Read Online Holding on to Heaven by Keta Diablo - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Keta Diablo
Ads: Link
you."
The gray eyes softened. "No, you wouldn’t have stayed away from me and I couldn’t stay away from you." He shrugged. "Don’t ask me to explain this draw, this pull; I can’t."
"You’re arrogant, and you’re wrong, Creed Gatlin. I’ll consider this a dalliance, a one-time indiscretion, and believe me, it won’t happen again."
He pulled the pants over his hips while sitting on the ground, stood, and reached her in three long strides. Placing his hand on her forearm he looked into her eyes. "Are you going to add lying to cheating?"
She dropped her eyes. "Oh, that. Yes, I promised myself I’d tell you the truth the next time I saw you. I-I drove Adobe into your horse on purpose."
Silence stretched between them. "I don’t care about the race, but I won’t allow you to say what happened between us was nothing more than a dalliance to you."
She couldn’t meet his eyes again, she’d cry if she did.
"Lauren, look at me, tell me what passed between us meant nothing to you."
She summed up the situation in one word. Bleak. She’d given herself to a man who’d leave soon. Tears threatened, but she wouldn’t cry. Not in front of him anyway. Adobe whinnied and she looked his way. "I have to go. When do you leave?"
"Three days from now."
He chased her like a leaf when she walked to Adobe and mounted. Before she could ride off, he grabbed the horse’s bridle. "Meet me here tomorrow."
"Are you insane? Let go of my horse."
"Not until you promise you'll be here."
She looked at the sky and blew air through her lips. "I won’t say yes and I can’t say no. It isn’t as easy for me to up and leave every day. People ask questions."
"Try, can you at least promise you’ll try?"
Without answering him, she slapped the reins against Adobe’s neck and rode from the clearing.
* * * *
Near the porch, Jonathan's horse snorted when Lauren rode into the ranch. Damnation, he’s still here. Wet hair clung to the sides of her head and her clothing was crumpled from the dampness. She'd have to bury her undergarments, wouldn’t be able to explain the torn camisole to Aunt Estelle.
Hank grabbed the bridle when she rode into the barn and looked up at her hair. "You must have gone for a swim."
"Yes, I did." She glanced toward the porch. "I thought Jonathan would be gone by now."
"Your aunt’s been entertaining him."
She dismounted, walked toward the house and forced a smile.
Her aunt sprang to her feet. "What happened, did the horse throw you?"
"No, I took a swim and fell asleep in the grass."
"Oh, dear, come with me. We’ll get you cleaned up."
Lauren called out over her shoulder as Estelle led her away, "I'll be down soon, Jonathan."
"You’re a mess, dear." Estelle shoed her up the stairs and called out for Nelly. "Please bring the tub and hot water to Lauren's room."
Lauren entered her room, her aunt all but chasing her down. "I'm fine, a little tired after my ride."
Hands on her hips, Estelle's Collie-colored eyes raked her over. "I was born at night, Lauren McCain, but not last night. How did leaves get in your hair? You're clothing is, well, it's in a deplorable state. Take those breeches off, the blouse too and hand them to me. Nelly will put them to soak." Her aunt held out her hand, waiting for her to undress right there.
"I'll wait until Nelly brings the tub and then I'll undress."
Estelle squinted and cocked her head. "Something is amiss, but I don’t believe you’ll share it with me."
"Nothing happened." Lauren rubbed her temples.
"Why the frown, dear?"
"My head throbs and now I must entertain Jonathan. That’s enough to make me frown."
"I can’t ask him to leave now. He’s been waiting for hours." Her aunt toyed with her fingers, her voice low. "I asked him to stay for supper."
Lauren groaned.
Estelle stepped aside when Nelly entered, but wasn’t about to concede the conversation. "Be kind to the man, he adores you."
"Yes, Aunt Estelle."
Clasping the copper tub with both
The gray eyes softened. "No, you wouldn’t have stayed away from me and I couldn’t stay away from you." He shrugged. "Don’t ask me to explain this draw, this pull; I can’t."
"You’re arrogant, and you’re wrong, Creed Gatlin. I’ll consider this a dalliance, a one-time indiscretion, and believe me, it won’t happen again."
He pulled the pants over his hips while sitting on the ground, stood, and reached her in three long strides. Placing his hand on her forearm he looked into her eyes. "Are you going to add lying to cheating?"
She dropped her eyes. "Oh, that. Yes, I promised myself I’d tell you the truth the next time I saw you. I-I drove Adobe into your horse on purpose."
Silence stretched between them. "I don’t care about the race, but I won’t allow you to say what happened between us was nothing more than a dalliance to you."
She couldn’t meet his eyes again, she’d cry if she did.
"Lauren, look at me, tell me what passed between us meant nothing to you."
She summed up the situation in one word. Bleak. She’d given herself to a man who’d leave soon. Tears threatened, but she wouldn’t cry. Not in front of him anyway. Adobe whinnied and she looked his way. "I have to go. When do you leave?"
"Three days from now."
He chased her like a leaf when she walked to Adobe and mounted. Before she could ride off, he grabbed the horse’s bridle. "Meet me here tomorrow."
"Are you insane? Let go of my horse."
"Not until you promise you'll be here."
She looked at the sky and blew air through her lips. "I won’t say yes and I can’t say no. It isn’t as easy for me to up and leave every day. People ask questions."
"Try, can you at least promise you’ll try?"
Without answering him, she slapped the reins against Adobe’s neck and rode from the clearing.
* * * *
Near the porch, Jonathan's horse snorted when Lauren rode into the ranch. Damnation, he’s still here. Wet hair clung to the sides of her head and her clothing was crumpled from the dampness. She'd have to bury her undergarments, wouldn’t be able to explain the torn camisole to Aunt Estelle.
Hank grabbed the bridle when she rode into the barn and looked up at her hair. "You must have gone for a swim."
"Yes, I did." She glanced toward the porch. "I thought Jonathan would be gone by now."
"Your aunt’s been entertaining him."
She dismounted, walked toward the house and forced a smile.
Her aunt sprang to her feet. "What happened, did the horse throw you?"
"No, I took a swim and fell asleep in the grass."
"Oh, dear, come with me. We’ll get you cleaned up."
Lauren called out over her shoulder as Estelle led her away, "I'll be down soon, Jonathan."
"You’re a mess, dear." Estelle shoed her up the stairs and called out for Nelly. "Please bring the tub and hot water to Lauren's room."
Lauren entered her room, her aunt all but chasing her down. "I'm fine, a little tired after my ride."
Hands on her hips, Estelle's Collie-colored eyes raked her over. "I was born at night, Lauren McCain, but not last night. How did leaves get in your hair? You're clothing is, well, it's in a deplorable state. Take those breeches off, the blouse too and hand them to me. Nelly will put them to soak." Her aunt held out her hand, waiting for her to undress right there.
"I'll wait until Nelly brings the tub and then I'll undress."
Estelle squinted and cocked her head. "Something is amiss, but I don’t believe you’ll share it with me."
"Nothing happened." Lauren rubbed her temples.
"Why the frown, dear?"
"My head throbs and now I must entertain Jonathan. That’s enough to make me frown."
"I can’t ask him to leave now. He’s been waiting for hours." Her aunt toyed with her fingers, her voice low. "I asked him to stay for supper."
Lauren groaned.
Estelle stepped aside when Nelly entered, but wasn’t about to concede the conversation. "Be kind to the man, he adores you."
"Yes, Aunt Estelle."
Clasping the copper tub with both
Similar Books
