A Holiday To Remember by Jillian Hart

Author:Jillian Hart [Hart, Jillian]
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2010-01-15T15:37:52+00:00

Across town, Lynda Matthews unclasped the diamond-studded wristwatch her husband had given her as a showy gift. Her hand was unsteady and her fingers fumbled with the clasp. She was afraid. She set it on the kitchen counter and sighed. There, that was the last thing. She wanted to take nothing of Douglas’s—or anything that he had given her—with her to remind her of the lie she’d been living. Or of the pretense he played like the actor and liar he was and the shambles he’d made of their marriage.

Now that she’d carefully weighed everything and made her decision there was nothing to do but to leave. It hadn’t been an easy decision, but Douglas had helped her make it. She hadn’t truly believed he would go too far. She should have stuck with her safety plan. She should have left before he’d hurt her so badly and in front of her son.

“Come along, Logan.” She held out her hand. “Don’t forget your fuzzy bear.”

“Yes, Mommy.” Her sweet little boy plodded along the kitchen cabinets, head down, his black hair falling to hide his eyes. He needed a haircut, but that would be taken care of in Richmond. He halted in front of her, looking up at her with his serious blue eyes. “Where’s D-Daddy?”

“He’s busy this morning. Don’t you worry. It’ll be just you and me going for a ride today. We can get a drive-through cheeseburger meal, the way you like.” She took his little hand in hers.

“Okay.” His little shoulders slumped. Not even the prospect of his favorite fast food would cheer him up.

No child should wear sadness like a shirt. That’s how she knew she was doing the right thing. She still had a lot of worries. But it was the pastor’s words she remembered now. He’d told her that abuse is a sin.

She grabbed her purse. She’d already slipped two small suitcases into the back of the minivan. They were ready, leaving with only a few clothes and Logan’s most beloved toys. She plucked her keys from the counter and caught a reflection of her face in the mirror on the wall. Fresh bruises stained her jaw and cheekbone, the reason why she’d not attended church this morning.

Douglas had handed her this blessing in disguise, in a way. He watched her so closely, but with the importance of his upcoming Christmas show on the local network he felt he could not miss Sunday service. She slid the van key from the key ring and left the other keys next to the diamond watch.

She was done with Douglas Matthews.

Noting the time, she realized church was just getting out. Douglas would be heading to another one of his all-important meetings with that agent of his, pretending to be the good man he was not. He’d probably be calling in to check on her in a while. Best to leave now.

As she let the door click shut behind her and buckled Logan into his car seat, she wondered how long it would take him to realize she was gone, truly gone, for good.

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