Warrior's Second Chance
Page 18
He didn’t move or react. His gaze locked on hers, watching the anger and passion build there into stormy gray waters.
“How dare you say that,” she continued in a low, furious voice. “You think after all this, I’m just going to let you go and good riddance? You are mistaken, McGee. Why would you even suggest such a thing?” And then her umbrage blew over, leaving a calm that was disturbing rather than comforting. “Unless that’s what you want.”
When he didn’t respond, she started to withdraw her hand, only to have his fingers close tight, hanging on to that connection.
“I don’t want to see you hurt anymore, Barb. I’ve brought nothing but pain to your life.”
Her laugh was strained. “At least I’ve known I was alive. You call your daughter nothing? You call what we’ve shared together for these last few days—and nights—nothing?” She brought his hand up, pressing the back of it to the dampness on her cheek. “I’m not giving up on you, Taggert McGee. You are everything I’ve ever wanted and that has not changed. I want to help you heal, to help us heal. I’m not afraid of that. You’re not Chet Allen. Or Robert. They couldn’t tarnish the goodness in you. They couldn’t push you over that line. And that’s why I love you. That’s why I trust you with my family, with my future. With my heart. Robert deceived us both. His selfish, jealous lie kept us from sharing a past. We can’t change that. We can’t go back, but we can go ahead. We can have that future, if that’s what you still want.”
He was motionless. He was listening. But was he believing?
What could she do to reassure him, to restore his faith?
“I love you.”
In the end, that’s all she needed to say.
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted,” he concluded softly. “It’s all that’s kept me going. The thought that maybe you’d kept that promise and were still waiting for me to come home. To come home to you.”
Her heart turned over. Carefully, she leaned down to touch her lips to his, the gesture tender yet so very strong and sure. Then she pressed her cheek to his, feeling the hot dampness of tears, maybe hers, maybe his. Her words were thick with emotion when she told him one thing, softly, simply.
“Welcome home.”
ISBN: 978 1 472 03289 8
WARRIOR’S SECOND CHANCE
© 2006 Nancy Gideon
First Published in Great Britain in 2006
Harlequin (UK) Limited
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