Stolen Chances by Elisabeth Naughton Read Free Book Online Page A

anyone else. He’d dragged Colin with him on that dig nine years ago. Colin hadn’t wanted to go. He’d been a term away from finishing his Master’s degree in anthropology, but he’d put it all on hold for Thad because his brother had asked. And in the end, he’d lost his life for something he’d never really believed in.
    “What do you think?” she asked just as softly.
    He was silent for a minute, then turned those dark eyes her way. And when she looked at him in the dim light, the sorrow she saw lurking there just about broke her. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I think he’d want us to finish this, to make his death matter. It’s not about the artifact. It’s about restitution, about payback. About finding closure and ending it all, right now.”
    A lump formed in Maren’s throat, one she couldn’t seem to get rid of no matter what she tried. “I think you’re right.”
    Silence settled over them. Neither seemed to know what to say. And every second that passed inched Maren’s nerves higher. Because talking to him only reinforced one thing: he was still the man she’d fallen in love with so long ago. It didn’t matter what had happened between them after Colin’s death or that he’d never returned her calls. The loyal, protective, sexy man she’d fallen for was standing in front of her, waiting for her to make the first move.
    On shaky legs, she pushed to her feet and turned for the door before her body could betray her. “I need to turn in.”
    “Maren—”
    The emotion she heard in that one word—her name—brought everything right back to the surface. Tell him… Don’t tell him… She couldn’t think right now; didn’t know what to do. All she knew was that she needed space so she could breathe. “Don’t, Thad.”
    “We should talk, Blondie.”
    Blondie … His favorite nickname for her. Her chest squeezed tighter. She closed her hand around the screen handle and squeezed her eyes tightly before opening them again. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
    “Yes, there—”
    She turned to face him. “Look, the past is…in the past.” The slight breeze ruffled his hair, and she had an uncontrollable urge to run her fingers through the thick locks like she used to, but she fought it and stood her ground. “There’s nothing to talk about. You’ll do just fine without me. Patrick and I aren’t really on the best of terms anyway, so it’s better if I just go. The team doesn’t need the extra tension. Really, it’s…no big deal.” She stared at him a second, and when he didn’t say anything, she added quickly, “Good night, Thad.”
    She pulled the screen door open and had one foot in the room before she heard his voice.
    “What if I want you to stay?”
    She froze, and inside her chest, the cold embers of her heart burst to life. But they cracked all over again under the weight of everything left unsaid between them. “Nine years ago, I wanted you to stay. We just don’t always get what we want.”
    She let the screen slap behind her and drew unsteady breaths as she crossed the small living area. She had to get out of this place. She couldn’t do this again. Just seeing Thad was rocking her world right out from under her feet and messing with her resolve.
    Halfway to her room, the phone in her pocket buzzed, and she pulled it out. One look at the screen and everything else faded away. A cold chill raced down her spine and turned to ice in the pit of her stomach.
    Hands shaking, she moved into her bedroom, closed the door, and lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello, Evan.”
    “That doesn’t sound like happiness to me.”
    Maren’s eyes slid closed on a wave of dread. “You caught me off guard.”
    “I bet. I’ve missed you, darling. It’s been way too long.”
    Sickness rolled through Maren’s stomach, but she fought the rising bile and forced the words he wanted to hear. “I know. I’ve been…busy.”
    “Too busy to call?”
    She pictured him sitting behind that