A Glimmer of Hope: A Novella Prequel to Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman Page B

When you’re ready to stop all this seduction garbage, you let me know.” Stalking up the ramp, he shot a final glance over his shoulder and stopped, squinting hard to spot her in the moonlit water. His gut clenched when he didn’t see her, and sprinting back, he stood at the edge of the dock and waited, scanning the languid roll of the river, inky waters dappled by a pale crescent of moon. “Lace, this isn’t funny!” he finally shouted, his breathing harsh through the clench of his teeth. He paused, straining to listen, but all he could hear was the rush of blood in his ears. “Lacey!” It came out hoarse and cracked, barely able to scrape past the lump of fear in his throat. “Where are you?”
    The river rippled quietly on, nothing but the squeak of the dock, the lap of the water, and the taunt of tree frogs and crickets.
    Tearing his T-shirt over his head, he kicked his deck shoes off and dove in, eyes wide to peer beneath the murky depths before he shot up from the water, panic pounding in his chest. “Lacey!” Fear slithered in his mind like algae in the river as he pummeled the waves. A madman with arms pumping as fast as his heart while he shouted her name. God, please …
    “Gotcha!”
    He jerked in the water, the feel of hands circling from behind unleashing a spasm of both rage and relief. His curse hissed in the air as he spun around. “So help me, Mi—”
    She cut him off with a kiss. “Come on, Jack,” she said with a husky giggle, “if a future minister can swear, surely he can go for a moonlight swim with the woman he loves, can’t he?” She lunged to kiss him again.
    He groaned and held her at bay, his breathing shallow and fast. “Lacey, I do love you,” he rasped, “but please —I can’t handle this, so if you love me , stop torturing me this way.”
    All tease withered away as she stared at him with hurt in her eyes, and he wondered why he was the one who had to feel guilty. “All right, Jack,” she whispered with a frail release of air, allowing him to tow her back toward the dock. When they reached the ladder, she looped her arms around his neck, face forlorn as she blinked up. “I’m sorry for being such a brat, it’s just that …” A mist of tears sprang to her eyes. “The fight I mentioned I had with Daddy tonight?”
    Jack nodded, holding her close, and despite the warm water, he felt her shiver in his arms.
    Her throat convulsed several times, as if she were in pain. “What I didn’t tell you was it was worse than ever before. He even threatened to kick me out, and it really scared me, Jack, because he’s never done that before. And then he said the most vile things …”
    “Aw, Lace, why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” He brushed wet strands of hair away from her face, his touch tender as he grazed her jaw with his thumb.
    She peered up with soulful eyes. “Because you’re leaving tomorrow, Jack, and I didn’t want to ruin our evening …” She laid her head on his chest, her body quivering against his. “I want to do the right thing, I really do, and I want to stay true to our agreement, Jack, because I love you that much. But when Daddy said those awful things tonight …” A violent shudder rattled her body, and he gripped her all the tighter, wishing he could lay Ben Carmichael out right now. She heaved against his chest. “All I wanted to do was run away because I feel like I’m such a failure and not good enough for anybody, especially you …” 
    She started to cry, and Jack smoothed her hair back to tenderly kiss her head, his jaw about ready to snap. Temple throbbing, he silently steered her up the ladder and then picked her up in his arms, tucking her towel around her before sitting in an Adirondack chair with her in his lap. “Shhh, it’s okay, babe, he’s the failure, not you.” He stroked her hair while she whimpered against his chest, cradling her like the precious treasure she was. “And as far as you not being good enough for