Read Online A Season for Hope (Sarra Cannon) by Sarra Cannon - Free Book Online Page A

dating Preston Wright for a long time,” he says.
    I draw in a tense breath. I guess the subject of Preston was bound to come up eventually, but I wasn’t expecting Judd to bring it up tonight. Still, there’s a part of me that’s surprised he’d noticed me enough before yesterday to know who I was dating.
    “I’m pretty sure discussing ex-boyfriends on a first date is listed in the rule book on the don’t side,” I say.
    He laughs. “I’m not really one for following the rules,” he says. “I’d rather just get it all out in the open, anyway. I want to get to know you, and it’s obvious he’s been a big part of your life. There’s no reason to dance around it.”
    I’m surprised by his honesty and the fact that he doesn’t mind talking about something like this so early.
    Still, my heartbreak is so fresh, I’m afraid he’ll hear it in my voice. And I don’t want to ruin tonight the way I did last night. It’s rare to get a second chance at any relationship. A third would be way too much to ask.
    “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” he says.
    “It’s okay,” I say. I take a deep breath, not really sure what to say. “Preston and I got together senior year in high school. He’d been dating one of my best friends and she left to go to school up north.”
    I don’t mention the fact that they were still together when I started sleeping with him behind Leigh Anne’s back. Being the other girl and betraying one of my friends like that is one of the most shameful things of my life. I definitely don’t want Judd to know that about me. Ever.
    “Ouch,” he says. “That had to be complicated.”
    “To say the least,” I say. “She’s recently come back to town and it’s been tough. The truth is, I don’t think he ever really got over her, you know? I was always second best, in a way.”
    “That’s not possible,” Judd says. “You deserve more than that.”
    Guilt twists my heart. “You don’t know that,” I say. “I’ve done some bad things. Things I’m not proud of.”
    “We all have,” he says. “That doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be someone’s first choice.”
    I look over at him. The only light out here is a distant lamp and the light of a nearly full moon. If he knew the truth of how Preston and I got together, he wouldn’t be saying that.
    “Preston never really told me he was still in love with her, but I think I always knew,” I say. “And when she got back, things changed between us.”
    “Did they get back together or something?” he asks, his voice gentle.
    “No, she fell for someone else, but Preston grew more and more distant over the summer. Then this fall his twin sister, Penny, took off for a few months with his best friend. When she came back, we all found out she was pregnant. She almost lost the baby and was on bedrest for a few weeks. Preston was really great to her. He barely left her side. We didn’t see each other much.”
    I shrug, feeling the sting of fresh tears. I push them back, so tired of always being one step away from a complete breakdown. Talking about this with someone new is hard, but the fact that it’s a guy I’m interested in just makes it harder.
    “He broke things off?”
    I nod. “About three weeks ago,” I say. “I guess I saw it coming, but I think I was in denial for a while. When he finally said the words, it was devastating.”
    Judd rests his hand on top of mine. “I’m sorry.”
    I sniff, doing everything I can to hold back the tears. He’s already seen me cry twice. I can’t let this be a third. If there really is a first-date rule book, I’m certain crying about breaking up with your ex is at the very top of the ‘ don’t ’ page in bright red capital letters.
    “I can’t believe I’m telling you all this,” I say.
    “I didn’t mean to make you upset,” he says. “I just wanted you to know it’s okay to talk about it with me. In my experience, it’s better to get this