Read Online Heartsong by Debbie Macomber - Free Book Online

would you and Brad feel if I got her a puppy?”
    “A puppy?” Peggy echoed, sounding aghast.
    “Sally’s dog recently had a litter, and she’s offered me first choice. Youremember Sally, my friend from St. John’s.”
    “Of course.” Peggy’s eyebrows arched thoughtfully. “You know, it might not be a bad idea. With the baby coming it could be just the thing for Janey. I’ll talk to Brad.”
    The remainder of the visit was strained, with both women pretending an ease neither felt. Skye left shortly afterward.
    Confused and unsettled, Skye drove home in a thoughtful mood. How could Peggy have been so blunt? Skye had worked hard to overcome her grief. It was true that for a while she had lost her will to live. Something deep within her had died with Glen. But she was a free spirit now, free to love and be loved. Hadn’t she always been? Peggy had never hurt her this way before. It was true Skye seldom dated anyone for long, but that wasn’t because she was carrying a torch for Glen. There were very few men who interested her. Certainly all the dates Sally had arranged over the years should prove that to her sister-in-law. Nonetheless Peggy’s attitude stung.
    About a mile from home the car coughed and sputtered. Skye tensed. “Not again,” she said, groaning inwardly. Suddenly the buzzer to her seat belt began to hiss, although it was connected. The radio began making eerie, high-pitched screeches, fading in and out. She had purposely turned it off in order to think. Quickly she pulled her small Ford to the curb before it gave one final cough and died.
    “Blast it.” Her hand banged the steering wheel impatiently. First Peggy’s comment and now this! She tried turning the ignition key but was met with silence.
    “I can’t believe it!” She opened her car door, climbed out, and in a burst of frustration slammed the door shut. She didn’t even bother to look under the hood, knowing it was useless for her to try to figure out what was wrong.
    It began to rain about halfway home, an angry torrent that added fuel to her bad mood. She was drenched by the time she arrived at her apartment building. Heavy drops of rain ran off her hair and face as she paused to unlock her door.
    John Dirkson stuck his head out of his apartment and greeted her with a flashy grin. “I see you got yourself all wet and cold. I’m perfectly willing to warm you up,” he offered, with all the subtlety of a serpent.
    “Oh, shut up, John,” Skye stormed, and shut her door in his surprised face.
    No more than two minutes later her doorbell rang impatiently.
    Stamping her foot irritably, she turned off the bathwater. Luckily she hadn’t gotten around to undressing.
    “Don’t hassle me, John, I’m in no mood to—” She stopped dead in midsentence. It was Jordan. What was he doing here? Oh, no, not him. Why hadn’t he returned to LA? Why didn’t he just get out of her life?
    “Do I detect a note of anger?” he asked, amused, letting himself in.
    Skye gave a short sarcastic laugh. “Angry? Me? That’s my problem: I don’t have the common sense to get good and mad every now and then. People think they can take advantage of me, that I won’t fight back. They think of me as Holly Holiness.”
    Irrationally she paced the floor, waving her hands.
    “A Pollyanna?” Jordan inserted.
    “Exactly!” She stopped and looked at him momentarily. “I’m as even-tempered and coolheaded as the next person. But I’ll only be driven so far.”
    The amusement left Jordan’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”
    “You know what my problem is?” She didn’t wait for his answer. “I never let loose. I let people walk all over me. Well, I’m good and loose now,” she said as she continued pacing. “I don’t smoke. I don’t swear. I’ve never marched in a protest rally. I didn’t even burn my bra when it was the popular thing to do.” She stopped to take a quick breath. “Well, I’ve had just about as much as I’m going to