In Shelter Cove by Barbara Freethy Read Free Book Online Page B

him, so if I wanted to eat, I had to look out for both of us.”
    “You don’t have any other siblings?”
    “Nope. Only child. You, too, right?”
    “Yes,” she said without elaborating.
    For a moment there was nothing but quiet in the room. Even the puppy had fallen into an exhausted sleep.
    “So what have you been doing the last five years?” Jason asked.
    “Surviving,” she said shortly.
    “Are you sure coming back here was a good idea? Angel’s Bay can’t hold many happy memories for you.”
    “It’s where the Kanes are.”
    “What about your parents?”
    She cleared her throat. “They’re not part of my life anymore.” He stared back at her, a myriad of questions running through his eyes, none of which she wanted to answer. “But I didn’t just come to Angel’s Bay for the Kanes—I came for the truth. I won’t find it anywhere else.” She paused. “And I think it’s time for you to leave.”
    He met her gaze head-on. “Is it really that simple to blame me for everything?”
    His words hung in the air for a long moment. “It was simpler when you weren’t standing in front of me,” she admitted.
    He drew in a quick breath at her words. “That’s a start.”
    She immediately shook her head. “No. I might be willing to concede that you were part of a larger investigation, but you led the charge, Jason. You took the stand and testified against Derek. You were the last one to speak before the verdict came in. Besides all that, you were his friend. Your betrayal hurt him and the Kanes beyond measure. The relationship you had with them should have mattered. You should have tried to help Derek fight the charges. Instead, you went after him.”
    He paled at her harsh words. “I had to do my job, Brianna. If I could have taken myself off the case, I would have. But this is a small town with a small police department, and I saw Derek on the museum grounds. I talked to him minutes after the guard was assaulted. I was subpoenaed to testify. I had no choice but to tell the truth.”
    “You shaped the truth to fit the case. You were a young cop, and you needed to prove yourself. You used Derek to do that.”
    “Is that what he told you?”
    “He didn’t have to tell me. I was there.”
    “You heard only one side.”
    “And you saw only one side, the side that sent Derek to jail. What was a job to you was the end of my dreams.”
    “Derek is the one who destroyed your dreams—why don’t you blame him?” he challenged.
    “Because . . . because he’s
dead.”
    All the emotions of the past few years assaulted her at once. She’d been trying to hold it together for Lucas and the Kanes, but she couldn’t do it anymore. The room began to spin, and the mug slipped from her hand, hot liquid splashing her fingers. She was almost glad for the physical pain; at least it would pass. It was something she could make better.
    Jason grabbed her arms and pulled her up against his solid chest. His body was warm, his embrace secure, comforting. She hadn’t had anyone to lean on in a very long time. She’d been holding herself up forso long, and she was so tired. But she had to fight the temptation to linger. Jason was the wrong man to rely on.
    She pushed him away and staggered to the kitchen table, sitting down quickly. Drawing in several deep breaths, she forced herself not to look at him, even though she was acutely aware of his gaze.
    “Please go,” she said, staring at the tabletop.
    “Are you all right?”
    She had no idea how to answer that question. Finally, she lifted her gaze to his. “I will be.”
    Clearly concerned, he said, “I’m sorry, Brianna. I know it’s been a rough day. I didn’t mean to make it worse.”
    “It’s been a rough five years.”
    “I wish you could see that I’m not your enemy.”
    “I wish you could see that it doesn’t matter to me
what
you are.”
    His lips tightened. “Okay. Make sure you lock the door behind me.”
    After he left, she let out a