Two Hearts Too Late by Christie Clark

Author:Christie Clark
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1994-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Carl’s eyes filled with uncertainty. Kirby could see that her question had taken him by surprise. Maybe now she’d get to the truth.

He set what was left of his hamburger on the paper and started cleaning the table. “Are you finished?” he asked, pointing to her food.

“You’re not going to answer me,” Kirby said.

“Yes, I’m going to answer, but I thought maybe we could go somewhere more private, where we can talk.” He again pointed to her sandwich. “Finished?”

She hadn’t eaten half of it, but her appetite had practically vanished since Carl had stormed into her life. Kirby nodded and watched as he discarded the papers and leftover food. Standing, she repositioned Jodie on her hip, grabbed the diaper bag and followed him. Adjusting the diaper bag’s strap over her shoulder, she prepared to open the door. Suddenly Carl was there beside her, taking the bag from her hands and opening the door for her.

She looked at him, taken aback by the simple gesture of kindness. Since Jodie had entered her life, she’d done everything alone. She’d been thrown into single parenthood and it had never occurred to her to consider how it would have been if she’d had the help of a spouse. Remembering the last few days, Carl always there sharing the responsibilities, sharing the funny situations only parents can appreciate, she knew she’d had a taste of what it could have been like.

“What? Did you forget something?” Carl asked, resting his hand on her shoulder when she didn’t walk out the door.

“No,” Kirby answered. Wishing he’d remove his hand, she averted her gaze as her teeth sank into her lower lip. Yes, she kept forgetting that she wasn’t supposed to feel these warm sensations. She’d given up on sizzle and hopeless dreams after Johnny.

Once outside, she felt a spray of sun touch her face, a breeze flow through her hair. New beginnings, new beginnings, the season seemed to call to her as it spoke to the budding flowers. She wouldn’t let herself believe. She couldn’t open her heart, only to find the frost of another failed relationship. She’d felt that bitter coldness too many times. The next time she might not survive.

She sensed Carl watching her and she purposely avoided looking at him. Sometimes, when he searched her eyes, it felt as if he could see inside her soul.

“Here, let me strap her in,” he said as they came to his car.

She turned around, and he reached for Jodie, but his hands paused when they touched her forearms. Very slowly his fingers glided to her shoulders. The pads of his thumbs moved to rest on each side of her face. She knew she should pull back, tell him to stop, to do something to end the madness, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to.

The smells and sounds of a new season swirled around them as if part of the magic. He looked into her eyes, then down at his daughter held between them. He lowered his face and pressed a kiss on top of his daughter’s head.

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