Beneath the Skin by Melissa James

Author:Melissa James
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

It was long past nightfall by the time they turned into their street. They’d all been checked out by the local doctor, and Lorne Wallace had taken in the wild bird. By the time he’d pulled into his driveway, Adam could almost see the bags packed in Elly’s head.

But when they walked inside the front door, Zoe said, in a voice that shook, ‘Annelly, can you sleep wif me tonight? I think I’m gonna have a bad dream.’

After a moment Elly answered, tender and loving. ‘You know what, Zoe? I think I might have a bad dream, too. I’d love to sleep with you.’

Relief flooded him, even as Zoe’s eyes grew wide. ‘Do grownups have bad dreams?’

‘I do, when I have a sore head.’ Elly touched the back of her head. ‘How about we try to put nice thoughts in our minds, so the bad dreams go away? I’ve got some special happy bathtime stories to tell.’ At Zoe’s eager assent, she led his daughter to the bathroom. ‘A long, long time ago, before most people walked on the earth, in a time called the Dreaming …’

During bath, dinner and bed, she told Zoe the happiest stories from the Dreamtime to distract her from the terror behind them. Was it also to remind him of the differences between them, as he’d done to her with his talk of Rick?

Glancing into the bedroom, he saw Zoe snuggled into Elly, listening to every word of yet another story, her eyes fixed on the warm, mysterious face with the uncomplicated adoration only a child can give—and sharp lumps filled his throat again. Elly’s eyes were full of love as she gazed at Sharon’s child. Such an easy image, seeing them as mother and daughter, and a house filled with dogs and cats and other damaged critters, laughter, singing, dancing and pea boats.

Then Elly’s eyes met his, and the image, delicate as porcelain, shattered. The blossom of trust, always tenuous, had been annihilated with the crushed picnic basket. Their minds held the same question: What if that branch had fallen on Zoe?

If he’d lost his precious little girl—

What if I’d lost Elly?

His body turned hot and cold, imagining the world—his world—without Elly. A rush of sourness filled his throat. Not again. Never again. Not having her in his life at all was better than knowing he could only visit her grave. He had to know she was alive, somewhere—even if she was with another man. He couldn’t contemplate the thought of no laughing, giving Elly-May in the world.

He heard Zoe’s last words as she drifted into sleep: ‘Annelly, can we make banana pancakes in the morning? The ones with smiley faces you promised me?’

The hesitation was telling before she answered, her eyes meeting Adam’s. ‘Of course, sweetie.’ The look was a plea, asking him to take Zoe away after breakfast, leaving her free to run.

He shook his head. He wouldn’t, couldn’t, do it. He’d never leave her alone again—not ever, not if he could stop it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.