Read Online Gasping For Air 2 (Last Chance Romance Series) by Abigail Keam - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Abigail Keam
Tags: Fiction
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it’s taking you away from your life . . . your home.”
Masterson shrugged. “A lousy apartment and a life of TV dinners every night.”
“No family or special friends?”
“Like I said before–came close, but no cigar.”
Lillian looked away, but not before she noticed that Masterson smelled really nice . . . clean and fresh, but masculine. Her stomach fluttered a little. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I don’t know what I did with my evenings before we came here.”
Masterson smiled. “Why don’t we go out to Marathon? I know a nice restaurant where we can get a huge lobster and watch the sun go down. I’ll have you back by ten.”
Lillian, bored at being cooped up, jumped at the invitation. “I would love that, but only if I get the tab,” she insisted.
“Have it your way,” grinned Masterson. “I don’t mind if a lady pays.”
Lillian grabbed her purse and joined Masterson in the back parking lot.
He opened the car door for her.
Lillian stood stationary, as a man hadn’t opened a car door for her since her college days. She stood wondering what he was doing until she recognized the courtesy being offered. She almost giggled at the pleasure of it.
Getting in the car, she did a quick inspection. Her legs were shaved, her dress was clean, her pedicure looked great in her new sandals, her makeup looked flawless in the side mirror, and her hair was reasonably combed. Lillian realized she hadn’t looked this well groomed in a long time. She let out a long sigh of satisfaction.
Looking concerned, Masterson asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lillian gave him a bright smile. “Nothing. Nothing at all.” She felt the ocean tug at her. “Let’s go. I want to see water. Miles and miles of bright blue water.”
“Your wish is my command,” crooned Masterson as he put the car in gear and pulled out onto Highway 1.
30
L illian was contently sipping her after-dinner coffee, watching the sun go down in the bay. “This is such a lovely place,” she purred, “and dinner was wonderful. I don’t know when I have enjoyed such a meal.”
“Been a long time?”
“Yes. Very long time.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Lillian put down her coffee cup. “There’s not much to say after what I told you. I fell in love with a nice man whom I thought was Prince Charming, and he was for a very long time until he started drinking, and then the hitting started. I believed that one day he would lose total control and kill me in a fit of rage.”
“Why didn’t you report him or leave earlier?”
“He made the money and I loved him.” Lillian stared at the water. “I really loved him. Then he hit me one time too many and I stopped loving him. I mean the love died in an instant.”
Lillian took another sip of her coffee. “I guess if I had been honest with myself, I would have recognized that my love was dying bit by bit each day but I was busy. Busy with house cleaning, busy with the yard, busy with car maintenance, busy paying bills.”
“Busy with life,” interrupted Masterson.
“Yes, I made myself busy so as not to notice my own emotional state,” Lillian nodded in concurrence.
“What about your daughter?”
Lillian glanced at the water. “Unfortunately, she inherited both of her parents’ bad qualities. And I spoiled her. Our relationship is mostly my fault.”
“Can it be mended?” asked Masterson, waving to the waitress.
Lillian held up her cup for the waitress to top off. “I don’t know.”
“And your daughter is safe from your husband?”
Lillian nodded. “Absolutely. I never would have left if Bob were dangerous to our daughter. She’s his princess. He would never hit her. It would kill him.”
“I see this so often. A good person goes off the correct path and starts taking his frustration out on a member of the family. Anger and fear do not mix well with alcohol. It’s a combination for disaster.”
“It certainly destroyed my family,” concurred
Masterson shrugged. “A lousy apartment and a life of TV dinners every night.”
“No family or special friends?”
“Like I said before–came close, but no cigar.”
Lillian looked away, but not before she noticed that Masterson smelled really nice . . . clean and fresh, but masculine. Her stomach fluttered a little. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I don’t know what I did with my evenings before we came here.”
Masterson smiled. “Why don’t we go out to Marathon? I know a nice restaurant where we can get a huge lobster and watch the sun go down. I’ll have you back by ten.”
Lillian, bored at being cooped up, jumped at the invitation. “I would love that, but only if I get the tab,” she insisted.
“Have it your way,” grinned Masterson. “I don’t mind if a lady pays.”
Lillian grabbed her purse and joined Masterson in the back parking lot.
He opened the car door for her.
Lillian stood stationary, as a man hadn’t opened a car door for her since her college days. She stood wondering what he was doing until she recognized the courtesy being offered. She almost giggled at the pleasure of it.
Getting in the car, she did a quick inspection. Her legs were shaved, her dress was clean, her pedicure looked great in her new sandals, her makeup looked flawless in the side mirror, and her hair was reasonably combed. Lillian realized she hadn’t looked this well groomed in a long time. She let out a long sigh of satisfaction.
Looking concerned, Masterson asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lillian gave him a bright smile. “Nothing. Nothing at all.” She felt the ocean tug at her. “Let’s go. I want to see water. Miles and miles of bright blue water.”
“Your wish is my command,” crooned Masterson as he put the car in gear and pulled out onto Highway 1.
30
L illian was contently sipping her after-dinner coffee, watching the sun go down in the bay. “This is such a lovely place,” she purred, “and dinner was wonderful. I don’t know when I have enjoyed such a meal.”
“Been a long time?”
“Yes. Very long time.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Lillian put down her coffee cup. “There’s not much to say after what I told you. I fell in love with a nice man whom I thought was Prince Charming, and he was for a very long time until he started drinking, and then the hitting started. I believed that one day he would lose total control and kill me in a fit of rage.”
“Why didn’t you report him or leave earlier?”
“He made the money and I loved him.” Lillian stared at the water. “I really loved him. Then he hit me one time too many and I stopped loving him. I mean the love died in an instant.”
Lillian took another sip of her coffee. “I guess if I had been honest with myself, I would have recognized that my love was dying bit by bit each day but I was busy. Busy with house cleaning, busy with the yard, busy with car maintenance, busy paying bills.”
“Busy with life,” interrupted Masterson.
“Yes, I made myself busy so as not to notice my own emotional state,” Lillian nodded in concurrence.
“What about your daughter?”
Lillian glanced at the water. “Unfortunately, she inherited both of her parents’ bad qualities. And I spoiled her. Our relationship is mostly my fault.”
“Can it be mended?” asked Masterson, waving to the waitress.
Lillian held up her cup for the waitress to top off. “I don’t know.”
“And your daughter is safe from your husband?”
Lillian nodded. “Absolutely. I never would have left if Bob were dangerous to our daughter. She’s his princess. He would never hit her. It would kill him.”
“I see this so often. A good person goes off the correct path and starts taking his frustration out on a member of the family. Anger and fear do not mix well with alcohol. It’s a combination for disaster.”
“It certainly destroyed my family,” concurred
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