Read Online Adams Grove 03-Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes by Nancy Naigle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nancy Naigle
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at a loss for words. It wasn’t his imagination. He’d felt the attraction, and it wasn’t one-sided.
She fondled the pendant hanging around her neck. “Why—”
“Don’t ask. Don’t analyze it. Just let it be.” He kissed her again, on the cheek this time. “It’s OK.”
She mouthed the word OK and avoided eye contact as he started the car.
He squeezed her hand and smiled, hoping maybe she was feeling something. She hadn’t gotten mad—well, not redhead mad—and that had to mean something. “It’s all good.”
They’d ridden in complete silence for more than ten minutes when Carolanne said, “Do you want to know why I wanted this necklace so badly?”
“Because you thought it was pretty?”
“No. It’s more than that.” She shifted in her seat. “I don’t know if it’s even remotely like it, but in my mind, the one piece of jewelry that my momma always treasured was a pendant that had been in the family for years. I remembered the bow of diamonds above the teardrop stone mostly. She lost it when I was a little girl. I remember her crying. She was so sad to have lost it and so scared to tell my dad.”
“That sounds special.”
Carolanne swept her hand underneath her nose, then pushed her hair behind her ears. “Dad wasn’t mad, though. I remember how gentle he was with her. He never liked to see Momma sad.”
“Ben loved her. Still does as much today as back then, I think. You should have heard the way he talked about your momma with my mom. That’s the real deal right there.”
“He loved her more than anything.”
“Do you think that necklace belonged to her?”
“I don’t know, but it sure hit those memories hard. I knew I had to have it. At whatever cost.”
He brushed his thumb across her knuckles. “I’m glad you shared that with me.”
She smiled. “I am, too. This has been a really special night. Perfect timing. Thank you, Connor.”
“You’re welcome. I enjoyed it, too,” he said. “It’s still early. Do you want to stop by your dad’s and see what he thinks of the necklace?”
She involuntarily tensed under his grip, and he tugged his hand back from her.
“Oh, I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
“He’d probably like to know you have good memories of your mom. He worries about you.”
That kiss may have confused her, but her guard was clearly up again, and she managed a feeble answer. “I’m not ready to just pop in on him.”
Connor knew his disappointment showed on his face. “One of you is going to have to make a move someday. Seems like this necklace is as good a reason as any for y’all to get together to talk.”
She turned and stared out the window. “Not tonight. OK?”
He didn’t want to push, but it was hard to understand how Carolanne could shut out her father. His own dad had walked out on them when he was just a kid—no hero, by any stretch of the imagination—but he’d never turned his back on his dad. Parents are parents—flaws and all. He’d give anything to have even five more minutes with his mother. He hoped Carolanne would never regret the time she didn’t spend with her father.
When they got back home, Carolanne made a hasty retreat to her apartment—saying good night and slipping inside the safety of her apartment before Connor could corner her for a good night at the door.
Confused, she paced the room, then dropped down on the couch, hugging a throw pillow. “Don’t overanalyze it,” he’d said, but that was impossible.
That kiss was a mistake. But her heart refused to listen to what her mind was trying to tell her. There was no mistaking that when he’d kissed her, she’d felt something. Something different. A reckless abandon to the tenderness of his touch in a way she’d never felt before.
How did that happen? Why in the good Lord’s name did I like it so much?
“This is nothing but trouble,” she muttered to the dark room. “Not a good idea.”
Carolanne had nothing against having
She fondled the pendant hanging around her neck. “Why—”
“Don’t ask. Don’t analyze it. Just let it be.” He kissed her again, on the cheek this time. “It’s OK.”
She mouthed the word OK and avoided eye contact as he started the car.
He squeezed her hand and smiled, hoping maybe she was feeling something. She hadn’t gotten mad—well, not redhead mad—and that had to mean something. “It’s all good.”
They’d ridden in complete silence for more than ten minutes when Carolanne said, “Do you want to know why I wanted this necklace so badly?”
“Because you thought it was pretty?”
“No. It’s more than that.” She shifted in her seat. “I don’t know if it’s even remotely like it, but in my mind, the one piece of jewelry that my momma always treasured was a pendant that had been in the family for years. I remembered the bow of diamonds above the teardrop stone mostly. She lost it when I was a little girl. I remember her crying. She was so sad to have lost it and so scared to tell my dad.”
“That sounds special.”
Carolanne swept her hand underneath her nose, then pushed her hair behind her ears. “Dad wasn’t mad, though. I remember how gentle he was with her. He never liked to see Momma sad.”
“Ben loved her. Still does as much today as back then, I think. You should have heard the way he talked about your momma with my mom. That’s the real deal right there.”
“He loved her more than anything.”
“Do you think that necklace belonged to her?”
“I don’t know, but it sure hit those memories hard. I knew I had to have it. At whatever cost.”
He brushed his thumb across her knuckles. “I’m glad you shared that with me.”
She smiled. “I am, too. This has been a really special night. Perfect timing. Thank you, Connor.”
“You’re welcome. I enjoyed it, too,” he said. “It’s still early. Do you want to stop by your dad’s and see what he thinks of the necklace?”
She involuntarily tensed under his grip, and he tugged his hand back from her.
“Oh, I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
“He’d probably like to know you have good memories of your mom. He worries about you.”
That kiss may have confused her, but her guard was clearly up again, and she managed a feeble answer. “I’m not ready to just pop in on him.”
Connor knew his disappointment showed on his face. “One of you is going to have to make a move someday. Seems like this necklace is as good a reason as any for y’all to get together to talk.”
She turned and stared out the window. “Not tonight. OK?”
He didn’t want to push, but it was hard to understand how Carolanne could shut out her father. His own dad had walked out on them when he was just a kid—no hero, by any stretch of the imagination—but he’d never turned his back on his dad. Parents are parents—flaws and all. He’d give anything to have even five more minutes with his mother. He hoped Carolanne would never regret the time she didn’t spend with her father.
When they got back home, Carolanne made a hasty retreat to her apartment—saying good night and slipping inside the safety of her apartment before Connor could corner her for a good night at the door.
Confused, she paced the room, then dropped down on the couch, hugging a throw pillow. “Don’t overanalyze it,” he’d said, but that was impossible.
That kiss was a mistake. But her heart refused to listen to what her mind was trying to tell her. There was no mistaking that when he’d kissed her, she’d felt something. Something different. A reckless abandon to the tenderness of his touch in a way she’d never felt before.
How did that happen? Why in the good Lord’s name did I like it so much?
“This is nothing but trouble,” she muttered to the dark room. “Not a good idea.”
Carolanne had nothing against having
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