Caught in the Current (Pacific Shores Book 2) by Lynnette Bonner Read Free Book Online Page B

then some to provide for her little girl. And God had blessed her with a great boss and odd jobs where she could keep Alyssa with her.
    But the thought of simply letting that self-sufficiency go, even for just a little bit, was spring sunshine after a long gray winter. It would definitely not be hard to let a man like this take care of her. But…there were so many complications. Not the least of which was that Reece deserved a woman who was more suitable for him.
    So…she would compromise. She’d accept his help, but only because it was an advance against a paycheck. This was business. Slowly, she reached out and slipped the money from between his fingers, being careful not to touch him. “Just a loan, then.” She glanced up to meet his perusal once more. “And thank you.”
    “Of course.” He nodded, but there was a hint of something more in his green eyes flecked with gold. A hint of something oh so enticing.
    She fled before she slipped up and revealed any of the crazy, mixed-up jumble of emotions tumbling through her. The pharmacy had her prescriptions all ready, and it only took her a couple minutes to get back to the truck. She tried to hand him the change.
    He shook his head. “It will be easier to deduct a round number from your check, so just keep the change, for now, please.” Reece reached into a little cooler behind his seat and handed her an unopened water bottle as he pulled out of the parking lot.
    “Thanks.” She tucked the bills and change into her wallet, poured the prescribed dosage of both painkiller and antibiotics into her palm, and swallowed them down, unable to deny that having her finger stop throbbing, even for a little bit, would be a relief.
    After the promised stop at the Thrift and Save, where Reece even kept his word and let her pay for the pickles, Marie found herself swallowing a lump of uneasiness as he pulled to a stop in the Serenity Shores driveway fifteen minutes out of town.
    She’d only been here a few times when she and Reece had dated. She’d always been a bit intimidated by the large home, even though she’d absolutely loved the eclectic décor. But it was Mrs. Cahill who’d really made her nervous. She’d never gotten the impression the woman was too pleased Reece was dating her—and with good reason, she supposed. It was no less than she deserved, right? Many of the church ladies gave her the feeling she’d never quite match up. But that was only as it should be, considering the type of person she’d been. She tried to remind herself the only thing that mattered was that Jesus loved and accepted her just the way she was, rotten past and all. And His love was all she needed.
    Still, the fact that Mrs. Cahill had handed invitations to several around her in the church foyer, while studiously avoiding her gaze, had actually hurt a little. Most of the time she was able to steer clear of Reece’s mom at church, since they attended different services, but here at the bed-and-breakfast…they were bound to meet. And chances were high Mrs. Cahill was going to be far from pleased to find her crashing this party.
    She swallowed. “Reece. I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”
    He reached over and settled one hand on her shoulder. “I would really like for you to stay. But if you want, I can try to find someone to take you home. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
    The weight of his hand was somehow comforting. There were people who accepted her despite her mistakes from the past. She was being overanxious. There was no need for someone to go out of their way to take her home. She took a breath. She could do this. Reece wanted her here. Kylen and Taysia would be here, she hoped. And Dan would certainly be here. He never passed up the opportunity for free food, and he’d told her he’d been invited.
    “Mommy, are we at the party?”
    Marie glanced at Reece and hoped he could see the appreciation in her eyes. She mouthed, “Thank you,” before responding to