Lily felt excitement coursing through her veins. She knew it could be done… and it was worth any price she had to pay to have her son. But she needed time and she didn't have that. Albert would have the police up here to take Eddie back, and she couldn't allow the child to be returned to the environment he had left in New York, especially not with an investigator prowling around. She had to buy some time – but how? Did she dare call Albert, lie to him, feed him some kind of story that he might believe…? Yes, yes, it might work; if she sounded properly frightened at what Albert could do to her for harboring his runaway son, she could convince him that she hadn't even seen Eddie, perhaps that he had called from somewhere in Florida to tell her that he'd run away and was never coming home…

She turned abruptly, her eyes fevered with anticipation. Eddie was staring at her. "Mommy," he whispered. "What is it? Have you thought of something?"

"I think so, Eddie," she said. She went to her son, caught him in her arms and held him close. He snuggled against her for comfort, pressing against the full roundness of her breasts, feeling warm and safe in his mother's arms. "It's a long-shot but it just might work."

"Mommy, tell me about it, please!" he breathed against her ear.

Her hands moved convulsively on her son's slender yet muscular back, following the strong curve of his spine, stopping just short of the tight swell of his buttocks pressed hard against her thighs. Then she broke from him, took his hand in hers, looked down into his shining, trusting face. "I'll tell you over dinner, Eddie my love, and then you can sleep peacefully tonight."

He looked up at her with pure love lighting his eyes.