Read Online Finding Home by Irene Hannon - Free Book Online

illuminating Cindy’s sleeping form. She was on her side, facing the door, pillow scrunched under her head. In repose, her face was serene. Lovely. Appealing.
    Too appealing.
    He swallowed. When he’d issued his invitation earlier, he’d told himself it was the Christian thing to do. That there was no ulterior motive.
    That had been a lie.
    Cindy Peterson was a beautiful woman, and the temptation to get to know her better had been too strong to resist.
    But that was a bad idea.
    Breaking a rule about a dog was one thing.
    Breaking a rule that could break hearts was another.
    He wasn’t going there again.
    Stepping back to block her from his line of sight, he managed to coax his lips into a smile. “See you in the morning.”
    And after shutting the door behind the little boy, he walked down the hall to his room. Alone. As always.
    * * *
    Despite a reluctance to rouse herself from the best sleep she’d had in months, Cindy couldn’t resist the mouthwatering aroma of frying bacon that was tickling her nose.
    Resigned, she lifted her eyelids—and found herself staring at a huge poster of George Clooney.
    She blinked. Okay. Right. She was in Scott Walsh’s sister’s room in his grandmother’s house. And the dull ache in her temple was the result of the mild concussion from her adventure on a shaky ladder last night.
    Gingerly, she turned her head toward the other twin bed in the room. Empty. The bacon aroma had already gotten to Jarrod. She smiled at his attempt to make the bed. The pillow was crooked and the comforter hung too long on this side, reminding her of his bed at home. But he’d tried. That was the important thing.
    Throwing back the covers, she swung her feet to the floor, gave her equilibrium a few seconds to adjust, then stood. The floor remained solid. A positive sign—as was the rumble in her stomach.
    Time to check out that bacon.
    Ten minutes later, after freshening up as best she could, she walked down the short hall toward the kitchen. The muted sound of voices—one deep, one higher-pitched—were too indistinct for her to make out the conversation, but a sudden laugh from her son sent a clear message. He and Scott had mended their fences.
    Another positive sign.
    When she reached the threshold, she found the two men in the house focused on a white, furry dog that sat next to the table beside Jarrod. The pup was quivering with eagerness, his head tipped back as he watched her son select a piece of bacon from his plate.
    “You know, Toby will be spoiled rotten by the time you and your mom go home.” Scott was standing beside the coffeepot, angled away from her as he filled the mug in his hand, his complaint mitigated by his good-natured tone.
    “But you didn’t feed him. He won’t expect you to break the rule. Only me.” Jarrod held out the bacon to the dog. He wolfed it down and nuzzled her son’s knee. Jarrod petted him and turned his attention back to his plate, downing the last slice of his bacon as he slanted a look at Scott. “I guess he’d be happy if I came back to visit.”
    Cindy didn’t miss the touch of hope in her son’s voice. Talk about a change of heart.
    She waited for Scott to respond, but as the silence lengthened she realized he didn’t want to commit to any future invitations.
    Stifling a surprising pang of disappointment, she came to his rescue. He’d already done far more than most people would have by taking them in last night. And his reluctance to make promises about any further contact quelled her concerns about sending the wrong message in case the attraction was mutual. Obviously it wasn’t, or he’d have been all over Jarrod’s comment. Besides, a man like Scott Walsh wouldn’t lack for female companionship. For all she knew, he had a serious girlfriend. Better still, right?
    Then why did she suddenly feel depressed?
    “Mom!” Jarrod spotted her and jumped out of his chair to fly across the room. Skidding to a stop mere inches away, he toned down his