Stronger By Your Side (Great Love Book 2) by A. Hart Read Free Book Online Page A

was. He was more important than he could have ever known.
    I rolled my lips in and gave Travis a look. “You came here every year to bring him a beer?” I asked.
    He licked his lips and shrugged again. “Say hello, Happy Birthday, pay respects, and drink beer . . . yeah.”
    I laughed again. “Where’s mine?”
    He smiled and then bent down to grab a beer from the six pack next to his feet. “I was hoping you’d be up to it.”
    I shrugged and then said what I knew Charles would say about himself: “To the biggest Bad Ass to ever walk this Earth.”
    I giggled because curse words flying from my lips felt strange. Charles was a religious man, but he was also a military man and a country boy. Although he tried to watch his mouth around women out of respect, he had a mouth on him, at least when he was at work or fishing. Travis’s lip curled into a smile and he raised his glass. I smiled wide, because I knew Charles would laugh, and then I raised my glass too.
    I got a warm tingle down my spine, and the breeze kissed my face again. “To My Charles.” Our glasses clinked, and as I took a long pull of my beer I smiled down at Charles’s happy face on his gravestone. “God, he was something, huh?” I asked and Travis nodded.
    I shook my head and took a deep breath. I placed my hands next to Charles’s beer on his gravestone and whispered. “I will always love you. Maybe next time I’ll bring your pretty girl.” A gust of wind made my hair whirl. “But I promise I’ll be back soon. Until next time, my love.” I kissed his headstone and walked back to where Travis was waiting. He was sitting on the tailgate of his truck, and I hopped up and sat next to him. We sat there in peaceful silence, with the hot summer breeze in our faces and the trees swaying as we finished our beers.

Chapter Six
Megan
     
    It had been a long time since I’d gone out. If I was honest with myself, I actually couldn’t remember a time that I had “gone out”. Tonight was the night. I looked in the mirror, smiled at the thought of Charles’s smiling face, and turned up my Taylor Swift. I curled my long, black hair as I swayed my hips slightly to the fun music. Charlotte was staying at Aunt Jules’s tonight, and for the first time ever, I was going to be away from her overnight.
    A little pain twisted in my stomach at the thought. It was a good thing that I would be out late, because I needed to be distracted from the fact that I wouldn’t see my girl until tomorrow. Emerson and Sarah were picking me up in twenty minutes to go to a new, hip lounge and bar in the next town over. Lincoln was a slightly larger town that was a mix between the country and the suburbs. It had triple the population and triple the things to do in town.
    Sarah worked for an event firm, and she had VIP passes for tonight. I finished putting on my makeup and pulled on a cute enough, but conservative, grey tank top. I lifted up the leg of my skinny jeans and slid on silver strappy wedges. As I put on my new, super cute, grey patterned earrings, I looked at myself and a pit formed in my stomach. I was only 27. I needed to go out and have a good time, but I honestly just wanted to stay home with my baby and snuggle her. I just wanted Charles here. He wouldn’t even know this girl. Would he like this girl? The thought of him being disappointed in me made me want to puke, and the thought of talking to other guys or flirting with other guys made my cheeks burn.
    I took a deep breath and grabbed my matching clutch purse. I sent Jules a text real quick, checking on Charlotte and making sure she was fine. Before I made it to the light switch, my phone buzzed. I looked down to see a reply from Jules. She’s already asleep! Go have a good night, we will see you downstairs for breakfast.
    I sighed as I gave myself a pep talk. Okay, Megan, Charlotte is fine. You need to go be 27. Breathe. Then as I switched the lights off and went to lock the door, my phone buzzed again