Read Online Drawing Blood by Mary Lou George - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mary Lou George
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anticipation on her face.
Holly giggled. She should have figured that was coming. “No, he wasn’t naked…but he wasn’t clothed either. He was just…there.”
“Shame he wasn’t naked,” Avery mused almost to herself. Losing control once again she laughed. “Okay…well, that’s just way cool!”
“You don’t find it a little scary?”
“No,” she said with force, “but I can see why you would. You’ve never taken a risk in your life, except coming to live up here, and that wasn’t much of a risk at all. Letting this thing with you and Stryker play out is going to be tough for you.”
Holly understood what her friend was saying. For her, this was new territory. Holly had always dated the nice guy. The guy a girl could or should marry, but for some reason or other, she’d always stopped short of real commitment. Absolutely nothing about Stryker Cain implied that he was the kind of man she usually attracted or was attracted to, and that was scary. For a split second she considered running for the hills.
The ideal foil for Holly in that respect, Avery encouraged her friend in this new adventure. “You have good instincts, follow them for once. What does your heart say? Hell, what does your body say? Go with it, Hol. I have a good feeling about this.”
Holly raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, and that feeling would be…sexual tension.”
Avery didn’t bother to deny it. “Yeah, and it was so thick I could have scooped it up in pails and sold it on eBay.”
Holly laughed at the image Avery had created. “You know I can’t help myself, don’t you? So there’s really no need for you to encourage me.”
“Yeah, but I figured you needed to talk about it anyway. I’m with you on this, Holly. Just keep me informed. It’s safer that way and far more interesting for me.”
Holly pulled into the long laneway that led to both their properties. She took the west lane and in a matter of minutes Avery’s house appeared. Built on a point, the house had a panoramic view of the lake. The most inspiring sunsets Holly had ever seen were enjoyed while eating dinner with the family. This was home for her and she felt her heart tighten just a little.
Avery said, “It’s dark inside. At least Stephen left an outside light on for us. Do you want to check on the kids with me?”
Holly had already turned off the ignition. Here on the edge of the lake the night creatures were very noisy. Fireflies flirted with the trees in the distance. She took a deep breath, appreciating the moment. How remarkable was Mother Nature?
Slipping into Jessica’s room to watch her sleep, Holly asked the question again, how remarkable was Mother Nature? Avery’s daughter was almost a carbon copy of her mother. Long and lean, all knees and elbows, Jessica was sound asleep. She’d tossed the comforter off and had one foot on the floor as if ready to run out of the room as soon as the sun rose in the sky. Avery and Holly exchanged smiles in the darkness as they pulled covers over the sleeping child.
Both the boys were also posed in creative positions. It had always amazed Holly that they managed to sleep with their bums in the air or their limbs hanging over the bed. Not for the first time, she felt sad that her own mother never got the chance to do the same thing with her when she was a child. Every child deserved a mother like Avery, someone who loved unconditionally, someone who was there no matter what.
All three children were sleeping soundly. Avery could go to bed. She hugged Holly goodnight and said, “I’ll wait for your light.”
She didn’t need an explanation. That was their signal. From Avery’s kitchen window, she could see Holly’s house through the trees. When Holly got home, she would turn her porch light off and on to indicate that all was well, she’d arrived safe and sound. It was a code they’d learned from Avery’s father. When they were teenagers with bright and shiny driver’s licenses, he’d watch from
Holly giggled. She should have figured that was coming. “No, he wasn’t naked…but he wasn’t clothed either. He was just…there.”
“Shame he wasn’t naked,” Avery mused almost to herself. Losing control once again she laughed. “Okay…well, that’s just way cool!”
“You don’t find it a little scary?”
“No,” she said with force, “but I can see why you would. You’ve never taken a risk in your life, except coming to live up here, and that wasn’t much of a risk at all. Letting this thing with you and Stryker play out is going to be tough for you.”
Holly understood what her friend was saying. For her, this was new territory. Holly had always dated the nice guy. The guy a girl could or should marry, but for some reason or other, she’d always stopped short of real commitment. Absolutely nothing about Stryker Cain implied that he was the kind of man she usually attracted or was attracted to, and that was scary. For a split second she considered running for the hills.
The ideal foil for Holly in that respect, Avery encouraged her friend in this new adventure. “You have good instincts, follow them for once. What does your heart say? Hell, what does your body say? Go with it, Hol. I have a good feeling about this.”
Holly raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, and that feeling would be…sexual tension.”
Avery didn’t bother to deny it. “Yeah, and it was so thick I could have scooped it up in pails and sold it on eBay.”
Holly laughed at the image Avery had created. “You know I can’t help myself, don’t you? So there’s really no need for you to encourage me.”
“Yeah, but I figured you needed to talk about it anyway. I’m with you on this, Holly. Just keep me informed. It’s safer that way and far more interesting for me.”
Holly pulled into the long laneway that led to both their properties. She took the west lane and in a matter of minutes Avery’s house appeared. Built on a point, the house had a panoramic view of the lake. The most inspiring sunsets Holly had ever seen were enjoyed while eating dinner with the family. This was home for her and she felt her heart tighten just a little.
Avery said, “It’s dark inside. At least Stephen left an outside light on for us. Do you want to check on the kids with me?”
Holly had already turned off the ignition. Here on the edge of the lake the night creatures were very noisy. Fireflies flirted with the trees in the distance. She took a deep breath, appreciating the moment. How remarkable was Mother Nature?
Slipping into Jessica’s room to watch her sleep, Holly asked the question again, how remarkable was Mother Nature? Avery’s daughter was almost a carbon copy of her mother. Long and lean, all knees and elbows, Jessica was sound asleep. She’d tossed the comforter off and had one foot on the floor as if ready to run out of the room as soon as the sun rose in the sky. Avery and Holly exchanged smiles in the darkness as they pulled covers over the sleeping child.
Both the boys were also posed in creative positions. It had always amazed Holly that they managed to sleep with their bums in the air or their limbs hanging over the bed. Not for the first time, she felt sad that her own mother never got the chance to do the same thing with her when she was a child. Every child deserved a mother like Avery, someone who loved unconditionally, someone who was there no matter what.
All three children were sleeping soundly. Avery could go to bed. She hugged Holly goodnight and said, “I’ll wait for your light.”
She didn’t need an explanation. That was their signal. From Avery’s kitchen window, she could see Holly’s house through the trees. When Holly got home, she would turn her porch light off and on to indicate that all was well, she’d arrived safe and sound. It was a code they’d learned from Avery’s father. When they were teenagers with bright and shiny driver’s licenses, he’d watch from
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