ask her to get back to you?”
“Okay,” Jake said, his heart plummeting. “Who am I talking to, by the way?”
“I’m Leona’s brother. Damon.”
Jake thought it over and decided it was best if he just tell his real name so that Leona would call him if she wanted to and ignore her if she hated him. “I’m Jake Hartford. I met Leona a while back. Please let her know I’m desperate to talk to her.”
Silence met Jake’s revelation and he thought Leona’s brother had hung up on him. “Hello?” he said again and heard a sharp, indrawn breath from the other side.
“You son of a bitch!” Damon hissed through the phone, and Jake gritted his teeth. Leona had obviously told her brother about him, and not good things. “If you think you’re going to march into our house and woo Leona then you are clearly mistaken. She deserves way better than you, and if you think she kept that misbegotten baby of yours, you’re in for a shock.”
Jake’s breath stopped, and his worst fears were realized. Leona had gotten pregnant, but unlike her promise to him, she had aborted his baby. Pain slashed through his chest as Damon continued his one-sided rant.
“You won’t get anything from her. She aborted the baby and moved on. You gave her more than enough when you didn’t keep your pants on. Don’t try to ruin her life any more, you understand me?” he barked into the phone, but Jake had already hung up.
Visions of the dark-skinned girl who had ruled his every waking thought for months filled his mind, and he covered his face with his hands to combat the ache in his chest.
He had thought Leona loved him, but he was crazy to have even contemplated it. The Colorado Mountains, the snow covered peaks, had lulled her into a false sense of affection for him and as soon as she had returned to her family, she had forgotten all about him.
Jake stood up with his chest burning and couldn’t believe that at thirty-two years old, he had been duped by a girl and stooped to fantasizing about her day and night.
Purposefully, he marched back to the sitting area of the suite he was living in until he found a new house. For her to have aborted his baby so heartlessly, she must hate him more than he had bargained for. It was better this way, he assured himself. Life hadn’t been kind to him in matters of love in the past and history had repeated itself.
The next day, the press got hold of the new development on Jake’s release and Leona bawled in front of the TV in happiness. She knew in the pit of her stomach that it wouldn’t change things for her, but she was happy for him nonetheless.
Despite his cruel parting remarks to her, she found herself jumping every time the doorbell sounded or the phone rang. She waited desperately for Jake to call and dreamed repeatedly of him showing up at her doorstep, telling her he couldn’t live without her.
The more days that passed, the more her mood deteriorated, until she finally contemplated getting hold of his contact details somehow and telling him about the pregnancy. She was at the point where she would do anything as long as she got to see Jake again and hear his voice.
Damon glanced towards his sister as she stepped out of her bedroom after several hours staying locked up, and his heart clenched painfully as he noticed her frail arms and protruding belly.
“Leona," he called her and she stopped in her tracks, her eyes blank, expressionless. “Why don’t you ask Matilda to fix us a steak sandwich? Will you eat with me, please?” Damon was worried about her now. The fact that he hated Jake’s guts for seducing his sister mattered little now that he could see how it was affecting Leona.
“I’m not really hungry, Damon," she said softly, and her voice was barely a whisper. “I had some lasagna in the morning but I’ll ask Matilda to fix something for you.”
“No, it’s okay. Will you have a milk shake or something? You aren’t eating much, you know.”
She looked at him
“Okay,” Jake said, his heart plummeting. “Who am I talking to, by the way?”
“I’m Leona’s brother. Damon.”
Jake thought it over and decided it was best if he just tell his real name so that Leona would call him if she wanted to and ignore her if she hated him. “I’m Jake Hartford. I met Leona a while back. Please let her know I’m desperate to talk to her.”
Silence met Jake’s revelation and he thought Leona’s brother had hung up on him. “Hello?” he said again and heard a sharp, indrawn breath from the other side.
“You son of a bitch!” Damon hissed through the phone, and Jake gritted his teeth. Leona had obviously told her brother about him, and not good things. “If you think you’re going to march into our house and woo Leona then you are clearly mistaken. She deserves way better than you, and if you think she kept that misbegotten baby of yours, you’re in for a shock.”
Jake’s breath stopped, and his worst fears were realized. Leona had gotten pregnant, but unlike her promise to him, she had aborted his baby. Pain slashed through his chest as Damon continued his one-sided rant.
“You won’t get anything from her. She aborted the baby and moved on. You gave her more than enough when you didn’t keep your pants on. Don’t try to ruin her life any more, you understand me?” he barked into the phone, but Jake had already hung up.
Visions of the dark-skinned girl who had ruled his every waking thought for months filled his mind, and he covered his face with his hands to combat the ache in his chest.
He had thought Leona loved him, but he was crazy to have even contemplated it. The Colorado Mountains, the snow covered peaks, had lulled her into a false sense of affection for him and as soon as she had returned to her family, she had forgotten all about him.
Jake stood up with his chest burning and couldn’t believe that at thirty-two years old, he had been duped by a girl and stooped to fantasizing about her day and night.
Purposefully, he marched back to the sitting area of the suite he was living in until he found a new house. For her to have aborted his baby so heartlessly, she must hate him more than he had bargained for. It was better this way, he assured himself. Life hadn’t been kind to him in matters of love in the past and history had repeated itself.
The next day, the press got hold of the new development on Jake’s release and Leona bawled in front of the TV in happiness. She knew in the pit of her stomach that it wouldn’t change things for her, but she was happy for him nonetheless.
Despite his cruel parting remarks to her, she found herself jumping every time the doorbell sounded or the phone rang. She waited desperately for Jake to call and dreamed repeatedly of him showing up at her doorstep, telling her he couldn’t live without her.
The more days that passed, the more her mood deteriorated, until she finally contemplated getting hold of his contact details somehow and telling him about the pregnancy. She was at the point where she would do anything as long as she got to see Jake again and hear his voice.
Damon glanced towards his sister as she stepped out of her bedroom after several hours staying locked up, and his heart clenched painfully as he noticed her frail arms and protruding belly.
“Leona," he called her and she stopped in her tracks, her eyes blank, expressionless. “Why don’t you ask Matilda to fix us a steak sandwich? Will you eat with me, please?” Damon was worried about her now. The fact that he hated Jake’s guts for seducing his sister mattered little now that he could see how it was affecting Leona.
“I’m not really hungry, Damon," she said softly, and her voice was barely a whisper. “I had some lasagna in the morning but I’ll ask Matilda to fix something for you.”
“No, it’s okay. Will you have a milk shake or something? You aren’t eating much, you know.”
She looked at him
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