Honest Love by CM Hutton Read Free Book Online

me.”
    “Yes.”
    “Everything?”
    “Not sure.”
    “You know, don’t you?”
    “About…?”
    “That she’s my sister.”
    “Yes, and I won’t tell anyone else.”
    “I know.  She wouldn’t have told you if she didn’t trust you.  She also wouldn’t have put me with you for therapy if she wasn’t certain you could help.  I know my sister all too well.  She’s pretty protective.  So, if she believes in you, I can too.”  Derek smiled and my whole body tingled.  I had a connection to my new home…friends and people who trusted me and understood a little about my pain.
    We stared at each other for a few minutes.  Suddenly, I blurted out, “He’s married to the woman he’s loved all these years.  They have a new baby.”
    “I know.  She told me.  I’m sorry for what he did to you, but, it’s not pity.  I have no pity for you because know all too well what that feels like and that is not what I think about you.  I feel…”
    “What?”
    “Angry.  I’m angry that there are more people out there in this world that are as selfish as my ex-wife.”
    “Yeah, sucks doesn’t it?”  He laughed at me.
    “It does.  I’m assuming she told you enough too?”
    “Yes, I have to say I’m impressed with you choosing to not completely lose yourself in money and bad choices to get over her.  I think my kids are about the only thing that have kept me from doing something completely stupid…well, there might have been one thing.”  Derek raised his eyebrows and I shook my head and laughed.
    I stuck out my hand and said, “I’m Claire.  It’s nice to meet you, Derek.”
    Shaking his head, he put his hand into mine and said, “It’s nice to meet you too, Claire.” 
    “There, a fresh start.” 
    “Sounds really nice.”  Derek held on to my hand a few seconds more, not letting it go as we just smiled and studied each other’s faces.  Fresh start. 
    I was in serious trouble because I wanted that man like I’d never wanted anyone before.
     

Chapter 8
    Claire
    We went the remainder of the week working through easy rehab until all the swelling was gone around Derek’s knee.  We were getting to know each other a little bit every day.  I enjoyed hearing about his time playing football and he pretended to listen about my kids. 
    As I was cleaning up the room and Derek was putting his brace back on his knee, I said, “You know, Matt would probably love talking about football with you.  He’s a pretty great kid.  He was so protective of me when everything happened.  I’m glad he is making a new life here.”  I could feel Derek staring at me, but I didn’t look up at him.  Derek and I hadn’t really talked about the specifics surrounding our pasts.  I felt like we had an understanding, that we knew enough about each other.
    “Claire, are you okay?  You can tell me, you know.”  I looked up from where I was cleaning the wet, melted ice off the floor and saw he was holding both hands up in surrender.  “No judgment here.  I hope you know that.”
    I stood and said, “I do. Thank you, but it doesn’t do me any good to bring it up.  I refuse to be bitter.  I can’t.  It only hurts me, not them.”
    “Man!  I wish I would’ve had that attitude.  I was bitter for so long.  It still creeps up on me from time to time.  It would help if I didn’t see her periodically.”
    I took a deep breath and said, “That’s one of the reasons I refused to move to Texas.  I couldn’t risk seeing them. Truthfully, it feels embarrassing to me at times.  Like right at this moment, when a handsome man is in front of me thinking ‘poor Claire.’  I hate it.”  I barely got the words out when my moronic brain registered what I’d said.  I slapped my hands over my mouth and bent my head down.  I felt Derek’s hands on my wrists, pulling them away from my blood-red face, but I still couldn’t look up at him.
    “Handsome, huh?”  He laughed.  “Hey, look at