Read Online Man with a Past by Kay Stockham - Free Book Online Page B

killed!”
    Wilson’s voice brought him out of the fog surrounding him, and Joe imagined the old man seeing them on the ground and trying to come to their aid on his walker. His metal walker.
    â€œJoe?”
    Inhaling as deep as his squashed lungs would allow, he groaned. “Get. Off.”
    â€œ Oh! ”
    Ashley shoved herself off his chest and nearly kneed him in the groin in the process. “I’m sorry! Oh, thank God. It’s a wonder I didn’t kill you landing on you like that. Are you okay? Can you move?”
    Did he have to?
    â€œ Missy? ”
    â€œAnswer him,” he urged roughly. “He’ll come out here if you don’t.”
    Ashley looked over her shoulder and shouted toward the back door. “Wilson, go check on Max and—and find the flashlight before we lose power!”
    Joe heard the old man order them to hurry, butthankfully the squeaky screen door remained closed. Ashley shifted beside him and pulled on him ineffectively until Joe gave in and rolled over. He got to his knees, only vaguely realizing Ashley had put his arm around her shoulders until his hand rested on the upper part of her full breast.
    If only he felt like taking advantage of the moment. Joe growled out a curse and ignored his aches and pains as he got one foot under himself enough that, with Ashley’s help, he was able to stand.
    â€œAre you all right?”
    â€œYeah. Let’s get inside.”
    Rain poured down from the sky in driving bucketfuls. Limbs from the downed tree were in the way and they stumbled over them in the dark, the branches snagging the wet denim of his jeans. Near the porch, tiny, rapidly growing streams gushed beside the weedy flower beds.
    Another boom of thunder erupted overhead. Louder, seemingly more angry than before. The wind picked up again.
    â€œJoe, hurry. Here comes another one.”
    Lightning streaked across the sky, but this time it didn’t come down near them.
    â€œGeez, I hate storms.”
    He acknowledged her comment with a grunt and gripped the porch rail, Ashley’s arm around his waist and her cheek pressed against his chest as they climbed.
    On solid footing and getting more air into his lungs than he’d had since landing, Joe paused at the top step to rest and looked out at the yard. Another lightning strike illuminated the greenery and dark bark of the trees in sharp contrast with the pale, inner flesh of the one that had fallen, split in two.
    â€œOh, no. Not that one.”
    He wouldn’t have heard her soft exclamation had he not been standing so close. Wouldn’t have seen the flicker of pain in her eyes at the sight of the destruction. To him the loss of the tree limbs would mean more work cleaning up the debris, but he wondered what the fallen willow meant to her.
    â€œWhat else is going to go wrong today?”
    Her voice broke on the words, and surprised at the emotional glimpse, Joe tightened his arm. He liked the feel of her. The soft yet solid way she leaned against him.
    â€œJust so you know, I’m not crying over some stupid tree,” she muttered, her words proven false by a loud sniffle. “It’s just been a really, really sucky day.”
    Strands of her hair stuck to the stubble on his chin as he nodded. “I understand. Shock will do that to you.”
    Ashley nodded vigorously and her head bumped against his chest. “It’s just…I’d thought as soon as Max was big enough I’d put a rope swing in that tree, but now it’s gone like—like—”
    Max’s father?
    And Josie.
    Joe loosened his hold and stepped away from her. He might acknowledge being desperately in need of a woman, but he had too much pride to be a stand-in for Ashley Cade’s dead husband.
    Nor would he allow Ashley’s son to bring back memories of a life and time he’d never again have.
    Beside him Ashley wrapped her arms around her narrow waist and hugged.