Read Online CAPTURED INNOCENCE by Cynthia Hickey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cynthia Hickey
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back on the table. “I don’t know what he plans to do, but I think Alex is safe.”
“Thank God.” Her legs gave way beneath her.
Conley helped her sit on the worn hotel sofa , then knelt in front of her. “Jo, this will—”
“I need a phone.”
“Jo?”
“I need to use a phone. Right now, Conley.”
“Okay.” He rose and went to the desk clerk. He returned moments later with a cordless phone.
Jo grabbed it from his hands and punched in the numbers. “Blake. Let me talk to Blake.”
“Jocelyn. It’s good to hear your voice, Sweetheart. Are you ready to come home?”
“Don’t patronize me. What do you think you’re doing? Give me back my son. How dare you steal him?” Her voice rose.
“Come home where you belong, and you can have your son.” Blake’s voice was soft, matter-of-fact.
“He’s my son, Blake. Not yours.” Against her will, Jo’s voice trembled.
“And you’re my wife.”
“Not anymore,” her voice quaked.
Blake sighed. “That was a mistake, Sweetheart. You’re confused. Misled. You hurt me.”
“Like you’ve hurt me?”
“Let me help you. Come home, and I will shower you with everything your little heart desires.” His voice seeped like syrup and threatened to drown her in its stickiness.
“You’re crazy. You just want to control me.”
“Don’t call me that!”
Click.
Jo stared at the receiver in her hand.
“He hung up on me.”
Conley sat on the sofa next to her and placed his arm along the back of the sofa. “What did he say?”
“That it was a mistake to divorce. He wants me back.” She leaned forward and placed her face in her hands. “He’s using Alex to get me back.”
“Why does he want you back?”
She stared at him, her body rigid. “Excuse me? Why wouldn’t he want me back?”
Conley moved his arm around her shoulder and changed tactics. “What do you want to do?”
“I want to get married.” She stood in front of him. “ Let’s go through you’re your plan. Don’t you see, Conley? If I’m married to you, he won’t be able to force me to remarry him.”
“He can’t force you to do anything, Jo.”
“I thought you wanted to marry me.”
“I do.”
“Then let’s go eat.” She marched out the door and waited on the sidewalk.
It was several minutes before Conley joined her.
“Ready?” She turned.
He nodded and placed a hand on her lower back. Her nerves quivered under his touch. They walked the two blocks to the restaurant without speaking.
Conley opened the double glass doors and waved her in before him. A young girl wearing a white blouse and tie with black slacks greeted them with a smile.
“A table for two,” Conley told the hostess. He smiled down at Jo as the young girl led them to a booth in the back of the restaurant and handed them their menus with a promise to return in a few minutes.
Classical music serenaded them. The strains rose above the muted sounds of the other patron’s conversation. Occasionally, soft laughter rang forth, or a glass would clink. A utensil clattered against a porcelain
“Thank God.” Her legs gave way beneath her.
Conley helped her sit on the worn hotel sofa , then knelt in front of her. “Jo, this will—”
“I need a phone.”
“Jo?”
“I need to use a phone. Right now, Conley.”
“Okay.” He rose and went to the desk clerk. He returned moments later with a cordless phone.
Jo grabbed it from his hands and punched in the numbers. “Blake. Let me talk to Blake.”
“Jocelyn. It’s good to hear your voice, Sweetheart. Are you ready to come home?”
“Don’t patronize me. What do you think you’re doing? Give me back my son. How dare you steal him?” Her voice rose.
“Come home where you belong, and you can have your son.” Blake’s voice was soft, matter-of-fact.
“He’s my son, Blake. Not yours.” Against her will, Jo’s voice trembled.
“And you’re my wife.”
“Not anymore,” her voice quaked.
Blake sighed. “That was a mistake, Sweetheart. You’re confused. Misled. You hurt me.”
“Like you’ve hurt me?”
“Let me help you. Come home, and I will shower you with everything your little heart desires.” His voice seeped like syrup and threatened to drown her in its stickiness.
“You’re crazy. You just want to control me.”
“Don’t call me that!”
Click.
Jo stared at the receiver in her hand.
“He hung up on me.”
Conley sat on the sofa next to her and placed his arm along the back of the sofa. “What did he say?”
“That it was a mistake to divorce. He wants me back.” She leaned forward and placed her face in her hands. “He’s using Alex to get me back.”
“Why does he want you back?”
She stared at him, her body rigid. “Excuse me? Why wouldn’t he want me back?”
Conley moved his arm around her shoulder and changed tactics. “What do you want to do?”
“I want to get married.” She stood in front of him. “ Let’s go through you’re your plan. Don’t you see, Conley? If I’m married to you, he won’t be able to force me to remarry him.”
“He can’t force you to do anything, Jo.”
“I thought you wanted to marry me.”
“I do.”
“Then let’s go eat.” She marched out the door and waited on the sidewalk.
It was several minutes before Conley joined her.
“Ready?” She turned.
He nodded and placed a hand on her lower back. Her nerves quivered under his touch. They walked the two blocks to the restaurant without speaking.
Conley opened the double glass doors and waved her in before him. A young girl wearing a white blouse and tie with black slacks greeted them with a smile.
“A table for two,” Conley told the hostess. He smiled down at Jo as the young girl led them to a booth in the back of the restaurant and handed them their menus with a promise to return in a few minutes.
Classical music serenaded them. The strains rose above the muted sounds of the other patron’s conversation. Occasionally, soft laughter rang forth, or a glass would clink. A utensil clattered against a porcelain
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