Read Online Daring to Love: A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 3) by Jessica Gray - Free Book Online Page B

family had instantly fallen in love with her and her little daughter Happy. Especially their mother had opened her arms to embrace her first daughter-in-law and the unexpected granddaughter.
    "How old exactly is Happy now?"
    "She's three and a half."
    "Time for her to learn skiing," Evan said.
    He could hear the hesitation in Dean's voice. "Well, yes."
    "But…."
    "Not sure if her daredevil uncle is the best teacher."
    Evan’s mind wandered to Charlene and her dream of the kid’s skiing school. She'd be a natural with kids. Happy would love her. Images of his niece and maybe a little cousin delightedly skiing down the slopes formed in his mind. Dean and Melissa would be perfectly at ease leaving little Happy in Charlene’s care. He pushed those thoughts aside. He’d called for advice from Dean.
    "Well, Dean, actually this is what I wanted to talk to you about."
    “About your thrill-seeking nature?”
    "Well, maybe.” He hesitated, searching for words. His mind thankfully registered, that Dean patiently waited on the other end of the line without saying a word. Not that it surprised him, because this was the way Dean behaved, he waited, observed and only after thinking things through he offered advice.
    Evan took a breath and then asked, "Do I need to impress people?"
    His brother laughed. "Evan. Everyone is impressed by you. You just won three gold medals, something nobody has done before."
    "No, I mean, do I  have a need to impress people?"
    Dean stopped laughing and his voice grew serious, "Since you were a three-year-old, you tried to out-do everyone else. You have thrived on appreciation and applause."
    Evan had to think about eye-opening nugget of truth. Yes, he’d always wanted to be recognized for his accomplishments. Being the youngest of six brothers, he'd always felt the need to fight for his place in the family. His five brothers had always been ahead of him and he desperately wanted to prove that he could do anything as well, and even better, despite the age difference.
    When he didn’t respond for a while, Dean added, "Why?"
    Evan explained how he’d met Charlene. “I hurt her a lot and I don’t want that to happen again. I want to stop.”
    Dean thought for a few moments and then advised him, "You will stop when this woman becomes more important to you than your need to impress. You might not find this answer satisfying but you'll understand it when she's the one."
    Evan wasn’t sure, "But how do I know she's the one?"
    "You know it the moment when her well-being is more important than your own. When you are willing to do everything to make her happy. Anything at all."
    Evan thanked his brother and hung up. It sounded simple, but he doubted it would be easy to do. Simple yes. Easy no.
    ***
    Charlene woke the next morning, feeling tired and cranky. She’d spent the night tossing around in bed thinking about both, Graham and Evan. In her dreams she’d relived that horrific day again and again, with the one difference, that Evan stood by her side, telling her it wasn’t her fault.
    Now, in the light of the day, she acknowledged Evan was right, the accident hadn’t been her fault. Neither was it her fault to let Graham ski down that treacherous slope. Graham had been an adult and made his own decisions. She couldn’t have stopped him, not even by clinging onto him. He’d laughed her off, or taken her with him.
    It had been the right decision not to follow him down that treacherous slope and risk her own life as well. Charlene slowly came to accept those facts. 
    The day yesterday had shaken her to the core. Evan had made her face her guilt. He didn't know it, but telling him about her friend's accident had taken a huge burden from her shoulders. For the first time in two years she felt lighthearted. Ready to take on the world.
    In this mood she decided to face her fear.

Chapter 12
     
    Charlene dressed quickly and rushed over to Evan’s hotel, afraid that if she waited on more minute, she’d