Read Online Sunrise Crossing by Jodi Thomas - Free Book Online

other, shaping the poles at various angles, and at first he thought they were mismatched. Only when she laid them out in a row he saw the pattern flowing like a wave up the stairs.
    â€œIt reminds me of the way the wind makes the tall grass dip and flow,” she said then bit her lip as if suddenly unsure of her work. “You can change it if...”
    â€œI love it.” He’d never seen anything like it. The staircase seemed to move and flow as he crossed the room. “I’ll have a work of art in my house thanks to you.”
    â€œWe’ve still got a lot of work to go before they’re sanded and stained.”
    â€œHow’d you learn to create something so beautiful out of blocks of wood?” The question was out before he thought.
    â€œMy dad taught me. I had a playhouse with a staircase like this.”
    Yancy smiled, glad he hadn’t upset her with his question. “I had a box in the vacant field next to our apartment once. I called it my hideout, until some homeless guy took it over.”
    They both laughed.
    When she picked up his coat as if it were now hers, he knew their night was over.
    â€œSorry about crying,” she said. “And for stealing your coat, which I’ll give back as soon as the nights warm.”
    â€œNo problem.” He moved to unlatch the door. “One thing I have to ask, Rabbit. Are you safe when you leave here?”
    She nodded. “I stay in the shadows of the trees when I walk. I have a safe hideout to live in with no homeless folks nearby.”
    â€œI hope it’s not made of cardboard.”
    Standing on her toes, she kissed his cheek. “It’s not. See you tomorrow night.”
    Yancy turned and let their lips touch, making the kiss more than a peck, but just short of passionate.
    He felt her tremble again.
    Without moving, he whispered against her moist lips, “You’ll always be safe here.”
    She moved away, but he saw the truth in her rainy-day blue eyes. She believed him. Maybe she wasn’t afraid of him. Maybe she was more afraid of being close to anyone.
    Standing in the open doorway, he watched her disappear into the night. He’d broken a rule tonight. He’d lied to the law and he didn’t care. He’d do it again and again if the lies would keep her safe.
    He had no idea why she wanted to step out of her life.
    All he knew was that he was glad she’d stepped into his.

CHAPTER TEN
    Mauve Monday’s indecision
    F OR THE NEXT few days, Parker tried to come up with a plan to get to Tori without anyone following her. She worried that her gallery needed her at the helm, but deep down she knew that wasn’t true. She left it often to visit artists and to travel with some of her collection. She went to other gallery shows all over the world. She’d set up the place to run as smoothly without her as when she was there.
    Tori needed her. She had to find a way to get to the farm near Crossroads. The talented painter, like many gifted people, needed someone else to help her work through the everyday problems. Parker knew this firsthand—she had lived with an established sculptor her first year out of college who could demand six figures for his work, but couldn’t remember to pay the electricity bill.
    They hadn’t worked out as lovers, but he’d given her the direction for her career. She’d loved the business part of the art world. She was fascinated with the details it took to put a show together, with discovering new talent and directing their careers. She sometimes thought of herself as the director and the artists were the actors. They got the spotlight, but deep down, she knew that a little part of their success belonged to her.
    This she could do. Organize. Polish. In a way, it was a safe career. She didn’t have to prove her own talent; she simply had to show off others’.
    But with the travel and the late nights, she’d never had time or any