2. Come Be My Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

recognized that this strong, self-assured, almost arrogant man also had a vulnerability to him that was almost as appealing to her as the lightheartedness that had peeked out at her earlier in the day—just before he'd shared a kiss with her. She was fairly sure that few people had seen this side of him, either.
    Now that he was talking, Greg discovered that it wasn't going to be as easy to relive the past as he had first thought. He took a sip of his drink and wondered how he could change the subject without being too obvious.
    "What happened?" Brandi asked softly. Greg heard compassion and caring in her voice. He was touched. She didn't know him very well, and yet she recognized that what he was telling her was difficult.
    "WelI..." he said, pausing to clear his throat. "What I never realized during that time was that there was another man in her life—a man she'd grown up with who lived next door to her." He glanced over at Brandi. "Rather like you and Tim, from what you tell me." His gaze returned to the fire. "Only, in Penny's case, Brad had moved away and become a well-known television actor." He took a sip of his drink. "Have you ever heard of Brad Crawford?"
    "Brad Crawford? You mean the hunk on Hope for Tomorrow!'' she asked in surprise.
    "That's Brad, all right. I found out a week before our wedding that Brad was Penny's childhood sweetheart."
    "Then there's no parallel between Tim and me, that's for sure," she said with a chuckle. "What happened? Did Penny call off the wedding?"
    ''No."
    She watched him for a moment in silence. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
    "Neither did I, at first. It took me a few days to recognize the fact that Penny really did think she loved me and that she wanted to marry me. She didn't seem to realize how bonded she and Brad truly were. After spending hours analyzing the situation, I finally had to face the fact that what Penny wanted from me was the settled, comfortable, non-threatening existence that I could provide for her."
    "She was actually going to marry you, even though she was in love with someone else?"
    "I don't think she understood her feelings toward Brad at the time. There was a lot of resentment and anger on her part. And yet—" he paused and absently ran his hand through his hair, mussing it in a way that Brandi found peculiarly attractive in this carefully ordered man "—it's tough to explain, but Penny came alive whenever Brad was around. She sparkled and glowed. He seemed to bring out all of her emotions, so that she practically vibrated with energy whenever he was around her."
    He stood up and put another log on the fire. "Penny taught me so much. I had never felt so much love toward another person, not since I was a child. She brought my feelings to the surface, and I'll admit I was uncomfortable having to face them. But because she had taught me what love was all about, I recognized what was happening. I wasn't the man she needed to make her life complete. She was settling for less because she was afraid to reach out and grab what life was truly offering her."
    "That must have been a very painful conclusion for you to come to."
    He was surprised that she saw that so quickly. He nodded, unable for the moment to find the words to agree.
    "You loved her. You loved her enough to understand that your loving her wasn't right for her. You loved her enough to let her go."
    "I don't think I looked at it quite so unselfishly, I'm afraid. If I'd thought our relationship had a chance of working out, I'm sure I would have fought for what we had. But I knew it was only a question of time before Penny recognized what she had given up by not marrying Brad. I didn't want to stay around and watch her gradual disillusionment."
    "So what happened? Did you call off the wedding?"
    "I'm afraid I wasn't that honorable about it. I just didn't show up."
    Brandi set her glass down abruptly and stared at Greg in shocked dismay. "What? You mean you let Penny show up at the church without