Read Online One True Love by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page A

been surprised by the accusation in his eyes. He’d looked exactly the same way eight years ago. “This is your fault,” she said in defense. “If you hadn’t arrived, Roxy would have turned off the water in the tub, and I would have stopped Dylan from trying to fry the popcorn.”
    Nick’s eyes blazed. “It’s always my fault, isn’t it, Lisa?”
    She took an instinctive step backward, knowing he wasn’t talking about the popcorn or the tub and that she’d just opened a door she had no intention of going through. “I didn’t—I can’t—don’t do this, Nick.”
    “It’s always about you.”
    It was never about me. It was always about her. Robin. Our baby. The protest screamed silently through her head, but the words wouldn’t come out. She hadn’t said Robin’s name out loud since the day they’d buried her. She couldn’t say it now. Instead she took a deep breath and cleared her throat. “Go home, Nick.”
    He hesitated, then turned toward the door, but Mary Bea’s plaintive sob cut through the silence in the room. She launched herself against him, throwing her chubby little arms around his thigh so he couldn’t move.
    “Stay, Uncle Nick.”
    Nick hesitated, obviously torn between the children he loved and the ex-wife he hated. “Maybe I should stay.”
    Lisa’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t stay. I’m here.”
    “The kids want me. Why don’t you leave? Head back to L.A. Take off the way you always do.”
    It was tempting. Boy, was it tempting. Then she remembered Maggie, her best friend’s panicked face, and Lisa knew she couldn’t break her promise. “I told Maggie I’d watch the kids.”
    “I’m sure she wouldn’t be surprised if you left.”
    His words hurt the way they were meant to. Lisa squared her shoulders.
    “I’m staying, Nick. I promised Maggie I’d take care of her kids, and that’s what I will do.”
    “We all know how much your promises are worth. Zero. Or am I being too generous?”
    “I never knew you had such a mean streak.”S^ “Who do you think put it there?”
    She hobbled over to the stove. “I’m going to clean up the mess.” “If only you could.” He met her eyes in one long, telling look before he
    led the children out of the room.

Chapter 5
    Lisa managed to avoid Nick for the next hour. While he and Dylan played Sega, she cleaned up the kitchen, got Mary Bea into the bath and even convinced Roxy to help sort through the pile of laundry on Maggie’s bed. By ten o’clock Lisa was exhausted. The long day, the frantic drive down to San Diego, and the turmoil of seeing Nick again after so many years had taken every last ounce of her energy. It was all she could do to finish Mary Bea’s bedtime story and climb out of the small twin bed before she fell asleep with her niece.
    Niece. Lisa took one last look at Mary Bea, smiling wistfully at the sight of her blond curls falling lazily across her rosy cheeks, her little hand tucked up under her chin. Lisa had once dreamed of a life like this, a house full of children, a loving husband. But dreams didn’t come true. She’d known that for eight years. With an abrupt flick of the switch, she drowned the room in darkness and stepped into the hallway, running smack into Nick.
    “Is she asleep?”
    Nick’s low, husky voice startled her. He was so close that she could feel his breath against her cheek, see the shadow of beard along his jawline. She tried to move away, but Nick took up so much space. He always had. His presence swamped her both emotionally and physically.
    “Lisa?” he murmured, a questioning note in his voice.
    “Could you move, please? “Nick didn’t budge. He simply looked at her with those sharp, piercing green eyes that saw everything. “My God, it’s still there. After all these years, after everything we did and everything we said, it’s still there.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.” Her muscles tightened, and she tried not to look at him, but he was so damn close.
    “You