Read Online Make Me Believe: Unbelievable, Book 3 by Crystal Jordan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Crystal Jordan
Ads: Link
comforting hand down her shoulder. A shiver went through her, half in longing for his empathy and half in utter awareness of him as a man. “I bet he’s still smoking pot and strumming his guitar.”
She laughed, and it felt like it straggled past a weight that had been pressing down on her chest for far too long. When was the last time she’d actually talked about this to anyone? Everyone knew about it—secrets were impossible to keep in Cedarville—but no one had ever wanted to discuss it with her. Not that she would have welcomed the topic, because, well, her past wasn’t great, so why not focus on what was good? Right now was awesome.
“How did husband number two happen?”
She sighed. “You know, I don’t really like to dwell on this stuff.”
“I told you about me… I’m just hoping you’ll return the favor.” He squeezed the back of her neck, letting her fall into silence for long minutes.
“Yeah. Okay.” She picked up a pillow and brushed a hand over it, wiping away an invisible crumb. He had shared his past with her. It seemed only fair, when he put it that way. “So, I was a stylist in Seattle for about eight years and I was doing really well—”
“What made you come back here?” He jumped on the opening, and she fought back a smile.
She bumped his shoulder with hers. “I’m getting to that, Mr. Pushy.”
“Right, sorry.” He shot her a quick, self-deprecating grin. “Keep going.”
Any urge to smile passed as all the ugly memories came flooding back. She swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “One day I got a call from Aunt Grace. She was sick. Breast cancer. It had already metastasized and spread…everywhere. There was nothing they could do for her except make her comfortable. So, I came back to live with her until the end.” Her heart cinched so tight it was all she could do not to cry. Even five years later, it hurt to have lost that old lady. The last of her family. Gone. Her throat closed, saltiness burning at the backs of her eyes. She realized her hands were balled in the pillow, and she consciously relaxed her grip. “It was the least I could do after she took me in as a hellion teen, you know?”
“Yeah.” His fingers tangled in her hair, brushing the short strands away from her face.
She cleared her throat, not allowing herself to lean into his touch. But she wanted to. God, she wanted to. “Husband number two was her doctor. I was still grieving over Grace, and he’d been through the end with me. It just seemed natural, easy. We were together for a couple of years, and we were both workaholics. I was trying to get Occam’s Razor off the ground and he was a doctor, so we were like ships passing in the night. We never saw each other.” Her shoulder twitched in a shrug. “It didn’t really surprise me when he left me for one of the nurses at the hospital. It did surprise me how little I cared.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah.” She braced herself before she turned to look at him. She had no idea what she’d see in his eyes—sympathy or pity or anything in between. Having put this behind her and not talking about it meant she didn’t know how other people saw her. Usually, she wouldn’t care, but somewhere in the last few weeks, his opinion had become important to her. More important than she’d like to admit. But there was only compassion in his green gaze. Of course, with his past he understood. He continued stroking her hair. His lips were a hairsbreadth from hers, he was so close to her now. “So that was the end of my second marriage.”
“I’m sorry.” He brushed his mouth over hers, the sweetest kiss she’d ever had. It made that hot moisture burn her eyes again.
She threw herself into his embrace, wanting the comfort that he offered, wanting anything that would distract her from the devastating emotions she’d dredged up. She shouldn’t go there, shouldn’t give in, because it would only weaken her more in this relationship war they waged, but
She laughed, and it felt like it straggled past a weight that had been pressing down on her chest for far too long. When was the last time she’d actually talked about this to anyone? Everyone knew about it—secrets were impossible to keep in Cedarville—but no one had ever wanted to discuss it with her. Not that she would have welcomed the topic, because, well, her past wasn’t great, so why not focus on what was good? Right now was awesome.
“How did husband number two happen?”
She sighed. “You know, I don’t really like to dwell on this stuff.”
“I told you about me… I’m just hoping you’ll return the favor.” He squeezed the back of her neck, letting her fall into silence for long minutes.
“Yeah. Okay.” She picked up a pillow and brushed a hand over it, wiping away an invisible crumb. He had shared his past with her. It seemed only fair, when he put it that way. “So, I was a stylist in Seattle for about eight years and I was doing really well—”
“What made you come back here?” He jumped on the opening, and she fought back a smile.
She bumped his shoulder with hers. “I’m getting to that, Mr. Pushy.”
“Right, sorry.” He shot her a quick, self-deprecating grin. “Keep going.”
Any urge to smile passed as all the ugly memories came flooding back. She swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “One day I got a call from Aunt Grace. She was sick. Breast cancer. It had already metastasized and spread…everywhere. There was nothing they could do for her except make her comfortable. So, I came back to live with her until the end.” Her heart cinched so tight it was all she could do not to cry. Even five years later, it hurt to have lost that old lady. The last of her family. Gone. Her throat closed, saltiness burning at the backs of her eyes. She realized her hands were balled in the pillow, and she consciously relaxed her grip. “It was the least I could do after she took me in as a hellion teen, you know?”
“Yeah.” His fingers tangled in her hair, brushing the short strands away from her face.
She cleared her throat, not allowing herself to lean into his touch. But she wanted to. God, she wanted to. “Husband number two was her doctor. I was still grieving over Grace, and he’d been through the end with me. It just seemed natural, easy. We were together for a couple of years, and we were both workaholics. I was trying to get Occam’s Razor off the ground and he was a doctor, so we were like ships passing in the night. We never saw each other.” Her shoulder twitched in a shrug. “It didn’t really surprise me when he left me for one of the nurses at the hospital. It did surprise me how little I cared.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah.” She braced herself before she turned to look at him. She had no idea what she’d see in his eyes—sympathy or pity or anything in between. Having put this behind her and not talking about it meant she didn’t know how other people saw her. Usually, she wouldn’t care, but somewhere in the last few weeks, his opinion had become important to her. More important than she’d like to admit. But there was only compassion in his green gaze. Of course, with his past he understood. He continued stroking her hair. His lips were a hairsbreadth from hers, he was so close to her now. “So that was the end of my second marriage.”
“I’m sorry.” He brushed his mouth over hers, the sweetest kiss she’d ever had. It made that hot moisture burn her eyes again.
She threw herself into his embrace, wanting the comfort that he offered, wanting anything that would distract her from the devastating emotions she’d dredged up. She shouldn’t go there, shouldn’t give in, because it would only weaken her more in this relationship war they waged, but
Similar Books
