Скачать книгу

      At a loss to stop herself, Beth studied his handsome profile, her heart doing a little dance in spite of the anger she’d felt at him just moments ago. “Different how?” She wondered if it was anything like her own mother’s odd behavior.

      He exhaled noisily. “I can’t exactly pinpoint it, just different. She told me she loved me three times in the space of as many minutes. She was almost clingy.”

      Beth knew exactly what he meant then. Colleen Ashton was one of the strongest women Beth knew, her mother included. Colleen had never been one to show her affection with outward gestures. Hers was always an understated way.

      “Your mother won’t tell you anything?” he asked as he parked and turned off the engine and lights, leaving nothing but the moon to relieve the darkness that now cloaked them.

      “Nothing.”

      “We have to get to the bottom of this,” he said, his voice curling around her in the still, dark night. “At their age life is too uncertain to stay mad at each other. Think how one would feel if something happened to the other while this standoff was going on.”

      Beth nodded. “What can we do?”

      “Just keep plugging away until we figure out what it is that’s caused this kind of damage.”

      At that moment Beth wanted more than anything in this world to feel Zach’s arms around her. Further proof that nothing had changed. They could be yelling at each other one minute, then making up the next. “Good idea,” she mumbled, then quickly scrambled out of the car. She would not let her emotions get the better of her again.

      Zach followed her up the flagstone walk and to her door. She faced him there, the glow from the outside light pooling around them like a dim spotlight. Good-night would be said right here. She didn’t want him to come inside. She’d had all the Zach stimuli she could handle for one night.

      “Thanks for the ride,” she said lamely. Truly pathetic.

      “Any time,” he offered in that deep, husky voice.

      “Good night, Zach.” The words sounded breathless. But how could they sound any other way with him standing so close and her pulse tripping so out of control? She wanted to back up but the closed door was right behind her, preventing her escape.

      When his gaze dropped to her mouth the air evaporated from her lungs.

      “Good night,” he murmured.

      Slowly, very slowly, he leaned toward her. Her heart pounded so hard she was certain he could hear it. She moistened her lips, in anticipation of his sealing completely over hers.

      But they didn’t. Instead, he pressed that perfect mouth to her forehead.

      As if she were a child.

      Or his little sister.

      “See you tomorrow.” With one last breath-stealing smile, he turned and walked away.

      She wanted to scream. Fury mushroomed inside her. She opened her mouth to tell him she would be busy tomorrow, but he suddenly stopped and faced her. She snapped her mouth shut.

      “By the way,” he said in that teasing tone that was all charm and Ashton, “I think it’s great how you agreed to come up with the theme for the whole event.”

      Theme?

      Grinning widely, Zach winked and strolled away.

      Beth sagged against the old wooden door and watched him go. So that’s what Viola had asked her. Beth mentally recited a few choice expletives. What did she know about themes? She was a doctor. She didn’t do themes.

      One way or another she had to mend this rift between her mother and Zach’s. Her heart couldn’t take spending this much one-on-one time with the only man she’d ever really loved…

      …the same one who’d never thought of her as anything but the girl next door.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4RozRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAcAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAjodp AAQAAAABAAAApAAAANAALcbAAAAnEAAtxsAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTMiBXaW5kb3dz ADIwMTM6MTI6MTkgMTM6MjQ6NTEAAAAAA6ABAAMAAAAB//8AAKACAAQAAAABAAAFeKADAAQAAAAB AAAIpQAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAEeARsABQAAAAEAAAEmASgAAwAAAAEA AgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAEuAgIABAAAAAEAABj9AAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/2P/gABBKRklG AAECAABIAEgAAP/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAC/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJDBEL CgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAENCwsN Dg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwM/8AAEQgAoABlAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQAB//EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIEBQYH CAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIRAwQh EjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX0lXi ZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAICAQIE BAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUGFqKy gwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYnN0dX Z3eHl6e3x//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A5hOWkEgiCNCDyCEbCsx68ymzKZ6lDXg2M8R/37b+5+er3U8v ptubcbT69u1tdmVW4w+1rbGWZTa7XNd73fZ3ek//AEX85/pNkzImI8JIIMuL9jiRxgwMuIAiQjw/ tctW8JslS+09EJafQe0b9zhu3e0kO9AO9Vnta3dX6v01bwL+kENhpa8EEgzJEbXVaP2fT/TNt/R/ 6H/hEJS02K/FD1jUMcmuGys54hxW91A4pqBqaGDuSSTPgPc79H+d++sG2yvcfcPvQxm1+eLGFdxW SQqLbK5+kPvWn081ucPcPvTpnRbhjq2L64rWReIct7L2Cr6Q+9YGRZXu+kPvTMRX8yNEUE8CT5J9 pHIIPgdFZ6bbisudZZmfY7GiKn+mbQd36O3e1v0dtRci9QtxLHtsbmjLt1Y4is1ANb/Nkbv5zduU nFrVfm1xjuN20O6SbeyfpD70k5bR7P8A/9DmyZBEc+QXRYn1q+sr8awszq6xjsHpVmqmXhsb2M3M /wAFV+kXObidFuUdcucwD9n9N9oAk4jCTGnuduT+Y5DmpCP63jr94ylw/wCP++6GP498KNjH8Phi Ony4sHq/xYt931o+sIobcOqMdu9IbPQo3D1N/qbxt9vo7PZ/pmWf4NOfrL9Yg7Mb+1G/qh

Скачать книгу