Matt was nodding a lot, covertly looking over hisshoulder at Evan.Elizabeth—his baby, his preteen, oh God—did her own recon of Evan’s activities, so he drewout the fiddling of the controls, took his time as he wiped off the countertop. Matt had cooked, and thiswas Evan’s way of showing he was still a contributing member of the household, particularly whenhe was home before midnight.“Hey, done in here,” he called. “Anyone need anything?”“Yes,” Matt answered, his voice flat and faintly exasperated. That clearly meant beer. Evangrabbed two out of the fridge, then shut off the small television over the dishwasher. He ambled intothe adjoining dining room, where Matt and Elizabeth were holding their top-secret conference.“Okay, time to let Dad in on things,” Matt said sternly, reaching for the bottle in Evan’s hand.“Maaaatt.” Elizabeth’s sweet face twisted into a put-upon pout, one Evan was very wellacquainted with, having witnessed the joy of puberty via his children twice before, with Miranda,which was hell, and Kathleen, which was slightly easier. Hoping that Elizabeth did her transitioningwithout drama was obviously a pipe dream.Evan settled into the chair beside Matt, pressing their knees together once he got settled.“I never took a sacred oath.” Matt opened the beer, nudging back against Evan’s leg. “Talk toyour father.”It no longer bothered Evan that the kids went to Matt—he was their friend and caretaker firstand foremost, and while his allegiance was to his relationship with Evan, he always treated the kidswith the utmost fairness. And love.Elizabeth squirmed a bit in her chair, biting her lip. She tugged on her hair, the sheet of brownfalling down nearly to her waist. Sometimes Evan suspected she wore it long so she could hidebehind it when things got a little overwhelming.Like now.“Is it a problem at school?”Elizabeth shook her head.“Here at home?”She paused, then nodded.“One of your siblings?” He suspected it was her twin brother, Danny, because they were really
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