Love's Embers (Canon City Series) by Lauren Marie Read Free Book Online Page A

could still read the emotions that ran through her head, just by the look on her face. Her eyes were different though. He saw anger and fear when she’d looked at him and he realized the innocence she’d had as a young girl was gone. She was so beautiful, though. He found it difficult to think straight when she stood anywhere near him.
    He saw she’d put on a jacket with a lamb’s wool collar, a hat and her boots. She stomped across Gran’s yard toward the incline.
    Breaker woofed, focused his attention on her and took off toward the incline. “Hey, Breaker, get back here,” Charlie called and followed the wolf. “Breaker, to me, now!” he shouted.
    Charlie went down the incline toward the river bed and stepped carefully. There was a lot of snow and ice in the area. He looked to his right and saw Lark and Breaker in a stare down. She’d picked up a good-sized rock and didn’t take her eyes off the wolf. He would have worried except Breaker’s tail wagged.
    “Charlie, get your stupid dog away from me. I can still hit what I throw a rock at,” she threatened.
    “Breaker sit,” Charlie ordered and walked up next to the wolf. The animal sat and looked up at him. “He doesn’t want to hurt you Lark, he just wants someone to play with.”
    She looked up at Charlie with a smirk on her face. “Right, we’ll leave that to you. Why are you back?”
    Charlie felt his heart drop an inch and twist with pain in his chest. He wondered if she had an alternate meaning tagged to what she’d just said. He didn’t want to play games. “I’m starting vet’s college next fall. Didn’t Gran tell you?”
    “So, you show up ten months early, buy a house and get in good with the neighbors. Why are you really back?” She leveled her eyes at him.
    “That’s why I’m really back. I’m starting school in the fall. What do you want me to say? I’m sorry I hurt you. Okay, I said it.” He realized his feet moved, on their own accord, straight toward her. “Do you want me to say I was an idiot, and I was too stupid to realize I’d hurt the people I loved the most? Does that help ease your hurt? Does that make it better for you?”
    He found himself standing in front of her and shouted in her face. He could feel her hot breath on his chin and suddenly wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let go. She closed her eyes and he could tell she was scared. “I screwed up Lark,” he said, quieter. “I got help, but found out when I got released from detention that it was too late. Does that make it better?”
    Lark looked up at him with tears pooled in her eyes and then took a step back from him. “Yeah, all better,” she said in a sarcastic voice. She turned away and started down the riverbed. She then turned back to him. “I only have one question, Charlie. What did I do to you that made you send that letter? How did I screw up?”
    He looked at her and found his tongue wouldn’t budge. He watched her turn and start away again.
    “Great, no answer.” She stopped and faced him, again. “When you grow a pair and can speak again, let me know. That’s all I want to know Charlie. How did I screw up our friendship?” She started down the river and passed the stump they’d once sat on. Breaker whined and woofed and stood back up. Charlie could tell the wolf wanted to follow her and so did he.
    ***
    Lark followed the riverbed for two hours and then stopped in her tracks. The cold penetrated her thermal tights under her jeans and her gloves. She jammed her hands into her pockets and turned back. She didn’t think it would be good to be found frozen on the river bank. It surprised her when she looked at her watch and it was after ten o’clock.
    When she got back, Gran had already turned in for the night. She quietly made her way up to her room, put on her fleece pajama’s and crawled under her warm comforter. She lay with her eyes open and remembered she needed to brush her teeth. She got up and noticed her cell phone