Read Online The Comeback Girl by Debra Salonen - Free Book Online

happened. The world changed, and I wanted to do more.”
    “I think you’ll make a terrific marshal,” she said. Her smile made his heart beat faster.
    He tried not to notice the way the fabric of her shin-length pants hugged her hips when she leaned down to straighten the papers on her desk.
    Kristin glanced up and caught him looking. He turned his head and faked a yawn. “I’d better get going.”
    “Pain from your back keeping you awake?” she asked. “Or is it your child-care situation?”
    “The latter,” he replied.
    She took a deep breath. “Do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you about that. Maybe I can help. And you can help me.”
    She sat on the sofa and studied him. He could tell by the serious look on her face she wasn’t looking forward to broaching the subject.
    “Obviously, we’ll have to figure out the specifics, but it occurred to me that we might be the answer to each other’s problems,” she said, twisting her hands nervously. “You need someone to look after Lucas while you’re in training, and I need to present the best, most stable appearance possible when Tyler takes me to court.”
    Before he could respond, she added, “I have a spare bedroom. Lucas could stay with me while you’re gone.”
    Move Lucas out of the only home he’d everknown while both his parents ran off to pursue their own agendas? That was an option Donnie was reluctant to consider.
    “I’m in the process of looking for someone to move into my house,” he said. “A house-sitter—and someone who would take care of Lucas.” “Find a housekeeper slash nanny” had been Sandy’s suggestion when he’d tried again to get her to stick to their original plan.
    “Would you consider the job?” he asked.
    “My moving into your house will have the whole town talking,” Kris said softly. “It won’t help me look stable and responsible.”
    An idea struck him. It raced through his mind with the same titillating charge he felt when he discovered the missing link in a crime he was trying to solve.
    No. Ridiculous. Talk about jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
    She needs stability, the illusion of permanence. I could give her that—who’s more entrenched than me?
    And who better than a loving mother with nearly eleven years’ experience to care for his son? He opened his mouth then closed it so hard his teeth clicked. Don’t be an idiot, Grimaldo. Keep your mouth shut. Don’t say a word…
    “What if we got married?”

CHAPTER FOUR
    D ONNIE HELD HIS BREATH as he waited for Kristin’s answer to his absurd proposal.
    She looked shell-shocked. “What did you say?”
    Donnie felt a rush of anticipation. “I said we could get married.”
    “That’s what I thought, but you can’t be serious.”
    His brain shifted into high speed. “Why not? It wouldn’t be your traditional happily-ever-after thing, because we’d go into it smart. Each with specific goals and realistic expectations. A year or two ought to get us past this crisis point.”
    Kris’s mouth kept opening and closing as though she wanted to speak but couldn’t. Her eyes were big, and she appeared on the verge of tears.
    Donnie could have kicked himself. He reached out to touch her arm. “I’m sorry, Kris. You’re right. It’s a dumb idea.”
    She blinked rapidly. “You just took me by surprise.” Her voice was thready, and she cleared her throat before adding, “I didn’t know there were men like you left in this world. You’d actually sacrifice your freedom to provide a stable home for your son?”
    “I wish that were true, Kris. I’d really like to be the hero here. But, truthfully, this is all about me. My dreams. My goals. It’s pure selfishness.”
    “Don’t be so hard on yourself. We’re all selfish at times. Look at me. I dragged my son from town to town. That’s not exactly something I’m proud of, you know.”
    “The fact that you’ve moved around quite a bit doesn’t make you a bad mother. I’ve