Page 27 of Loving Her

I like Jeff, but he doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who can be gentle, and Lee is broken in ways others don’t know. I do, but we have a similar past—although I get the feeling hers was much,muchworse.

“C’mon, honey. Let’s give them some privacy,” Breaker says. I look up at him. He can see the question in my eyes. “It’s okay,” he mouths, not really saying the words out loud. He makes amotion with his head toward the couple in question. I drop my gaze to them, and I see the way Jeff has pulled her onto his lap and is finger combing her hair gently, while placing a tender kiss on her forehead. Something about the way he does that—combined with the way he’s looking at her—puts me at ease. I get up and quietly leave the two of them and Luna alone.

“I didn’t realize he knew Lee,” I whisper quietly when we get outside.

“I think it might go a little deeper than that,” Breaker says.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure, but judging from Jeff’s reaction to her, that little girl in there is one of two women, and both are pretty important to him.”

I give him a mean look. “Lee deserves better than that.”

Now Breaker is frowning at me as if he’s disappointed in me. “Jeff is a good guy, Indy,” he replies, and I can hear the annoyance in his voice. He doesn’t like what I said at all.

“He is, but Lee deserves a man who only cares about her—not her and someone else. No woman deserves to come in second to another, Breaker. Lee’s had a hard past. When she first moved here, she was kind of a shell of a person. The last thing she needs is a man who will hurt her—even if he doesn’t mean to.”

He studies me thoughtfully. Then a semi-smile spreads on his lips and his features soften. “It will be okay, Doc. Now, tell me, how are you doing?”

I sigh, feeling defeated. “I tried everything I could, Breaker.”

“I know, honey.”

“I couldn’t save him. The damage was too severe.”

“I’m sorry, honey,” he purrs, pulling me into his arms.

I rest my head against his chest and let his warmth seep into me. I pick at imaginary lint on his shirt and get up my nerve to tell him something that’s kind of been on my mind for the last few days. “Breaker?”

“Yeah, honey?” he responds, his hand coming up to wrap around my wrist to keep me from tugging at his shirt. I look up at him to find him smiling down at me. I take a moment to memorize the look on his face.

“What would you say if I told you I’m getting worried that I won’t be able to let you go back to Kentucky?”

“Doc—”

“I know that sounds horrible, but Tinny and I, well, you … I mean, the two of us love having you here. I don’t want … Crap, I’m messing this all up.”

“Doc, stop. I don’t want to leave you either.”

“You don’t?”

“Honey, I didn’t want to leave you a week ago when I found out who I was. Do you really think that has changed—especially when I get to wake up with you in my arms every morning?”

“Really?” I ask, almost afraid to breathe.

His finger curls gently under my chin. He tilts my head back slightly and then leans down to kiss me softly. “Really,” he repeats, but the way he says that one word sounds like a vow.

“What are we going to do? You have a family waiting for you in Kentucky. You really do need to let them know you’re alive. We need to face that.”

He grins down at me, his eyes practically sparkling. “I like that.”

I frown. “Like what?”

“You saidweneed to face it.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep,” I whisper, mortified by the slip of the tongue. He’s going to think I’m insane. I mean, sure, we’ve been sharing a bed, but other than a few kisses and maybe a couple of make out sessions that were more PG13 than rated R, nothing has happened. I shouldn’t have just assumed his battles were part mine.

“Hey, stop that, Indy.”

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