Hearths of Fire by Kennedy Layne Read Free Book Online

she’d actually stomped
     her right foot, so he would go on the assumption that she hadn’t because that would
     have added to his ire. “I didn’t want someone to come up from behind you.”
    “You didn’t want…” Neal let his voice drop off as he struggled to comprehend her words.
     He once again gritted his teeth to prevent himself from snapping at her and did his
     best to get her to see reason. “The rules are simple, Char. If I give you directions,
     you listen. See? That simple. I could have shot you, for Christ’s sake.”
    “You wouldn’t have shot me,” Charlotte argued, the V in her brow dipping even lower.
     Her lips were pursed together as if she had a right to be angry with him. “You’re
     trained for situations like these, but you had no backup.”
    “I’m trained…” Neal let his voice trail off as he found himself mimicking her words.
     He reminded himself that she didn’t quite understand the way the military worked compared
     to civilians and he even patted himself on the back for being able to remain composed.
     The adrenaline that he’d felt earlier was receding and a certain dread was settling
     over him in regards to what needed to happen later tonight. If his presence had somehow
     placed Charlotte and Mandy in danger, there wasn’t a chance in hell he would allow
     them to stay here unguarded. He gestured to his truck, needing more time to think
     this through. “Let’s head over to the field. The game is about to start and I’d like
     to see Mandy before it does.”
    Charlotte appeared to notice his change in manner and the V in her brow relaxed, smoothing
     out the flawless skin on her forehead. Neal caught himself wondering if she still
     used that facial cream she was so partial to back in the day, but he immediately cut
     that random reflection off. Being with her after so long had been more natural than
     he would have thought. If he wasn’t careful he’d find himself reaching for her hand
     as if the last eight years hadn’t occurred.
    It didn’t take more than five minutes to see Charlotte safely inside the truck and
     then to drive them over a couple of blocks to where the high school parking lot was
     located. He kept an eye on his rearview mirror but he didn’t notice anything of concern.
     Charlotte had been quiet on the short ride and as he pulled into the lot, it was apparent
     she was already searching for her sister.
    “Do you see her car?” Neal asked, pulling onto the grass off to the side where the
     overflow parking was located. “I noticed it wasn’t at the house, which means her boyfriend didn’t pick her up.”
    “Garreth rarely comes by the house,” Charlotte replied distractedly as she continued
     to scan the vehicles. She pointed her finger to the first row where the lights from
     the parking lot were the strongest. “There it is.”
    Neal turned off the ignition and had both of them out of the truck in less than thirty
     seconds. He could see the game clock from where they were parked and kickoff was in
     five minutes and fifty-three seconds. It gave them enough time to pay for their tickets
     and seek out her sister. The sounds and smells of this high school game brought back
     memories he’d rather soon forget. He’d been the star receiver back in his day and
     there wasn’t a play made on the field that he hadn’t looked over at the bleachers
     to ensure Charlotte was watching.
    “I never asked,” Neal said, taking out his wallet to grab some cash as they walked
     up to the ticket booth, “but does Garreth attend school here? You said he was the
     same age as Mandy.”
    “He’s homeschooled, but apparently he needed a specific class which is a state requirement
     that is offered by the school.” Charlotte placed her hand on his arm, stopping him
     from pulling out the necessary money. “Neal, I can pay for my own ticket.”
    “You could, but you won’t.” Neal made sure his tone broke no argument. Regardless
     that they