side of the crowd, she wasn’t seated like everyone else. No, Brianna knelt at the side of an older woman in a wheelchair, her face upturned, filled with love.
His battered, sorry heart turned over and thumped to life one painful beat followed by another. Feelings he’d thought had died long ago flooded his chest, leaving him helpless and drowning.
You’ve got to stop this now, man. He shut off the engine and yanked the keys from the ignition, the rounding drum of the rain on the roof the only sound. Somehow he had to figure how to stuff those feelings back inside where they’d been hiding. He was not a guy run by emotions. He was methodical and logical. That’s what made him a good detective, and a prudent man.
When he climbed out of the truck, he concentrated on the cold slap of rain against his face and the splash of his boots in the puddled lot. If his gaze didn’t stray from her, then he didn’t worry about it. He was in control of his emotions, in control of his heart.
If it seemed to him that she was the most beautiful girl in the room, then it was only a fact, not his feelings taking over. If the light seemed to follow her, and the gold in her hair gleamed like platinum, then it wasn’t becausehe was sweet on her. Her beauty was a fact, like the storm and the concrete curb he was stepping over. Verifiable facts, which anyone could agree on. The fact that he could not force his gaze from her was immaterial.
She drew him through the darkness and into the light, from the cold of the storm into the store’s sheltering warmth. Rain sluiced down his face, and he swiped it away. The pleasant noise of conversations, the people, the fragrance of brewing coffee and spiced cider faded into nothing. All he could see was Brianna, folding her skirt as she slipped into a chair beside the older woman. All he could hear was the low tones of Brianna’s voice, as the speaker relinquished the floor. All he could sense was her startled gaze as she glanced over her shoulder to see him.
Her reaction came purely, simply. Her eyes lit with subtle fondness, and when a smile touched her soft lips, it was like a new beginning.
He couldn’t deny it any longer. He wasn’t the same man. He had changed, and it was because of her.
Chapter Eight
B rianna rose on shaky knees. Max was back. She was up on that mountain again, feeling the glacier crack beneath her feet. She laid a hand on Lil’s arm. “I’m going to get some tea. Do you want a refill?”
“No, I’m fine, dear. You go on.”
Somehow she circled around the wheelchair and the rows of emptying chairs. She was halfway to the beverage table before she realized it. The reason: Max strode toward her, sucking all the air in the room and the cells from her brain as he approached.
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t speak. All she could see was him drawing nearer, his boots eating up the distance until suddenly he towered over her. Her skin prickled as if lightning was about to strike. She felt vulnerable, down to the quick, down to the soul. How could a man have such an emotional impact on her? It was as if he were a force field, and being near him disabled her defensive shields.
“Let me.” He took the cup from her grip, commanding and shy all at once. “I saw you weren’t alone.”
“No, I certainly wasn’t. With Lil, it was love at first sight.”
“Lil? Is she your mom?” He strode over to the table and grabbed hold of the hot water carafe. Although more distance separated them, he felt closer than ever.
“No, she’s Colbie’s mom. But I’ve adopted her.”
“I can see why.”
Everything around her seemed perfectly normal: the steaming tea, the plop of the bag into the water, the faint sound of a romantic piano lilting from the store speakers. She didn’t feel normal. Not even a little bit. As if suddenly she found herself staring thousands of feet straight down a mountainside and discovering she had a serious fear of heights.
“What about
His battered, sorry heart turned over and thumped to life one painful beat followed by another. Feelings he’d thought had died long ago flooded his chest, leaving him helpless and drowning.
You’ve got to stop this now, man. He shut off the engine and yanked the keys from the ignition, the rounding drum of the rain on the roof the only sound. Somehow he had to figure how to stuff those feelings back inside where they’d been hiding. He was not a guy run by emotions. He was methodical and logical. That’s what made him a good detective, and a prudent man.
When he climbed out of the truck, he concentrated on the cold slap of rain against his face and the splash of his boots in the puddled lot. If his gaze didn’t stray from her, then he didn’t worry about it. He was in control of his emotions, in control of his heart.
If it seemed to him that she was the most beautiful girl in the room, then it was only a fact, not his feelings taking over. If the light seemed to follow her, and the gold in her hair gleamed like platinum, then it wasn’t becausehe was sweet on her. Her beauty was a fact, like the storm and the concrete curb he was stepping over. Verifiable facts, which anyone could agree on. The fact that he could not force his gaze from her was immaterial.
She drew him through the darkness and into the light, from the cold of the storm into the store’s sheltering warmth. Rain sluiced down his face, and he swiped it away. The pleasant noise of conversations, the people, the fragrance of brewing coffee and spiced cider faded into nothing. All he could see was Brianna, folding her skirt as she slipped into a chair beside the older woman. All he could hear was the low tones of Brianna’s voice, as the speaker relinquished the floor. All he could sense was her startled gaze as she glanced over her shoulder to see him.
Her reaction came purely, simply. Her eyes lit with subtle fondness, and when a smile touched her soft lips, it was like a new beginning.
He couldn’t deny it any longer. He wasn’t the same man. He had changed, and it was because of her.
Chapter Eight
B rianna rose on shaky knees. Max was back. She was up on that mountain again, feeling the glacier crack beneath her feet. She laid a hand on Lil’s arm. “I’m going to get some tea. Do you want a refill?”
“No, I’m fine, dear. You go on.”
Somehow she circled around the wheelchair and the rows of emptying chairs. She was halfway to the beverage table before she realized it. The reason: Max strode toward her, sucking all the air in the room and the cells from her brain as he approached.
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t speak. All she could see was him drawing nearer, his boots eating up the distance until suddenly he towered over her. Her skin prickled as if lightning was about to strike. She felt vulnerable, down to the quick, down to the soul. How could a man have such an emotional impact on her? It was as if he were a force field, and being near him disabled her defensive shields.
“Let me.” He took the cup from her grip, commanding and shy all at once. “I saw you weren’t alone.”
“No, I certainly wasn’t. With Lil, it was love at first sight.”
“Lil? Is she your mom?” He strode over to the table and grabbed hold of the hot water carafe. Although more distance separated them, he felt closer than ever.
“No, she’s Colbie’s mom. But I’ve adopted her.”
“I can see why.”
Everything around her seemed perfectly normal: the steaming tea, the plop of the bag into the water, the faint sound of a romantic piano lilting from the store speakers. She didn’t feel normal. Not even a little bit. As if suddenly she found herself staring thousands of feet straight down a mountainside and discovering she had a serious fear of heights.
“What about
Similar Books
