Home for Love (An Adult Contemporary Romance) Read Online Free PDF

longer could keep her
tears at bay, feeling the pain of knowing that someone she loved dearly had
suffered and that she’d been unable to help.
    Handing her a handkerchief from his
pocket, Daniel took over, observing that some of the steam the boy had been
bottling up had begun to dissipate. “We found out about things after the first
summer we went down to see Amber. Bree had moved out and was living in a
shoebox that served as bedroom, nursery, kitchen, and bathroom. It wasn’t in
the best of places and it makes me angry to think of it, but there was hardly a
thing to eat in the place. Our Bree was raised right so the place was clean,
but it’s easy to keep a place clean that has nothing in it. Bree was sleeping
on a couch someone had thrown out and had Amber in a cheap cot that she’d
scrimped and saved for. The fanciest thing she owned was the laptop we gave her
when she graduated from high school and she used that 3G business we bought as
well so that she could do her studies online to become a teacher. She didn’t
tell us what was going on, because she was afraid that we’d treat her the way
her parents had.” Daniel felt his own eyes moisten and silent tears, revoked by
past pain, slipped slowly down his weather-worn cheeks.
    “We do okay, Todd,” Daniel said, wiping
the tears away roughly with his hand. “You know that. Life in Alaska is hard
and chews up the money as fast as you make it if you farm, but we’d managed to
save a bit. So, we cashed that in and used our time in Columbus to set Amber
up. We got her a better place, not fancy, but safer, a bit bigger, and some
basic furniture. We paid for her studies and put a bit of money every month in
her bank account, so that she could buy some food, some things for the baby and
so on. She’s a good girl and we trusted her and she hasn’t let us down. Yes,
she could’ve told you about Amber sooner and yes, we spoke to her about it
often, but the poor girl was going through so much with her own parents and
trying to get by that we couldn’t press. We were scared that she’d cut us off
and of what would happen if she did. She was like a deer caught in the
headlights and we were too scared to make a move, so we did what we could.”
    Moira moved to sit in between the two
men, taking a hand of each man in one of hers. “Todd, we never saw our son
again until his funeral – we were that disappointed in him. The first time we
went to see Amber and saw what they’d done, we were so angry that we went straight
to them and had a very, very unpleasant argument.” Shutting her eyes, she
pushed the memory away before she carried on. “The next time I saw the boy I
bore unto this earth was when he was put into the grave. So, things aren’t as
simple as they seem.”
    Todd wasn’t made of ice and he knew what
it was like to see someone you loved, someone who disappointed you once they’d
gone from the earth. He wiped the tears from his own face and tugged at their
linked hands until he had her wrapped in his arms, patting her back as she
sobbed and grieved. Over her head, his eyes met Daniel’s moist ones. “I think
that there’s been enough dwelling in the past and enough blame to go around for
all of us.” Gently pushing Moira away, he cradled her face in his hands and kissed
her on the cheek. “I’m sorry you had to go through that again to give me my
answers, but I’m glad you did because it helped me put things into perspective.
Thank you.”
    With a teary smile, Moira responded,
“Then it’s been worth it. You are a fine man, Todd.”
    Daniel threw a smile at the woman of his
heart and then a serious expression at Todd. “So, what is this perspective
you've gotten?” He looked questioningly at Todd. His voice held a firmness that
hinted at protectiveness. “Todd, as much as we want to do what’s right for you
and Amber, we can’t let it be at the expense of Bree’s happiness. She’s been
through too much already.” Daniel’s voice held