live.”
“I live in Austin.”
She closed her eyes calling on the patience she felt slipping away. When she opened them, she found her ex-fiancé staring at her, studying her like she was a case to be solved. She hated that, hated that every time she saw him, her heart broke again, and damn it, she hated that she couldn’t hate him.
“What do you want?”
“What I want and what I’m going to get are two different things.”
She sighed. “I couldn’t get a hold of you and like I said, I don’t think you have any say over what she does and doesn’t do.”
“You could have easily found me.”
“No, I couldn’t. If Thea couldn’t, I couldn’t. Besides, I think this is just what she needs.”
“She needs not to be gawked at like a circus freak!”
“I’m not arguing this with you. You want to have it out with someone, take it up with Thea.”
She turned away, but he stopped her with a plea. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”
The concern, the outright love in his voice spoke to her. Gwen knew he wanted nothing more than for Thea to be happy, but as usual he was going about it the wrong way.
“She was in Atlanta and was run off the road. Being safe isn’t about where you are.”
Tired of arguing, Gwen neatly stepped around Jed. He grabbed her arm. She stopped, looked down at his hand, then up at him. The worry and irritation she saw in his eyes softened her a bit. Jed was a pain in the butt. Still, he loved his sister and worried about her. It was one of the things Gwen admired most about him.
“She’s fine, Jed.”
He nodded and opened his mouth to say something but Chase interrupted him. “Got a problem, Gwen?”
She looked at the younger man. He wasn’t actually paying attention to her, rather he was focused on Jed. Seriously, she didn’t need this, didn’t want to spend her Sunday dealing with male egos. But she also didn’t want people gossiping about her. Being a teacher in a small town didn’t afford her much privacy.
“No. Jed and I were just catching up.”
Both men kept silent for a few seconds then Jed released her arm. Chase stepped forward to fill the void, but thankfully, Thea slipped in and said, “Hey, Gwen, Selma wanted to chat about a fundraiser idea she has for the library at school.”
“If you two gentlemen will excuse me?”
They both nodded, and Gwen walked away with Thea.
“What was that about?” Thea asked once they gained the porch.
“Nothing.”
Thea looked at her for a long moment then nodded. “Let’s go find Selma.”
Gwen smiled when Thea slipped her arm over Gwen’s shoulders. “Yes, let’s. I’ve had my fill of men tonight.”
* * * *
He watched as Thea talked to the other women, his heart expanding at the sight of her. She was so much like Margie, so beautiful and full of life. She laughed at something Gwen said, the sound of it warming him, comforting him.
He could not approach her, couldn’t tell her what special bond they had between them. She would need time to settle, time to understand. She looked around as if searching for him, begging for his attention. He had to fight the urge to go to her, to reveal himself to her. She wasn’t ready to accept him.
But soon, she would. And then…they would be together as one.
Chapter Six
The next morning, Thea drove up to her rental home and sighed. There parked in the driveway was her brother. She should have known he wouldn’t leave. She’d hoped since he hadn’t shown up at Gwen’s, but she was sure there were other reasons he didn’t do that.
She slipped out of her car and scowled at him. “What are you doing here?”
“Checking up on you.”
She snorted. “You’re not even trying to lie.”
He shook his head and walked down the drive to help her unload her SUV. “No reason to. You know better. Besides, you’d be stuck carrying in all this crap.”
She smiled and handed him the heaviest box as a car drove up to the
“I live in Austin.”
She closed her eyes calling on the patience she felt slipping away. When she opened them, she found her ex-fiancé staring at her, studying her like she was a case to be solved. She hated that, hated that every time she saw him, her heart broke again, and damn it, she hated that she couldn’t hate him.
“What do you want?”
“What I want and what I’m going to get are two different things.”
She sighed. “I couldn’t get a hold of you and like I said, I don’t think you have any say over what she does and doesn’t do.”
“You could have easily found me.”
“No, I couldn’t. If Thea couldn’t, I couldn’t. Besides, I think this is just what she needs.”
“She needs not to be gawked at like a circus freak!”
“I’m not arguing this with you. You want to have it out with someone, take it up with Thea.”
She turned away, but he stopped her with a plea. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”
The concern, the outright love in his voice spoke to her. Gwen knew he wanted nothing more than for Thea to be happy, but as usual he was going about it the wrong way.
“She was in Atlanta and was run off the road. Being safe isn’t about where you are.”
Tired of arguing, Gwen neatly stepped around Jed. He grabbed her arm. She stopped, looked down at his hand, then up at him. The worry and irritation she saw in his eyes softened her a bit. Jed was a pain in the butt. Still, he loved his sister and worried about her. It was one of the things Gwen admired most about him.
“She’s fine, Jed.”
He nodded and opened his mouth to say something but Chase interrupted him. “Got a problem, Gwen?”
She looked at the younger man. He wasn’t actually paying attention to her, rather he was focused on Jed. Seriously, she didn’t need this, didn’t want to spend her Sunday dealing with male egos. But she also didn’t want people gossiping about her. Being a teacher in a small town didn’t afford her much privacy.
“No. Jed and I were just catching up.”
Both men kept silent for a few seconds then Jed released her arm. Chase stepped forward to fill the void, but thankfully, Thea slipped in and said, “Hey, Gwen, Selma wanted to chat about a fundraiser idea she has for the library at school.”
“If you two gentlemen will excuse me?”
They both nodded, and Gwen walked away with Thea.
“What was that about?” Thea asked once they gained the porch.
“Nothing.”
Thea looked at her for a long moment then nodded. “Let’s go find Selma.”
Gwen smiled when Thea slipped her arm over Gwen’s shoulders. “Yes, let’s. I’ve had my fill of men tonight.”
* * * *
He watched as Thea talked to the other women, his heart expanding at the sight of her. She was so much like Margie, so beautiful and full of life. She laughed at something Gwen said, the sound of it warming him, comforting him.
He could not approach her, couldn’t tell her what special bond they had between them. She would need time to settle, time to understand. She looked around as if searching for him, begging for his attention. He had to fight the urge to go to her, to reveal himself to her. She wasn’t ready to accept him.
But soon, she would. And then…they would be together as one.
Chapter Six
The next morning, Thea drove up to her rental home and sighed. There parked in the driveway was her brother. She should have known he wouldn’t leave. She’d hoped since he hadn’t shown up at Gwen’s, but she was sure there were other reasons he didn’t do that.
She slipped out of her car and scowled at him. “What are you doing here?”
“Checking up on you.”
She snorted. “You’re not even trying to lie.”
He shook his head and walked down the drive to help her unload her SUV. “No reason to. You know better. Besides, you’d be stuck carrying in all this crap.”
She smiled and handed him the heaviest box as a car drove up to the
Similar Books
