To Hold and to Heal (BWWM Interracial Romance) by Naomi Lecroy Read Free Book Online

ago!”
                  “You were sixteen,” he said softly.
                  She nodded at the memory. “How did you know?”
                  Alden rubbed his chin. “Sam told me. Said that you were sixteen when your mother died and he was eighteen. Told me he left and tried to help out and ended up joining the Army.”
                  “Sam ran away.”
                  He laughed, a short sound in his throat. “Joining the Army and being sent into a war zone isn't exactly running away.”
                  “It is if you volunteer. Look, Sam didn't want to be stuck with all this. The bar, Dad, me. None of it. He found a way out but someone has to be responsible.” All the good humor of the evening melted away. Alden's face was a mask of confusion.  She felt the old anger rising in her. “Oh what? Let me guess. He told you he was playing the big hero? Probably sending money back every month and writing me letters?”
                  “I saw him,” Alden replied.
                  “Saw him what?”
                  “Send you money. I dropped off a few letters at the post for him. Nice, I saw him do it, I swear.” There was a conviction in his voice, in his eyes. He reached out, putting his fingertips on her bare arm. “Nice, your brother loved you.”
                  “No. Bullshit! My brother didn't send me anything. EVER!” She was vaguely aware that her voice was raised, that she was yelling. “He got out of this mess as soon as he could and never looked back! And you expect me to believe you just because he fed you some line of shit that he was a fucking angel? I have my whole entire life as proof that he wasn't!”
                  She pointed at him. “And don't you think that you can just come in here and clean up a kitchen and make up for that!”
                  Alden face clouded over and he slid off the chair. He stood awkwardly, clearly in pain. She wanted to tell him to sit back down or go home but she was too angry to do anything but scowl. It didn't matter, he would go home soon and she would never see him again.
                  She stood, waiting for him to say something, to do something but he didn't react. His hand stayed steady, fingertips pressed against her, and then it tightened around her arm. She opened her mouth to protest but then he was pulling her to him.
                  The shock of his body against her silenced any words that would have come out of her mouth. His arms wrapped around her, one cradling the back of her head, just below the tight ponytail of her hair. Her tense body relaxed in his embrace, her heart beating quickly.
                  “I'm sorry, Nice,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I'm sorry that you've been so alone. I'm sorry that you never knew your brother and that's my fault. It was my mistake and I will have to live with that forever, but you don't.”
                  He lifted her face to look at him. “Your brother loved you.”
                  “I know. I just don't know why he left and I'm still . . .” she finally trailed off. She could feel the tears brimming behind her lids. She turned and tried to push away from Alden, but he held her still.
                  Then the tears came. Hot and salty, they poured down her face. Tears that she’d been holding back for months, for years since long before Sam died. She hated that she was crying, that she was weak and exposed, but she couldn’t help it. The burn of his touch, of his eyes was too much and all of her defenses came tumbling down. She leaned into his embrace and was vaguely aware that he was lowering her to the floor as he spoke to her in a low whisper.
                  His fingertips wiped the tears as they fell. They maneuvered around each other