The Heart of Grace by Linda Goodnight

Author:Linda Goodnight
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2007-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The box arrived on Monday morning.

Drew was in the family room, still chiding himself over Sunday’s disaster. He’d expected the lunch to make things easier for her, but he’d only hurt her more. And holding her in his arms had nearly ruined him.

He was a wreck. His insides were as tangled as the pasta salad Larissa was making.

If he didn’t get out of here soon, he’d ruin her life forever.

All he could think about was being with her, soaking up every smile, every touch, every moment with her.

And when he lay down at night, his dreams were of her. In every one, she learned the truth about his past and hated him, just as he knew she would in real life.

The doorbell played a happy tune and Larissa went to answer it while he limped into the kitchen. The cast was off but the ankle and heel were going to take more rehab time than he’d hoped. He was sick of the crutches and had decided to tough it out without them from now on.

He had an appointment with an eye doctor next week and with the orthopedist on Friday. Somebody had to get him well fast.

Refrigerator door open, orange juice bottle in one hand, he was about to take a big swig when Larissa came back toting a battered cardboard box.

“It’s for you,” she said. “From Iraq.”

She placed the heavy carton onto the breakfast bar, shooting a warning frown toward his orange juice.

Unrepentant, he grinned and chugged the juice just for the fun of it. After backhanding his mouth, he said, “Probably the stuff I left behind at the base camp. Nice of them to send it.”

He scooped the box under one arm and limped to the couch in the family room.

Larissa followed, hovering as if worried that he’d sprawl onto the tile floor and break something else.

As much as he hated to admit it, he enjoyed the attention. She was as nurturing and fussy as a mother. Not that he knew anything about mothers but Larissa would be a great one. And someday she’d find a man to make her a mommy as many times as she wanted. Someone other than him. His gut clenched at the thought, though he accepted it as the best thing.

He’d been unfair to her from the start about having kids. He should have told her of his conviction that his kind shouldn’t reproduce. Like always, he’d only thought of himself and what made him happy instead of her. He hadn’t even considered that she would want children.

Now, he was trying to rectify that selfishness, but she refused to cooperate, and he was losing ground fast.

“Do you suppose some of your equipment is in there?”

“I hope so.” He’d left a backpack full of extra cameras, films and lenses behind. “I had rolls and rolls of exposed film back at base camp. Some of the shots should be saleable.”

A little part of him was terrified that the markets for his work would dry up while he recouped.

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