Read Online The Wedding Wish (Summer Grooms Series) by Ginny Baird - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ginny Baird
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didn’t tell me before because… ?”
“I wasn’t sure how you would take it. Plus…”
She cinched his lapels in her hands and pulled him right up
against her as she stood on tiptoes to stare into his eyes. “Plus what?”
“Oh God, Izzy. I didn’t want to jinx it. I’d wanted out of
that marriage for a while, but after I met you, I became desperate to leave it.
I didn’t tell you because I was still working things out. I didn’t want you to
worry. Have you agonizing and waiting over some timeline only to have some
last-minute thing go wrong. I couldn’t put you through that. Wading through the
abysmal legal maneuvers. Watching and hoping for it all to be done. Becoming
painfully disappointed time and again.
“I apologize if I screwed up by handling things this way,
but you’ve got to believe that I never meant to hurt you. I would never…in a
million years…hurt you. I care for you far too much.”
She relaxed her grip but still held on.
“You’ve got to trust me when I say there’s never been anyone
but you. When I saw you again that day on campus, it was all over for me. You’re
the only one I want, Izzy. In some ways, I see now that you’re the only one I’ve
always wanted. Please, say something.”
“You know, Robert Reed, you’re making me crazy with this.”
Tears leaked from her eyes, but she smiled softly just the same. “He loves me,
he loves me not…”
“Isabel,” he said, steadying her against him. “You’re not
hearing me. I said, I’ve always loved
you. The heart remembers. At least this one does.”
He looked deep in her eyes, and her whole world went off-kilter.
He had to be telling the truth. The Robert she knew had never been much of a
liar, not even as a kid. And he was all grown up now, and strong enough to hold
her—even though her legs seemed to be giving way. He’d turned her
emotions inside out with his confession, but the words that she hung on to were
the ones that spelled forever. Robert did love her; she was sure of it.
Whatever had gone before was over now. And if it wasn’t, the two of them would
deal with it together. For together with Robert was where she’d always longed
to be. She tilted her chin toward his, her lips trembling.
“You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted too.”
“I was so hoping you’d say that.”
Then he claimed her mouth with his and swept her away with
his kiss.
Chapter Nine
Isabel sat beside her mother on the porch swing while Kip
perched in a rattan chair nearby. “I don’t see why I have to talk to Robert,”
he said, feeling grumpy.
“You don’t,” Trudy said, her dainty shoes rocking back and
forth. “All you have to do is listen.”
“And remember.” Isabel studied him sternly. “You promised to
be nice.”
Kip didn’t like being cornered, and this corralling was
among the worst of them. Something was going on here, something that had his
wife and daughter in cahoots, Robert in the know, and Kip on the outside. “You
already explained all about his ex-wife,” he said to Isabel. “Why do I need to
hear the same story again from him?”
Trudy and Isabel innocently looked at each other and
shrugged. “Maybe he wants to tell it to you man to man,” Trudy offered.
“That’s right,” Isabel inserted. “Clear the air.”
If there was an air clearing about to go down, then why did
it appear the two women in his life were throwing up a smoke screen?
“I think I hear a car!” Isabel said, getting to her feet.
“Why don’t we all go and greet him?” Trudy said, standing as
well.
Kip reluctantly followed after them, hoping this whole thing
would be over soon. He had a ball game to watch and other things to attend to.
Important things, like rearranging his CD collection or helping Trudy sort
those blasted cookbooks.
“Sir,” Robert said with a nod. “It’s good to see you.”
He wished he could say the same, but the truth was he still
wasn’t over it. That whole
“I wasn’t sure how you would take it. Plus…”
She cinched his lapels in her hands and pulled him right up
against her as she stood on tiptoes to stare into his eyes. “Plus what?”
“Oh God, Izzy. I didn’t want to jinx it. I’d wanted out of
that marriage for a while, but after I met you, I became desperate to leave it.
I didn’t tell you because I was still working things out. I didn’t want you to
worry. Have you agonizing and waiting over some timeline only to have some
last-minute thing go wrong. I couldn’t put you through that. Wading through the
abysmal legal maneuvers. Watching and hoping for it all to be done. Becoming
painfully disappointed time and again.
“I apologize if I screwed up by handling things this way,
but you’ve got to believe that I never meant to hurt you. I would never…in a
million years…hurt you. I care for you far too much.”
She relaxed her grip but still held on.
“You’ve got to trust me when I say there’s never been anyone
but you. When I saw you again that day on campus, it was all over for me. You’re
the only one I want, Izzy. In some ways, I see now that you’re the only one I’ve
always wanted. Please, say something.”
“You know, Robert Reed, you’re making me crazy with this.”
Tears leaked from her eyes, but she smiled softly just the same. “He loves me,
he loves me not…”
“Isabel,” he said, steadying her against him. “You’re not
hearing me. I said, I’ve always loved
you. The heart remembers. At least this one does.”
He looked deep in her eyes, and her whole world went off-kilter.
He had to be telling the truth. The Robert she knew had never been much of a
liar, not even as a kid. And he was all grown up now, and strong enough to hold
her—even though her legs seemed to be giving way. He’d turned her
emotions inside out with his confession, but the words that she hung on to were
the ones that spelled forever. Robert did love her; she was sure of it.
Whatever had gone before was over now. And if it wasn’t, the two of them would
deal with it together. For together with Robert was where she’d always longed
to be. She tilted her chin toward his, her lips trembling.
“You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted too.”
“I was so hoping you’d say that.”
Then he claimed her mouth with his and swept her away with
his kiss.
Chapter Nine
Isabel sat beside her mother on the porch swing while Kip
perched in a rattan chair nearby. “I don’t see why I have to talk to Robert,”
he said, feeling grumpy.
“You don’t,” Trudy said, her dainty shoes rocking back and
forth. “All you have to do is listen.”
“And remember.” Isabel studied him sternly. “You promised to
be nice.”
Kip didn’t like being cornered, and this corralling was
among the worst of them. Something was going on here, something that had his
wife and daughter in cahoots, Robert in the know, and Kip on the outside. “You
already explained all about his ex-wife,” he said to Isabel. “Why do I need to
hear the same story again from him?”
Trudy and Isabel innocently looked at each other and
shrugged. “Maybe he wants to tell it to you man to man,” Trudy offered.
“That’s right,” Isabel inserted. “Clear the air.”
If there was an air clearing about to go down, then why did
it appear the two women in his life were throwing up a smoke screen?
“I think I hear a car!” Isabel said, getting to her feet.
“Why don’t we all go and greet him?” Trudy said, standing as
well.
Kip reluctantly followed after them, hoping this whole thing
would be over soon. He had a ball game to watch and other things to attend to.
Important things, like rearranging his CD collection or helping Trudy sort
those blasted cookbooks.
“Sir,” Robert said with a nod. “It’s good to see you.”
He wished he could say the same, but the truth was he still
wasn’t over it. That whole
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