Heart Of Marley by T.K. Leigh Read Free Book Online Page B

head.
    “It’s not a love letter. It’s an ‘I really like you so I slipped a secret note in your purse when you weren’t looking’ letter.” She raised her eyebrows at me. “You should take some tips from Doug to use with Brianna.”
    “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got my own moves, and there is no way I’m sharing them with you or Doug. Hurry up and get ready. Aunt Terryn has to take us today.”
    Marley’s joyful expression quickly turned severe. “Do you think that’s such a good idea?”
    “No, I don’t, but Uncle Graham had to go play in some golf tournament for the church so she’s stuck. She doesn’t want to deprive Mama of her weekly time with us because of her opinion of her.”
    Marley looked down and toyed with her fingers in her lap. “Do you blame her, though?”
    “I don’t,” I replied, sighing. “It took me a while to forgive Mama, but I think her spending three years in prison and having us taken away from her was punishment enough. You see how she looks at us every week.” I sat up and gave her a questioning look. “You can see it, can’t you?”
    “Yeah, I guess,” she conceded, turning her eyes from me. “I just wish it’s as easy for me to forgive her as it is for you. You’re a better person than I am, Cam.”
    “I’m not a better person, Mar. I’m just moving on with my life and taking it one day at a time. Same as you. Same as Aunt Terryn. Same as Uncle Graham. And same as Mama.”
    She got up and walked toward the bed, sitting next to me. I wrapped my arms around her. “Some days are easier to forgive Mama than others,” I admitted.
    She pulled back and scrunched her eyebrows at me. “What do you mean? I thought you had forgiven her.”
    “Yeah. But the way I look at it, forgiveness is an ongoing process, at least for me. Some days, I feel that I need to carry the hate around and not forgive her or anyone else because of everything. Those are usually the days when I hear you screaming and crying in your sleep. I hate that, Mar. I wish I could take the nightmares away.”
    She visibly cowered and I could sense that she was uneasy about the direction our conversation had turned.
    “You don’t have to put on an act in front of me, Marley Jane.” I pulled her into me once more, calming the fears that pervaded her for the better part of the past decade of our lives. “You don’t have to hide from me.”
    “I’m not hiding from you…”
    “Just everyone else then?”
    “Maybe. I just don’t want to let anyone down. I keep thinking that if I do normal things, like date, maybe I can finally be normal. And I felt that last night, Cam. When Doug kissed me and I was shouting ‘come’ at the top of my lungs…”
    “Wait. What?” I interrupted.
    She blushed, laughing. “It’s a funny word and we were both nervous and kept saying come, but the way it was said, it could have had a double meaning. I could tell that he wasn’t being himself because of it, and that bothered me. So I shouted it over and over again. And then I made him say it, too. It was a wonderful ice-breaker.”
    I planted a kiss on her forehead before getting off her bed so she could get ready in peace. “Another one of your theater tricks?” I glanced back at her and saw the Marley that very few people had the good fortune of seeing.
    “You bet your ass it was.” She winked.
    “Okay. Get ready.”
    “Cam…” she said, her voice soft.
    I turned around and met her brilliant blue eyes. I knew exactly what she wanted when I saw the expression on her face.
    “To the moon and back, Mar.”
    “From the stars to the ocean, Cam.”

C HAPTER S EVEN
M AMA

    W EEKLY VISITATION WITH M AMA was today. It started out just like any other Saturday, except Aunt Terryn had to take us instead of Uncle Graham. There has always been a great deal of animosity and distrust between Mama and Aunt Terryn, with good reason.
    The two-hour car ride from Myrtle Beach to the suburb outside of Columbia was filled