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TIMELESS TREASURES: Stories of the Heart
A special wish of hope, strength, and love brings five couples what they treasure most in this heartwarming collection of short stories.
TIMELESS TREASURES: Stories of the Heart
A special wish of hope, strength, and love brings five couples what they treasure most in this heartwarming collection of short stories.
Trusting Kindness
"Hi. Nice night."
She crunched her eyes tighter. It can’t be him. It must be the ocean playing tricks on her. He wasn’t invited. She hadn’t seen him in years. He’d have no reason to be here. A pocket of warm air encased her. Must be the sea.
A heavy hand on her shoulder made her jump and spin around. She gasped.
His smile was the same.
The mustache was gone but his gaze burned into her just as she remembered. A few lines etched the corners of his eyes, which only made him more handsome. The gray hair was new—she liked that. Well not on her, but she took care of that.
“I can’t believe it.” She shook her head and closed her eyes. He was still there when she opened them. This was a cruel joke. He had no reason to be here.
“I debated about coming.” His voice softened.
“You’re here for the benefit?” She slid on her coat and hiked her purse onto her shoulder, momentarily thinking of swinging it at him. That would make her feel good, however temporary.
“Guilty. My firm has an office down here and my boss thought it would be a good cause to support.”
“You mean a good place to find people who would take on your firm’s employees as their financial advisors.” She couldn’t hide her sarcasm.
He lowered his head and laughed. “I see time hasn’t made you any less cynical.”
“I call it as I see it. And if your firm is involved, I see a bunch of sharks circling prey.”
He stepped toward her and she backed away.
“That’s not fair. You don’t know anything about my firm.”
“You work at the same one your father did, right?”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Did you forget how your firm lost thousands of dollars for investors? One of them being my father? I told him to trust your father.”
He sucked in a deep breath and lowered his head. “Yeah, I forgot about that. We’ve been taken over by a new company. It’s not the old boys’ club anymore.”
“I’ll take my chances and keep my money out of there. By the way, how is your incompetent father?”
“Pretty incompetent. He died three years ago—in his chair at the office.”
Her stomach churned. She never liked his father but wasn’t looking to be disrespectful. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” she replied softly. Maybe she was being too hard on him. Her stomach ached from dredging up all the hurt feelings yet she was sort of happy he was there. It was surreal.
“Understood. The scandal was a difficult thing for the guys to shake but I can assure you it’s no longer like that.”
She didn’t care. Nothing he said could convince her—not that she had money to invest, anyway. She turned her back to him and stared out across the sea. Shivers ran down her spine but she wasn’t sure if it was the cold or the fact that the man who’d broke her heart was two feet away from her.
“So why are you here?”
“I told you.”
“No, you told me the reason your company wanted you here, but why are you here?”
He pursed his lips. “That’s the only reason. Nothing more.”
The storm in her gut favored disappointment. She looked at her watch. A half hour to midnight. She could ditch him and lose him in the crowd inside—or do something she’d been wanting to do. She had to take a chance to know for sure. “How about a walk on the beach?”
He looked unsure.
“Just a short walk. We’ll be back for the ball drop.”
Sofia’d made sure there was a large-screen TV set up so everyone could watch the countdown in Times Square.
Jonathan glanced at his watch, then wrung his hand over his face. “Um, okay.”
“Am I keeping you from anything?” She recognized his look of conflict. She had seen it many times when she’d asked him to do something he didn’t want to do—and he usually didn’t.
He sucked air through his teeth. Yep, there it is. She stepped forward and pushed him aside.
“Come on.” He squeezed her hand gently and motioned toward the beach. “I’m taking you up on your offer. Plus, you owe me a night stroll, remember?”
She smiled. Bastard. He always got to her. No one could piss her off and make her laugh in the same sentence. She glanced at her watch again. Twenty minutes would give them just enough time to make it down to the water and back for midnight. It was now or never. A chance to find out what she’d missed on the beach that October night.
She took off ahead of him down the ramp. She kicked off her shoes and left them in the sand, which was warmer than she expected. The shore grew darker as they moved closer to the water. Her body tightened as the roar from the waves grew louder. The darkness surrounded them as the boardwalk lights grew dim in the distance, but she wasn’t about to let him know she was afraid.
“Hey, slow down.” He ran up alongside her.
She ran to the water’s edge just short of the ocean washing over her feet. She clutched her coat to ward off the brisk air from the water.
“Hey,” he called out. “What’s the deal?”
She absorbed the vastness of what lay before her, the water teasing her toes. Why was I afraid?
He stopped beside her in silence. She wondered what was running through his head. His familiar scent tickled her nose. She moved closer to him. A rush of comfort overtook her. Maybe this is a mistake. She glanced at him as he stared into the night. It was time to go back to the party.
He grabbed her elbow and turned her to him, his hands cupping her face. Her breath grew heavy as electricity surged through her body. Their chemistry was still there. She remembered the touch of his hand. The passion of his kiss. How it felt lying next to him.
His familiar lips took hers. The confident yet tender touch of his mouth sent a surge of heat down her spine. Her knees and shoulders softened and her chest melted into his.
Memories of happiness collided with the last image she had of him when he’d walked out of her life.
He couldn’t see her weak.
He slowly backed away. “Why did we break up?” he whispered.
That was all she needed to bring her back to reality. “Because you left.” She wiped a tear away. “And you never told me why.”
She crunched her eyes tighter. It can’t be him. It must be the ocean playing tricks on her. He wasn’t invited. She hadn’t seen him in years. He’d have no reason to be here. A pocket of warm air encased her. Must be the sea.
A heavy hand on her shoulder made her jump and spin around. She gasped.
His smile was the same.
The mustache was gone but his gaze burned into her just as she remembered. A few lines etched the corners of his eyes, which only made him more handsome. The gray hair was new—she liked that. Well not on her, but she took care of that.
“I can’t believe it.” She shook her head and closed her eyes. He was still there when she opened them. This was a cruel joke. He had no reason to be here.
“I debated about coming.” His voice softened.
“You’re here for the benefit?” She slid on her coat and hiked her purse onto her shoulder, momentarily thinking of swinging it at him. That would make her feel good, however temporary.
“Guilty. My firm has an office down here and my boss thought it would be a good cause to support.”
“You mean a good place to find people who would take on your firm’s employees as their financial advisors.” She couldn’t hide her sarcasm.
He lowered his head and laughed. “I see time hasn’t made you any less cynical.”
“I call it as I see it. And if your firm is involved, I see a bunch of sharks circling prey.”
He stepped toward her and she backed away.
“That’s not fair. You don’t know anything about my firm.”
“You work at the same one your father did, right?”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Did you forget how your firm lost thousands of dollars for investors? One of them being my father? I told him to trust your father.”
He sucked in a deep breath and lowered his head. “Yeah, I forgot about that. We’ve been taken over by a new company. It’s not the old boys’ club anymore.”
“I’ll take my chances and keep my money out of there. By the way, how is your incompetent father?”
“Pretty incompetent. He died three years ago—in his chair at the office.”
Her stomach churned. She never liked his father but wasn’t looking to be disrespectful. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” she replied softly. Maybe she was being too hard on him. Her stomach ached from dredging up all the hurt feelings yet she was sort of happy he was there. It was surreal.
“Understood. The scandal was a difficult thing for the guys to shake but I can assure you it’s no longer like that.”
She didn’t care. Nothing he said could convince her—not that she had money to invest, anyway. She turned her back to him and stared out across the sea. Shivers ran down her spine but she wasn’t sure if it was the cold or the fact that the man who’d broke her heart was two feet away from her.
“So why are you here?”
“I told you.”
“No, you told me the reason your company wanted you here, but why are you here?”
He pursed his lips. “That’s the only reason. Nothing more.”
The storm in her gut favored disappointment. She looked at her watch. A half hour to midnight. She could ditch him and lose him in the crowd inside—or do something she’d been wanting to do. She had to take a chance to know for sure. “How about a walk on the beach?”
He looked unsure.
“Just a short walk. We’ll be back for the ball drop.”
Sofia’d made sure there was a large-screen TV set up so everyone could watch the countdown in Times Square.
Jonathan glanced at his watch, then wrung his hand over his face. “Um, okay.”
“Am I keeping you from anything?” She recognized his look of conflict. She had seen it many times when she’d asked him to do something he didn’t want to do—and he usually didn’t.
He sucked air through his teeth. Yep, there it is. She stepped forward and pushed him aside.
“Come on.” He squeezed her hand gently and motioned toward the beach. “I’m taking you up on your offer. Plus, you owe me a night stroll, remember?”
She smiled. Bastard. He always got to her. No one could piss her off and make her laugh in the same sentence. She glanced at her watch again. Twenty minutes would give them just enough time to make it down to the water and back for midnight. It was now or never. A chance to find out what she’d missed on the beach that October night.
She took off ahead of him down the ramp. She kicked off her shoes and left them in the sand, which was warmer than she expected. The shore grew darker as they moved closer to the water. Her body tightened as the roar from the waves grew louder. The darkness surrounded them as the boardwalk lights grew dim in the distance, but she wasn’t about to let him know she was afraid.
“Hey, slow down.” He ran up alongside her.
She ran to the water’s edge just short of the ocean washing over her feet. She clutched her coat to ward off the brisk air from the water.
“Hey,” he called out. “What’s the deal?”
She absorbed the vastness of what lay before her, the water teasing her toes. Why was I afraid?
He stopped beside her in silence. She wondered what was running through his head. His familiar scent tickled her nose. She moved closer to him. A rush of comfort overtook her. Maybe this is a mistake. She glanced at him as he stared into the night. It was time to go back to the party.
He grabbed her elbow and turned her to him, his hands cupping her face. Her breath grew heavy as electricity surged through her body. Their chemistry was still there. She remembered the touch of his hand. The passion of his kiss. How it felt lying next to him.
His familiar lips took hers. The confident yet tender touch of his mouth sent a surge of heat down her spine. Her knees and shoulders softened and her chest melted into his.
Memories of happiness collided with the last image she had of him when he’d walked out of her life.
He couldn’t see her weak.
He slowly backed away. “Why did we break up?” he whispered.
That was all she needed to bring her back to reality. “Because you left.” She wiped a tear away. “And you never told me why.”