Read Online Legacy Found: Legacy, Book 3 by N.J. Walters - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: N.J. Walters
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looking for her. She knew it as well as she knew the sun would rise tomorrow morning and every morning after. It wasn’t fair to drag James into that mess.
She’d get him to drop her in some town with a bus depot once they left Tennessee. She could buy a bus ticket to California where it was sunny all the time.
For some unknown reason, the thought depressed her.
She rubbed her finger up and down the soft denim of her jeans and snuggled into her warm coat. She’d never owned such fine clothing before, clothing she’d picked out for herself. Okay, maybe she hadn’t chosen the coat, but she couldn’t fault James’s taste. She loved the leather jacket. It was stylish and the lining was warm and cozy, like a soft blanket.
She didn’t want to leave him.
That was the bottom line and the problem she was struggling with right now. James made her feel safe. But that was just an illusion. She had to take care of herself.
She hadn’t been paying any attention to where they were going, but she focused on their surroundings as he turned off the road. The sign announced it was a gas station.
“I’ll just be a few minutes.” James shut off the ignition and climbed out. He’d left the keys. It would be so easy for her to steal the truck and drive away. If only she could drive. She’d never learned how, but he didn’t know that.
There was so much she didn’t know how to do. But she was learning. Watching the battered, ancient television in her apartment and observing other folks had helped. But she still felt like a child in many respects, blindly trying to find her way. She’d never used a cell phone or a computer or had a bank account.
She straightened her shoulders, staring straight ahead. She refused to feel shame. What had happened to her wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t chosen to be abandoned by her family. She hadn’t chosen her heritage. She hadn’t chosen to be held captive for all those years. Those things simply were. But she was working to make her life better.
A knock on the window yanked her from her thoughts and she jerked around. James moved his hand, making a cranking motion. She fumbled for the handle and rolled down the window. The pungent smell of gasoline made her wrinkle her nose.
“I’m going in to pay. You want anything to drink or eat?”
She shook her head, feeling slightly exasperated. The man had to stop offering to buy things for her. “No, thank you.”
“Back in a sec.” He strode toward the small brick building to pay and she couldn’t help admiring his long legs and the way his jeans cupped his firm butt.
Heat suffused her cheeks as she quickly put up the window and, this time, it had nothing to do with shame and everything to do with desire. She fanned her face, grateful James wasn’t here to see her blush. The last thing he needed to know was that she was attracted to him.
Her hand went limp and dropped to her lap. She was attracted to James Riley. Only a day ago, she would have said that was impossible. There was no way she’d ever feel that way toward any man.
What made him so special?
A vehicle pulled in on the other side of the gas pumps and she automatically glanced over. Every bit of blood drained from her face as she caught sight of the man driving the black SUV. It couldn’t be.
But it was. She’d seen his face too many times to mistake it—handsome, yet cruel at the same time. He’d grown a goatee since she’d last seen him. It gave his face a more sinister look. His blond hair was longer than she remembered, but it still didn’t touch his shoulders.
Shelley turned away and hunched down in her seat. Should she run?
No . That would bring attention her way. Reaching her hand out blindly, she hit the lock on her door.
She leaned across the seat to lock the other door, but before she could, it popped open. She gasped and shrank away.
It was James and, of course, he noticed the way she was practically hiding under the dashboard. “What’s
She’d get him to drop her in some town with a bus depot once they left Tennessee. She could buy a bus ticket to California where it was sunny all the time.
For some unknown reason, the thought depressed her.
She rubbed her finger up and down the soft denim of her jeans and snuggled into her warm coat. She’d never owned such fine clothing before, clothing she’d picked out for herself. Okay, maybe she hadn’t chosen the coat, but she couldn’t fault James’s taste. She loved the leather jacket. It was stylish and the lining was warm and cozy, like a soft blanket.
She didn’t want to leave him.
That was the bottom line and the problem she was struggling with right now. James made her feel safe. But that was just an illusion. She had to take care of herself.
She hadn’t been paying any attention to where they were going, but she focused on their surroundings as he turned off the road. The sign announced it was a gas station.
“I’ll just be a few minutes.” James shut off the ignition and climbed out. He’d left the keys. It would be so easy for her to steal the truck and drive away. If only she could drive. She’d never learned how, but he didn’t know that.
There was so much she didn’t know how to do. But she was learning. Watching the battered, ancient television in her apartment and observing other folks had helped. But she still felt like a child in many respects, blindly trying to find her way. She’d never used a cell phone or a computer or had a bank account.
She straightened her shoulders, staring straight ahead. She refused to feel shame. What had happened to her wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t chosen to be abandoned by her family. She hadn’t chosen her heritage. She hadn’t chosen to be held captive for all those years. Those things simply were. But she was working to make her life better.
A knock on the window yanked her from her thoughts and she jerked around. James moved his hand, making a cranking motion. She fumbled for the handle and rolled down the window. The pungent smell of gasoline made her wrinkle her nose.
“I’m going in to pay. You want anything to drink or eat?”
She shook her head, feeling slightly exasperated. The man had to stop offering to buy things for her. “No, thank you.”
“Back in a sec.” He strode toward the small brick building to pay and she couldn’t help admiring his long legs and the way his jeans cupped his firm butt.
Heat suffused her cheeks as she quickly put up the window and, this time, it had nothing to do with shame and everything to do with desire. She fanned her face, grateful James wasn’t here to see her blush. The last thing he needed to know was that she was attracted to him.
Her hand went limp and dropped to her lap. She was attracted to James Riley. Only a day ago, she would have said that was impossible. There was no way she’d ever feel that way toward any man.
What made him so special?
A vehicle pulled in on the other side of the gas pumps and she automatically glanced over. Every bit of blood drained from her face as she caught sight of the man driving the black SUV. It couldn’t be.
But it was. She’d seen his face too many times to mistake it—handsome, yet cruel at the same time. He’d grown a goatee since she’d last seen him. It gave his face a more sinister look. His blond hair was longer than she remembered, but it still didn’t touch his shoulders.
Shelley turned away and hunched down in her seat. Should she run?
No . That would bring attention her way. Reaching her hand out blindly, she hit the lock on her door.
She leaned across the seat to lock the other door, but before she could, it popped open. She gasped and shrank away.
It was James and, of course, he noticed the way she was practically hiding under the dashboard. “What’s
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