Beyond I Do by Jennifer Slattery

Author:Jennifer Slattery
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New Hope Publishers
Published: 2014-10-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chris inhaled the crisp evening air, relieved to be free of Ainsley’s boyfriend—or perhaps former boyfriend—and his constant psychobabble investigation. The tension between those two sizzled throughout the house. Something told him this was more than a romantic spat. At least he hoped so, because Ainsley was much too good to date such a loser. Surely she knew guys like that only got worse after marriage. Some even turned abusive.

He tried to remind himself yet again it was none of his business, but the protector in him refused to settle.

He sighed and raked his hand through his hair. “What are You doing here, Lord?”

“You OK?”

He turned to see Ainsley studying him with a furrowed brow. He forced a smile. “Yeah. Just catching my breath.”

She laughed. “That was a workout, wasn’t it? I appreciate your help. I can’t imagine trying to pull it off myself.”

“No problem.” He stopped at the edge of the driveway and waited for Rusty to lumber to his feet. Poor dog, his joints must have stiffened in the cold. Even so, the fresh air had been good for him.

He knelt and massaged the dog’s hindquarters to help loosen them up. “Come on, old boy. Let’s get you inside.” They cut through Ainsley’s yard to his, finding Gina on his porch.

She stood with hands cupped around her face, nose pressed to a fogging window. She wore a silver jacket with a furry hood, polka-dotted gloves, and lime-green rubber boots.

Resembling a fictional character named Pippi Longstocking, she stirred a brotherly affection within him. “Hello.” He lowered his voice, a grin emerging with full force.

Gina jumped and whirled around, her cheeks pink. “Oh, hi.” She brushed a patch of dirt from her jacket and straightened. Her nails were painted a mint green. “I thought I was to meet you here.”

Ainsley stepped forward and looped her arm in Gina’s. “The guys came over a bit early, to help.” She raised an eyebrow.

Gina’s eyes widened. “Oh, did they now?”

Chris sensed a hidden meaning laced their conversation, but then Gina faced Chris, her tense posture visibly relaxing.

Gina faced him. “You’re a cook, I take it?”

“I don’t know about that, but I can stir a mean lump of meat.” He fell into step beside her and the three of them traipsed back to Ainsley’s.

“Add a few gallons of ketchup and a healthy dose of mustard, and you’ve got a meal fit for a king,” Ainsley said.

Chris stared into her green eyes. “Or a family shelter.”

She smiled but it vanished when they reached her front steps to find Richard standing like Robot Man.

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.