snorted and handed Faith a sweater. "Put this on."
"Thanks."
Faith stuffed her arms in the sleeves as Gracie patted her head. "Don't let me catch you still sitting here in the morning."
"You won't."
"It will all work out just as it's supposed to. There's no use regretting what could have been."
"I know."
Gracie trudged inside, muttering, "Men! Can't live with them, can't kill them. It's against the law."
Faith chuckled, listening as she climbed the stairs to her room. Her door closed, then it was quiet again, and Faith was alone with her miserable thoughts.
Harold had urged her to tell Lucas about Bryce and Peanut someday. Faith had promised she would, but she'd been nervous about complying, mostly because she wasn't sure what sort of person Lucas was. Harold had claimed that—deep down—Lucas was decent and honorable, but he was a Merriweather. How could she be certain?
One of the reasons she'd spent the weekend with him, besides that he was hot and she couldn't resist, was to get better acquainted, to determine if Harold's assessment was correct.
Crafty old Harold had proved himself right. Lucas was a good guy—his familial genes notwithstanding. He had to be told about Bryce and Peanut, but she'd assumed the disclosure would occur in the hazy, distant future.
She'd envisioned a sensible, calm discussion where she'd divulge the facts. She hadn't expected him to actually notice Bryce or figure it out on his own.
She hated that they'd fought, and he hadn't meant the horrid things he'd said—he'd been hurt and lashing out—but still, she felt awful.
Where was he? What was he doing? What was he thinking?
She'd been the messenger, sharing information that his parents should have provided. He'd eventually come to understand that, wouldn't he? He'd eventually forgive her?
He had to. She couldn't bear to imagine any other ending. They had to remain friends and able to communicate. Bryce and Peanut deserved that much.
She heard his car long before she saw it. The muffler purred softly as he drove down her street. He pulled to the curb and parked.
"Ha!" she murmured to herself. "Gracie doesn't know everything."
He slid out and stood on the sidewalk. They were silent, staring, then she rose and went to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gazed into his handsome, troubled face.
"Why aren't you in bed?" he asked.
"Silly man. I've been waiting for you. I didn't think you'd ever arrive."
On a ragged sigh, he admitted, "My heart is broken."
"I know, I know."
"I've been driving and driving. I finally realized that I didn't have anywhere to go."
She took his hand in hers. "Come inside."
She led him in, guiding him up to her room. She locked the door and drew him to the bed. He sat on the edge, watching as she lit a candle.
As the flame caught and grew, she turned to him. He looked haggard and weary, as if he'd aged since she'd last seen him.
She rested a palm on his cheek. "It'll be all right. It's a new reality for you. You'll adjust to it."
"Everything I believed about myself and my parents was a lie."
"I'm sorry you had to find out so abruptly. Can you forgive me?"
He scoffed and waved away his prior upset.
"What they did to Katie was horrible. I hardly knew her, but she shouldn't have been treated that way. And Bryce and Peanut! My God, where should I start?"
"We'll fix it, but we don't have to do it tonight."
"I want to be friends with them."
"Well of course you should be."
"And when you decide the time is right, I'd like to tell them who I am."
"When the time is right," she agreed, wondering when that would be. Definitely not until they were older and could grasp the intricacies of what had occurred.
She climbed onto his lap, her knees on either side of his thighs, and she kissed him, the pressure of her mouth easing him down onto the mattress.
They lay like that for an eternity, with her hovered over him, kissing and kissing. They took solace from the closeness, from the intimate
"Thanks."
Faith stuffed her arms in the sleeves as Gracie patted her head. "Don't let me catch you still sitting here in the morning."
"You won't."
"It will all work out just as it's supposed to. There's no use regretting what could have been."
"I know."
Gracie trudged inside, muttering, "Men! Can't live with them, can't kill them. It's against the law."
Faith chuckled, listening as she climbed the stairs to her room. Her door closed, then it was quiet again, and Faith was alone with her miserable thoughts.
Harold had urged her to tell Lucas about Bryce and Peanut someday. Faith had promised she would, but she'd been nervous about complying, mostly because she wasn't sure what sort of person Lucas was. Harold had claimed that—deep down—Lucas was decent and honorable, but he was a Merriweather. How could she be certain?
One of the reasons she'd spent the weekend with him, besides that he was hot and she couldn't resist, was to get better acquainted, to determine if Harold's assessment was correct.
Crafty old Harold had proved himself right. Lucas was a good guy—his familial genes notwithstanding. He had to be told about Bryce and Peanut, but she'd assumed the disclosure would occur in the hazy, distant future.
She'd envisioned a sensible, calm discussion where she'd divulge the facts. She hadn't expected him to actually notice Bryce or figure it out on his own.
She hated that they'd fought, and he hadn't meant the horrid things he'd said—he'd been hurt and lashing out—but still, she felt awful.
Where was he? What was he doing? What was he thinking?
She'd been the messenger, sharing information that his parents should have provided. He'd eventually come to understand that, wouldn't he? He'd eventually forgive her?
He had to. She couldn't bear to imagine any other ending. They had to remain friends and able to communicate. Bryce and Peanut deserved that much.
She heard his car long before she saw it. The muffler purred softly as he drove down her street. He pulled to the curb and parked.
"Ha!" she murmured to herself. "Gracie doesn't know everything."
He slid out and stood on the sidewalk. They were silent, staring, then she rose and went to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gazed into his handsome, troubled face.
"Why aren't you in bed?" he asked.
"Silly man. I've been waiting for you. I didn't think you'd ever arrive."
On a ragged sigh, he admitted, "My heart is broken."
"I know, I know."
"I've been driving and driving. I finally realized that I didn't have anywhere to go."
She took his hand in hers. "Come inside."
She led him in, guiding him up to her room. She locked the door and drew him to the bed. He sat on the edge, watching as she lit a candle.
As the flame caught and grew, she turned to him. He looked haggard and weary, as if he'd aged since she'd last seen him.
She rested a palm on his cheek. "It'll be all right. It's a new reality for you. You'll adjust to it."
"Everything I believed about myself and my parents was a lie."
"I'm sorry you had to find out so abruptly. Can you forgive me?"
He scoffed and waved away his prior upset.
"What they did to Katie was horrible. I hardly knew her, but she shouldn't have been treated that way. And Bryce and Peanut! My God, where should I start?"
"We'll fix it, but we don't have to do it tonight."
"I want to be friends with them."
"Well of course you should be."
"And when you decide the time is right, I'd like to tell them who I am."
"When the time is right," she agreed, wondering when that would be. Definitely not until they were older and could grasp the intricacies of what had occurred.
She climbed onto his lap, her knees on either side of his thighs, and she kissed him, the pressure of her mouth easing him down onto the mattress.
They lay like that for an eternity, with her hovered over him, kissing and kissing. They took solace from the closeness, from the intimate
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