Read Online Harm's Hunger by Patrice Michelle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patrice Michelle
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face turning to stone. “Go on, I can’t wait to hear your explanation for why you lied? Why you gave us a past and planned our whole future?”
She gasped and shook her head, trying not to let his harshness hurt so much. “I never claimed a future together, Harm.”
His dark eyes narrowed. “But you sure as hell put yourself firmly in my present .” Slicing his hand toward the sofa, he bit out, “Every fucking thing that happened last night was made up bullshit! Why, Jena?”
“I’m sorry, Harm. I was in a panic when you got knocked out and couldn’t remember. All I wanted was to—”
“You know what…save your lies for the next idiot,” he sneered, then turned and grabbed his hat from the table. Pulling the house key from his pocket, he set it on the table as he jammed the Stetson onto his head. His boot heels pounded the wood floor as he strolled past her as if they’ve never met and walked out the door.
She started to go after him, to try to fully apologize, when the phone started ringing.
Heaving a sigh, Jena answered, “Hello?”
“What the hell is going on, Jena? I just got off the phone with Harm not long ago. Why haven’t you agreed to sign the papers?”
She peered through the kitchen window and watched Harm stalk along the drive, his stride steady and determined. “I’m not selling, Ty.”
“What? This is ridiculous. When are you going to grow up? You can’t just keep flitting through life, doing things at your whim. Other people are involved—”
“I’ll sell part of my land to Harm and you can sell him your half, but I want the house and a couple acres around it. That should be fair to everyone.”
A heavy sigh gusts in her ear. “I’d rather not parcel the land up like that. Harm was pretty clear that he wants all of it. Listen, I need to get back to Maryland for meetings on Monday. You said you were going to take a vacation soon. Why don’t you stay put and spend some time here before you make such a big decision like moving here permanently. I suspect that by time I’m able to fly back in a few weeks you’ll be ready to sell. Texas isn’t anything like Maryland, Jena.”
I know it’s not. It’s exactly what I want. “Go on back to Maryland, Ty. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine here. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
Once she hung up, Jena forced thoughts of Harm to the back of her mind. She had a feeling he wasn’t up to listening to any apology or explanation she offered and wouldn’t be for a while. Looking around the sparse house, she mumbled, “Guess I’d better get to the store for some supplies.”
She’d forgotten how quaint Boone’s town center was with its old-style clapboard storefronts and the warm sun shinning on their big picture windows. Jena glanced up at the huge white banner buffeting in the warm breeze over Main Street as it advertised an upcoming festival. She smiled as townsfolk waved as they passed each other on the street. Never saw that living in a big town. A few cars drove past, but for the most part people were out running errands on foot or walking their dogs, or just strolling through the park across the street from the town’s center.
A dark-haired woman in her mid-fifties reached the convenience store’s door at the same time Jena did. Pulling the door open for her, the woman smiled. “Nice morning.”
“That it is,” Jena replied, smiling back. “Thanks.”
“No problem. You new in town or just visiting?”
Jena inwardly chuckled. That’s another thing that would never happen where she lived in Maryland—total strangers asking you personal questions. Grabbing a pushcart while the woman picked up a wire basket from its rack, Jena nodded. “A bit of both actually. I’m staying in my great aunt’s place.”
“Oh?” The woman’s light brown eyes lit up. “Who’s your aunt?’”
Jena turned the cart’s wheels around. “Sally Tanner.”
The woman’s expression instantly filled with sympathy as she stepped
She gasped and shook her head, trying not to let his harshness hurt so much. “I never claimed a future together, Harm.”
His dark eyes narrowed. “But you sure as hell put yourself firmly in my present .” Slicing his hand toward the sofa, he bit out, “Every fucking thing that happened last night was made up bullshit! Why, Jena?”
“I’m sorry, Harm. I was in a panic when you got knocked out and couldn’t remember. All I wanted was to—”
“You know what…save your lies for the next idiot,” he sneered, then turned and grabbed his hat from the table. Pulling the house key from his pocket, he set it on the table as he jammed the Stetson onto his head. His boot heels pounded the wood floor as he strolled past her as if they’ve never met and walked out the door.
She started to go after him, to try to fully apologize, when the phone started ringing.
Heaving a sigh, Jena answered, “Hello?”
“What the hell is going on, Jena? I just got off the phone with Harm not long ago. Why haven’t you agreed to sign the papers?”
She peered through the kitchen window and watched Harm stalk along the drive, his stride steady and determined. “I’m not selling, Ty.”
“What? This is ridiculous. When are you going to grow up? You can’t just keep flitting through life, doing things at your whim. Other people are involved—”
“I’ll sell part of my land to Harm and you can sell him your half, but I want the house and a couple acres around it. That should be fair to everyone.”
A heavy sigh gusts in her ear. “I’d rather not parcel the land up like that. Harm was pretty clear that he wants all of it. Listen, I need to get back to Maryland for meetings on Monday. You said you were going to take a vacation soon. Why don’t you stay put and spend some time here before you make such a big decision like moving here permanently. I suspect that by time I’m able to fly back in a few weeks you’ll be ready to sell. Texas isn’t anything like Maryland, Jena.”
I know it’s not. It’s exactly what I want. “Go on back to Maryland, Ty. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine here. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
Once she hung up, Jena forced thoughts of Harm to the back of her mind. She had a feeling he wasn’t up to listening to any apology or explanation she offered and wouldn’t be for a while. Looking around the sparse house, she mumbled, “Guess I’d better get to the store for some supplies.”
She’d forgotten how quaint Boone’s town center was with its old-style clapboard storefronts and the warm sun shinning on their big picture windows. Jena glanced up at the huge white banner buffeting in the warm breeze over Main Street as it advertised an upcoming festival. She smiled as townsfolk waved as they passed each other on the street. Never saw that living in a big town. A few cars drove past, but for the most part people were out running errands on foot or walking their dogs, or just strolling through the park across the street from the town’s center.
A dark-haired woman in her mid-fifties reached the convenience store’s door at the same time Jena did. Pulling the door open for her, the woman smiled. “Nice morning.”
“That it is,” Jena replied, smiling back. “Thanks.”
“No problem. You new in town or just visiting?”
Jena inwardly chuckled. That’s another thing that would never happen where she lived in Maryland—total strangers asking you personal questions. Grabbing a pushcart while the woman picked up a wire basket from its rack, Jena nodded. “A bit of both actually. I’m staying in my great aunt’s place.”
“Oh?” The woman’s light brown eyes lit up. “Who’s your aunt?’”
Jena turned the cart’s wheels around. “Sally Tanner.”
The woman’s expression instantly filled with sympathy as she stepped
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