In A Heartbeat (HQR Superromance) by Janice Kay Johnson

Author:Janice Kay Johnson [Johnson, Janice Kay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction, Forever Love, Bachelor, Single Woman, Sensual, Hearts Desire, Lifetime Love, Life-Changes, Second Chances, Honesty & Trust, Home & Family, Romantic Schemes, Beautiful & Feisty, Love-Family & Forever, Small Town & Rural Area, Husband's Drowing Accident & Death, Daughter's Swimming Accident, Two Families Blended, Salvage Something From Tragedy
Publisher: Harlequin Super Romance
Published: 2018-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

EVEN THOUGH THEY’D been home for a good ten minutes, Anna’s toes still hurt. Thawing out always did. How could she have forgotten how miserable November could be in the Northwest?

The rain that fell during Josh’s practice today had felt perilously like sleet. Molly and Jenna and their little crowd had kept themselves warm by running nonstop, stomping rubber boots in soggy patches of grass and shrieking when the splatter soaked their jeans. Anna had worried about Josh stuck waiting in the goal, but when the ball was on the other end of the field, he jogged in place and did jumping jacks. When it came his way, he went into action—including a headlong dive into the muddy pig wallow in front of the goal.

The parents were the ones who’d suffered. Anna had stood up from time to time and walked, sometimes with another mother, or just stamped her feet, but that hadn’t been enough to warm her. Clearly, she needed to double up on the socks and visit storage to find her ski gloves. Everyday fleece ones didn’t cut it.

Or drop off Josh at practice and come back for him at the end. But she was reluctant to consider that. Maybe when he was older.

Grateful to be mostly warm again, she opened the oven to pop in two loaves of banana bread. For a moment, she spread her hands close to the heat before she made herself close the oven door.

The house phone rang. She might have called for one of the kids to answer it, except she hadn’t needed to bother. There wasn’t a second ring. Either Molly or Josh had grabbed it.

That phone was ringing more and more often. Molly and her small group of friends didn’t think they had enough time to talk during the school day. They made up for it with lengthy conversations once they got home. Teenage years, here we come.

Since Josh was also in the big house until dinnertime if not later every day, his friends had this number, too. His conversations, at least, tended to be brief.

Surprised to hear silence instead of voices, she wiped the counter and then walked toward the family room. Jenna was hardly ever quiet, and if the call had been for Molly, Anna would have expected her to bring the phone out to the living room in search of privacy. Increasingly puzzled, she stepped into the wide doorway to the family room.

In profile to her, Josh held the phone to his ear. He stood very still, his expression reminding her of how he’d received the news that his father was dead. Molly and Jenna both stared at him.

“Who is Josh talking to?” Anna asked, trying to keep her voice down.

At almost the same instant, he thrust the phone at Molly. “She wants to talk to you.” At that moment, Josh saw Anna. Face stricken, he bumped her as he ran from the room.

She spun, but couldn’t see him. Not hearing any door opening or closing, Anna guessed he’d flung himself down on a sofa in the living room.

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