Read Online Stroke of Fortune by Christine Rimmer - Free Book Online

and dropped his hands to his sides. She said, slowly and clearly, “I didn’t come here to tell you that the baby is mine. I can’t tell you that, Flynt. Because she is not mine.”
    He was the one who stepped back then, leaving a yawning chasm between them. The tender look in his eyes had vanished. His jaw was set.
    â€œNot yours,” he said flatly and with no belief at all.
    â€œThat’s right. Not mine. Not ours. ”
    â€œHell, Josie.” He blew out a weary breath.
    She wanted to scream and jump up and down and call him a thousand kinds of pigheaded fool. But she controlled herself somehow. She spoke slowly, carefully, reasonably. “I am not a liar, Flynt. I’m not a woman who will do something and then say I never did. I’ll keep my mouth shut, maybe. I’ll skirt the truth now and then. But I’m not going to lie bald-faced over and over. You know I’m not that kind.”
    He looked away, then back. “Even the most honest people will lie when they have to, when they feel they’ve got no other choice.”
    â€œFlynt, look at me. Look in my face.” She waited until his eyes were burning into hers. “I think a bigpart of what you’ve always liked about me—and you do like me, don’t you?”
    â€œWhat kind of question is that?”
    â€œA straight one. I’m not talkin’ about wanting, about whatever it is that makes our hearts beat too fast when we get near each other. I’m just talking about respect. About one person liking how another person is. And I’m asking, do you like me?”
    â€œDamn it, Josie.”
    â€œDo you?”
    â€œYes. Yes, I like you. You know I do.”
    â€œThat’s right. I do know. And I know why, too. You like me because I’m strong and I’m straight. Because I’ve been through a lot and things haven’t always been so good for me, but I’m still standing. I’m still keeping on, doing the right thing as best I can—and not usin’ any drugs or alcohol to soften the edges of how hard life can be. My daddy was a messed up, wife-abusing drunk. And you know and everyone knows that I am the reason he ended up in prison. I called the police on him and I testified against him so they could put him away where he belonged. In spite of all of that, I got through high school with a three-point-six GPA and someday, the good Lord willing, I’ll get a college education. I ran this whole big house of yours before I was twenty years old. I moved up to Hurst when you sent me away and I worked hard and I paid you back every penny you gave to me.
    â€œI may be more than ten years younger than you, but that doesn’t make me weak and helpless. Not by a long shot. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d had your baby. I can’t talk about what never was. Because that baby you found on the golf course is not mine. And I think, if you’d only be honest with yourself, that you know she’s not mine.”
    He looked at her sideways. “If she’s not yours, then what are you doing here?”
    Josie felt tired then, tired right down to her bones. It was no good. No matter how hard she tried, she wasn’t getting through to him.
    â€œI said, what are you doing here?”
    â€œYour mama told you. I came to apply for the nanny job.”
    â€œWhy—if Lena isn’t yours?”
    â€œBecause I love babies and someone has to take care of that poor little girl. And because—” She stopped herself, not sure if she really wanted to reveal the rest.
    â€œWhat?”
    She made herself say it. “Because I still have hope. I still…want a chance with you.”
    â€œA chance.” His tone made it achingly clear that she didn’t have a prayer in the world for such a thing.
    She sighed then. “That’s right. God knows why, but it’s true. I still want a chance to make things work with