The Soldier's Bride by Christensen Rachelle J

Author:Christensen, Rachelle J. [Christensen, Rachelle J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2016-03-15T07:00:00+00:00

~*~

Evelyn pulled off her coat and hung it on the peg. The birthday present Sterling had brought sat by the door, and she had to swallow hard to keep the tears at bay. She picked up the gift and set it behind her mother’s potted plant. She would wait to give the gift to Danny. Sterling should be able to at least see the joy on Danny’s face when he ripped off the wrapping paper.

Light footsteps sounded behind her and she turned to see Marie coming from the kitchen. “Danny’s been asking for Sterling. I guess he won’t be coming inside?”

She hugged her mother and Evelyn tried to hold onto the courage she’d mustered to speak to Sterling, but it was already diminishing like a breath of warm air in a winter storm. “No, he thought it would be best to wait.” Evelyn smoothed out her dress. “Is Jim . . . ?”

“He’s upstairs, your father’s talking to him.”

“Oh, he is?” She cocked an ear toward the staircase as she heard a door close.

“How did Sterling take it?” Marie said.

Evelyn shook her head. “He was going to ask me to marry him. Mama, he had a ring.” She swallowed, struggling to push back the hysteria in her voice.

“Shh, it’ll work out all right,” Marie soothed.

Evelyn peered at her mother underneath lashes heavy with tears. “You knew?”

Marie pursed her lips. “He asked your father for permission last week. I think that’s what your dad wanted to talk to Jim about—maybe help him understand what you’re facing.”

The room felt as if it were pressing against her lungs, sucking the breath right out of her. The lights blinked and her head spun. Evelyn moaned and sank to the floor as her father came down the stairs. A hard surface cracked against her skull and somewhere recognition whispered that she hadn’t caught herself, but the hardwood floor had.

Closing her eyes against the overhead light, Evelyn wished for the darkness to overtake her mind, to erase the confusion of the present, to spiral her back to only a few hours before when the day looked bright and full of hope. Voices in the background seemed like a dream and she fell deeper into the blackness, happy to dream.

Evelyn was spiraling through the darkness, and then Sterling was there holding her, whispering to her, and stroking her hair. Something cool and damp covered her forehead and she registered the sensation of being lifted. Sterling. He was so strong, the way he held her close to his chest, his heartbeat drumming against her cheek.

“Please, I’m so sorry. I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to be with you. I love you so much.”

His voice carried through the darkness and she concentrated on his words, the agony in his voice. There was something different about his voice; it sounded deeper, almost rumbling in his chest as he spoke. She felt something splash against her cheek. Sterling was crying. She had hurt him, but why? Then with a start she remembered the ring, Sterling’s car, his kiss.

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