Grayson (Bachelors and Babies Book 8) by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Author:Linda Carroll-Bradd [Carroll-Bradd, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inked Figments
Published: 2019-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

“You had a baby?” He’d rather deal with the plain fact rather than her unbelievable claim about being a bad mother. Grayson leaned back to look into her eyes brimming with tears. Seeing the pain ravaging them stilled his breath. What could have caused such insecurity in this woman who’d been so feisty the first night they met?

“F-for only three weeks and six days.” Her face crumpled, and she fell against his chest, her body trembling.

“I’m so sorry, Catalina.” Heart aching in a sympathy he’d probably never understand, he wrapped both arms around her and held on tight, offering what comfort he could. What a very sad tragedy to live through. He circled a hand over her slender back. Losing a brother was different than a child. But he could guess at the gut-wrenching pain she felt, because he’d endured loss, too.

When her body shuddered, he drew her closer, wishing he could absorb some of her pain. At least, he could reassure her she wasn’t alone. “Let out the tears. You’ll be all right.” His memory brought forth a raspier voice speaking those words. He’d repeated what his father told his mother at Oram’s funeral.

How long they stood entwined Grayson didn’t know. His attention wandered. When he’d first entered this conference room, he spotted a meadowlark flitting along the ledge in full sunlight. Now, the ledge was shadowed, and silhouettes of budding branches crept up the wall of the building across the alley. At some point, she relaxed under his hand. Knowing she was calmer lowered his own anxiety.

Not used to such physical closeness with a woman, he fought to distract himself. Details. Think of specifics. The changing shadows proved a momentary focus. Then, seconds later, he noticed the sweet scent of jasmine in her hair. Next, he grew aware of how she was the perfect height so he could rest his chin on top of her head. His pulse raced. The press of her curves against his chest was impossible to ignore. The way their bodies fit so well together spun his thoughts in the wrong direction. “Feeling better?” He used the question to move away and put space between them, making sure to connect with her gaze.

Using her fingers, she wiped away the tears and nodded, then averted her face. “A little.”

“Are you up to carrying stuff upstairs? Then I’ll give you the explanation you’ve been asking for.” He hesitated about touching her again, but when she didn’t move, he set his hand at her lower back and stepped forward. As he guided her toward the front door, he looked around for any sign of Amata. Asking might bring on another wave of sadness, so he trusted she’d placed the baby somewhere safe.

At the office door, he stooped near the oval-shaped washtub the mercantile owner assured him was the right size for laundry. “I found everything from your list but the sponge.”

“Uh-huh.” She leaned over and gathered her coat, valise, and one of the baby’s satchels then faced him.

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.