Bluestone Song by MJ Fredrick Read Free Book Online Page A

surprised
her, and she jerked her attention away from him as she settled on
the blanket with Dale. But she’d lost her ease with him. He didn’t
seem to notice, thank goodness.
    They watched the romantic comedy, and she
appreciated his warm chuckle in all the places she thought were
funny. Around her, couples were leaning against each other, holding
hands. She never thought she missed that, but she did. But instead
of wanting Dale to hold her hand, she wanted Maddox.
    What an idiot.
    When the movie ended, Dale helped her to her
feet, his touch lingering on her arm. Of course his hand would be
strong but gentle; he was a doctor. Instead of focusing on the way
his hand felt, she gently pulled herself free. He gathered the
blanket while she picked up their trash, and they walked together
to the street.
    “Want a ride home?” he asked, gesturing to
his truck.
    “No, it’s a nice night. I’ll walk.” She
didn’t want to tell him how much she liked being alone. Plus, no
telling what she’d be dealing with when she got home to face
Linda.
    “I’m glad you came.”
    He caught her hand then, his big hand warm,
and not as smooth as she’d expect. He gave her a slight tug, and
before she knew it, her head had tilted up and his lips were on
hers, soft, dry, firm. She hadn’t been kissed in so long, she’d
almost forgot how it felt. To be honest, she didn’t remember it
being so…comfortable. She drew back and he smiled, but she couldn’t
return the gesture with the same warmth. Maybe last week she would
have been ready for a kiss, but this week—all it did was change
everything between them. She didn’t need another change in her life
right now.
    “Good night,” she said before he could say
anything, and she pivoted to leave.
    Maddox was watching, and the expression on
his face was unreadable before he turned away.
    And she hurried home, her stomach in
knots.
     
    The lights were on but she didn’t hear Jonas
crying as she hurried up the sidewalk. She unlocked the door,
expecting to see Linda sulking on the couch. But no Linda in the
living room, or in the bedroom. No Jonas, either. Panic welled up
in her chest as she looked in each tiny room, which didn’t take her
long. Where the hell was her sister?
    A chilling thought hit her and she ran into
Linda’s rooms, opening the top drawer. Relief weakened her knees
when she saw Linda’s undergarments still there. For a moment, she’d
thought the girl had run away with Jonas in a snit. Then she
realized the stroller was missing. She hadn’t seen Linda at the
lake, but maybe she’d taken the baby out. She returned to the
living room and tamped down her anger. Jonas was Linda’s son, but
Linda hadn’t made good choices, and she was still only sixteen. She
had to trust that Linda had just taken Jonas to the movie. Still,
she couldn’t relax. She went into the kitchen, put away the dishes
from the strainer, wiped down the counter, put in a load of laundry
and was contemplating mopping the kitchen floor when the screen
door slammed against the rail of the porch and the stroller wheels
rattled as Linda muscled it inside the house.
    She looked up, surprised to see Beth standing
there. “What are you still doing up?”
    Beth forced her shoulders to relax, though
everything inside her was churning. “Making sure you’re okay.” She
leaned the mop against the counter and forced a smile as she
glanced down at Jonas. “Did he enjoy the movie?”
    “He was fine.” Linda closed the door, then
bent down to unbuckle Jonas. Beth’s fingers itched to hold him, to
check to see if he was okay, not too cold, not too hot. Once again
she had to remind herself he wasn’t her baby. Linda straightened
with him in her arms. “Go ahead and yell. You know you want
to.”
    She did want to. She wanted to demand Linda
grow up and be responsible, but really, all the girl had done was
take the baby down to the lake—where so much could have gone
wrong,but didn’t.
    “No, I’m just