Forever Too Far Read Online Free PDF Page A

stepped out onto the porch and I sat down on one of the lounge chairs. “Sit. We’ll watch a game
    but I wanted to ask you about something first.”
    Jace sat down beside me and took a drink of his beer. “You look serious.”
    “Did you know about Grant and Nan?” I asked, watching him closely. Jace couldn’t lie for shit. The
    widening of his eyes told me he had known. I didn’t even wait for his confirmation. “You didn’t think
    telling me was important?” I asked.
    Jace put his beer down and let out a frustrated groan. “Shit. I knew you’d be pissed when you found
    out. I didn’t want to be the one to tell you. Besides, you were dealing with losing Blaire and then
    getting her back. Then her pregnancy. Grant didn’t even know I knew. He thought he was keeping it a
    secret from everyone. We were just more observant than you were at the time. All you could see was
    Blaire. The rest of us noticed things...”
    He was right. I had been fighting for my future. I had been focused on getting Blaire back and then
    protecting her and our baby. I hadn’t had time to notice anything or anyone else. Maybe it was best I
    hadn’t known. I hadn’t needed any distractions.
    “You’re right. It’s best I didn’t know. I’d needed to be focused on Blaire. Not anything else then.”
    Jace shook his head. “Didn’t go down well, though. Nan just leaves destruction in her wake. Grant
    got real tore up about it but he’s dealing with things better now. I think he’s gonna move back to
    Rosemary permanently for awhile. He wants distance from her.”
    My little sister sure knew how to cause problems. I was getting tired of always bailing her out. I
    couldn’t make it better for Grant though. He should’ve known not to go into a relationship with her.
    She didn’t do commitments.
    The phone in my pocket vibrated and I pulled it out to see a text from Abe. He was here. I prayed that
    bringing him here was the right thing to do. I wanted today special for Blaire. She’d had enough
    heartache.

BLAIRE
    Rush came walking back into the house with a nervous look in his eyes. He didn’t look my way as he
    headed through the kitchen. I stopped kneading the dough for the biscuits and wiped my hands on the
    apron before following him. Something was wrong.
    I hurried down the hallway and then into the foyer. Rush was opening the front door. Was he leaving?
    No one had knocked. As the door swung completely open I saw past Rush to see my father standing
    there with a small suitcase in one hand and a paper bag in the other. He was thinner and he had a
    beard. The polished looking man that he had been was gone. He looked like a sea captain now. I
    couldn’t take a deep breath as his eyes met mine over Rush’s shoulder. He was here. My daddy was
    here.
    Tears filled my eyes and I started walking toward him. We hadn’t spent a holiday together since I was
    fifteen years old. But this year, he was here. Rush glanced back at me and I understood the look in his
    eyes earlier now. He didn’t want to upset me. He had been trying to surprise me but he hadn’t been
    sure this was the right thing to do.
    All the lies and betrayal no longer seemed important as I stared up at my dad’s face. He’d suffered
    too. He still was suffering. Maybe he deserved it. But maybe he had paid his penance. Because right
    now all I could think about was the man who sang Christmas carols with me as we stuffed the turkey
    on Thanksgiving, the man who made sure to make a caramel pie because I preferred it over pumpkin
    pie, the man who spent hours every Thanksgiving weekend covering our house in Christmas lights. I
    didn’t think about the other. I just remembered all the good.
    “Daddy,” I said with a tear-clogged voice.
    Rush stepped back and allowed him inside. I threw myself in his arms and inhaled the scent that had
    always reminded me of family, security, and love.
    “Hey, Blaire bear,” he replied. His voice was thick with emotion. “Happy