Vines of Entanglement by Lisa Carter

Author:Lisa Carter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abingdon Fiction
Published: 2015-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

A bleak expression in her eyes, she stood frozen in the doorframe and stared at Jon. Just . . . stared at him.

Unsettled, Jon shifted his feet, assuming a more relaxed posture. “Laura, we need . . .”

He swallowed. “I need to talk to you.”

The color drained from her face. Falling back inside the cool interior of the house, she gestured to the sofa. Her hand trembled as she shut the door behind him.

He’d caused that fear. Him and his loudmouth threats.

She sank into the wingback and splayed her hands across the armrests.

Jon’s hands gripped his knees and sat. No easy way to say it. Better to get it done.

He dropped his eyes to the coffee table between them. Where to start?

At the beginning . . .

“I want to apologize for that day at the pond in Mimosa Grove. The last week of our summer when I pressured you . . . pushed you into doing something I knew was wrong. Something beyond your comfort zone and the boundaries God established. I’m sorry for not being the man I should’ve been. And though I don’t deserve it, I’d like to ask for your forgiveness.”

He held his breath.

A clock ticked.

Scared of her silence, his eyes cut to where Laura’s fingers clawed into the fabric of the armrests. Her left hand, he noted with irrational joy, without the gaudy engagement ring from Garrett.

Laura squared her shoulders. “We both knew what we did wasn’t right.”

His eyes found hers.

She shook her head. “You didn’t push me into anything I didn’t already want to do. I won’t let you take the blame for more than that.”

“I’d still like your forgiveness.” He tensed. “If you can. If you would.”

She sighed. “We need to forgive each other.”

Jon nodded. “I didn’t . . .” Distaste filled his voice.

He flushed. “I didn’t hook up with that . . . that woman in the motel room.”

“I know. I believe you.”

His head snapped up. “You do?”

She gave a hoarse, mocking laugh. “Always a day late and a dollar short, but I eventually get there. My father set us up.”

Laura wet her lips with her tongue. “And then I went off half-cocked and . . .” Her broken smile tore at his heart. “The rest is history.”

Jon screwed up the remnants of his courage. The next part would be even harder to say.

“I had no right to threaten you. I won’t be filing a custody suit. I don’t deserve to be part of Ian’s life. I respect your wishes, and I will never contact our—” He bit his bottom lip to stop the tremor. “Never contact your son again.”

She released her death grip on the chair and exhaled. The sound of her relief at his leave-taking like a hammer blow to his heart.

“I do have one request.”

She stiffened.

This, the shakiest of ground.

“You are in no way obligated to comply.” Jon leaned forward. “Before I leave Raleigh—”

“You’re leaving Raleigh?”

“By now Mike has filed the paperwork with IA—Internal Affairs—and my employment with the RPD is a matter of days.

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