AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, thanks.” He pretended to shudder. “I’m very low-key when it comes to birthdays.”
During their conversation, she had inhaled his scent, studied the patterns of gray and silver in his eyes, memorized the mix of colors in his thick inky-black hair. Without warning, she found herself in dangerous territory—in part, because her heart ached for him, and she wanted to offer her sympathy and support.
If that had been all it was, she would have been okay. But the feeling was dangerously more. Cate wanted to kiss him.She wanted to kiss Harry...good Lord...
It would be so easy. The physical space between them was negligible. All she had to do was lean forward and let her lips touch his. Even the thought of it made her body buzz with excitement.
She was breathless and scared and everything in between.
In an instant, she suddenly understood why Jason had called a halt to their wedding. They had loved each other, but they hadn’t shared this wild, trembling passion.
Regrettably, the feelings that gripped her now—making her heart race and her breath saw in her chest—were almost assuredly one-sided. Harry saw her as a project, a problem to be solved.
But hehadkissed her, so what about that?
Because she was terrified of facing this incredible self-revelation, she went back to Harry’s sad tale. “Was there an end to that Fourth of July story? When you went home, I mean?”
His gaze was bleak. “Yes. I found my mother and asked to speak with her. I’d been waiting until I was officially an adult so she would know I was serious. She didn’t really want to leave the festivities, but she agreed. I explained that I had been playing the stock market. I had money from my grandparents, and I had worked several part-time jobs. There was enough in my account for the two of us to move out of my father’s house and find an apartment near the university where I had been accepted. It meant I would probably have to take a few extra semesters to get through school, but I wanted to rescue her from my father’s wild rages. I told her no one should have to live like that.”
“And what did she say?”
Harry rolled onto his back and flung an arm across his eyes. “She laughed. Told me I was overreacting. That she was fine. She loved my father. The truth was, she couldn’t conceive of walking away from the money. It was the only security she wanted.”
“What did you do?”
“I was stunned. She had been hurt so many times. Mostly, my father would stop short of inflicting any wounds that would require medical attention. He and my mother were good athiding.But occasionally it was worse. I was afraid that my leaving would tip the balance.”
“And did it?”
He turned his head in her direction, his expression bleak. “Ten days after I moved out, he attacked her brutally. She nearly died. Even then, I had to convince her to press charges. But thank God, they put him behind bars. Her injuries were so severe, my father wasn’t able to bribe his way out that time. It was second degree attempted murder. It’s been almost two decades. He’ll be released on parole a few years from now.”
“You were a good son,” Cate said firmly. “Youarea good son.”
Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose as if his head ached. “You see how she is. She’s built this entire fantasy life. Her mental state is fragile. Some days I’m not even sure she knows he’s alive or that they’re still married. The house and the money give her the security she craves.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say. It sucks.”
He nodded slowly. “Especially since I won’t be able to get married or have a family. I won’t bring a woman into that mess, and I won’t risk a child’s future.”
Cate heard the message loud and clear. The attraction between them didn’t matter. Harry was a lone wolf. He might eat out of her hand occasionally, but he was a wild animal who couldn’t or wouldn’t be tamed.
He was telling her what to expect. Warning her.
As she digested the extraordinarily sad story, Harry finally fell asleep.
She slipped out of bed and went to her room. After finding paper and a pen, she wrote a short note telling him she was headed to the grocery store. Then she tiptoed down the hall and dropped the note on the bed beside him.
A text would have worked, too, but he didn’t have his phone close at hand.
At the market, she dithered about what to buy. In the end, she gathered things at random—chicken and beef and a variety of vegetables. She wasn’t a great cook, but she could throw together a healthy meal.
When she returned home, she unloaded the groceries quietly. Harry came downstairs at four-thirty looking much better. “Something smells great,” he said.
She wiped her hands on her shorts. “Nothing fancy. Chicken and veggie soup with baked sweet potatoes and salad.”
“Sounds wonderful. Can I help?”
Cate was flustered. “No. Not on crutches. Besides, the soup will need to simmer.”
