smile. “And you weren't crazy to think you lived with two women. I was two women back then. Who I was and who I wanted to be. You don't want to hear all of this."
"I got time.” He always had time for her.
"Let's go to the creek instead. I don't want to talk about it at the house."
He looked at her and tried to keep from drawing his brows together. This was not a good sign. What the hell did she have to say that meant driving all the way out to the creek? “All right."
* * * *
Her guts twisted inside. Telling Heath the truth about her life, about her mother, about it all was like baring her soul to someone. Actually she was going to bare her soul to someone. She was going to tell him everything, and then she would see if he was really the rock he seemed to be. If he was the kind of man that could carry a weight like she was going to unload on him.
"Okay. You sure you want to hear this?” she clarified as they sat down on the cool grass near the water. She loved this place. The insects sang a smooth night melody, the water lapped at the shore, and the sky twinkled down on them with stars. Such a beautiful setting to tell such a tragic tale.
"Positive.” He stretched out on the grass beside her and folded his arms under his head. She could think of a million other things she would love to do to him in this moment, with this setting, rather than tell him the truth.
"Well.” She cleared her throat. “It started when she left him. She started drinking and drinking, and eventually that wasn't enough anymore. Star and I were just kids when she brought her new boyfriend home. Star was fourteen. I was twelve. Star had friends and a place to go after school. I came home."
Buried so deeply inside her, the memory hurt to revive. “I didn't know what to do, you know. He threatened to kill us. He threatened to tell my mother that it was me..."
"Who threatened you?” He sat up quickly, and she jumped. “Chance, who threatened you?
Uh-oh. He was not happy. “Heath, let me finish okay. If you can't let me just tell it all, I won't be able to tell any of it."
He ground his teeth a moment and stared at her so hard she almost gave up. “All right, but after you tell it, I want his name."
Lethal. If there was a word to describe Heath Johnson's tone, it was lethal. “If you still want it, I'll tell you."
She could feel her heart beat. She could smell the fresh air, the grass, and Heath. Gulping down her fears, she continued as he lay back on the grass again. Hopefully, his mind would drift as she spoke.
"I got pregnant when I was thirteen. My mother flipped out. I told her everything. She blamed me of course. Then made me have an abortion and we moved here.” Chance fought the tears of anger, betrayal, and hurt. “She left him, but it was just a matter of time before she picked up another. I was smarter, found friends. Candice was always getting into stuff. I hung out with her. Then, I met Jack.
"Your family is just amazing, Heath. I know I told you that Jack and I, but..."
"He told me it was a lie,” he said flatly. Damn! He was really paying attention still.
"Yes. Well, we never really made it past kissing. Then, I met you. I remember that day like it was yesterday.” She smiled a real smile. The memory of Heath on his old John Deere tractor tilling the land flooded her senses and took her back to a better place and time, far away from the horrors of her childhood.
"You were getting to the part about leaving all the time,” he said.
"Yes.” Great! He was actually listening. She was drifting into calmer waters in her head, and he still wanted the truth. “Well, Star got pregnant when she was seventeen and moved in with her boyfriend. I took care of our drunken mother because when Star left, mother's new boyfriend left, too. Then it began, me and my mother. When she ran away ... I would go find her. She would call from remote places, and I would figure out where the hell she was and go get her. One time she
"I got time.” He always had time for her.
"Let's go to the creek instead. I don't want to talk about it at the house."
He looked at her and tried to keep from drawing his brows together. This was not a good sign. What the hell did she have to say that meant driving all the way out to the creek? “All right."
* * * *
Her guts twisted inside. Telling Heath the truth about her life, about her mother, about it all was like baring her soul to someone. Actually she was going to bare her soul to someone. She was going to tell him everything, and then she would see if he was really the rock he seemed to be. If he was the kind of man that could carry a weight like she was going to unload on him.
"Okay. You sure you want to hear this?” she clarified as they sat down on the cool grass near the water. She loved this place. The insects sang a smooth night melody, the water lapped at the shore, and the sky twinkled down on them with stars. Such a beautiful setting to tell such a tragic tale.
"Positive.” He stretched out on the grass beside her and folded his arms under his head. She could think of a million other things she would love to do to him in this moment, with this setting, rather than tell him the truth.
"Well.” She cleared her throat. “It started when she left him. She started drinking and drinking, and eventually that wasn't enough anymore. Star and I were just kids when she brought her new boyfriend home. Star was fourteen. I was twelve. Star had friends and a place to go after school. I came home."
Buried so deeply inside her, the memory hurt to revive. “I didn't know what to do, you know. He threatened to kill us. He threatened to tell my mother that it was me..."
"Who threatened you?” He sat up quickly, and she jumped. “Chance, who threatened you?
Uh-oh. He was not happy. “Heath, let me finish okay. If you can't let me just tell it all, I won't be able to tell any of it."
He ground his teeth a moment and stared at her so hard she almost gave up. “All right, but after you tell it, I want his name."
Lethal. If there was a word to describe Heath Johnson's tone, it was lethal. “If you still want it, I'll tell you."
She could feel her heart beat. She could smell the fresh air, the grass, and Heath. Gulping down her fears, she continued as he lay back on the grass again. Hopefully, his mind would drift as she spoke.
"I got pregnant when I was thirteen. My mother flipped out. I told her everything. She blamed me of course. Then made me have an abortion and we moved here.” Chance fought the tears of anger, betrayal, and hurt. “She left him, but it was just a matter of time before she picked up another. I was smarter, found friends. Candice was always getting into stuff. I hung out with her. Then, I met Jack.
"Your family is just amazing, Heath. I know I told you that Jack and I, but..."
"He told me it was a lie,” he said flatly. Damn! He was really paying attention still.
"Yes. Well, we never really made it past kissing. Then, I met you. I remember that day like it was yesterday.” She smiled a real smile. The memory of Heath on his old John Deere tractor tilling the land flooded her senses and took her back to a better place and time, far away from the horrors of her childhood.
"You were getting to the part about leaving all the time,” he said.
"Yes.” Great! He was actually listening. She was drifting into calmer waters in her head, and he still wanted the truth. “Well, Star got pregnant when she was seventeen and moved in with her boyfriend. I took care of our drunken mother because when Star left, mother's new boyfriend left, too. Then it began, me and my mother. When she ran away ... I would go find her. She would call from remote places, and I would figure out where the hell she was and go get her. One time she
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