Read Online The Debra Dilemma (The Lone Stars Book 4) by Katie Graykowski - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Katie Graykowski
Tags: General Fiction
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jangled through his system and he realized that he was giddy, actually giddy about moving in.
So what if he already had a home in Austin and a ranch outside of Wimberley, now he had a condo, too. He’d move some of his furniture over and set up house. The elevator buzzed, signaling that he’d arrived at the penthouse. He’d bought the only condo that was available, which happened to be the entire top floor. Debra lived on the fourth floor, directly under him. He stepped off the elevator and glanced at the floor. Was she home now?
Would it be weird to go down and borrow a cup of sugar?
What would he do with a cup of sugar? Until a couple of days ago, he didn’t eat sugar and now he practically shoveled it in. What would he put a cup of sugar in? He glanced around at the barren living space. It was bereft of furniture and appliances and household supplies—he was going to have to start from scratch. If he cupped his hands, would she pour the sugar in them? He let out a long sigh. That would be weird. And she probably didn’t have sugar either. It’s not like she baked…or at least she hadn’t when they were together.
He put his hand over his heart, as if that would ease the ache. Their six months together was the only time in his life that he was truly happy. It was the only time in his life he’d felt comfortable in his own skin….just being Warren. And the burning desire that fueled his success had been drowned out by the love he felt—he rubbed his chest hard—still felt for her. She’d offered to give up everything to be with him and he hadn’t just hurt her…he crushed her. He remembered so clearly the innocent girl with the tender feelings and a rapier wit. That was before she became hard and calculating. He’d done that…he’d taken everything beautiful about her spirit and destroyed it. Hopefully enough of that girl remained so she could forgive him and they could get on with the rest of their lives.
This is what he wanted…right? Happy ever after? He sure as hell hoped so, because this had just cost him damned near a million dollars.
He glanced at the Austin skyline where the Frost Bank building was aglow in white. Everything was bigger in Texas including ugly glass buildings.
It was funny. He smiled to himself. Back then, Debra had been the one to throw money away right and left, and now it was him. He’d never thought of himself as a frivolous person, but here he was buying something he didn’t need, didn’t want, and had no use for. It that wasn’t the definition of frivolous, he didn’t know what was.
His hand went to his back pocket and eased his wallet out. He unfolded it and pulled up the strip of photo booth pictures that he always kept in the folding money pocket. He knew the three pictures stacked on top of each other by heart. In the first one they were making crazy faces; in the second, Debra smiled while he kissed her on the cheek, but it was the third that drew his eye. In that picture she was looking up with unadulterated love shining in her eyes.
Was there enough forgiveness in her to ever look at him that way again?
He traced her face. Back then she was all soft lines and curves. Now she was hard angles, wrought by time and exercise, but the curves were still there. He liked her new boyish haircut; on her somehow it seemed ultra feminine. And then he realized—it made her eyes, those hazel eyes—look bigger.
He slipped the wedding band out of his trousers pocket and set it on the mile-long gray granite kitchen island. Would there ever be a day when he would part with the ring?
It didn’t seem possible that a thirty-five-year-old man could moon over a woman, but here he was mooning over Debra like a lovesick teenager.
He should march right down to her condo and straighten things out. Yeah, right, that was assuming that she’d let him in, which was about as likely as him snowboarding in Hell. He glanced at his watch. And it was almost one in the morning. People
So what if he already had a home in Austin and a ranch outside of Wimberley, now he had a condo, too. He’d move some of his furniture over and set up house. The elevator buzzed, signaling that he’d arrived at the penthouse. He’d bought the only condo that was available, which happened to be the entire top floor. Debra lived on the fourth floor, directly under him. He stepped off the elevator and glanced at the floor. Was she home now?
Would it be weird to go down and borrow a cup of sugar?
What would he do with a cup of sugar? Until a couple of days ago, he didn’t eat sugar and now he practically shoveled it in. What would he put a cup of sugar in? He glanced around at the barren living space. It was bereft of furniture and appliances and household supplies—he was going to have to start from scratch. If he cupped his hands, would she pour the sugar in them? He let out a long sigh. That would be weird. And she probably didn’t have sugar either. It’s not like she baked…or at least she hadn’t when they were together.
He put his hand over his heart, as if that would ease the ache. Their six months together was the only time in his life that he was truly happy. It was the only time in his life he’d felt comfortable in his own skin….just being Warren. And the burning desire that fueled his success had been drowned out by the love he felt—he rubbed his chest hard—still felt for her. She’d offered to give up everything to be with him and he hadn’t just hurt her…he crushed her. He remembered so clearly the innocent girl with the tender feelings and a rapier wit. That was before she became hard and calculating. He’d done that…he’d taken everything beautiful about her spirit and destroyed it. Hopefully enough of that girl remained so she could forgive him and they could get on with the rest of their lives.
This is what he wanted…right? Happy ever after? He sure as hell hoped so, because this had just cost him damned near a million dollars.
He glanced at the Austin skyline where the Frost Bank building was aglow in white. Everything was bigger in Texas including ugly glass buildings.
It was funny. He smiled to himself. Back then, Debra had been the one to throw money away right and left, and now it was him. He’d never thought of himself as a frivolous person, but here he was buying something he didn’t need, didn’t want, and had no use for. It that wasn’t the definition of frivolous, he didn’t know what was.
His hand went to his back pocket and eased his wallet out. He unfolded it and pulled up the strip of photo booth pictures that he always kept in the folding money pocket. He knew the three pictures stacked on top of each other by heart. In the first one they were making crazy faces; in the second, Debra smiled while he kissed her on the cheek, but it was the third that drew his eye. In that picture she was looking up with unadulterated love shining in her eyes.
Was there enough forgiveness in her to ever look at him that way again?
He traced her face. Back then she was all soft lines and curves. Now she was hard angles, wrought by time and exercise, but the curves were still there. He liked her new boyish haircut; on her somehow it seemed ultra feminine. And then he realized—it made her eyes, those hazel eyes—look bigger.
He slipped the wedding band out of his trousers pocket and set it on the mile-long gray granite kitchen island. Would there ever be a day when he would part with the ring?
It didn’t seem possible that a thirty-five-year-old man could moon over a woman, but here he was mooning over Debra like a lovesick teenager.
He should march right down to her condo and straighten things out. Yeah, right, that was assuming that she’d let him in, which was about as likely as him snowboarding in Hell. He glanced at his watch. And it was almost one in the morning. People
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