Read Online HEARTBREAKER by Julie Garwood - Free Book Online
Authors: Julie Garwood
Tags: Fiction
Ads: Link
imagined women flocked to him and that he took only what was freely offered. He was something else all right. She let out a little sigh then, feeling guilty about having such thoughts just a few feet away from the holy church. Mother Mary Madelyne was probably right about her. She was going to go to hell in a handbag if she didn’t learn to control her sinful imagination.
The stranger must have sensed her staring at him because he suddenly turned and looked directly at her. Embarrassed at being caught in the act of gawking at him, she was about to turn away when the front door opened, and Tommy came outside. Laurant was overjoyed to see him there, and not in a hospital bed as she had feared.
Dressed in his long black cassock and white Roman collar, he looked pale to her—and worried. She started weaving her way through the crowd.
Tommy and the stranger he was talking to presented a striking picture. Both were tall and dark-haired, but Tommy bore the Irish complexion with his ruddy cheeks and generous sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of his nose. Unlike her, when he accidentally stayed out in the sun too long, he didn’t tan; he burned. He had an adorable dimple—at least she thought it was adorable—in his right cheek, and his boyish good looks had earned him the amusing nickname “Father What-a-Waste” from all the college and high school girls.
There certainly wasn’t anything boyish about the man standing next to her brother. He kept watching her make her way toward the porch as he listened to Tommy and occasionally nodded agreement.
He finally interrupted her brother when he tilted his head toward her. Tommy turned, spotted her, and shouted her name. Taking the stairs two at a time, his black robe flapping about his ankles, he raced to intercept her with a look of acute relief on his face.
Laurant noticed that his friend stayed on the porch, but he wasn’t paying any attention to them now. He was thoroughly occupied watching the crowd disperse around them.
She was astonished by her brother’s reaction to seeing her. She’d thought he’d be mad, or irritated at the very least, but he wasn’t upset at all. In fact, he acted as though they’d been separated for years, even though she had seen him only a few days ago when he’d taken her on a tour of the abbey’s attic.
Tommy engulfed her in a bear hug. “Thank God you’re all right. I’ve been worried sick about you, Laurant. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I’m so happy to see you.”
His voice shook with emotion. Thoroughly confused by his behavior, she pulled away and said, “You’re happy to see me? I thought you’d be furious that I followed you. Tommy, why didn’t you call me Friday evening? You promised you would.”
He finally let go of her. “And you’ve been worried, haven’t you?”
She looked into his big brown eyes and decided to tell him the truth after all. “Yes, I’ve been worried. You were supposed to call when you had the results of the blood work, but you didn’t call and I thought . . . maybe the results weren’t very good.”
“The lab screwed up. That’s why I didn’t call. They had to redo the tests. I should have called, but damn it, Laurant, you should have let me know you were coming. I’ve got Sheriff Lloyd looking all over Holy Oaks for you. Come on inside. I’ve got to call him and tell him you’re here, safe and sound.”
“You called Sheriff Lloyd looking for me? Why?”
He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her along. “I’ll explain everything as soon as I get you inside. It’s safer.”
“Safer? Tommy, what’s going on? I’ve never seen you so rattled. And who is that man standing on the porch?”
The question surprised her brother. “You’ve never met him, have you?”
“Who?” she asked, her frustration mounting.
“Nick. That’s Nick Buchanan.”
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to her brother. “You’re sick again, aren’t you? That’s why
The stranger must have sensed her staring at him because he suddenly turned and looked directly at her. Embarrassed at being caught in the act of gawking at him, she was about to turn away when the front door opened, and Tommy came outside. Laurant was overjoyed to see him there, and not in a hospital bed as she had feared.
Dressed in his long black cassock and white Roman collar, he looked pale to her—and worried. She started weaving her way through the crowd.
Tommy and the stranger he was talking to presented a striking picture. Both were tall and dark-haired, but Tommy bore the Irish complexion with his ruddy cheeks and generous sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of his nose. Unlike her, when he accidentally stayed out in the sun too long, he didn’t tan; he burned. He had an adorable dimple—at least she thought it was adorable—in his right cheek, and his boyish good looks had earned him the amusing nickname “Father What-a-Waste” from all the college and high school girls.
There certainly wasn’t anything boyish about the man standing next to her brother. He kept watching her make her way toward the porch as he listened to Tommy and occasionally nodded agreement.
He finally interrupted her brother when he tilted his head toward her. Tommy turned, spotted her, and shouted her name. Taking the stairs two at a time, his black robe flapping about his ankles, he raced to intercept her with a look of acute relief on his face.
Laurant noticed that his friend stayed on the porch, but he wasn’t paying any attention to them now. He was thoroughly occupied watching the crowd disperse around them.
She was astonished by her brother’s reaction to seeing her. She’d thought he’d be mad, or irritated at the very least, but he wasn’t upset at all. In fact, he acted as though they’d been separated for years, even though she had seen him only a few days ago when he’d taken her on a tour of the abbey’s attic.
Tommy engulfed her in a bear hug. “Thank God you’re all right. I’ve been worried sick about you, Laurant. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I’m so happy to see you.”
His voice shook with emotion. Thoroughly confused by his behavior, she pulled away and said, “You’re happy to see me? I thought you’d be furious that I followed you. Tommy, why didn’t you call me Friday evening? You promised you would.”
He finally let go of her. “And you’ve been worried, haven’t you?”
She looked into his big brown eyes and decided to tell him the truth after all. “Yes, I’ve been worried. You were supposed to call when you had the results of the blood work, but you didn’t call and I thought . . . maybe the results weren’t very good.”
“The lab screwed up. That’s why I didn’t call. They had to redo the tests. I should have called, but damn it, Laurant, you should have let me know you were coming. I’ve got Sheriff Lloyd looking all over Holy Oaks for you. Come on inside. I’ve got to call him and tell him you’re here, safe and sound.”
“You called Sheriff Lloyd looking for me? Why?”
He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her along. “I’ll explain everything as soon as I get you inside. It’s safer.”
“Safer? Tommy, what’s going on? I’ve never seen you so rattled. And who is that man standing on the porch?”
The question surprised her brother. “You’ve never met him, have you?”
“Who?” she asked, her frustration mounting.
“Nick. That’s Nick Buchanan.”
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to her brother. “You’re sick again, aren’t you? That’s why
Similar Books
