Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #1 by Alison Stone, Lisa Phillips, Margaret Daley Read Free Book Online Page B

chair Kate had vacated. Brutus came over and put his head in her lap. She began stroking him, and the feel of his fur soothed her. Finally she looked up at Jesse, studying him.
    â€œYou should have called Thomas if you thought there was a chance someone was in your house.”
    â€œBut not you,” came out, and she wished she could take those words back. Even she could hear the regret in them. Cheri jumped up on the table and purred, then plopped down in front of Lydia while Brutus lay on the floor by her chair.
    Jesse glanced out the window over the sink.
    When she could no longer take the silence, Lydia made a decision. Right now she felt her life had shattered into hundreds of fragments. “I can’t change what happened, but I’m asking you to put what happened right after graduation in the past. I could use a friend right now.”
    He swung his attention to her, but she couldn’t read anything in his expression. “What about Bree or Alex?”
    â€œYou knew me better than anyone did at one time.”
    One eyebrow rose. “Did I? I used to think I did, but then you took off. One day you were here. The next gone and married.”
    â€œI called you and left a message on your voice mail.”
    â€œYeah, at the airport right before you got on the plane to leave. With no real explanation.”
    Stress knotted her shoulders and neck, the pain surpassing the ache from her bruised ribs. She remembered the tears she’d cried when she’d agreed to marry Aaron and leave. The disappointment on her father’s face was engraved in her mind—a vision she couldn’t shake even after all these years. She’d let everyone down, but mostly Jesse. He deserved better than her.
    She swallowed several times, but still her throat was as dry as the ground in the midst of a severe drought. She walked to the sink and drank some water, then returned to the table, combing her fingers through Cheri’s thick white fur. “I couldn’t because we’d promised our parents we wouldn’t tell anyone.”
    â€œWhat? That you were eloping?”
    â€œThat I was pregnant with—Aaron’s child.”
    For a few seconds his mouth pressed together in a thin, hard line, and his eyes darkened. Then as though he realized he was showing his anger a shutter descended over his features. But she saw a tic in his jawline.
    Finally after a long moment, he asked, “Where’s your child? With Aaron?”
    That he would even think she’d let Aaron have full custody of her child devastated her. She rose, gripping the edge of the table and leaning into it. “I lost my little girl when I was seven months pregnant. I had to deliver her stillborn.” She spun on her heel and stalked toward the hallway.
    She heard the sound of the chair being scooted across the tiles, and all she could think about was getting away from him before she fell apart and poured out the pain she’d locked deep inside.
    He caught up with her and clasped her arm, stopping her escape. “I’m sorry, Lydia. I know how much you wanted children.”
    A houseful, she’d once told him when they’d talked about the future. “Dreams have a way of changing,” she whispered, remembering the few times she’d dated after her divorce from Aaron. No one had been Jesse. Instead, she’d thrown her life into her career and her love of animals.
    â€œYes, I know.” His hand fell away from her.
    And she missed his touch. For a second, she’d felt connected to him again like when they were teenagers.
    â€œWhy didn’t you come back to Alaska?”
    â€œI was married to Aaron and I took that seriously. I wanted to make our marriage work even after our daughter died.”
    â€œWhat happened?”
    â€œHe had an affair with one of his professors while I worked to support us and allowed him to go to college full-time.”
    â€œHe came back here a couple of