stop.
And even though Mike was drunk and dying of loneliness for his wife, the urge to scale the porch steps and break them apart was overwhelming. He wanted Harley to be his, and right this very moment, he wanted to rip Mike’s hands off her and kill the drunken bastard.
He opened his eyes, glared at his brother’s back, and damned women in general for their ability to bring a strong man to his knees and bring out his every weakness.
Why didn’t she stop him?
Because she was in love with Mike.
The thought whispered through his brain, followed by an image of his brother escorting the two giggling sisters to some school dance. In those days, Harley and Hannah had been all googley-eyed over Mike who had enjoyed every moment of their attention.
Until somewhere along the line, he’d tossed one sister aside and chosen the other.
Gage scaled the steps from the porch into the kitchen at the same time that Harley pushed Mike back. Drunk and unsteady, the younger man fell back against him, nearly toppling them both to the floor.
Mike wrenched away to stand on his own and, swaying back and forth, said, “Hell, lady, if he doesn’t want you, marry me.”
The soft explosion of words fueled Harley’s anger and her mouth turning down in a wry grimace. “Mike, you’re drunk.”
“Not so drunk that I don’t know what I’m saying. You want a husband and children. I need a wife and mother. You’re so much like Hannah, I know we’d suit.”
“That’s the point, Mike,” she cried, her frustration clear in the tone of her voice. “You don’t love me like you loved Hannah. It would never be enough, not for either of us.”
Mike moved closer, the tips of his fingers fluttering across the curve of her cheek. “I loved your sister with every fiber of my being,” he breathed raggedly. “I wish I’d died with her.”
He touched his lips to her forehead, then released her and slipped down the hallway like a silent ghost. A man with his heart torn from his chest, his very soul lost in the hereafter along with his dearly departed wife.
Tears welled in Gage’s eyes.
He couldn’t imagine ever allowing himself to love anyone that much, to hurt him that much. He watched his brother disappear down the darkness of the hallway, a lonely figure immersed in broken dreams and no future. Maybe once he slept off the alcohol, he’d be his old self again.
But as Gage turned back to face Harley, jealousy hit him like a wall of heated fury, sucking the air from his lungs. He gritted his teeth together and smoothed the anger from his voice. “Don’t let me keep you from giving him comfort.”
As she turned to face him, Harley wiped her wrist against her mouth. “What?”
He took a single step forward, stopped before he got close enough to reach for her, touch her. “I always wondered why you never married, but now I finally get it. Hannah snagged the man you loved, didn’t she? And now he’s free for the taking.”
The edges of her delectable mouth turned down with a hint of disgust. “You’re drunk, too.”
“I haven’t had a drop to drink in years.” And yet, like a fool, he wanted to erase the memory of Mike’s lips on hers, wanted to remind her exactly how she responded to his kiss—like the first of July fireworks. He forced himself to inhale and exhale. His heart beat a rapid tattoo in his chest and he found he couldn’t quite catch his breath. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you? You’ve always been in love with him.”
“With Mike?” She blinked up at him, the sorrow on her face replaced by a totally unfathomable expression. “Maybe once. Not for a long time now.”
He took a step closer, arrested his movement. “You could learn to love him again.”
Her voice softened to a near whisper. “It’s too late for that.”
He realized they stood inches apart. The warm scent of her body filled his head and made him dizzy. He focused on her face, on the moist brightness of her gaze, the lush
And even though Mike was drunk and dying of loneliness for his wife, the urge to scale the porch steps and break them apart was overwhelming. He wanted Harley to be his, and right this very moment, he wanted to rip Mike’s hands off her and kill the drunken bastard.
He opened his eyes, glared at his brother’s back, and damned women in general for their ability to bring a strong man to his knees and bring out his every weakness.
Why didn’t she stop him?
Because she was in love with Mike.
The thought whispered through his brain, followed by an image of his brother escorting the two giggling sisters to some school dance. In those days, Harley and Hannah had been all googley-eyed over Mike who had enjoyed every moment of their attention.
Until somewhere along the line, he’d tossed one sister aside and chosen the other.
Gage scaled the steps from the porch into the kitchen at the same time that Harley pushed Mike back. Drunk and unsteady, the younger man fell back against him, nearly toppling them both to the floor.
Mike wrenched away to stand on his own and, swaying back and forth, said, “Hell, lady, if he doesn’t want you, marry me.”
The soft explosion of words fueled Harley’s anger and her mouth turning down in a wry grimace. “Mike, you’re drunk.”
“Not so drunk that I don’t know what I’m saying. You want a husband and children. I need a wife and mother. You’re so much like Hannah, I know we’d suit.”
“That’s the point, Mike,” she cried, her frustration clear in the tone of her voice. “You don’t love me like you loved Hannah. It would never be enough, not for either of us.”
Mike moved closer, the tips of his fingers fluttering across the curve of her cheek. “I loved your sister with every fiber of my being,” he breathed raggedly. “I wish I’d died with her.”
He touched his lips to her forehead, then released her and slipped down the hallway like a silent ghost. A man with his heart torn from his chest, his very soul lost in the hereafter along with his dearly departed wife.
Tears welled in Gage’s eyes.
He couldn’t imagine ever allowing himself to love anyone that much, to hurt him that much. He watched his brother disappear down the darkness of the hallway, a lonely figure immersed in broken dreams and no future. Maybe once he slept off the alcohol, he’d be his old self again.
But as Gage turned back to face Harley, jealousy hit him like a wall of heated fury, sucking the air from his lungs. He gritted his teeth together and smoothed the anger from his voice. “Don’t let me keep you from giving him comfort.”
As she turned to face him, Harley wiped her wrist against her mouth. “What?”
He took a single step forward, stopped before he got close enough to reach for her, touch her. “I always wondered why you never married, but now I finally get it. Hannah snagged the man you loved, didn’t she? And now he’s free for the taking.”
The edges of her delectable mouth turned down with a hint of disgust. “You’re drunk, too.”
“I haven’t had a drop to drink in years.” And yet, like a fool, he wanted to erase the memory of Mike’s lips on hers, wanted to remind her exactly how she responded to his kiss—like the first of July fireworks. He forced himself to inhale and exhale. His heart beat a rapid tattoo in his chest and he found he couldn’t quite catch his breath. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you? You’ve always been in love with him.”
“With Mike?” She blinked up at him, the sorrow on her face replaced by a totally unfathomable expression. “Maybe once. Not for a long time now.”
He took a step closer, arrested his movement. “You could learn to love him again.”
Her voice softened to a near whisper. “It’s too late for that.”
He realized they stood inches apart. The warm scent of her body filled his head and made him dizzy. He focused on her face, on the moist brightness of her gaze, the lush
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