Read Online The Past Between Us by Kimberly Van Meter - Free Book Online
Authors: Kimberly Van Meter
Tags: Mama Jo's Boys
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you this as an early birthday gift because I won’t be able to make your actual birthday.” He placed a small box in her hand, tied neatly with a simple purple bow, her favorite color. “I hope you like it.”
Curious, and delighted at the prospect of a gift, she opened the box. A silver locket lay nestled within the tissue. She lifted the fine chain and popped the little door on the locket. A picture of him and her when they were young stared back at her. She sobered as she stared at the picture. She remembered the day quite clearly. She’d taken it the first day they’d ever met. She’d been playing with her new camera and had been drawn to the boy in the park who’d looked so sad it made her heart hurt just to look at him.
“How did you get this?” she asked quietly.
“I found the original in your room and had a smaller copy made,” he admitted. “I managed to return the original before you noticed it was missing.”
Her mouth had tipped in a warm smile. “You little thief,” she murmured, though in truth she’d been inordinately touched by the gift. It was her favorite picture. “I love it.” She stepped forward to give him a hug but as his arms closed around her, she didn’t feel the comfort of familiarity. Instead, a zing of awakening awareness caused her to see Tommy with fresh eyes filled with wonder and tingles cascading through her body at the contact. Her heart hammered in her chest and her arms wound around his neck as if they were made to fit there. Her mouth angled toward his, and a wild, almost scared thought raced through her mind— Are you really about to kiss Tommy Bristol? Your best friend in the world? —before she closed the distance and felt his mouth move against hers. Their tongues touched in a tentative, explorative motion that sent need and desire hurtling through her body. She wasn’t prepared for what it meant and the devastation that could occur if it all went to crap. She pulled away, desperate to put space between them and her feelings. “I truly love the gift,” she said, her voice husky and raw. “But I have to get back to the party. Thank you…”
And as she melted into the crowd, eager for another beer to drown what she couldn’t deal with, she cast one last glance Tommy’s way but he was gone.
T HOMAS ROSE EARLY, ROLLING from his bed before the sun crested the horizon, and was showered and dressed just as the first rays started caressing the frozen landscape.
By 8:00 a.m. he was packed and ready to leave. The lack of restful sleep—the bed had more lumps than poorly cooked Cream of Wheat—left his eyes gritty and stinging in the face of the harsh morning light, but he was too focused on finding the answers he sought to worry about anything else.
He had to find Cassi and he held little hope that he’d be able to find her without some assistance.
First, he dialed the bus station where he’d lost her. He knew she wouldn’t use her real name but perhaps she’d used the identity she’d been using in New York.
The gravelly voice of a ticket agent who wasn’t a fan of mornings picked up the line. He identified himself and he could’ve sworn he could hear the agent’s disinterest over the phone.
“I’m looking for information on a ticket purchased by a suspect possibly going by the name Trinity Moon. Do you have anything in your database with that name?”
There was a short pause and the clack of the woman’s nails on the keyboard, then, “No.”
“How about Cassi Nolan?” he tried.
Another pause, followed by a bored, “No.”
“Try Cassandra Nolan.”
“Are we going to do this all day? I’ve got a line growing,” she complained.
“We could. Or I could chat with your supervisor about your customer service skills and if that doesn’t faze you, how about I just have you brought in for obstruction of justice?”
She grumbled but snapped, “What’s the other name?”
He thought a minute. What name would Cassi use that wouldn’t be
Curious, and delighted at the prospect of a gift, she opened the box. A silver locket lay nestled within the tissue. She lifted the fine chain and popped the little door on the locket. A picture of him and her when they were young stared back at her. She sobered as she stared at the picture. She remembered the day quite clearly. She’d taken it the first day they’d ever met. She’d been playing with her new camera and had been drawn to the boy in the park who’d looked so sad it made her heart hurt just to look at him.
“How did you get this?” she asked quietly.
“I found the original in your room and had a smaller copy made,” he admitted. “I managed to return the original before you noticed it was missing.”
Her mouth had tipped in a warm smile. “You little thief,” she murmured, though in truth she’d been inordinately touched by the gift. It was her favorite picture. “I love it.” She stepped forward to give him a hug but as his arms closed around her, she didn’t feel the comfort of familiarity. Instead, a zing of awakening awareness caused her to see Tommy with fresh eyes filled with wonder and tingles cascading through her body at the contact. Her heart hammered in her chest and her arms wound around his neck as if they were made to fit there. Her mouth angled toward his, and a wild, almost scared thought raced through her mind— Are you really about to kiss Tommy Bristol? Your best friend in the world? —before she closed the distance and felt his mouth move against hers. Their tongues touched in a tentative, explorative motion that sent need and desire hurtling through her body. She wasn’t prepared for what it meant and the devastation that could occur if it all went to crap. She pulled away, desperate to put space between them and her feelings. “I truly love the gift,” she said, her voice husky and raw. “But I have to get back to the party. Thank you…”
And as she melted into the crowd, eager for another beer to drown what she couldn’t deal with, she cast one last glance Tommy’s way but he was gone.
T HOMAS ROSE EARLY, ROLLING from his bed before the sun crested the horizon, and was showered and dressed just as the first rays started caressing the frozen landscape.
By 8:00 a.m. he was packed and ready to leave. The lack of restful sleep—the bed had more lumps than poorly cooked Cream of Wheat—left his eyes gritty and stinging in the face of the harsh morning light, but he was too focused on finding the answers he sought to worry about anything else.
He had to find Cassi and he held little hope that he’d be able to find her without some assistance.
First, he dialed the bus station where he’d lost her. He knew she wouldn’t use her real name but perhaps she’d used the identity she’d been using in New York.
The gravelly voice of a ticket agent who wasn’t a fan of mornings picked up the line. He identified himself and he could’ve sworn he could hear the agent’s disinterest over the phone.
“I’m looking for information on a ticket purchased by a suspect possibly going by the name Trinity Moon. Do you have anything in your database with that name?”
There was a short pause and the clack of the woman’s nails on the keyboard, then, “No.”
“How about Cassi Nolan?” he tried.
Another pause, followed by a bored, “No.”
“Try Cassandra Nolan.”
“Are we going to do this all day? I’ve got a line growing,” she complained.
“We could. Or I could chat with your supervisor about your customer service skills and if that doesn’t faze you, how about I just have you brought in for obstruction of justice?”
She grumbled but snapped, “What’s the other name?”
He thought a minute. What name would Cassi use that wouldn’t be
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