Read Online Round-the-Clock Temptation by Michelle Celmer - Free Book Online

what happened,” Nita said to Jane, feeling desperate. “What can we do to fix this?”
    â€œWhy don’t you ask that hardheaded old fool? I have to go.” Jane spun on her heel and a minute later Nita heard the front door slam. She turned to her daddy.
    â€œWhat happened? What did you do to her?”
    â€œI don’t want to talk about it.”
    â€œNita, I’m going to go see if Jimmy needs me for anything,” Connor said. He must have figured Will might be more willing to talk without an audience. Either that, or he didn’t want to get involved. Not that she blamed him. It was her own family and she didn’t want to have to deal with it. She just wanted everything to go back to normal.
    â€œThat’s fine,” she told Connor. “I’ll be out there in a bit.”
    When he was gone, she turned back to her daddy. “Jane, a member of our family, just walked out that door and you damned well better want to talk about it.”
    â€œI’ll hire a new housekeeper.”
    Jane was right about one thing, he was hardheaded. Nita sat on the edge of the couch. “Daddy, please talk to me. What happened?”
    He mumbled something Nita didn’t catch. “What was that?”
    â€œI said, she told me she loves me.”
    Nita let out a surprised laugh. And here she’d thought something horrible had happened. “Is that all?”
    He looked at like she was nuts. “What do you mean, is that all? ”
    â€œAre you telling me you didn’t know? Jane has been in love with you as long as I can remember. Since you never dated I thought…well, I thought maybe you two had something going on the side.”
    He looked downright scandalized. “Of course not!”
    â€œDo you have feelings for her?”
    â€œShe’s been my friend for a long time.”
    â€œI’m talking about romantic feelings.”
    His dark eyebrows pulled into a frown. “That part of me died along with your mother.”
    How sad that would be if it were true, but Nita didn’t believe it for a minute. He was an affectionate, caring person. She was sure he could love again if he’d only let himself.
    â€œWhen Jane told you she loved you, what did you say to her?”
    â€œI told her that in my heart I’m still married to your momma, and I made a vow to be faithful to her.”
    Nita winced. That one had to sting. To be rejected for the ghost of a marriage long since dissolved. “Daddy, Momma’s been gone almost twenty years. She would want you to be happy.”
    â€œI am happy. I have you and Rose and I have the farm. I don’t need a woman to complete me.”
    Nita sighed. There was no reasoning with him now. Poor Jane had to be devastated. To wait so long to speak her mind only to have her feelings shot down. No wonder she’d left. And Nita would miss her something fierce if she couldn’t convince her to come back.
    Jane had been around for so long Nita couldn’t even imagine life without her. She’d cooked and cleaned and made sure the house ran like a greased wheel, had taken care of them all when they were sick. She’d been the female confidant Nita and her sister Rose had needed growing up. Jane had taken them shopping to buy their first bras, explained about periods and womanhoodwhen the time came. But she’d never once overstepped her bounds and tried to take their mother’s place.
    She’d been like a wife to Will in every way besides the bedroom. They played hours of Gin Rummy, watched movies together and bought each other special gifts for Christmas and birthdays. And Nita suspected that deep down, though he wouldn’t admit, he loved Jane, too.
    After all these years, Nita didn’t understand how he could let her go without a fight.
    â€œI don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Will said. “What’s done is done. Tomorrow you can go into town and pick up a