Forever After Read Online Free PDF

child’s narrow back, aware in some distant part of her mind that the floor gave perilously with every shift of her weight. Horrible old house, anyway. She wished she’d never rented it. Not that there’d been much choice. Now they were stuck here.
    If it hadn’t been so awful, Meredith would have laughed hysterically. Talk about neighbors who were her worst nightmare. A county sheriff and a berserk Rottweiler? She couldn’t decide which was worse. Heath Masters had seemed as tall as a tree to her, with shoulders so broad it would take a yardstick to measure them, every inch of him roped with muscle. Those penetrating slate blue eyes had been unnerving as well, their contrast to his burnished, chiseled features and sable hair almost startling. Maybe it was because she’d lived in the city for several years and been around professional men who never turned their hands to physical work, but Masters had seemed to emanate strength.
    Willing her heart to stop pounding, Meredith tried to gather her wits. She didn’t like the way Sammy was trembling or the fact that she hadn’t said anything.
    “Hey, punkin,” Meredith whispered. “You okay?”
    No answer. Just an awful silence. Meredith’s heart caught, and for an agonizing moment, she couldn’t breathe. Not again, God. Please, not again . Sammy had been doing so well these last few weeks. Only occasional nightmares, hardly any incidents.
    “Knock, knock,” Meredith said, anxiety making her voice twang. “Is there a little girl named Sammy hiding in there someplace?”
    The child squirmed slightly, making Meredith wonder if she was hugging her too tightly. Digging deep for some self-control, she forced herself to relax her arms.
    “Sammy, love?”
    “What?” the child finally replied in a thin, quavery voice.
    Relief washed over Meredith in drowning waves that made her feel slightly disoriented and giddy. “You okay, sweetie?”
    Sammy pressed closer, the brittle tension in her body conveying how frightened she still was. “You promised, Mommy,” she whispered fiercely. “You promised.”
    An ache of regret filled Meredith. It wasn’t necessary for Sammy to say more. She knew exactly which promise the child referred to, namely that once they reached Oregon, Sammy would never have to feel afraid again. Blast that man for letting such a horrible dog run loose!
    “Oh, sweetheart. It’s going to be okay.”
    Sammy shuddered. “I want to go ’way from here, Mommy. Far, far ’way.”
    Leaving right now was impossible. She’d been required to pay the last month’s rent and a sizable deposit to lease this house, and her crotchety landlord would refuse to return the money if she failed to stay for the agreed upon six months. In addition to that, her rattletrap car needed a valve job that was going to cost a small fortune. If she meant tokeep food on the table for her daughter, she couldn’t afford to move until she’d drawn a few more paychecks. Besides, she had no guarantee of landing another job, especially not one that would allow her to work at home and take care of her child.
    Pressing her face against Sammy’s hair, Meredith struggled for calm. Instead, a helpless anger rushed through her. She and Sammy had gone through so much and come so far to get here. Now everything seemed to be going wrong.
    “That big mean dog’s gonna come back, Mommy. I just know it!”
    “Oh, Sammy. As long as I draw breath, nothing’s going to hurt you, sweetie. Not that dog or anything else. You mustn’t feel afraid.”
    Empty words. Sammy had counted on Meredith so many times and been let down.
    As she stood there rocking her daughter, Meredith realized the back of her throat was burning. She stiffened and lifted her head to sniff. Smoke trailed under the freshly painted, utility room door.
    “Oh, no, the hamburger!”
    The smell of burning meat seared her nostrils as she burst into the kitchen. Still clutching Sammy in one arm, she raced across the badly worn