Family Secrets by Debra St. John

Author:Debra St. John [John, Debra St.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Women's Fiction
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2014-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Going out with Erika might be the most irrational decision Chase had ever made. Which said a lot. After all, he’d made a lot of not so bright choices in his life. This one might top them all.

In a bizarre, fantastic, wonderful way.

What had gotten into him? He’d asked her out on a date. A real, live, bona fide date. After all they’d talked about, he went and did it anyway.

He couldn’t offer her what she deserved. A future with a decent guy. A guy who would marry her and cherish her and give her everything she’d always wanted. That guy couldn’t be him. Because he had no intention of ever getting married again. Hell, he’d never intended to in the first place. In his mind, marriage didn’t come close to the happily ever after promised in fairy tales.

Proof abounded, not even counting his own disastrous experience. His parents’ marriage had been, and still was, miserable. His sister was divorced. Many of his friends were already divorced. Marriage as an institution, let alone a life-long commitment, wasn’t feasible, or even logical.

He’d planned on avoiding it at all costs. But then Lauren had gotten pregnant. He’d wanted to be the decent guy there. Take responsibility. Do the right thing. Look where it had gotten him. Divorced, with his two precious daughters caught in the middle of their parents’ bitterness.

He wouldn’t go down that road again. He had nothing to offer Erika. Nothing at all. But it didn’t stop him from being selfish enough to want her.

Chase had been honest with her, though, as she’d been honest with him. Told her how he felt. Where he stood. He didn’t want to mislead her. Promise her something he couldn’t give.

To say he’d been stunned when she accepted his date would be putting it mildly. But she had. Knowing what she did. Knowing he had nothing to offer.

Part of him wanted to know why she’d said yes. Especially since she had plenty of her own reasons to say no. But the rest of him didn’t want to ask. Because he feared she’d change her mind. And outside of spending time with Sami and Steph, nothing in a long while had made him happier than anticipating the coming night.

****

Erika took a critical look at herself in the full-length mirror. Behind her, a mountain of discarded clothing covered the bed. The black dress she’d finally decided on had a fitted bodice held up by thin spaghetti straps. The soft fabric flared over her hips, ending in a full skirt right above her knees. Strappy sandals with three-inch heels made her legs look long and sleek.

She twisted to peer over her shoulder. She’d straightened most of the curl from her hair, leaving soft waves to brush the bare skin of her back. Facing forward again, she rechecked her makeup for the thousandth time. Her hand shook as she applied a layer of gloss over her lipstick. It had been a long time since she’d been out on a date.

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