Unsuitable by Doreen Owens Malek Read Free Book Online

contest his right to ask. “I was engaged,” she whispered. The sound of the rain muted her words so he leaned closer to hear. “When I was a senior in college. He was a photographer, a friend of my father’s. He, well, he couldn’t keep his hands off his models. I guess they were too beautiful.”
    “They could hardly have been more beautiful than you,” he murmured, moving his hand around her neck, under her hair.
    “Oh, yes,” she replied, her eyes almost closing as his fingers caressed her. “Very beautiful. Sophisticated. And tall.”
    “He was a fool if he couldn’t be faithful to you,” Jason said, his voice suffused with anger. “And after him? Anyone?”
    “No one,” she breathed, dazed by his sudden questions, wishing that he would kiss her.
    He didn’t. He released her suddenly, so suddenly that she had to take a small step to regain her balance.
    “I’d better see what’s wrong at the house,” he muttered, brushing past her and removing a pair of slickers from the tack room. He handed one to her and put one on himself.
    “It’s raining pretty hard,” he observed, pausing at the door of the barn to lock it. “We’d better check the weather report. Stay behind me.”
    They ran together toward the house and she followed Jason inside. Once there, the reason for her unanswered summons was clear. Rose was running the vacuum cleaner and probably had been for a while. She hadn’t heard the bell.
    Jason signaled for her to turn it off and when she did he asked, “Have you been listening to the news? How bad is this supposed to get?”
    “I don’t know,” Rose said. “But I think I’m going to set out for home right now, if that’s all right with you. I’d rather not take any chances.” She rolled up the cord and put the vacuum cleaner in the hall closet.
    “Do you think you should go home, too?” Jason asked Carrie.
    She sighed. “I’m here; I might as well stay for the session. Johnny skipped one last week, remember? He can’t afford to miss the time.”
    Jason nodded, accepting her decision. “Go on in, then. I’m sure he’s waiting for you.”
    Carrie took off her slicker and handed it to Jason, who watched her go off down the hall. His expression was thoughtful.
    Rose left soon afterward and Carrie settled in with Johnny, who was glad to see her but preoccupied with the worsening weather. Storms frightened horses and he was worried about his animal friends. They worked until the thunder and lightning alarmed even Carrie and she cut the visit short, going out to the kitchen to find Jason.
    “Rose just called,” he greeted her. “She says it’s really bad out there. There’s a gale warning and the flooding is supposed to be severe. I think I’d better follow you home.”
    “That isn’t necessary,” Carrie said. “I’ll be fine.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll get the van.”
    She started to protest again but he was already out the door, heading for the garage. Carrie accepted the inevitable and went back to say goodbye to Johnny.
    She was waiting for Jason when he returned. He gave her the slicker she had worn before and they left, taking their separate vehicles.
    Once out in the storm, Carrie was glad of Jason’s presence behind her. The rain was sheeting, restricting visibility, and the wind buffeted her little car, almost wrenching the steering wheel out of her hands. They crawled along the driveway to the main road. As they approached the footbridge that bordered the property Carrie could see that the stream was swollen with swirling, muddy water. She slowed down even further, and then stopped when Jason’s horn sounded and his flashers went on suddenly.
    She sat motionless as he ran past her car, his head bowed down against the rain. After a minute or two he ran back, tapping on her window.
    She rolled it down.
    “Bridge is out,” he shouted over the noise of the storm. “You have to come back to the house.”
    Carrie nodded. He stood back as she tried