Reclaim My Heart by Donna Fasano Read Free Book Online Page A

because she’d stung him in the heart. She’d razzed him mercilessly about the corniness of it, but she remembered how she’d melted in his hands that moonless night.
    The car jolted slightly when Lucas steered onto a pea stone driveway.
    The familiar red brick ranch house had Tyne smiling. “We’re staying with Jasper?”
    Lucas shook his head as he put the car in park and cut the engine. “Uncle Jasper doesn’t live here any more. The house is mine now. I’m going to renovate the place and use it as a rental property. As soon as I can get around to it.”
    The three of them climbed out of the car and Zach looked at his father over the roof. “I have an uncle?”
    “A great uncle,” Lucas corrected. They congregated near the trunk. “My father died when I was nine. Uncle Jasper moved in. Took over the mortgage, the utilities. Raised me like I was his own.”
    Tyne tugged at the hem of her blouse, then smoothed her hand over her hair. “How is Jasper?”
    “He’s doing okay.” Lucas shrugged vaguely. “I guess.”
    Lucas opened the trunk and Zach pulled out his suitcase and backpack. “When do I get to meet him? My uncle. I mean, your uncle. My great uncle.” Zach paused after slinging the backpack over his shoulder. “Do I get to call him Uncle Jasper too?”
    Tyne went utterly still. She hadn’t seen Zach smile in a long time.
    “Let’s slow down a little,” Lucas said, his chin tucked tight as he unloaded the trunk. “Let’s go inside and get settled. There’s plenty of time to do everything we want to do.”
    Zach turned and made his way to the front door.
    She reached for her case.
    “I’ve got it,” Lucas told her.
    “No, thanks.” Her fingers contacted his on the handle, and his skin felt fire-hot. “I can take care of myself.” She gave a little tug and he let go.
    “Suit yourself.”
    “I will, thanks.” She flashed him a plastic ‘screw-you’ smile before turning and following Zach.
    She shouldn’t continue this infantile behavior. Really. But she didn’t want to be here in Wikweko. Didn’t want to leave her business. Didn’t want to be forced to live under the same roof with this man for the next thirty days. Lucas would just have to understand where she was coming from. If he couldn’t…‌ tough .
    Lucas slid between Tyne and Zach to unlock the front door. As soon as he entered, he set down his own suitcase and tugged off the sheet that covered the couch. The curtains were drawn and white sheets still hid the remainder of the furniture, but a deep sense of nostalgia rolled through Tyne when she stepped into the living room. How many Saturday afternoons had she sat here watching television with Lucas? It had been a different couch, of course, but they had spent so much time together—in this room, in this house—getting to know each other, talking about their hopes and dreams.
    “It won’t take me long to clean this place up,” Lucas assured them.
    “We’ll help.” Tyne moved further into the room, nudging her son ahead of her. “Won’t we, Zach?”
    “Sure. I guess.”
    The petulance in his tone had her cutting a sideways glance of warning at him. “Of course, we will. Lucas, tell us where to stow our bags and we can get to work.”
    Lucas matched two corners of the sheet while folding it. “You take Uncle JasperourUncle J’s old room. Off the kitchen.” He motioned the way with a tip of his head.
    “I remember. But that’s the big bedroom.” The suitcases were beginning to feel like lead weights in her hands.
    “You take it. That way you’ll have your own bathroom. Jasper added one on. The men can share. That okay with you, Zach?”
    Her son shrugged. “Got no prob.”
    Lucas pointed down the hall. “You take the bedroom on the left. That was my old room. I don’t think my uncle’s changed much in there. I’ll take the one straight back. The bathroom is to the right.”
    “Sweet,” Zach said, hitching his backpack further up on his shoulder