Read Online The Heart of a Hero by Barbara Wallace - Free Book Online

Why couldn’t she stop thinking about him?
    Suddenly her thoughts were cut by the sound of a horn blasting in the morning air. Zoe heard the screech of tires followed by a high-pitched yelp.
    Reynaldo. Her eyes searched the dunes looking for him, only to have her stomach sink with dread.
    The dachshund was nowhere in sight.
    No, no, no. Sand spraying behind her, she took off for the street. Please, no. Not Reynaldo. Why had she let him off the leash? Why hadn’t she paid closer attention? Stupid, stupid daydreaming. She scrambled over the top ridge onto the street.
    A gray sedan was pulled to the side of the road and a pair of elderly fishermen were standing next to it. When they saw her, one of them came rushing over.
    “We didn’t see him ’til he was in front of the car. Ran right out in the street, he did.”
    Oh, God, no. Not Rey. She pushed past the man, dreading what she was about to see, only to stop dead in her tracks.
    There, legs sprawled in the gravel, sat Jake, his arms wrapped around a very much unscathed Reynaldo.
     
    “We were headed down to the point when the dog darted into the street. If this guy hadn’t grabbed him, we would have hit the little guy for sure.”
    Gratitude—along with a healthy dose of admiration—swelled in Zoe’s chest. She wanted to speak, but the words, along with her heart, seemed stuck in her throat, so she settled for kneeling down beside him. Reynaldo squirmed in Jake’s grip. Whether out of excitement or from knowing he’d narrowly escaped injury, the dog was bent on licking hissavior’s chin, a gesture Jake was receiving rather unenthusiastically.
    “Calm down, Rey.” She’d finally found her voice, albeit it was not much more than a whisper. Gently, her hands shaking, she slipped the dog from Jake’s grip. “Are you all right?” she asked Jake.
    “Are you talking to me or the dog?”
    “You.” His gruffness made her smile. “Are you hurt?”
    “I’m fine.”
    “Thank God,” one of the fishermen said. Zoe could tell from his tone he’d feared otherwise and was grasping at Jake’s answer like a life preserver. “You went down pretty hard when my fender clipped you.”
    The car struck him? Zoe’s eyes shot up to meet Jake’s, only to find his expression shuttered.
    “I said I’m fine.” He moved to push himself up, only to grimace with pain and sit back down.
    “You’re not all right at all,” Zoe said. She shifted Reynaldo to her hip, and reached for him with her now free hand. “Your hip—”
    “Zoe, I don’t want your help! Just go take care of your damn dog and leave me alone.”
    Her insides recoiled, but not from Jake’s verbal slap. Though harsh, his words were nowhere near as painful as watching him struggle to hide his embarrassment while he accepted a hand up from the fishermen. It took all her effort not to reach out andreassure him when he reached his feet. She stood in silence, arms wrapped around Reynaldo as he nodded a curt thank-you to the men and limped toward his front yard.
    “What about your leg?” one of the men called out, only to be waved off.
    The driver turned to Zoe. “I honestly didn’t see either of them.”
    “It’s not your fault,” Zoe replied. “I should have been paying closer attention myself but I got distracted.” Distracted by thoughts of Reynaldo’s savior.
    Thoughts that filled her mind with even greater ferocity as she watched him disappear through his front door.

CHAPTER FIVE
    Dear Zoe
    My boyfriend of three years refuses to talk about marriage. Whenever I bring up the topic, he laughs and says he hasn’t “made up his mind yet.” My friends tell me I should break up with him, but I’m afraid I won’t meet anyone else… I’m overweight and not very pretty. Ugly in New York
    Dear Ugly
    If your boyfriend hasn’t “made up his mind” in three years, I’m not sure he ever will. More importantly, however, why are you so certain he’s your only shot at happiness? Don’t be so down