For the Love of Pete by Sherryl Woods Read Free Book Online

I'll bet you can see families living in the homes you build. I imagine you can hear the laughter and feel the love that you think you missed."
    She'd understood him so well. Even at eighteen, she'd been able to put things into words that at twenty he'd barely recognized in himself?the hurts, the heartaches, the longings.
    "We'll have a home like that," he'd promised her one night. "It will withstand the salt air, the winds, the storms. We'll fill it with kids and laughter. The only thing more solid will be our marriage."
    Her eyes had been luminous in the moonlight. "I want that, Pete. More than you can imagine. Let's not wait too long."
    "Just till you finish college and I'm established," he'd said, thinking they had all the time in the world.
    She'd gone back to Boston a few days later to begin her freshman year at Boston University, and he'd buried himself in work. His uncle was a demanding taskmaster, but the long, hard days had been worth every backbreaking minute because he had a goal, making a
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    life for himself that he would one day share with Jo. He'd been so sure that the first house he built entirely with his own hands would be for the two of them.
    But then Kelsey, whom he'd known most of his life, had started hanging around. She'd never gone to college, either, but unlike Pete, she was in a dead-end job she hated at the local grocery store. Whenever she had the time, she was looking for uncomplicated, undemanding fun.
    Pete saw no harm in going out with her for a few beers. They both knew the score. She even knew he was in love with Jo and claimed not to care. "I'll just keep your bed warm for her," she promised when they'd tumbled into it. He'd had too many beers to think with anything other than his hormones. It was stupid. It was irresponsible and reckless. He regretted it even before he realized that he hadn't used a condom. Then he'd known it was the worst mistake he'd ever made.
    He hadn't been surprised when Kelsey had told him she was pregnant. He'd been waiting with dread for just that news. It meant the end of his relationship with Jo, the end of his dreams.
    But he'd accepted responsibility with no argument. He'd offered marriage and was determined to make the best of it. There had even been a few months at the beginning when he'd thought it might work, mostly because he and Kelsey were so in love with the baby they'd created.
    Then there had been the endless months when he'd been forced to accept that it wasn't working at all, would never work.
    Even now, two years later, thinking about the misery of that time, about his son's tears when Kelsey had
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    dragged Davey off to Richmond and away from his dad tore Pete apart. Distracted by his dark thoughts, he carelessly smashed his thumb with a hammer, then cursed.
    "You'll ruin your reputation if people catch you doing stuff like that on the job," Josh Madison commented, startling Pete so badly that he almost whacked his thumb again.
    Grateful to have an excuse for a break, Pete stepped away from the remains of the porch. "What brings you by?"
    "Ashley mentioned you were going to do some work over here. Thought I'd stop by and say hi, see how things are going."
    Pete's gaze narrowed at the hint that Josh was somehow here to supervise. Did they not entirely trust him, after all? "That deck I built for you guys okay?" he asked Josh.
    Josh chuckled. "Couldn't be better. I'm not here to hassle you. I'm just killing time."
    "Good to know." He gave Josh a curious look. "Things slow at your law practice?"
    "Just right, actually. I have a lot of time for Ashley and for fishing. For the first time in my life, everything's in perfect balance."
    "Sounds like every man's dream," Pete said enviously. Since he suspected there was something more on Josh's mind, he waited to see if Josh would get around to it without prodding.
    "You getting along okay with Jo?" Josh asked eventually.
    So that was it. Pete gave him a sharp look. "Why wouldn't