Read Online Winter Reunion by Roxanne Rustand - Free Book Online Page A

awareness that he’d tried to forget. He almost said a silent prayer for strength, before he caught himself.
    It was Beth.
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    At the sharp rap on the door of Beth’s office at the back the bookstore, Elana grabbed for her son and retreated to the corner of the room, dragging him with her. Their dark eyes widened with fear, even though Beth had told them Dev was on his way.
    The door cracked open a few inches. “Beth? What’s going on here—” Dev pushed the door farther open, caught sight of the cowering woman and seemed to instantly assess the situation. He stepped inside, closed the door and offered her a disarming grin as he eased into one of the other chairs. “I’m Vivian’s son, Devlin Sloane. I’m guessing that you must be Elana Mendez?”
    The woman managed a single, jerky nod.
    â€œShe couldn’t meet with us yesterday, so I called and asked if she could stop here after work.” Her hands clasped on her desktop, Beth leaned forward to smile warmly at the seven-year-old by the woman’s side, praying that Dev wouldn’t telegraph surprise or pity when he got a closer look at the boy’s twisted leg and the gaunt, slight appearance he and his mother shared. “And this is her handsome young son, Cody.”
    If Dev noticed anything unusual, his expression didn’t betray his thoughts. “Nice to meet you both.”
    â€œI’m glad you got my text, Dev. I thought it might be good if we talked together, as we did with the other residents…just so we’re all on the same page.” Beth tilted her head at Cody. “If all this grown-up talk is boring, I know Janet has a plateful of chocolate-chip cookies you two could share.”
    Elana bit her lower lip as she glanced uncertainly between Beth and her son. “I don’t think…well…”
    â€œThe store is quiet right now. I can ask Janet to stay with him in the children’s area. It used to be an office, so there’s just one entrance. She could even shut the door.”
    After a long pause, the young woman nodded and said something to Cody in rapid-fire Spanish, though she watched pensively when Janet came and led him away slowly enough to accommodate his pronounced limp.
    When they were gone, she slipped into an empty chair as far as possible from Dev, where the fluorescent light overhead now picked out premature silver strandsin the long, dark hair that she wore twisted into a tight bun. “I…worry for him.” She bowed her head over her folded hands. “And for us.”
    When Beth looked up and exchanged glances with Dev, she felt her heart falter at the frightening intensity of the cold, hard anger and resolve that blazed in his eyes before he looked away. He was clearly ready to do battle with whomever Elana was frightened of…but how could he wage war against the ghosts in her past?
    Beth hesitated as she searched for the right words, feeling more out of her league than she’d felt with any of the other residents of Sloane House. Lord, help me say the right things here.
    â€œI understand if you want me to go,” Elana whispered into the moment of silence. She shifted uneasily in her chair, as if she were getting ready to flee. “I know the boardinghouse is not meant for children. I don’t want trouble for anyone.”
    â€œThat’s not what we want. Not at all.” Beth infused her smile with an extra measure of warmth. “We want you and Cody to stay. We just want to know what your goals are, and how we can help.”
    The woman’s furtive glance at Dev nearly broke Beth’s heart. Just in these few minutes, it hadn’t taken long to guess at what lay in Elana’s troubled past.
    â€œI…I have a job as a maid. At the motel. I am saving money so I can go to school someday.” The expression in her eyes turned bleak. “But…it is taking a very long time.”
    The motel on the