Time to Heal (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Karen Young Read Free Book Online Page A

he said, removing the strap from Michael’s shoulder before the boy could respond. “We’ll get you settled soon, but first you’ll probably want to look around, sort of get the feel of the house. The main bathroom’s just down that hall. The kitchen’s straight through there. See, just beyond the breakfast nook.”
    Michael nodded, following Jake’s eye. “Yes, sir.”
    “I’ll just check on dinner.” Jake started toward the double doors leading to the kitchen, but something about Michael stopped him. “What is it, Mike?”
    Standing still, Michael was taking everything in. “This is sure a nice place.”
    “Yeah, I like it, too,” Jake said softly, lookingaround. The house had a spacious, welcoming look to it. Rachel had a special touch. Several windows, draped with green hanging plants, let in ample light. The furniture was deep and comfortable, invitingly strewn with extra pillows. One whole wall was shelved, artfully displaying books and mementos of their eighteen-year marriage. Their latest acquisition was a large entertainment center with a large-screen TV and sound system. Rachel was a music lover.
    He gestured toward the new wing. “That’s the master bedroom,” he told Michael. “It was added not too long ago. My wife—” He broke off as Rachel suddenly appeared. Meeting her eyes, Jake felt a rush of emotions—surprise, gratitude, relief, anxiety—so many emotions, he couldn’t begin to identify them. She stood there, her expression unreadable.
    Putting a protective hand on Michael’s shoulder, he cleared his throat. “Michael, come meet my wife…Rachel.” Holding her gaze, he nudged the boy forward slightly. “Rachel, this is my son… Michael.”
    “Hello, Michael.” To save her life, Rachel couldn’t smile. She wanted to, she tried to, but it just wouldn’t come.
    “Hello, ma’am.”
    He was so like Jake. Why did he have to look so much like Jake?
    She realized she’d been standing and staring too long when Jake said, “Why don’t we all sit down for a minute.”
    “Yes, fine.” She watched as Jake guided Michael around a table to a love seat and gently urged him down. He waited while Rachel sat down opposite them on the sofa. Seeing them side by side facing her, their expressions almost identical—wary, waiting, as though she were a black widow spider—she felt suddenly desolate. The space separating them might as well have been the Gulf of Mexico.
    “I was just showing Michael around,” Jake said.
    Michael looked at her. “This place is really nice,” he said earnestly.
    “Thank you,” she murmured. He looked scared. Seeing fear in those eyes—so like Jake’s!—she felt a pang of something. Sympathy? Pain?
    “I was telling him we’d get him all settled, but first maybe we could have something to eat.”
    “Yes.” As Rachel started to rise, Michael scrambled to his feet. “Where are you from, Michael?”
    “Iowa. Des Moines, Iowa. Have you ever been there?”
    “No, I’ve never been to Iowa.”
    “It’s pretty flat, like Florida in a way, but not so green.” His gaze went to the windows. “I’ve never seen so much green.” He laughed suddenly, softly, and Rachel’s heart caught. It sounded so much likeJake’s chuckle. “I even touched your lawn to see if it was real.”
    She flicked a glance at Jake and found him watching Michael with an expression that scared her. He looked bemused, completely absorbed. And loving. There was no other word for it. Michael had been in Jake’s life less than a day, and Jake was ready to make a place for him in his heart. Oh, but what about Scotty! her heart cried.
    “I thought it might be like at the Superdome or the Astrodome,” Michael was explaining. “You know, artificial.”
    Rachel nodded. “Yes, I know.”
    “I promised Michael something to eat, Rachel.” Jake spoke quietly, without force. He was leaving it up to her.
    Rachel’s mind went blank. She’d prepared something, hadn’t she? Oh, yes,