Coming Home by Marie Force Read Free Book Online Page B

accomplished, goes back to you telling Buddy about me.”
    “That’s not true. You are amazingly talented, and everything you have goes back to that.”
    “That’s part of it, but I don’t think I ever would’ve had this career without Buddy’s involvement—or yours.”
    “I disrespected your wishes. You had every right to react the way you did.”
    “I disrespected us by acting the way I did. I’ve regretted it for a very long time, and I wanted you to know that.”
    “Kate…” As if he needed something to do with his hands, he ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what to say.”
    “You don’t have to say anything. I understand that too much time has gone by and we’ve both moved on, but it was important to me that you know…”
    “That I know what?”
    Kate swallowed hard and forced herself to meet his gaze. Those brown eyes… They still got to her the way they always had. No one else had ever looked at her in that particular way and seen her the way he did. “I’ve never forgotten you. I’ve never forgotten. Any of it.”
    He let out a tortured groan. “God, Kate, what am I supposed to say to that? Am I supposed to tell you that I’ve never forgotten either? Because I haven’t. How could I? But I’ve got a new life here—a good life that satisfies me. I have a wonderful relationship that works for me.”
    Her heart was heavy when she said, “I understand.”
    “No, you don’t.” His tone was so sharp that she gasped. “It took me a long time to get here after you. A very long time.”
    She held up her hands to stop him from saying more. “I’m not asking for anything. All I wanted was the chance to tell you I regret how I behaved. I regret letting you think for all this time that I wasn’t grateful for what you did for me, because I was. I am . I’m grateful. That’s all I wanted to say.”
    His demeanor softened all at once, and he more resembled the Reid she remembered so well. “Are you happy, Kate? Does the big career fulfill you the way you thought it would?”
    “I’m content. I still enjoy performing, meeting the fans, that kind of stuff. There’s a lot of it I could do without, especially the media speculation about my rampant drug abuse.”
    “I’m sure that gets old after a while.”
    “What about you? Are you happy here in paradise?”
    “I’m content,” he said, using her word.  
    She was painfully aware that there was a lot of empty space between content and happy, but Kate chose not to point that out to him, because he probably already knew. “I’m sorry to just show up this way, but I wanted to tell you, in person. I wanted…”
    He pushed off the boat and took a step toward her, and her heart began to gallop the way it did when Thunder flew her over the open fields behind her house. “What did you want, Kate?”
    She forced herself to smile. “It doesn’t matter now.”
    “Yes, it does.”
    “You’re with someone else. It’s a moot point.”
    “Tell me anyway.”
    If he came any closer she wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to touch him, to lay her hands on his chest the way she used to, as if she still had a right to.  
    “If you were free, I might’ve asked you—”
    “What? What would you have asked me?”
    She looked up at him, imploringly. “Don’t make me say it,” she whispered.
    His jaw pulsed with tension as he stared out at the water. “Where were you six months ago? Where were you before I decided to take a chance with someone else?”
    “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come. I never meant to make things worse.”
    “You haven’t made anything worse. But she’s been good to me. Good for me.”
    “I understand. Please, don’t say anything more. I’ll go.”
    He rested his hands on his hips. “I’m glad you came.”
    “I am, too. This is a beautiful place. I can see why you love it.”
    “It sure does beat the rat race in Nashville,” he said with his trademark slow, sexy grin.
    “I’m glad you were