Thorne Bay by Jeanine Croft

Author:Jeanine Croft [Croft, Jeanine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-11T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

Later, on the drive back to the cabin, Tristan became strangely taciturn, dampening the post-coital bliss I’d been enjoying. But even over breakfast he’d seemed distracted. I knew he had some flying to do today after he dropped me off. Was it something work-related that worried him? Or was it me?

“Are you okay?” I asked. “Have I done something wrong?”

Instead of answering my questions, he said, “We need to talk.” The four dreaded words that spelled imminent doom to any fledgling relationship.

My face blanched. Had he used me? Had I completely misread his character? My expression had been broadcasting all the doubt that was suddenly churning inside me, evidently, because Tristan, with a grim frown, suddenly pulled the truck off to the side of the road and turned to me.

“If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, Evan, then you don’t know me at all.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to realize that,” I said, voice stiff and cold. God, my mood had plummeted quickly. “Was this a one night stand?”

He gave a frustrated sigh and clenched his eyes momentarily. “I’ve tried to be honest with you without scaring you away. I wanted to move slowly. You were completely unexpected. I swear to you, I did try to stay away, but obviously I have very little self-control where you’re concerned.” He dropped his head back and closed his eyes, pained. It had all rushed out of him in an incoherent mess that I was struggling to follow. “I’ve abused your trust, Evan.”

What did that even mean? “What? No, I wanted—”

“I wanted it too, but I should’ve been honest with you first. I’m a coward. I wanted to pretend to be normal for a while.”

“Honest about what?” What the hell was he so afraid of? “Tell me.”

“I will, but not here like this.” His eyes softened. “I want to tell you everything…tonight.”

My shoulders relaxed somewhat, he didn’t look like a man about to break a woman’s heart. “Should I be scared?”

“It’s a pretty huge deal, my secret. One that might make you run for the hills and never look back again. I wouldn’t blame you if you did.” The thought of me running for the hills seemed like anathema to him, so I was further mollified. Definitely not the look of a man about to break a heart.

“Do you have herpes?” I was digging in the weeds here, my filter evidently failing again. Though, really, it would serve me right for being so cavalier in the shower earlier. “AIDS?”

“Neither! Jeez, Ev.” The abject horror plastered on his face was telling enough.

“Then you’re in the Alaskan mafia.” I’d guessed as much.

“I’m not in the goddamn mafia.” He gave a frustrated growl and shifted the King Ranch into gear.

“So it’s not a family secret then?”

This question seemed to give him pause. “It is.”

“Does Dean know the secret?”

“It’s a condition that affects him too, so yes.”

“So it is a disease!”

“In a way, it is something incurable, but I don’t view it as a disease, no.”

Who else knew about this condition of his.

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