CLEAN ROMANCE: Finding Peace (Christian Romance, Inspirational Romance, Second Chance Romance) (New Adult Contemporary Romance/Clean and Wholesome) by Grace Warren Read Free Book Online Page B

action made her head swim more and
she toppled backward. Nash caught her and scooped her up in his arms with no
effort at all. He carried her to the truck and set her down on the front seat,
reaching in a cooler and popping the top of a chilled bottle of water from
behind the seat.
    “Drink this.” He
ordered.
    Lucy took a sip
and went to speak. He tipped the bottle towards her lips again. “Drink all of
it, please.”
    She didn’t
question him and downed the entire contents of the bottle. Her eyes never left
his face. She saw him smile when she pulled the empty bottle away with a
satisfied sigh.
    “Better?”
    Lucy nodded.
    “Now tell me why
in the blue blazes are you out here?” his brow furrowed with concern and a
small hint of annoyance. “Didn’t Van tell you it was better for you to stay
close to the house and work? It’s too hot for you out here.”
    Lucy was caught
between being angry at Vanessa for not saying anything and offended that Nash
thought she was too fragile to handle the Texas heat. She jumped from the truck
and crumpled to the ground, her ankle twisted in a dip in the ground beneath
her. Nash reached for her and she swatted his hand away. “I’m fine.” she
snapped.
    Nash took a step
back and watched her struggle to get up. She limped several feet away from him
before the tears of frustration fell from her eyes. A gentle hand grasped her
upper arm and turned her around. Nash towered above her, his green eyes soft.
He wiped at the tears that had stained her flushed cheeks. “Come on, Dusty.
I’ll drive you back to the house.”
    The two arrived
back at the drive way, the few minutes it had taken were bathed in silence.
Nash helped her from the truck and held her arm guiding her up the stairs and
putting her in a rocking chair on the porch. “Stay put.”
    He disappeared
into the house, a moment later Olivia appeared with a bag of ice wrapped in a
towel. She assisted Lucy with pulling off her Wellies and then rested her foot
on a stool placing the ice on her ankle. Galen walked gingerly with a tall
plastic up of lemonade through the front door, handing it to her at a snail’s
pace so as not to spill any.
    “Daddy says drink
this.” Galen gave her a strict look. “I gotta make you.”
    “You have to make
me.” Lucy corrected.
    Galen picked up
the cup an extended it up to her lips, tipping it so she had to quickly take a
drink before it spilled in her lap. She took the lemonade from him and ruffled
his hair, laughing. “Good job, Galen.”
    He beamed with
pride. There were shouts and slamming of doors in the house and the children
looked at each other with surprise. Lucy rocked forward to look though the
screen door. Vanessa shoved the door open with force, stopped long enough to
drop her apron in Lucy’s lap and stormed down the stairs. Nash came out after
her.
    “Van, don’t be so
pig headed.” He called after her as she opened her car door. “Van, please.”
    Vanessa slammed
the door and drove away, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.

FIVE
     
    Three days had
passed before Vanessa showed up at the house again. Lucy had managed to make
all the meals, keep up with the laundry and entertain the children. She had
limped about the house, dusting, sweeping and polishing. When Vanessa walked in
and found them all seated at the kitchen table indulging in fried eggs and
sausage she had no words to offer.
    The children
sprang from their chairs and ran to her. “Aunt Van!” they yelled and hugged her.
She kissed the tops of their heads and wiped the corners of their mouths with
the pad of her thumb.
    “Welcome back,
Van.” Nash said.
    “Humph” the woman
added and set off toward the laundry room.
    Lucy got up and
started to clear the table. She was happy for the children, but she was less
excited for herself that Vanessa had returned. Spending the day cooped up with
her was not her ideal day.
    “Lucy,” Nash
interrupted her thoughts. “Do you think that ankle is good enough to go