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Authors: Vanessa Devereaux
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what happened in my past. The reason you’ll have to be patient with me.”
They arrived at the edge of the lake.
“You want to sit here and chat while Barney has a run?” he asked.
She nodded and they sat. Christopher unhooked Barney’s leash from his collar and he began snif fing around some trees that were close by.
Christopher rested his arm on the back of the bench as Lilly turned toward him.
“I came here to escape my past. My ex-husband abused me.”
He felt his blood pressure rising, almost bringing out the bear. How could someone hurt their spouse? Hurt any woman?
“I guess I was stupid. I was dependent upon him as he had a job and health insurance and I thought maybe one day I’d do something right and he’d stop using me as a punching bag.”
A tear slid down her f ace and Christopher touched it. “It’s okay Lilly.”
“Then one day I burned hi s dinner because Katlin was running a fever and throwing up and I totally forget I’d left the steak under the grill, and he lost it. I thought he was going to kill me, he beat me so bad.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her to him. “I got Katlin and I jumped out of a wind ow, but he came after me.”
“Geez Lilly, what happened?”
“He was beating me and I was trying to protect Katlin and then a neighbor shot him to stop him hitting me with a baseball bat.”
Christopher closed his eyes shut. Poor Lilly.
“Did he kill him?”
“No, he w as a cop who’d just moved into the neighborhood and heard the commotion. He shot him in the leg.”
“So what happened?”
“Lots of things. I was laid up in the hospital with a broken arm and a concussion. Matt was arrested. The neighbor had to go on leave from the force while the whole thing was investigated.”
“And where’s Matt now?” asked Christopher. He hoped he’d been shipped far away for a long time.
“Spending two years in jail.”
Christopher squeezed her body hoping she didn’t mind. He was more than happy when she rested her head on his shoulder.
“I wanted to get far away and make a clean new start.”
“And you’re doing just that.” He kissed the top of her head, smelling the scent of hair. He took a deep breath. He’d heal her body and soul.
****
In a way, Lilly was relieved that she’d told her story to Christopher. Not just because she’d shared it with another human being beside her mom and stepdad, but because maybe now he’d understand her irrational behavior that night and the reason she’d wanted to take things slowly.
“You want to get some ice cream?” he asked her.
There was a cold wind today and the last thing she’d thought about was something icy to eat but Christopher had a w ay of making it sound enticing and fun.
“You know I think I’d like a rocky road.”
“My favorite too,” he said.
They walked along to the ice cream parlor and she waited outside with Barney while Christopher went into to buy the ice cream.
She looked at him through the window. She almost felt guilty about what she ’d done last night in bed. Self-pleasured herself while thinking about him.
He came back out of the store with an ice cream cone in each of his hands.
“You look like you’ve done something naughty,” he said.
Shit, it must have been written all over her face.
“Just thinking about something I did last night when I got home from your place.”
“Wow, now I’m intrigued. I think I’ll have to hear all the sordid details. You want to eat these in the car because it looks like rain.”
They walked toward his car and she wondered if she should own up to what she’d done.
Christopher opened the door. Barney jumped in the back and then they got in.
“So what did you do?” asked Christopher.
Lilly sensed she was blushing. He looked at her, probably seeing the red cheeks.
“I…”
“You what ?” he asked, before taking a lick of his ice cream.
“I thought about you.”
“That’s nice to know, but I’m guessing judging
They arrived at the edge of the lake.
“You want to sit here and chat while Barney has a run?” he asked.
She nodded and they sat. Christopher unhooked Barney’s leash from his collar and he began snif fing around some trees that were close by.
Christopher rested his arm on the back of the bench as Lilly turned toward him.
“I came here to escape my past. My ex-husband abused me.”
He felt his blood pressure rising, almost bringing out the bear. How could someone hurt their spouse? Hurt any woman?
“I guess I was stupid. I was dependent upon him as he had a job and health insurance and I thought maybe one day I’d do something right and he’d stop using me as a punching bag.”
A tear slid down her f ace and Christopher touched it. “It’s okay Lilly.”
“Then one day I burned hi s dinner because Katlin was running a fever and throwing up and I totally forget I’d left the steak under the grill, and he lost it. I thought he was going to kill me, he beat me so bad.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her to him. “I got Katlin and I jumped out of a wind ow, but he came after me.”
“Geez Lilly, what happened?”
“He was beating me and I was trying to protect Katlin and then a neighbor shot him to stop him hitting me with a baseball bat.”
Christopher closed his eyes shut. Poor Lilly.
“Did he kill him?”
“No, he w as a cop who’d just moved into the neighborhood and heard the commotion. He shot him in the leg.”
“So what happened?”
“Lots of things. I was laid up in the hospital with a broken arm and a concussion. Matt was arrested. The neighbor had to go on leave from the force while the whole thing was investigated.”
“And where’s Matt now?” asked Christopher. He hoped he’d been shipped far away for a long time.
“Spending two years in jail.”
Christopher squeezed her body hoping she didn’t mind. He was more than happy when she rested her head on his shoulder.
“I wanted to get far away and make a clean new start.”
“And you’re doing just that.” He kissed the top of her head, smelling the scent of hair. He took a deep breath. He’d heal her body and soul.
****
In a way, Lilly was relieved that she’d told her story to Christopher. Not just because she’d shared it with another human being beside her mom and stepdad, but because maybe now he’d understand her irrational behavior that night and the reason she’d wanted to take things slowly.
“You want to get some ice cream?” he asked her.
There was a cold wind today and the last thing she’d thought about was something icy to eat but Christopher had a w ay of making it sound enticing and fun.
“You know I think I’d like a rocky road.”
“My favorite too,” he said.
They walked along to the ice cream parlor and she waited outside with Barney while Christopher went into to buy the ice cream.
She looked at him through the window. She almost felt guilty about what she ’d done last night in bed. Self-pleasured herself while thinking about him.
He came back out of the store with an ice cream cone in each of his hands.
“You look like you’ve done something naughty,” he said.
Shit, it must have been written all over her face.
“Just thinking about something I did last night when I got home from your place.”
“Wow, now I’m intrigued. I think I’ll have to hear all the sordid details. You want to eat these in the car because it looks like rain.”
They walked toward his car and she wondered if she should own up to what she’d done.
Christopher opened the door. Barney jumped in the back and then they got in.
“So what did you do?” asked Christopher.
Lilly sensed she was blushing. He looked at her, probably seeing the red cheeks.
“I…”
“You what ?” he asked, before taking a lick of his ice cream.
“I thought about you.”
“That’s nice to know, but I’m guessing judging
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