Anna's Courage (Rose Island Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

Hailey.”
    I turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. Travis walked around to take my hand in a gesture that both comforted and surprised me. He hadn’t held my hand in months, at least not in public, and the action deeply touched me.
    “I love you,” I said, squeezing his hand.
    “Ditto,” he replied, returning my squeeze.
    Together, we moved forward and joined the mourners.
    *
    That night, my mind raced with thoughts of the past. Sleep evaded me as I tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. At some point, Travis crawled into my bed and proceeded to kick me every time I drifted off. No matter how far I scooted to the other side of the bed, his foot found me.
    Eventually, I took my pillow downstairs to the couch in the living room. The cat, of course, thought that meant mealtime, so he meowed in protest until I fed him, even though it was only three in the morning.
    When I finally fell asleep, I had wildly delicious dreams about kissing Nick on the back porch of the Petersons’ house. As I threaded my arms around his neck, I noticed someone sitting on the railing watching us.
    Marcus.
    “Why are you doing this to me?” my late husband asked.
    I jerked awake, gasping for breath as my heart raced. It didn’t take a degree in psychology to dissect the meaning of that dream. I’d found true love with Marcus, and even though it’d been seven long years since his death, kissing another man, no matter how desirable, felt like an act of betrayal.
    I managed to fall back into a fitful sleep for a few hours until the doorbell woke me in the morning. The cat walked over my chest as bright sunlight streamed through the curtains of the living room window. What time was it?
    Travis thundered down the stairs and headed toward the front door. “Someone’s here.”
    “Don’t answer it,” I insisted as the doorbell rang again.
    Standing on tiptoes, he peered through the peephole. “It’s Hailey!” Ignoring my warning, he opened the door wide for the entire world to see the morning version of his mother. Only, it wasn’t just the whole world. Nick stood on the front porch, dressed in dark blue jeans and a charcoal cable-knit sweater that set off his eyes.
    I folded my arms across my nightgown and tried not to panic. I could only imagine how frazzled I looked with no sleep, no makeup, and crazy lady hair. I asked Hailey if she was coming to school with us today, and she nodded.
    “Come on in, sweetheart,” I said, motioning with my hand. “Just give me a minute to get dressed and we’ll go.”
    Avoiding Nick’s gaze, I dashed upstairs to my bedroom and threw on yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I pulled my hair into a messy ponytail and ignored the dreadful woman in the mirror. Why did I care if Nick saw me first thing in the morning? It wasn’t like I was interested in him. It wasn’t like I liked him.
    Heading back to the living room, I stopped on the stairs and watched Nick in the entryway, looking at my family photographs hanging on the wall. Fully grown men seldom entered my home, so seeing his broad shoulders occupying so much space unnerved me. His height made the ceiling appear low, something I’d never noticed before.
    My stomach tingled with a desire to walk up behind him, wrap my arms around his waist, and give him a big bear hug. I imagined the warmth of his sweater against my cheek and the strength of his hard muscles beneath my fingertips.
    As he leaned toward my wedding photo, I held my breath. How many times had I removed that picture only to put it back up? I couldn’t decide if it was better to be constantly reminded of Marcus, or better to forget.
    I must’ve made a sound because Nick turned around and met my gaze. My stomach twisted at the intensity in his eyes.
    “How old were you when you got married?” he asked, pointing at my wedding photo. “You look so young.”
    I swallowed. “We were both nineteen.”
    “Nineteen.” He shook his head and started to say something but stopped