Page 57 of Destiny Reclaimed
Her heartbreaking, shameful gaze hit the floor. “Yes, but before God and witnesses, I pledged ‘til death do we part. And I vowed to be faithful.”
Her response didn’t surprise him.
She lifted her gaze to meet his. “And I can’t risk losing Blake. If I leave him, he’ll take—” she paused and swallowed hard, “Blake away from me. I have no job or money to fight him.”
Though those words tore him apart, he understood and nodded as he silently pledged to not stand in the way of her keeping her promises. In this instant, he made a second vow to keep an eye on her and Blake from afar. If Arthur continued his abusive behavior, he would do everything humanly possible to put an end to it.
Gwennie’s gaze bore into him. “But, I don’t think I can do it. I’m not strong enough to endure a lifetime of this. I didn’t sign on for a loveless husband. He’s not the man I thought he was, that he pretended to be.”
At her words, the implication of them, Jack wanted to reach forward and pull her into his arms. Kiss those enticing bow-shaped lips of hers. Feel her soft peaches and cream skin against his. Touch her like a man should, soft and gentle. Love her like a man should, sweet with an emotional connection that carries a woman to cloud nine—blissful happiness.
Never in his life had Jack craved anything so badly as to kiss Gwennie right now. He garnered every bit of strength he had to hold back, waiting for her next move in an effort to make sure she understood what she’d said. The last thing he wanted was to make things more difficult and to be responsible for enticing an outcome from her she’d regret later.
Gwennie peered through a gap between the boxes on the shelving unit and smiled warmly as she watched her son play. Then she glanced back at him with teary eyes.
“He adores you. You’re the kind of man that should be a father.”
He was blown away at the sincerity of her compliment.
“You are a woman’s dream, kind and caring. I wish you a happy future.”
She was severing their tie. His throat constricted cutting off the words he wanted to use to beg her to reconsider. Warmth flooded his cheek when she placed her palm on it.
“I know you’ll find a fabulous woman someday. One who’ll be able to give you all of herself, unqualifiedly, as you so deserve.”
She lowered her hand, stepped around him, took her son by the hand, and made her way for the door.
Her parting gesture and words nearly brought him to his knees.
He wanted to call after her but couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right.
At the door, Blake turned back toward him. “Bye-bye.”
Jack could hardly lift his heavy hand to wave. “Bye Blake.”
The little boy smiled. “Love you.”
Jack’s heart swelled and he blinked back tears. The boy had no idea how much those words meant to him.
“I love you, too, Blake. Always remember that.”
Gwennie paused. Her shoulders slumped, but she didn’t turn back as he hoped she would.
Jack pressed his back to the wall, slid to the floor, and wept into his hands.
In all he’d endured in his life, including the loss of so many of his friends and relatives in the Vietnam War, the near-death encounters he’d undergone in battle, nothing left him as hopeless and empty as he was now.
