The Confession by Erin McCauley Read Free Book Online

or something. She’s driven people to their chemo treatments if they didn’t have transportation. She visits hospice houses, hell, she even built three of them. She’s put over a dozen children who lost a parent to cancer through college. And tons more of them work for the foundation or the hospice houses.”
    Walking up behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned her chin into his shoulder to read with him. “Wait, back up a little, there.” She moved closer to the screen, her eyes flicking left to right as she read the interview question that caught her attention. Emily had lost her husband, Nathan Talbot, when he was only thirty years old to cancer. The foundation was named after him.
    “Do you think, maybe?” Luther asked.
    “I don’t know.” Standing up, she walked into the kitchen. Filling a glass with cold water, she took a large swallow trying to control her urge to cry.
    Luther turned in his chair. “She hasn’t mentioned anything about her personal life to you at all?”
    “No, she hasn’t. She comes across very open, but she’s actually guarded, justifiably so. She’s been through so much. No wonder Mark is so protective of her.” She placed the glass on the counter and walked over to sit in the open chair next to him. “Luther, I think I should go home. I don’t think I should disrupt her life. What if she has already made peace with her loss? What if … what if it isn’t true?”
    “You’re reaching.” He took both of her hands into his. “Do you want my honest opinion?” Not waiting for her response, he continued. “Talk to Mark. If he loves her the way you say he does, maybe he will be the best person to tell you how to handle it.”
    “But he’d never believe me. And even if I managed to somehow convince him, he would be done with me. I don’t think he’d ever forgive me.”
    “You’re a hard girl to resist, Aimee Roberts, or should I say, Aimee Morrison. You practically had sex with him in the foyer and he doesn’t trust you now.”
    She playfully punched him on the shoulder before laying her head down on the table.
    “This is quite a mess, isn’t it?” She mumbled.
    “Well, girl, you’ve never been void of drama, and this is definitely topping even your list.”
    She lifted her head and looked lovingly at her friend. “So do you want to meet her?”
    Jumping up from his chair, he clapped his hands together with childish delight. “Hell yeah I do.”
    She laughed. “Okay, give me a second to change.” Kissing him on the cheek, she strode from the room.
    Luther paced the front room, dressed and ready, waiting for Aimee. His back to her, she silently watched him wringing his hands, and talking to himself as she came out of her room.
    “She’s going to love you. Don’t be nervous.” She laughed, walking over to him.
    He gave an appreciative whistle to the coral wrap dress she’d chosen to wear.
    “I think Mr. Mark might just toss you onto the dining table during dinner when he catches a load of you in that.”
    “I doubt he’ll notice. He didn’t seem too happy to see me this afternoon when he brought your suitcase over. In fact, he looked angry. He changes moods faster than any woman I’ve ever met.”
    “Oh, he’ll notice. He may be moody, but he certainly isn’t dead.”
    She smiled up at him and, placing her hand in the elbow he offered, allowed him to escort her to dinner.
    • • •
    Mark could hear the laughter coming from the dining room the moment he opened the back door. He paused, trying to shake off his uneasiness at seeing Aimee again. He’d acted like a jealous fool and then all but mauled her in the foyer. He was ashamed of his behavior, yet knew he couldn’t trust himself not to do it again. Then there was the question that continued to nag at him: Could he trust her? He found it strange her friend appeared surprised she’d taken a job with Emily. Then there was her “our little secret” comments this afternoon that he