Finding Pride (Pride Series) by Jill Sanders Read Free Book Online Page A

for that mater someone he hardly knew.
     
    Todd felt some responsibility where Megan was concerned, because Matt wasn’t here to do it. After all, Matt had been his best friend for the last four years. It was Matt who had helped him after his own father’s death. Helping him deal with the loss and the responsibilities that came along with a younger brother and sister that relied on him. Sure, both Iian and Lacey had been older, Iian had been just eighteen at the time, and Lacey two years older. But, there had been plenty of responsibilities he’d had to deal with when he’d taken over the families businesses.
     
    “Tell me about Boston,” he said trying to get her to relax under his hands. She was small, the muscles in her back were knotted and twisted. The bruises ran further down her back to below her pants, but he stayed well above that line.
     
    She was starting to feel more comfortable, the ointment was warm and his hands were warmer. She could feel her muscles relaxing one at a time. She started telling him about Boston, where she and Matt had grown up.
     
    Matt had been born here in Oregon, but she’d been born in Maine almost fifteen years later. When she was two, their parents had moved to Boston. Their dad had started his own law firm there; he’d always been very strict with both children.
     
    She felt like it was her lot in life to be bruised and abused. But, here in this town, with these people, she felt like she could really start a new life.
     
    His hands were slowly soothing away all the aches. She could feel herself melting into them. Electrified, was the best word to describe how she felt around him. She felt connected from the first glance, and had just chalked it up as attraction. Good, wholesome dose of lust, nothing wrong with that, right?
     
    She was beginning to mumble as she told him further about her old job in Boston. Her words were starting to slur together, so she said. “Tell me about yourself, your family. Lacey said you own a restaurant.”
     
    “Yes, The Golden Oar, has been in our family for several generations. Lacey and Iian really run the place now. I run our other business Jordan Shipping. Actually, your brother was my business partner,” he said stroking her neck. “We have a small fleet of ships that go to every continent.” As he continued to tell her the details of his company, he heard her breathing slowing down and becoming shallower. Then, she was asleep.
     
    Shifting lightly he grabbed the quilt off the back of the couch and covered her from neck to toe. Banking the fire, he went and made sure the front door was locked and walked out the back one. Locking the dead bolt with his set of keys Matt had given him.
     
    On his drive home, he couldn’t get the bruises and marks on her back out of his mind.
     
    “What am I suppose to do with your sister?” he asked as he drove home. He hadn’t expected Matt to answer, but felt better for trying.
     
    Tomorrow he would just have to call an old buddy, a Private Investigator; that lived in New York. Todd needed some answers and he knew Mark was the one who could get them for him.
     

CHAPTER FOUR
     

     
     
    S he settled in to a schedule over the next few days, usually waking up early to work around the house. Or out in the yard whenever the weather permitted, since she was trying to clear a patch of yard so she could plant a small garden. At least once a day there happened to be a Jordan over at the house. Yesterday, Lacey had brought another batch of her cinnamon rolls. She had stayed around to chat for over an hour. Megan was becoming accustomed to the company dropping by and felt, really felt, like part of something bigger.
     
    She found the little grocery store in town quite enchanting; the plump owner Patty O’Neil, whom she’d met at Matt’s funeral, had talked her ear off about the town and everyone in it.
     
    Currently, she was standing at the check-stand with all her items bagged and paid for. But,