Accidental Lovers (The Accidental Series, Book 3) by Tina Martin Read Free Book Online Page B

withdrawn. He…um…he had dark
circles around his eyes…looked like he was on something.”
    “Drugs, you mean?”
    “Yeah…looked rough, like he was an addict of
some sort.”
    “What else?”
    “He was different from the times I’d visited
before. He didn’t want to talk much.”
    “You knew he was on anti-anxiety meds?”
    Jacqueline nodded. “Not sure if he was
consistently taking them, though. My guess would be, no.”
    Carter squinted at her. He took a sip of
soda and said, “Why is it that my brother thought he and I were
first cousins?”
    “Um…”
    “Jackie, please don’t try to hide anything
from me. Let’s talk, openly and honestly, okay. I have a lot of
questions and I have a suspicion you have all the answers to
them.”
    Jacqueline’s hand trembled as she picked up
her cup of ice water.
    “Jackie?”
    “Carter, I can’t comment on that,” she said,
then attempted to stand.
    Carter touched her hand and said, “Jackie,
please just tell me what that means.”
    “It means nothing.”
    “Then if it’s nothing, why can’t you comment
on it? Talk to me.”
    “There’s nothing to talk about,” she said
raising her voice a tad. “Jacob was out of his mind and he was just
saying or writing anything, apparently.”
    “No. No he wasn’t. Why would he say these
things? What good would this do him…a man who had already made up
his mind that he wanted to die? Hunh?”
    “I don’t know.” Jacqueline took a napkin and
dabbed the corners of her eyes.
    “I’m sorry to upset you, Jackie, but I know
you’re hiding something from me. I can feel it.”
    “I have to go, Carter,” she said
standing.
    “Jackie?”
    “I’m sorry. I have to go.”
    Carter scratched his head, frustrated. To be
as old as she was, Jacqueline sure dashed out of there fast and in
a hurry. And he sat there alone, eating. He called Shayla again
before he left the restaurant but only got her voicemail.

Chapter 10
     
    Still at the Hilton, Donovan laid in the
center of the bed, the same spot where Shayla slept when she spent
the night there. She left her sweet scent on the pillows and sheets
and the smell of her made it seem as if she was there was at his
room, lying next to him under the covers. And he’d dreamed about
her last night – dreamt that they’d gotten married and were running
on the beach together.
    He took his cell from the nightstand and
found Shayla’s number in his contact list, calling her.
    “Hello,” she answered after a few rings.
    He chuckled.
    “What’s so funny?” she inquired.
    “Why do you answer the phone with a simple hello when you know it’s me calling?”
    “Um…that’s how people answer the phone,
right. You want a special greeting, Donovan?”
    “Nah…just curious. Have you eaten?”
    “Yeah. I had a taco salad.”
    “Sounds good. I tried that Mexican joint out
here on the boardwalk.”
    “Zapata’s?”
    “Yep…was pretty good.”
    “Cool. I’ll have to check it out some
time.”
    Donovan took a long inhale, thinking about
the night she laid there in bed. What he would give to have her
back here again…
    “So tomorrow,” Shayla said, breaking the
awkward silence.
    “Yes, um…tomorrow. You want me to swing by,
pick you up and we can head to the airport together?”
    “Actually, I need to drive to the airport so
when I return home on Sunday, I’ll have a way to get back to my
house…you know, without having to call a taxi.”
    That’s right…she would be returning
home …a thought Donovan wanted to forget.
    “So I’ll meet you at the Hilton in the
morning,” Shayla said, “Then I’ll follow you to the airport.”
    “Gotta be here extra early then. Our flight
leaves at seven.”
    “Which means we have to be there at six,”
Shayla said.
    “Which means you have to be over here around
five.”
    “Goodness. That is early.”
    “Yep…and I still haven’t packed.”
    “Me either. Guess I should get going so I
can get my stuff