A sheen of tears made her brown eyes glitter. She looked away.
He felt like a complete jerk, which, if you came right down to it, he had been for a lot of his life. He waited until she faced him again before he vowed, “I won’t do that, Glory. I won’t desert him again. Not ever. No matter what.”
Her mouth was quivering. Sera fussed at her breast. “Turn away,” she commanded in a torn whisper.
He went back to the window. Sera let out more fussy little sounds and he heard the box springs shift.
“All right,” Glory said. He turned and took a few steps toward the bed. She had Sera at her other breast now. And the tears were gone from her big brown eyes. She tipped her head to the side, gave him another slow once-over. Finally, she spoke. “There couldn’t be any drinking, do you understand?”
Relief poured through him, sweet and cool as water from a mountain spring. She was going to go for it, going to let him stay. “There won’t be,” he promised solemnly.
“And no fighting.”
“Never. I’m done with all that crap. I give you my word.”
She glared at him, those dark eyes flashing fire. And suddenly, he was remembering their first time together. In his room in the attic at the Sierra Star.
She’d been working as a maid for his mom, living in a room downstairs.…
And she had chased him, from the first day she started working at the B and B. She’d flashed those famous Dellazola dimples at him every time he looked her way and she always found reasons to stop working and visit with him every chance she got.
He’d tried to do the right thing, although the right thing was never his strong suit. For months, he’d avoided her. She was only nineteen and he was five years older, too old for her, he’d thought. Especially given that he drank too much and he got in fights, that every job he’d ever had, he’d managed to get himself fired from.
And then, well, he’d known her practically since she was born, watched her grow from a skinny, loud, bossy little kid. She was the baby of her family and she’d learned early that when you were a Dellazola, you had to make a lot of noise if you hoped to get your share of the attention. He’d always thought she was cute, but still, it seemed wrong to give her what she wanted from him.
Once she started at the B and B and he was around her a lot more, he couldn’t help but finally see her as a woman, see how fine she was, gutsy and smart and full of fire. He’d felt the attraction definitely. But he’d promised himself he wouldn’t give in to it.
Now, there was a promise he was born to break.
Finally, she came to his room on a cool spring night, all dressed for bed in a little white nightie. She’d tapped on his door and slipped inside before he even had a chance to tell her to go away.
And then she stood in front of the lamp. She knew exactly what she was doing. He could see right through that little nightie of hers and what he saw made him groan out loud.
He said no. Twice.
But as soon as she threw herself into his arms, he was a goner. She smelled like rain and apples, all fresh and sweet and clean. And her mouth was under his, those soft, wide lips opening to invite his tongue inside.…
She stayed with him until just before dawn, when she tiptoed back down the stairs to her own room. After that, she came to him every night. He was the happiest man alive. He even gave up the drinking and the fighting.
For a while, anyway. But eventually, his troublesome nature got the better of him. He came home drunk now and then. He got in a few fights. He knew he was a disappointment to her, and that only seemed to make him drink more and stay out all night and come home in the morning bruised and battered from some brawl he couldn’t even remember being part of.
It only got worse when she found out she was pregnant and refused to marry him.…
“Don’t you tell me any of your lies, Bowie Bravo.” Her low, angry words snapped him back to the here
He felt like a complete jerk, which, if you came right down to it, he had been for a lot of his life. He waited until she faced him again before he vowed, “I won’t do that, Glory. I won’t desert him again. Not ever. No matter what.”
Her mouth was quivering. Sera fussed at her breast. “Turn away,” she commanded in a torn whisper.
He went back to the window. Sera let out more fussy little sounds and he heard the box springs shift.
“All right,” Glory said. He turned and took a few steps toward the bed. She had Sera at her other breast now. And the tears were gone from her big brown eyes. She tipped her head to the side, gave him another slow once-over. Finally, she spoke. “There couldn’t be any drinking, do you understand?”
Relief poured through him, sweet and cool as water from a mountain spring. She was going to go for it, going to let him stay. “There won’t be,” he promised solemnly.
“And no fighting.”
“Never. I’m done with all that crap. I give you my word.”
She glared at him, those dark eyes flashing fire. And suddenly, he was remembering their first time together. In his room in the attic at the Sierra Star.
She’d been working as a maid for his mom, living in a room downstairs.…
And she had chased him, from the first day she started working at the B and B. She’d flashed those famous Dellazola dimples at him every time he looked her way and she always found reasons to stop working and visit with him every chance she got.
He’d tried to do the right thing, although the right thing was never his strong suit. For months, he’d avoided her. She was only nineteen and he was five years older, too old for her, he’d thought. Especially given that he drank too much and he got in fights, that every job he’d ever had, he’d managed to get himself fired from.
And then, well, he’d known her practically since she was born, watched her grow from a skinny, loud, bossy little kid. She was the baby of her family and she’d learned early that when you were a Dellazola, you had to make a lot of noise if you hoped to get your share of the attention. He’d always thought she was cute, but still, it seemed wrong to give her what she wanted from him.
Once she started at the B and B and he was around her a lot more, he couldn’t help but finally see her as a woman, see how fine she was, gutsy and smart and full of fire. He’d felt the attraction definitely. But he’d promised himself he wouldn’t give in to it.
Now, there was a promise he was born to break.
Finally, she came to his room on a cool spring night, all dressed for bed in a little white nightie. She’d tapped on his door and slipped inside before he even had a chance to tell her to go away.
And then she stood in front of the lamp. She knew exactly what she was doing. He could see right through that little nightie of hers and what he saw made him groan out loud.
He said no. Twice.
But as soon as she threw herself into his arms, he was a goner. She smelled like rain and apples, all fresh and sweet and clean. And her mouth was under his, those soft, wide lips opening to invite his tongue inside.…
She stayed with him until just before dawn, when she tiptoed back down the stairs to her own room. After that, she came to him every night. He was the happiest man alive. He even gave up the drinking and the fighting.
For a while, anyway. But eventually, his troublesome nature got the better of him. He came home drunk now and then. He got in a few fights. He knew he was a disappointment to her, and that only seemed to make him drink more and stay out all night and come home in the morning bruised and battered from some brawl he couldn’t even remember being part of.
It only got worse when she found out she was pregnant and refused to marry him.…
“Don’t you tell me any of your lies, Bowie Bravo.” Her low, angry words snapped him back to the here
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