glued in place. I had to pry the thing off with a crowbar.” Jesse set the toolbox he’d retrieved from Faith’s garage just inside the front door and stepped into the room. His large form blocked her line of vision, the window at his back. Sunlight haloed him, a brilliant white surrounding a dark, mysterious shadow.
For the space of a heartbeat, the light grew in brilliance and Faith blinked against the onslaught.Then the light faded just enough for her to make out his features—the serious set of his jaw, the intensity of his dark brown eyes with speckles of stardust in them. Stardust that gleamed and sparkled and burned so hot whenever he looked at her. Heat skimmed across her skin, stroking and soothing and—
“If you’re not doing anything this afternoon”—Jesse’s voice rumbled through her head, killing her thoughts—“why don’t you come back to Faith’s House with me?”
She shook her head and sipped her soda. “I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”
“It would be a great idea. The kids really miss you, and Bradley’s this close to going over the edge.”
“Bradley likes the edge. He comes from a long line of litigators. Stress and Danger are his middle names.” Her attempt at humor fell short. Jesse simply stared at her, into her, and silence wrapped around them.
She concentrated on rubbing the back of Grubby’s ears. Instead of licking his appreciation, he snuggled more deeply into her lap, his belly full after a can of dog food.
The ungrateful ball of fluff. Where was an appreciative wag when she needed one?
“I know about Jane.” Jesse’s words brought her gaze up to collide with his. She saw the pain, open and raw in his eyes. His pain. Her pain.
“I know what it’s like,” he added. “Remember, I lost my brother and sister not very long ago.”
She didn’t say anything. Instead, she forced her gaze away and shifted Grubby. He didn’t so much as open his eyes.
“Sitting here by yourself isn’t going to make the hurt go away,” Jesse went on. “You need to get on with things, Faith.”
She gave the puppy a little shake. His eyes opened, then drifted shut just as quickly.
“Faith.” Jesse knelt beside her. His fingers touched her jaw, forced her gaze to meet his. “It doesn’t mean you’re forgetting her. She still lives inside you.” He tapped his chest. “In here. You keep living and so does she. Inside.”
He was right. She knew it. Deep down, beneath all the hurt and fear, she knew it. The realization was like opening a strange door, not knowing what lurked on the other side.
The door creaked open. But there was no living and breathing monster of grief waiting to rip her apart, devour her heart. He’d already attacked last night, and the only thing that waited for her now was peace, a cool, soothing peace to salve her wounds.
Faith closed her eyes against the sudden tears of relief.
“Remember that.” His voice was soft, soothing. The pad of one finger caught a tear near the corner of her eye. “Okay?”
She nodded and his hand fell away. A strange sense of desolation swept through her.
“So what do you say?” he asked. “Come with me?”
She shook her head. “Sorry. I’ve got plans.”
“Like what?”
“I’m watering my plants.”
“That takes about twenty minutes.”
“They’re really dirty.”
“Funny.”
“You go on without me, Jesse.” The teasing was gone, her voice quiet now, serious, her gaze pleading.
He shook his head. “I can’t.” The words were a low murmur, laced with desperation, and Faith gotthe inexplicable feeling again that she knew him from somewhere.
“There’s just something about you….” She stared at him, studying his features, her mind rifling through the past for some clue. “Who are you?”
His gaze met hers. “You know who I am.”
“Yes, but I don’t know why you seem so familiar to me. It’s almost like I’ve met you before.”
“You haven’t.” He averted his gaze,
For the space of a heartbeat, the light grew in brilliance and Faith blinked against the onslaught.Then the light faded just enough for her to make out his features—the serious set of his jaw, the intensity of his dark brown eyes with speckles of stardust in them. Stardust that gleamed and sparkled and burned so hot whenever he looked at her. Heat skimmed across her skin, stroking and soothing and—
“If you’re not doing anything this afternoon”—Jesse’s voice rumbled through her head, killing her thoughts—“why don’t you come back to Faith’s House with me?”
She shook her head and sipped her soda. “I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”
“It would be a great idea. The kids really miss you, and Bradley’s this close to going over the edge.”
“Bradley likes the edge. He comes from a long line of litigators. Stress and Danger are his middle names.” Her attempt at humor fell short. Jesse simply stared at her, into her, and silence wrapped around them.
She concentrated on rubbing the back of Grubby’s ears. Instead of licking his appreciation, he snuggled more deeply into her lap, his belly full after a can of dog food.
The ungrateful ball of fluff. Where was an appreciative wag when she needed one?
“I know about Jane.” Jesse’s words brought her gaze up to collide with his. She saw the pain, open and raw in his eyes. His pain. Her pain.
“I know what it’s like,” he added. “Remember, I lost my brother and sister not very long ago.”
She didn’t say anything. Instead, she forced her gaze away and shifted Grubby. He didn’t so much as open his eyes.
“Sitting here by yourself isn’t going to make the hurt go away,” Jesse went on. “You need to get on with things, Faith.”
She gave the puppy a little shake. His eyes opened, then drifted shut just as quickly.
“Faith.” Jesse knelt beside her. His fingers touched her jaw, forced her gaze to meet his. “It doesn’t mean you’re forgetting her. She still lives inside you.” He tapped his chest. “In here. You keep living and so does she. Inside.”
He was right. She knew it. Deep down, beneath all the hurt and fear, she knew it. The realization was like opening a strange door, not knowing what lurked on the other side.
The door creaked open. But there was no living and breathing monster of grief waiting to rip her apart, devour her heart. He’d already attacked last night, and the only thing that waited for her now was peace, a cool, soothing peace to salve her wounds.
Faith closed her eyes against the sudden tears of relief.
“Remember that.” His voice was soft, soothing. The pad of one finger caught a tear near the corner of her eye. “Okay?”
She nodded and his hand fell away. A strange sense of desolation swept through her.
“So what do you say?” he asked. “Come with me?”
She shook her head. “Sorry. I’ve got plans.”
“Like what?”
“I’m watering my plants.”
“That takes about twenty minutes.”
“They’re really dirty.”
“Funny.”
“You go on without me, Jesse.” The teasing was gone, her voice quiet now, serious, her gaze pleading.
He shook his head. “I can’t.” The words were a low murmur, laced with desperation, and Faith gotthe inexplicable feeling again that she knew him from somewhere.
“There’s just something about you….” She stared at him, studying his features, her mind rifling through the past for some clue. “Who are you?”
His gaze met hers. “You know who I am.”
“Yes, but I don’t know why you seem so familiar to me. It’s almost like I’ve met you before.”
“You haven’t.” He averted his gaze,
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