Forever Safe (Beacons of Hope) by Jody Hedlund

Author:Jody Hedlund [Hedlund, Jody]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Northern Lights Press
Published: 2016-05-11T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Tom tucked the thin blanket around his mom’s waist. “Can I do anything else for you?” He couldn’t look at the end of the bed, at the flat spot under the covers where her feet should have been. The only way he was surviving was by keeping busy all day and spending his evenings with Victoria so that he minimized the amount of time he was with Mom.

She waved him away from the bed. “No. I’m just fine. You go on and be with Victoria. I can tell you’re ready to wrap her in your arms.”

“Mom,” he whispered, glancing out his parents’ room to the closed door across the hallway. Victoria would be sitting on the sofa like she usually was, ready and eager to talk to him. The first night he hadn’t been sure what they’d find to discuss. But after spending every night for the past week talking with her, now he wasn’t sure how he could go without their conversations.

“Don’t be embarrassed, dear.” With a satisfied smile, Mom leaned back against the mound of pillows at the headboard. A book rested on the nightstand next to an oil lamp that was turned low. He knew she’d read for a while before going to sleep. Even now she was a light sleeper—always had been. She likely heard every move they made. “It’s perfectly normal to desire your wife. Especially one as sweet and beautiful as Victoria.”

Sweet and beautiful. Yes, she was. And desire her? Yes, he did. Too much. Way too much. His blood spurted at the barest remembrance of sharing those forbidden kisses earlier in the evening. Since coming back from their walk on the beach, he’d beaten himself up a dozen times for kissing her.

He couldn’t let it happen again. However, he was beginning to realize that by coming to Race Point to hide, he’d created a situation that was too tempting. He’d overestimated his ability to keep Victoria at arm’s length. With the combination of his parents’ pressure and his own attraction to her, he seemed to be fighting a losing battle. If he couldn’t keep things under better control, he would need to cut short the month.

As much as he wanted to deny his attraction to her, he couldn’t fool himself any longer. His feelings for her were different than any other woman he’d worked to protect. And it wasn’t just because she was younger than the others. There was something special about her, a vibrancy, spunk, and spirit that he liked. He was hard on her at times, but she didn’t whimper or cower. She may not have liked all the decisions that he’d made recently, but she didn’t wallow in despair or hold onto grudges. She adapted and made the best of her circumstances. Through it all, she remained poised and lovely.

He couldn’t deny that he enjoyed spending time with her, not only conversing in the evenings, but also at meals and, tonight, walking along the beach. She was talkative and lively and fun to be with.

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.