Over the Edge by Mary Connealy Read Free Book Online Page B

lean forward and steal a kiss. He pulled back and she followed after his lips for a second.
    She caught herself. “There won’t be any of that .”
    But he’d seen it. Her words didn’t match the way she moved. But he also knew he couldn’t use the powerful draw between them to tame her. It would be cheating.
    “Sorry is just a word, Callie. You’ll believe me when I prove it. I reckon I deserve every bit of your distrust. I aim to spend as much time as it takes to earn it back.”
    “It’s not that I don’t believe you.” Callie’s eyes had a hopeless look as she drew a gentle finger down his cheek. “I’m sure you mean it when you say you’re sorry. And maybe you even care about me to the extent you can remember. It’s just that until I’m sure you won’t run off again, I don’t dare to trust you. Being left alone in Georgia was a heartbreaking thing. I went home to my pa, and he took care of me through Connor’s birth.”
    For some reason that lifted Seth’s heart mightily. “So he wasn’t born before I left?”
    Callie frowned. “Can’t you even remember that?”
    “Had you told me he was on the way?”
    There was an extended silence. Finally she said, “No. I didn’t know about him yet. We’d only been married a short time. I knew you were still sick. I knew you were haunted by the war and weak from your wounds. I never should have married you when—”
    He kissed her until he was sure she would quit blaming herself in any way. “I can’t remember what sent me running for home, and I don’t know enough about being sick in the head to understand why I’ve forgotten someone as sweet as you.”
    And as handy with a gun.
    “It was bound to be a hard business getting here, and I don’t remember much of it. I was turned aside for a time. But, Callie, what you stir up in me is fierce. I suspect we’ll have our hands full keeping ourselves from . . . from having . . . well . . . any of that .”
    He watched her until he was sure she understood just what that was. “The truth is, I’m not sure I’m going to be much help avoiding that . But we’ll get through this and that . I promise you we’ll be fine.”
    “Are you still having your nightmares?”
    Seth straightened, surprised. “I don’t remember having a nightmare last night.”
    “You never woke me up with one, anyway.”
    “I was up with Connor twice, so maybe that interrupted my sleep before the nightmares could take hold.” Seth smiled.
    “Connor woke up and I slept through it?” Callie twisted to look behind her to reassure herself the boy was alive and well. Seth saw her wince with pain.
    “Yesterday was a real hard day for you, honey. I reckon you’d’ve woken up if I hadn’t heard him before he so much as whimpered. I fed him down in the hotel dining room.”
    “In the middle of the night?”
    “Yep. And changed his diaper twice. The night clerk helped me. Having a son wake me up in the night might be the best thing that ever happened to me.”
    “Connor normally sleeps soundly all night. I’m sure he’s stirred up from the traveling.”
    “And the gunfight.”
    “Yeah, that too.” Callie turned back to Seth. “Latta told me she and the parson didn’t send you out to the stage to help me. How’d you come to be on that trail?”
    “I’ve been searching for you for over a month. I had a broken leg when your letter came. I couldn’t start hunting for you right away, but Rafe and Ethan rode out as much as they could. But we didn’t know which trail you’d take. Since I’ve been fit, I’ve been combing the trails. I’ve probably ridden this trail a dozen times to meet the stage and see if you’d come. I’d go home for a few days and help Rafe and Ethan with my house for a while, then ride out again.”
    The corner of Callie’s mouth turned up in a sad kind of smile. Seth thought of a thousand questions he needed to ask her, yet there wasn’t time for any of that now. “Are you sure