Holding Haley (The West Contemporary Romance Series) by Jill Sanders Read Free Book Online Page B

a great day for napping under an oak.” He smiled again and her heart jumped.
    “ I suppose.” She turned her eyes away from his face and looked off to where Dash stood, eating some grass.
    “ How’s the old boy doing?” She looked back at him in question, then he nodded towards her horse.
    “ Dash?” He’s doing fine.” She looked at her horse again, afraid of saying anything more.
    “ Haley,” Wes said, taking her hand in his, “we can’t keep on ignoring each other like this.”
    She sighed and looked at him again. His brown eyes pleaded with her. “I know, but we can’t go back to the way things were, either.”
    He looked down at their joined hands, a sad look in his eyes. “I understand that.” He raised his eyes slowly and heat spread throughout her body. “But there’s nothing stopping us from starting all over. We’re different people than we used to be. I want nothing more than to learn all about you again.” His hand ran up her arm slowly, sending little goose bumps over her skin. “Explore what we could be.” Her eyes were locked with his; she couldn’t look away from him. “Maybe we can have something wonderful again.” He leaned in closer until he was a breath away from her lips. “I’m game if you are.” He waited, and when she blinked and looked at his lips, he moved in and gently laid his lips on hers.
    She’d dreamed about this moment since he’d brushed her lips with his weeks ago. She’d imagined how it would feel to really kiss him, wondered what she’d do. None of it came close to the reality of his lips on hers, his hands on her soft skin.
    Her fingers went into his hair, holding him close so she could further explore the way he felt now. His lips were like a perfect memory, but there was a hint of newness there as well. His hair was still cut military short. She explored his neck and shoulders as his hands ran slowly over her arms.
    When he moved to lay her down in the soft grass, she jolted and pushed away. Shaking her head, she cleared her mind of the images she’d been playing over in her mind. She wasn’t ready for this. It had been years, almost six to be exact, since she’d been intimate with him; she wasn’t ready to jump back in bed so quickly, not after being hurt so badly.
    Wes must have guessed her thoughts. He sighed and rested his forehead on hers. “Someday. Soon.”
    She shook her head. “Wes,” she started, but he placed another soft kiss on her lips to stop her.
    Then he looked her in the eyes and repeated, “Soon.”
    As they rode back towards the house, she asked him questions about his travels. He was hesitant at first, but by the time they made it to the barn, he had opened up a little more and told her where he had been stationed and how long he’d been overseas. She knew a little about what he’d been doing over the years, as much as she could learn from his folks without sounding too desperate. But for the most part, no one in town knew what had happened to him, why he now had a limp and a sad look in his eyes.
    “ Come to my place for dinner,” he asked as they cooled off the horses and brushed them down.
    She shook her head. “I can’t. I have plans tonight.” She kept her eyes focused on her task and was surprised when his hands rested on her shoulders, turning her around.
    “Haley…” His voice was rich and soft. “Are you and Tom an item?”
    She laughed a little. “No, we were, but . . .” She shook her head. “I’m not ready for a relationship.”
    “Why?” He rubbed his hands over her shoulders.
    “ You.” She was pinned between Dash and Wes and felt like there wasn’t enough air in the large barn.
    “ I didn’t mean . . .” He dropped his hands and stepped away. “I know I hurt you.” He ran his hands through his hair, something that would have sent his dark locks standing straight up years ago; now, however, his short hair stayed perfectly in place. She missed seeing him frazzled like before.
    Walking up