Desire After Dark: A Gansett Island Novel by Marie Force Read Free Book Online

mom and Charlie, so I’m taking advantage of a lazy morning with my wife.”
    “I’m not talking about right now. I mean in general over the last few days. You’re broodingover something.”
    They’d been living together for more than a year, but the way she paid attention still took him by surprise.
    “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m right here if you need me.”
    He covered the hand she’d put on his chest. “I know.”
    “And despite the two linebackers you’ve graced me with, I’m pregnant, not fragile.”
    “I definitelyknow that. You’re Superwoman.”
    “Talk to me, O. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
    Because he hated having distance of any kind between them, he pulled the folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.
    “What’s this?”
    “Read it.”
    He watched as her eyes skimmed over the single sentence and widened with shock. “ Oh my God! Is he for real? ”
    “Unfortunately,yes.”
    “Has he called?”
    “Twice so far. I haven’t accepted the call. Yet.”
    “Owen, your mother would not want you to do this for her. She and Charlie are perfectly content the way they are.”
    “How can I live with being the reason they aren’t able to get married?”
    “ You are not the reason.”
    “You know what I mean.”
    “He wants you upset and riddled withanxiety waiting for the phone to ring. You’re not going to give him the satisfaction.”
    “I’m tired of running in fear from him. What if I take the call, see what he wants and buy my mother’s freedom in the process?”
    “What if he says something that sets you back twenty years? Have you thought of that?”
    “He doesn’t have that kind of power over me anymore.”
    “Doesn’t he?”
    Owen sighed deeply, filled with feelings of defeat that he’d thought were in the past. “I hate that he does. I hate it more than anything.”
    “I know, honey, and that’s why I don’t want you to talk to him. You’ve been so unburdened since the trial ended. I can’t bear to see you go back to how you felt before it.”
    “And I can’t bear the idea of my mom not being able to move forwardwith Charlie because of me.”
    “ Owen …”
    “I know it’s not technically because of me, but I can do something about it.”
    After a long pause, Laura pushed herself up to one elbow to look down at him. “What if I take the call? His note doesn’t say it has to be you.”
    “No way. Not happening.”
    “Why not? He’s nothing to me. He can’t hurt me.”
    “You don’t know him.You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
    “Sure, I do. I was here when your mother arrived on the island after he beat the hell out of her. I’ve witnessed the wounds you carry with you. Don’t tell me I don’t know what he’s capable of. I do know, and I’m not intimidated by the idea of taking a phone call from him.”
    “I can’t let you do this. It’s just… I can’t.”
    “Would you do itfor me? If the shoe were on the other foot?”
    “Yes, but—”
    “No buts. I’ll take the call. I’ll see what he wants, and I’ll take care of it.”
    “Laura…”
    “I’ll take the call, Owen.”
    “Okay,” he said, hating the relief he felt at knowing he didn’t have to talk to his father. What kind of man did it make him that he was letting his pregnant wife do his dirty work for him?
    “There,” she said with a big victorious smile, “was that so hard?”
    He couldn’t help but return the smile. “You’re such a hellcat when you want to be.”
    “Why thank you. I may be a hellcat, but I’m also a wife who loves her husband too much to let anyone hurt him ever again.”
    “I love you, too, babe. I want you to promise that if he says anything offensive, you’ll hang upimmediately.”
    “I will. I promise. Now help me out of this bed so I can pee and brush my teeth and then fool around with my husband while our son is otherwise occupied.”
    “I do love your agenda, Mrs. Lawry.”
    “I