Words From The Heart (Spring-Summer Romance Book 2) by Alex Greenville

turned it face up and started at the woman framed there. “She was beautiful,” Audrey said. The kind of face men dreamed of, perfect complexion, luminous blue-green eyes. No wonder Peter Massey had gotten so upset. But the heart, she knew, didn’t always do what was planned, and for whatever reason, hers had chosen Bennett Adams instead.
    Audrey tilted the photo toward him, and his eyes filled.
    “She’s gone,” he said.
    “She isn’t. She lives on in her children. You were very blessed to have her for however long you did.” Audrey extended him the picture. “Give it to your son. He needs to remember his mom.”
    His hands shaking, Bennett took the frame from her, the tears suspended in his lashes, slipping down his face.
     

     
    He hadn’t meant to fall apart in front of Audrey, but she was the first person to realize about the pictures. She was right. He’d hidden them trying to deny Beth was gone, but his children needed to know their mom.
    He wiped his eyes and stood, the frame tight in his grip. He made his way upstairs, his feet heavy. At the top, he turned into Jeff’s bedroom. He set the photo on the dresser, angling it toward the bed and went to leave again, but his son called out.
    “Daddy?”
    Bennett revolved and walked over the bed, kneeling down at the side. Jeff rolled over on his side, his hands pillowed beneath his head, his eyes luminous in the darkness.
    “I brought you a picture of Mom,” Bennett said. “I thought you’d want to have it.”
    “I miss her,” his son said.
    Bennett’s throat thickened, but he spoke in spite of it. “Me too. She loved you and June very much.” Taking hold of the bed cover, he tugged it higher on his son’s neck. “Go to sleep. Love you, son.”
    He pushed to his feet, but before he could reach the door, Jeff called out.
    “What about Audrey?”
    Bennett came to a sudden stop. Audrey. Beth was barely gone, and he’d brought in a young, delectable woman to care for their kids. “Goodnight,” he called, shuffling forward.
    Rather than return downstairs, he went to his bedroom, and there, took another photo of Beth from where he’d hidden it in a dresser drawer. He traced her face with his finger, exhaling a long breath, then, returning it to its place, he pushed the drawer shut.
     

     
    After that night, Bennett seemed to finally accept things. The photo placed on Jeff’s dresser, the boy seemed to come more out of his shell. Other little things changed, June staying awake longer, August trying to stand. Bennett took more control of what he’d neglected. He cleaned out his office, boxing up files to return to the accounting firm.
    He was also more forceful, giving a glimpse of the man he’d been. He argued with the lawn care company, spent considerable time on the phone snapping at someone at the bank. It was decidedly attractive, his commanding presence and, as the next month passed, his less formal manner around her, forming an appealing masculine image.
    He loosened up, was less inclined to watch every step, and she also grew lax. It was natural that would happen. People living together would let down their guard. Bedroom doors weren’t shut so tight. Laundry mingled, a sock dropped here, a t-shirt there. Mishaps were made … and laughed at.
    She was heartened to see it, though most incidents involved the children. Most.
    She exited the nursery one evening and collided with Bennett just outside the door. The top two buttons of her blouse popped free. Grasping the fabric, she wadded the pieces together. “I … I shouldn’t be so careless.”
    “No, you shouldn’t,” he replied, his mouth quirked, his voice low.
    He reversed then and gave her room to get by, but she felt the heat of his skin the entire way to her room.
    She was fast becoming addicted to Bennett Adams, for many reasons. He was twelve years older and that was a huge turn on. He was successful, prosperous. He was faithful to his children, more points in his favor. Even