Kissing Kendall by Jennifer Shirk Read Free Book Online

how I spend my Friday nights. Then they’d really be impressed.
    She sighed as she picked up a pillowcase and began folding. Deuce plopped down by her feet, chewing relentlessly on something. She assumed it was the new bone her grandmother gave him, but when she glanced down, she noticed the bone untouched on the other side of her feet.
    Curious, she tilted her head. “Hey, boy, what are you sinking your teeth into now?” she asked, bending down and reaching for whatever he had lodged in his mouth.
    Not wanting to give it up, Deuce turned his head and took off for the kitchen. Her worst fear was that it was her new Victoria’s Secret bra, so she ran after him. Her puppy had already ruined two pairs of pantyhose and one of her favorite slippers.
    When she caught up with him, Deuce hid under the table, but she was able to snatch some of the material and began pulling it from his jaw. Deuce finally let go and she held up the damp item in victory. But what her puppy had in his mouth wasn’t her bra. It was a simple sock. A man’s sock.
    Jake’s sock.
    Grief instantly pooled in her heart. She choked back a cry, letting the sock fall from her fingertips.
    Of all the stupid things to cry over . She thought she had gotten rid of all of Jake’s things from the house. Perhaps she had overlooked something like that on purpose. It was probably good to have those reminders of her husband every now and again, otherwise she might forget.
    And she feared she was already beginning to.
    She and Jake hadn’t been together long, but memories were all she had—they were the only things keeping Jake alive in her heart. She couldn’t forget. Otherwise, it’d be like losing him all over again. She’d lost far too many people in her life as it was.
    Her dad was the first. He had gotten sick when she was fourteen and passed away suddenly. Her mother couldn’t seem to handle her grief and raising a teenager to boot, and coped with alcohol and tranquilizers. They had taken their toll on her mother’s body a few years later. Then Grammy stepped in to take care of her. But once Kendall graduated, her grandmother was hardly around, always off traveling somewhere. Kendall never quite had a normal family life.
    When she finally met Jake, she thought that would change. Maybe that’s why she had rushed into marriage. But she was in love and wanted stability so badly, had such hope of finally creating a lasting family of her own. But then her husband passed away only a few months into their marriage, proving once again that she lost whatever she loved. Well, she didn’t need to tempt fate any more. With that kind of track record, she was completely done with giving her heart away to anyone else.
    A knock at the door startled her. Deuce let out a happy bark and ran to the front of the house, Kendall quickly swiping at her eyes and following him. Looking in the hallway mirror, she studied herself and cringed. Oh well. No magic tricks up her sleeve at the moment. Whoever was at the door would have to suck it up and deal with her appearance. It’s not like she was expecting a hot date tonight—or any other night for that matter.
    She squinted through the peephole and saw Brad grinning on the other side. He stood so handsome and neatly groomed that she could feel her face flush and perspiration build under her Phillies T-shirt.
    Whoa. She stepped back. That kind of reaction to Brad was new. Another knock sounded. She quickly shrugged off her response and did her best to compose herself before opening the door.
    Brad took one look at her and his expression went grim. “What happened?” he asked gently, his eyes sweeping over her face with concern. “Are you all right?”
    “Nothing,” she said, brushing any remaining wetness from her face and averting her eyes. “I—I’m fine.”
    Mercifully, the bulb in one of her porch lights was out and the dim lighting could hide the heat growing in her cheeks. The last thing she wanted to do was show