Read Online Whitney in Charge by Diane Craver - Free Book Online Page B

before the bomb went off? She knew he was planning on a big broadcast for the evening news but was killed before he made it. Did he have any regrets about their life together during his final moments on earth?
    She was being silly. They’d had a good marriage. They looked so right and good together. She had fitted so well in his arms at night. She couldn’t imagine sleeping with another man. Okay, not just sleeping but making love. Maybe their lovemaking had been even better because they had to make up for lost time. Rob had been away too much as the network’s war correspondent.
    Although she put their picture back on the nightstand, she decided it was time to do something of importance. It had to be done so she could start to move on with her life without Rob in it. She stood and walked to her jewelry box. After removing the diamond ring, she put it on the dresser next to the box. Tears fell as she slowly removed her wedding band. She held it and read the inscription inside the band. Whitney, my heart belongs to you.
    “Rob, I have to take this off now. I know it’s crazy I’m talking as if you were in the room with me, but I need to voice it out loud. Who knows? Maybe my love for our past will filter through to you in the spirit world. I can’t live in the shadows any longer. If I take my rings off, I’m hoping I can finally move forward.”
    Whitney dropped the wedding band on the velvet-lined drawer. She picked up her engagement ring. What should she do about her diamond? After several minutes of staring at it, she decided to put it on her right hand as Shannon had suggested doing.
    Even though her bare wedding finger made her sad, a calmness came over her. She used her sleeve to wipe the tears away. Just as she closed the drawer, the phone rang. Figuring it was one of her sisters, she picked up and said, “You just left! What do you need now?”
    A deep, rumbling laugh carried through the phone. “It’s been at least four hours.”
    When Whitney heard Ben’s voice, she wanted to put the phone down and grab her ring. Maybe she should slide it back on her finger. After all, Ben probably had noticed she still wore her rings, and it might appear obvious to have a bare finger if they went out for a date. And that was a big if .
    “I thought you might like to take a drive with me and see the lake resort this evening. We could hike on one of the trails. I remember you said you liked to hike. Adam has karate this evening so we can drop him off on the way to the resort.”
    “My sisters might want to see it too.”
    “It’s not for sale yet so there’s plenty of time for them to see it.”
    Ben definitely wanted to be with her on a trail. The idea of being alone with him made her nerves tingle and her pulse jump. “Do you know how soon it’ll be on the market?”
    “I just talked to them and they’d like to have it sold by the end of the summer or early fall.”
    She did want to see it even though they should get started on their business earlier than late summer. It’d be nice to go with Ben since he knew the owners, and see now if the resort was worth waiting several months before they could purchase it. After convincing herself that this was about seeing the resort, not seeing Ben, she conceded. “I’ll go with you tonight. Thanks for thinking of it.”
    “Good. Adam’s class starts at six-thirty so I’ll pick you up at six. I better get off here and get back to work.”
    The phone rang again, a few minutes later. She learned her lesson last time, and checked the caller ID, and her heart skipped a beat. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath before picking up the line. “Hello, Jack.”
    “Hi, Whitney.”
    His voice was so rough and deep, it made her feel warm and she really did like the way he said her name. “Did you need something?”
    He cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking about it, Whitney, and I’d like to meet you in person today. I know it’s short notice, but would you like