Bound to You Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Vanessa Holland
him,” she answered, daring him to question her further. She felt very close to telling him, to blurting out the truth. One more question and she might just do it. The warmth with which he remembered his grandfather broke down her defenses. The fact that he’d been doing something responsible with his life.
He eyed her curiously for a moment, and then looked at Ethan again. “So you still live here with your mom?”
She was almost disappointed. He’d seemed very close to guessing the truth. “My mother died when I was ten. Brain aneurism. It’s just Brianna and me now. And Ethan, of course.”
“ Right, you told me that, about your mom. Sorry. Sorry about your dad, too. I just found out about that.” He looked up at the roof of the porch, and scanned what he could see of the house, the fenced-in yard, and the expanse of thick woods hugging the fence that stretched into the distance.
Suddenly she wanted to tell him, so much she could barely sit still in her seat. So much the words lodged in her throat and her hands began to shake.
She was going to do it, maybe.
She nodded toward Ethan. “Does he look familiar to you?”
“ The boy?” Sam asked. “Well, he looks a lot like you. You say I know his dad?” He turned his gaze to her and she froze beneath the interest that seemed to gleam in those blue depths. “Yeah, I saw you with your boyfriend. Didn’t know there was a kid involved, though. You need me to leave? I will, just say so. I’m no angel, but I don’t do that. I don’t break up families.”
Surprised by his wild assumption, she had to struggle to follow his direction. “Are you talking about Brandon Stewart? Because Ethan is not his son.” That fact needed to be made perfectly clear. “And if I wanted you to leave you wouldn’t have to ask.”
“ Ah,” Sam said, glancing away with an embarrassed grin on his face. “Okay, then, who is it? Somebody I oughta know?”
“ You know him,” she said, “very well.”
He turned toward her, dropping his feet to the floor, gripping the arm of the wicker chair, and frowned sharply. The confident smile fell from his face. “What are you saying, Jenna?”
Watching him intently for his reaction, shaking so violently his face blurred slightly, she said, “He has your eyes.”
CHAPTER THREE
Sam was gone. After a fair amount of stuttering and stammering, he’d inched his way toward the steps, no longer able to find a smile for his stunned face. Finally, he’d turned and jogged around the corner of the house. The gate had slammed behind him and seconds later his truck had roared to life.
Suddenly feeling calm, extraordinarily calm, Jenna stood and followed his path to the gate. All that remained of him was a fine dust and the scent of tire rubber hanging in the air from his desperate escape.
She leaned against the gate to rest, pressing down on the violent buzz in her stomach. She’d done it. She’d finally told him.
Oh great …. Covering her mouth with both hands, she made a mad dash for the back door. She’d done it, and now she was going to be sick.
After she’d washed her face in the kitchen sink, she turned around, noticing her sister sitting at the table, watching her. Jenna hadn’t even noticed her there as she’d run inside.
“ Who was that guy? Sam Strickland?”
Jenna stalled, wiping her face with a kitchen towel.
“ You’re not pregnant again, are you?” Brianna said with a bland, emotionless expression on her face.
Jenna took a deep breath and made her decision. “I’m marrying Brandon Stewart.”
That got a reaction. Brianna jumped up from her chair. “What? Why ? Eww. When?”
“ I don’t know. Soon.” As soon as he called her back and assured her he could uphold his end of the deal. He’d offered to make her monthly mortgage payments on the house if she would marry him, and she’d flatly refused. But then, he’d offered to pay Brianna’s college tuition for a year, as well.
She’d
He eyed her curiously for a moment, and then looked at Ethan again. “So you still live here with your mom?”
She was almost disappointed. He’d seemed very close to guessing the truth. “My mother died when I was ten. Brain aneurism. It’s just Brianna and me now. And Ethan, of course.”
“ Right, you told me that, about your mom. Sorry. Sorry about your dad, too. I just found out about that.” He looked up at the roof of the porch, and scanned what he could see of the house, the fenced-in yard, and the expanse of thick woods hugging the fence that stretched into the distance.
Suddenly she wanted to tell him, so much she could barely sit still in her seat. So much the words lodged in her throat and her hands began to shake.
She was going to do it, maybe.
She nodded toward Ethan. “Does he look familiar to you?”
“ The boy?” Sam asked. “Well, he looks a lot like you. You say I know his dad?” He turned his gaze to her and she froze beneath the interest that seemed to gleam in those blue depths. “Yeah, I saw you with your boyfriend. Didn’t know there was a kid involved, though. You need me to leave? I will, just say so. I’m no angel, but I don’t do that. I don’t break up families.”
Surprised by his wild assumption, she had to struggle to follow his direction. “Are you talking about Brandon Stewart? Because Ethan is not his son.” That fact needed to be made perfectly clear. “And if I wanted you to leave you wouldn’t have to ask.”
“ Ah,” Sam said, glancing away with an embarrassed grin on his face. “Okay, then, who is it? Somebody I oughta know?”
“ You know him,” she said, “very well.”
He turned toward her, dropping his feet to the floor, gripping the arm of the wicker chair, and frowned sharply. The confident smile fell from his face. “What are you saying, Jenna?”
Watching him intently for his reaction, shaking so violently his face blurred slightly, she said, “He has your eyes.”
CHAPTER THREE
Sam was gone. After a fair amount of stuttering and stammering, he’d inched his way toward the steps, no longer able to find a smile for his stunned face. Finally, he’d turned and jogged around the corner of the house. The gate had slammed behind him and seconds later his truck had roared to life.
Suddenly feeling calm, extraordinarily calm, Jenna stood and followed his path to the gate. All that remained of him was a fine dust and the scent of tire rubber hanging in the air from his desperate escape.
She leaned against the gate to rest, pressing down on the violent buzz in her stomach. She’d done it. She’d finally told him.
Oh great …. Covering her mouth with both hands, she made a mad dash for the back door. She’d done it, and now she was going to be sick.
After she’d washed her face in the kitchen sink, she turned around, noticing her sister sitting at the table, watching her. Jenna hadn’t even noticed her there as she’d run inside.
“ Who was that guy? Sam Strickland?”
Jenna stalled, wiping her face with a kitchen towel.
“ You’re not pregnant again, are you?” Brianna said with a bland, emotionless expression on her face.
Jenna took a deep breath and made her decision. “I’m marrying Brandon Stewart.”
That got a reaction. Brianna jumped up from her chair. “What? Why ? Eww. When?”
“ I don’t know. Soon.” As soon as he called her back and assured her he could uphold his end of the deal. He’d offered to make her monthly mortgage payments on the house if she would marry him, and she’d flatly refused. But then, he’d offered to pay Brianna’s college tuition for a year, as well.
She’d