The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart: A Hart Brothers Novel by A.M. Hargrove Page B

fringe of thick long lashes frame
them and I have to hold myself back from touching his brows.
Instead, I move my hand to my cheek.
    “‘ See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. O, that I were a
glove upon that hand that I might touch that
cheek! ’”
    My breath hitches when he speaks. He stares
and my mouth is like sawdust. Our gazes lock and his hand covers
mine.
    “Romeo and Juliet,” I breathe.
    He only nods. A yap from Ethel breaks our
connection. Disappointment fills me, but then I should be happy for
it. I’m supposedly going to be a nun. I shouldn’t be sitting on a
man’s lap, wanting him to kiss me, listening to him quote
Shakespeare. Guilt replaces disappointment and I bound out of my
perch.
    “Juliette,” Kade calls out as I practically
sprint out of the room. He calls my name again, but I pay him no
heed. I keep moving until I’m on the stone terrace, filling my
lungs with frosty air. The freezing temperature bites into my skin
but it brings some sense to me. What in the devil was I thinking?
My hands dig into my hair, pulling at it. Kade is one more
complication in my messed up world that I do not need. My emotions
need to be even keeled, not involved with some out-of-reach man
that I can never have. And besides, what purpose will it serve? My
life expectancy is pretty much at its end anyway.
    “Juliette, come inside. You’ll freeze out
here.”
    I turn to face him and now all I can see is
beauty. Before, he was just another human being. Why did I allow
this to happen? Why did I share my past with him? I need to leave.
I’m going to have to leave Denver and the convent now, too. When I
turn back around to face the yard, I see them. Shadows twist and
mold with the background. They slip behind things, melting into the
background. My fear notches back up so I hurry inside.
    “I have to leave,” I say. I run upstairs and
hear Kade’s footsteps behind me.
    “You can’t leave. Not in this weather.”
    “I must. They’re out there.”
    “Who are they ?”
    “The shadows that follow me. They were in
your backyard.”
    He runs downstairs and outside. I can hear
him. I pull on my boots and sweater, and hurry downstairs. I’m
stuffing my arms into my coat when he comes back inside.
    “There’s no one out there.”
    “Yes, there is. You don’t know where to look
for them. I can see them. I’m going to draw them away from you. I
don’t want you in danger.”
    “You can’t leave in this weather. There’s
way too much snow for you to walk home.” He grabs me and pulls me
close.
    “Kade, I’ll be fine.”
    “I’m going with you.”
    “No! That’s exactly the point of my
leaving.”
    His eyes penetrate mine. My hand reaches for
his cheek. “You are the best man, Kade Hart. Please, I’ll be
fine.”
    “Juliette, let me at least drive you.”
    “Okay,” I say, resigned.
    “I need to get dressed in something warmer.
I’ll be right back.”
    As soon as he’s out of sight, I quietly slip
out his front door and run in the direction of the animal shelter.
He won’t drive this way to look for me. Running isn’t possible; the
snow is too deep as I trudge my way through. In some places, the
drifts are waist and chest high. My pants are thin and uninsulated
and soon I’m freezing. This was a bad idea. Unlike most people that
live here, I don’t have great outdoor gear. I’m not an outdoor
enthusiast and I have no money to buy things such as that. The
money that I got from the safe was used for living expenses other
than the thirty five thousand the forgery expert charged for my
documents. Most of my clothing is purchased from second hand stores
or given to me from the other nuns. It’s ill fitting and none of it
is very warm, including my coat.
    I force myself to keep moving. In most
places, it’s difficult to distinguish where the roads are because
there is so much snow. My feet and legs are growing numb from the
cold. Alarm bells start going off when I notice I’m not even