Read Online Battle for the Soldier's Heart by Cara Colter - Free Book Online
Authors: Cara Colter
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wrong side of the tracks ends up in the red Ferrari?”
“Don’t forget the part about the girl next door being with him,” he added, and the grin was back, devil-may-care, daring her to see beyond it. The thing was, she could see beyond it.
“I’m being serious!”
“Are you ever anything else?”
“Occasionally! But not now. What do you feel when the best happens instead of the worst?”
“Oh, that word again. Feel. ”
“As uncomfortable as it makes you, could you answer the question?”
“When good things happen, I enjoy every second of them. Without any expectation that it will last.”
He was telling her something, and she was aware she needed to pay attention. He wasn’t the staying kind. He wasn’t the lasting kind.
And what did she care? She would never think of Rory Adams like that.
Only, a secret part of her always had. And she was suddenly aware that secret part probably always would.
He would be such a foolish choice to fall for.
But he was right. She was being way too serious. She reminded herself it wasn’t in her new life agenda to fall for anyone. The exact opposite, in fact.
Besides, Rory hadn’t proposed they spend their lives together. He was giving her a day. And a dream.
And even if he was maintaining his own cynicism, she just needed to enjoy it, for this to be her occasionally, for this to be the day when she was not so serious.
When was the last time she had just had fun? A carefree day? A long, long time ago, certainly not since her brother had died.
She was accepting this as the unexpected gift it was. She was not even allowing herself to think that there might be a price to pay later.
“Rory?”
“Um?”
“Could you go a wee bit faster?”
He laughed and complied and she felt the thrill of both things: his laughter and the adrenaline of moving fast, a little closer to the edge. And Grace was aware his laughter brought that as surely as the power of the car did.
“Tell me about the car,” she called over the roar of the engine and the wind in her hair.
“This is a 2011 Ferrari, a 458 Spider with a V8 rear engine.”
“Somehow I don’t think they rent these to just anybody,” she guessed dryly. “In fact, where do you rent a car like this in Mason?”
“It’s not exactly from Mason,” he said, a little uncomfortably. “I had to make special arrangements to get it.”
“First cowboys and now a Ferrari. If I ever need a rabbit pulled out of a hat, I guess you’re my go-to guy, hmm?”
“If you ever need anything, Gracie,” he said quietly, “I’m your go-to guy.”
The simple statement, said so matter-of-factly, made her turn her face away from him so he could not see how deeply it affected her.
He was a man who said what he meant and meant what he said. And those simple words—that promise she could have someone to count on—filled her with unexpected emotion.
Dumb, since after Harold she had been so resolute in her intention not to rely on anyone for anything. Her plan now was to be one of those independent women who scoffed at need. She would hang her own pictures and refinish her own floors. When she came across a project she couldn’t do, she would hire someone.
After Harold, she had been resolute in her intention not just to be independent physically but also to be that way emotionally. Not to rely on anyone to make her feel anything anymore, and so the emotion clawing at her throat and stinging at her eyes because of his simple words, I’m your go-to guy felt as if it could swamp her whole plan for her life!
But riding in the car was a much-appreciated distraction from the unexpected meeting with her own secret longings, and she made herself focus on that. She might never, after all, experience something like this again!
She took off her jacket and threw it behind her seat.
And, after a while, she allowed herself to appreciate these moments with Rory. She liked the way one of his hands rested, light and confident on the wheel,
“Don’t forget the part about the girl next door being with him,” he added, and the grin was back, devil-may-care, daring her to see beyond it. The thing was, she could see beyond it.
“I’m being serious!”
“Are you ever anything else?”
“Occasionally! But not now. What do you feel when the best happens instead of the worst?”
“Oh, that word again. Feel. ”
“As uncomfortable as it makes you, could you answer the question?”
“When good things happen, I enjoy every second of them. Without any expectation that it will last.”
He was telling her something, and she was aware she needed to pay attention. He wasn’t the staying kind. He wasn’t the lasting kind.
And what did she care? She would never think of Rory Adams like that.
Only, a secret part of her always had. And she was suddenly aware that secret part probably always would.
He would be such a foolish choice to fall for.
But he was right. She was being way too serious. She reminded herself it wasn’t in her new life agenda to fall for anyone. The exact opposite, in fact.
Besides, Rory hadn’t proposed they spend their lives together. He was giving her a day. And a dream.
And even if he was maintaining his own cynicism, she just needed to enjoy it, for this to be her occasionally, for this to be the day when she was not so serious.
When was the last time she had just had fun? A carefree day? A long, long time ago, certainly not since her brother had died.
She was accepting this as the unexpected gift it was. She was not even allowing herself to think that there might be a price to pay later.
“Rory?”
“Um?”
“Could you go a wee bit faster?”
He laughed and complied and she felt the thrill of both things: his laughter and the adrenaline of moving fast, a little closer to the edge. And Grace was aware his laughter brought that as surely as the power of the car did.
“Tell me about the car,” she called over the roar of the engine and the wind in her hair.
“This is a 2011 Ferrari, a 458 Spider with a V8 rear engine.”
“Somehow I don’t think they rent these to just anybody,” she guessed dryly. “In fact, where do you rent a car like this in Mason?”
“It’s not exactly from Mason,” he said, a little uncomfortably. “I had to make special arrangements to get it.”
“First cowboys and now a Ferrari. If I ever need a rabbit pulled out of a hat, I guess you’re my go-to guy, hmm?”
“If you ever need anything, Gracie,” he said quietly, “I’m your go-to guy.”
The simple statement, said so matter-of-factly, made her turn her face away from him so he could not see how deeply it affected her.
He was a man who said what he meant and meant what he said. And those simple words—that promise she could have someone to count on—filled her with unexpected emotion.
Dumb, since after Harold she had been so resolute in her intention not to rely on anyone for anything. Her plan now was to be one of those independent women who scoffed at need. She would hang her own pictures and refinish her own floors. When she came across a project she couldn’t do, she would hire someone.
After Harold, she had been resolute in her intention not just to be independent physically but also to be that way emotionally. Not to rely on anyone to make her feel anything anymore, and so the emotion clawing at her throat and stinging at her eyes because of his simple words, I’m your go-to guy felt as if it could swamp her whole plan for her life!
But riding in the car was a much-appreciated distraction from the unexpected meeting with her own secret longings, and she made herself focus on that. She might never, after all, experience something like this again!
She took off her jacket and threw it behind her seat.
And, after a while, she allowed herself to appreciate these moments with Rory. She liked the way one of his hands rested, light and confident on the wheel,
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