Home in Carolina by Sherryl Woods Read Free Book Online Page A

dull and brittle back then, shone now. Her eyes sparkled, though that was probably because she was angry with him. Her mouth…well, it was probably better if he didn’t focus on her mouth. He might make the mistake of trying to kiss her.
    “I’ve missed you,” he said quietly.
    She stared at him for a heartbeat, and for one tiny instant he felt hopeful. There was no mistaking the emotion in her eyes, the hint of longing, but then her expression hardened and her voice turned cold.
    “I met your son tonight,” she said. “He looks just like you.”
    Ty had no idea how to respond. Obviously encountering Trevor had upset her. How could it not? Maybe that explained the tears. Guilt washed over him for about the millionth time.
    “I’m sorry,” he said again. It was all he could think of to say.
    “For what? You weren’t there. It’s a small town. I was bound to see him sooner or later. I have to tell you, I’d hoped it would be later. Maybe in some other lifetime.”
    Ty raked his fingers through his hair. “I knew this was a mistake. I never should have come back here. It wasn’t fair to you. I guess I’d just hoped…” He cut himself off when he caught the faint flicker of guilt in her eyes.“Don’t you dare feel guilty,” he said. “I’m the one who messed things up. It’s my fault you’re bumping into my son. Hell, it’s my fault that I have a son.”
    She met his gaze. “It shouldn’t matter,” she said wistfully. “I don’t want it to matter.”
    He ached to take her in his arms, to tell her what she wanted to hear, that he would go, but he couldn’t do any of that. She wouldn’t thank him for the touch, the sympathy or the offer.
    Instead, he asked, “What can I do to make things easier for you?”
    “Nothing,” she said immediately. “I need to go.” She tried to brush past him.
    “Annie, no,” he protested, reaching for her hand. “Can’t you stay here a few minutes, maybe talk things out? We used to be able to deal with anything that came our way. Nobody understood me better than you. The reverse was true, too. I always got you in ways nobody else did.”
    “Not anymore,” she said fiercely, jerking her hand free. She gave him a look that would have wilted a man with a lesser ego. “Besides, haven’t you heard?” she said wryly. “The lake’s no place for a woman at this time of night. The only people around are nutcases.”
    With that, she turned and walked away, spine rigid, shoulders stiff.
    This time he didn’t try to stop her. He waited until she was out of sight, then released a pent-up sigh. That certainly hadn’t gone the way he’d wished his first encounter with her would go.
    Then, again, he thought optimistically, she hadn’t hit him with anything or walked off without saying a word, so maybe there was hope for the future, after all.

4
    A nnie had a jam-packed schedule of clients on Saturdays. Most were regulars, but one or two new people showed up each week. As tempted as she was to take another day off, she knew it would be unfair to all of them. It would also be cowardly.
    Sooner or later she was going to have to face people, even knowing that a lot of those people were going to bring up Ty’s return to Serenity just to gauge her reaction. As for facing Maddie, she couldn’t put that off forever, either. At least on Saturday Maddie didn’t hang around as long. She popped in to check on things, then spent the rest of the day with her family. Chances were, if Annie was careful she could avoid bumping into Maddie until at least Monday.
    Despite giving herself a stern pep talk, Annie got her first taste of how bad the day was likely to be when she stopped by Wharton’s for breakfast. She rarely ate her morning meal in the old-fashioned drugstore on Main Street with its booths and soda fountain, because it was always crowded and the coffee was better at her mom’s restaurant. Today, however, the doors atSullivan’s had been locked tight, and there’d