He's Her by Mimi Barbour Read Free Book Online Page A

at the table. “Sit yourself down here, darling, and tell us of your day.”
    “I’m sorry, Gran, but I have to run. I’ve promised to return to the hospital and visit Mr. Parks, the man I told you about yesterday. I just wanted to stop here first in order to let you know. I didn’t want you to worry.”
    “Your grandmother has been preparing your supper all afternoon, miss. You will do her the courtesy of spending ten minutes out of your busy schedule and eat it. Silly chit!” The newspaper snapped open and his growling face disappeared behind the pages.
    Her gran’s tongue snuck out and she crossed her eyes in his direction, which had Carrie stifling her giggles and covering her mouth.
    Then, before she had an inkling he was back, Rhett exploded, using her mouth for his tool of punishment. Words she hadn’t gathered in her own mind flooded from her. It would be difficult to know, of the three people seated around the table, whose eyes opened the widest.
    “Old man, I’ve had about all your surliness I can take. You’re a cheerless old grump, and you should be ashamed of yourself. The Lord has sent you untold blessings, and you shroud yourself in misery and meanness. Those of us who have to live with you don’t deserve your bitterness. Open your eyes, man, and see how few years you have left. Quit wasting them so foolishly.”
    Clapping her hands over her mouth to stop more of Rhett’s tirade from gushing out, Carrie ran from the room and flew up the stairs.
    “I can’t believe you made me say those things. How could you? I’ll never forgive you! You don’t know what you’ve done.”
    She threw herself across her bed, grabbing the pillow to catch her tears.
    “I’ve only done what you should have done years ago—stop his bullying. You’re not here on this earth to be anyone’s whipping boy, Carrie. You’re too precious, Sweetheart, too kind.”
    For the first time since he’d joined her, Rhett allowed Carrie to feel his sincere emotions. He believed what he said to be true. He wanted to protect her, to stand up for her. His anxiety over her tears was palpable and heartfelt. How could she remain angry with him for caring about her so much?
    A low knock sounded at her bedroom door, the sanctuary she’d automatically rushed to. She glanced up in time to see her grandfather tiptoeing into the room, his hands clutched behind his head in a manner he used when terribly upset. He approached her and gingerly sat down near her on the single bed. He cleared his throat and waited until she lifted her tear-drenched eyes to his. Shocked, she realized his were in the same condition. Her heart split into tiny pieces. All her life she had striven for his love and here, now, she saw it blazing in his eyes and felt it in the gentle hands rubbing hers, as they lay clenched in her lap.
    “Carrie, forgive me. I know I’m a right crusty old tosser. I’ve never been comfortable with showing my true feelings or handling delicate situations, girl, but I do care about you. Tonight, I saw the same look on your face as there was on your mother’s when she ran away from me into the night. It near broke my heart. She left us for months, and then left us for good. It about killed your grandma. Don’t you be doing anything crazy like that, do ya hear me? We don’t want to lose you. The old woman couldn’t handle it.” His bottom lip quivered, and his voice was rough with suppressed emotion.
    She threw herself into his willing arms and sobbed as if her heart would break. “You love me?”
    “Bleedin’ right, I do. Always have! Now, enough of this nonsense! Girl, you go do what you need to do, and we’ll be here when you get back.” So saying, he patted her cheek clumsily, rubbing it in a way she vaguely remembered from her childhood. Then he scooted for the open door. As he left the room, she heard him sniff and then cough to cover it up.
    A warm glow filled her heart and a pure golden aura haloed around her. She was