Read Online Secrets Of The Heart (Book 1, The Heart Series) by Laurie LeClair - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Laurie LeClair
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Nana.” She couldn’t stop the wistfulness in her voice.
“Yeah. She was a character, though.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shake his head. “All these years I’d always thought I took care of her, but, after losing her, I’ve discovered she was the one keeping me together.”
Something sharp pierced Bree. Empathy. Without thinking, she shifted, her knee pressing against his thigh.
Reaching out, she placed her hand on his lower arm. Heat warmed her and the soft hairs on his arm tickled her palm. A current buzzed between them, making her highly aware of the intimate situation. “You helped each other in more ways than you realize, Nick.”
Silvery light bathed his unreadable face. Somehow, in the ensuing silence, Bree understood the wealth of emotions that shafted through him, the well of grief and the healing power of love. She sensed an intangible bond forged them together.
“Thank you.” His soft, vibrant voice slipped into her heart, into her soul. He lifted her hand from his arm, and then gently fitted it between his two palms, intertwining fingers.
The innocent clasp, and his stroking thumb, caused a sharp ache, a deep longing behind her rib cage. One half of her wished to yank her hand away from his fiery brand. But, the other half, the half that hungered for so much more, stilled her, accepting this tiny bit of heaven.
“There’s more that links us than separates us,” Bree said, trying to hold onto that ethereal cord. He squeezed her hand, in agreement, she hoped. The warmth seeped into the tiny cracked crevices of her center. “I never could find a way to thank you for all you did for me when I carried Sydney. You had this uncanny knack for calling me late at night right when I needed someone to talk to, to ward off the fears.”
“Do you think I’d let you go through that alone?”
“Oh, I know you said you felt you should since Vinnie worked the graveyard shift, but, for whatever reason, you did it, I was grateful. And for all the times you and Nana just happened to be in the neighborhood and drop in on the evenings when Vinnie had a class, I can’t tell you how much that meant to me.” She stopped, embarrassed at her candor, at what she’d revealed.
A strained silence followed until he broke it. “I was ashamed of my son for not living up to his duties. I thought I taught him better.” She knew how much that admission had cost him.
“Oh, Nick, don’t blame yourself for that. In some ways, he was like you, but not in the ways that counted, at least to me. He grew scared. Instead of being at my side he dealt with it the only way he knew how, by distancing himself.”
“Like Dorthea,” Nick said, with a hint of stunned wonder as if he’d only just realized that fact.
“Not everyone lines up their priorities like you do. You put family first, you always have and you always will. That’s one of the things I admire most about you. That’s something we both share. I know, as much as it hurt me, that’s why you wanted custody of Sydney; she’s all the family you have left.”
Nick stiffened his back. His guilt antenna went on alert. She gave him more credit than he deserved, more than he would ever accept. Not when I betrayed my own flesh and blood by kissing her.
“You’re wrong, you know.” He felt her drawing away at his harsh tone, but held fast to her soft, tiny hand. He wanted license to touch more than her delicate hand. But he knew this wasn’t the time or place to take such liberties. There was a still a wall between them. “I’m not that noble, so don’t make me out to be or you’ll be very disappointed.”
She sighed, the rush of warm air caressing his face. “It’s all that good old-fashioned Catholic guilt eating away at you. Don’t be so tough on yourself.”
He snorted. “It’s not just habit. It’s what I’ve earned.”
“Your penitence? Is everything beyond forgiveness, according to your rigid rules and regulations?” Disgust
“Yeah. She was a character, though.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shake his head. “All these years I’d always thought I took care of her, but, after losing her, I’ve discovered she was the one keeping me together.”
Something sharp pierced Bree. Empathy. Without thinking, she shifted, her knee pressing against his thigh.
Reaching out, she placed her hand on his lower arm. Heat warmed her and the soft hairs on his arm tickled her palm. A current buzzed between them, making her highly aware of the intimate situation. “You helped each other in more ways than you realize, Nick.”
Silvery light bathed his unreadable face. Somehow, in the ensuing silence, Bree understood the wealth of emotions that shafted through him, the well of grief and the healing power of love. She sensed an intangible bond forged them together.
“Thank you.” His soft, vibrant voice slipped into her heart, into her soul. He lifted her hand from his arm, and then gently fitted it between his two palms, intertwining fingers.
The innocent clasp, and his stroking thumb, caused a sharp ache, a deep longing behind her rib cage. One half of her wished to yank her hand away from his fiery brand. But, the other half, the half that hungered for so much more, stilled her, accepting this tiny bit of heaven.
“There’s more that links us than separates us,” Bree said, trying to hold onto that ethereal cord. He squeezed her hand, in agreement, she hoped. The warmth seeped into the tiny cracked crevices of her center. “I never could find a way to thank you for all you did for me when I carried Sydney. You had this uncanny knack for calling me late at night right when I needed someone to talk to, to ward off the fears.”
“Do you think I’d let you go through that alone?”
“Oh, I know you said you felt you should since Vinnie worked the graveyard shift, but, for whatever reason, you did it, I was grateful. And for all the times you and Nana just happened to be in the neighborhood and drop in on the evenings when Vinnie had a class, I can’t tell you how much that meant to me.” She stopped, embarrassed at her candor, at what she’d revealed.
A strained silence followed until he broke it. “I was ashamed of my son for not living up to his duties. I thought I taught him better.” She knew how much that admission had cost him.
“Oh, Nick, don’t blame yourself for that. In some ways, he was like you, but not in the ways that counted, at least to me. He grew scared. Instead of being at my side he dealt with it the only way he knew how, by distancing himself.”
“Like Dorthea,” Nick said, with a hint of stunned wonder as if he’d only just realized that fact.
“Not everyone lines up their priorities like you do. You put family first, you always have and you always will. That’s one of the things I admire most about you. That’s something we both share. I know, as much as it hurt me, that’s why you wanted custody of Sydney; she’s all the family you have left.”
Nick stiffened his back. His guilt antenna went on alert. She gave him more credit than he deserved, more than he would ever accept. Not when I betrayed my own flesh and blood by kissing her.
“You’re wrong, you know.” He felt her drawing away at his harsh tone, but held fast to her soft, tiny hand. He wanted license to touch more than her delicate hand. But he knew this wasn’t the time or place to take such liberties. There was a still a wall between them. “I’m not that noble, so don’t make me out to be or you’ll be very disappointed.”
She sighed, the rush of warm air caressing his face. “It’s all that good old-fashioned Catholic guilt eating away at you. Don’t be so tough on yourself.”
He snorted. “It’s not just habit. It’s what I’ve earned.”
“Your penitence? Is everything beyond forgiveness, according to your rigid rules and regulations?” Disgust
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