Lakeside Reunion Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Lisa Jordan
pockets. âYou okay?â
She nodded. Without a word, she bent down to clean up her stuff. She tried to hide her fingers, but he noticed a slight tremble. So, he wasnât the only one affected by their collision.
Stephen retrieved the tube under the water fountain and realized it was her lipstick. He scooped up two dimes, a quarter and a few scattered pennies and jingled the loose change before handing it back to her.
She didnât want to take itâdidnât want to touch him. He could tell by the way she hesitated before opening her hand and allowed him to drop the coins into her palm.
The tips of his calloused fingers caressed her skin. Baby soft. An electric charge pulsed through his hand.
Lindsey tossed the change in her purse. Pushing her hair behind her ear, she stood, shielding her purse over her heart. âSorry for bumping into you. I wasnât watching where I was going. If youâll excuse me, I need to check on Mom.â She tried to brush past him.
âHey, Linds, hold on a second.â Stephen cupped her elbow. âSorry for barreling into you like that. Howâs she doing?â
She closed her eyes and backed out of his reach, bumping into the wall behind her. âI really need to go.â
âLindsey.â He spoke in a soft, patient tone that warned she wasnât going to win this one.
âStephen, why are you here? Why do you even care? Weâre history. Remember?â Her voice cracked on the last syllable. She cleared her throat and looked at him.
Stephen rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a half smile that his grandma used to claim could charm the gruff off a goat. âIâm not stalking you. My son fell and hurt his arm. And what happened between us doesnât mean I donât careâ¦about your mom.â
âIâm sorry about your son. I hope heâs okay.â
âThanks. Heâs a tough kid.â He laid a hand on her shoulder. âLet me know if I can help. With anything.â
Lindsey shrugged off his hand. Eyes blazing, she glared at him as if he was something disgusting she found on the bottom of her shoe. âYou can help by not touching me! You have no right. You lost it the day you chose her over me. Iâmsorry she d-died. No one should have to deal with that. But stillâ¦you have no right.â
Her words ping-ponged off the walls in the corridor and hovered over them like dust-covered cobwebs. Heat scorched his cheeks as if she had physically slapped him. He was only trying to help. Problem was, she didnât want his help. He needed to get that through his thick head.
Lindsey clapped a hand over her mouth and closed her eyes, but not before he saw the welling tears. She sagged against the wall.
Stephen shoved his hands in his pockets to prevent himself from reaching out for her again. Her vulnerability sucker punched him in the gut. Seeing her was an answer to many whispered prayers, but he had hoped for different circumstances. Grinding his teeth, he prayed for strength. For years, he fought to keep her memory from crippling him. Now he was going to be tested?
He forced himself to breathe. He had to fix this. Make it right. Rubbing a thumb and forefinger over his eyelids, he dropped his voice to a whisper. âYouâre right. Iâmâ¦sorry. I didnât mean to hurt you.â
âNo, I shouldnât have said that. It was mean and hurtful.â A tear squeezed between her lashes and drifted down her cheek.
âDonât worry about it.â He lifted his hand, then hesitated, not sure if sheâd slap his hand away again or not, but she looked as if she needed a friend. He thumbed away her tear and let his finger linger a second longer than it should have.
Lindsey turned her face away from his hand and took a step sideways. She tripped over a large potted plant next to the water fountain.
Stephen grabbed her before she fell. Before common sense could kick in, he
She nodded. Without a word, she bent down to clean up her stuff. She tried to hide her fingers, but he noticed a slight tremble. So, he wasnât the only one affected by their collision.
Stephen retrieved the tube under the water fountain and realized it was her lipstick. He scooped up two dimes, a quarter and a few scattered pennies and jingled the loose change before handing it back to her.
She didnât want to take itâdidnât want to touch him. He could tell by the way she hesitated before opening her hand and allowed him to drop the coins into her palm.
The tips of his calloused fingers caressed her skin. Baby soft. An electric charge pulsed through his hand.
Lindsey tossed the change in her purse. Pushing her hair behind her ear, she stood, shielding her purse over her heart. âSorry for bumping into you. I wasnât watching where I was going. If youâll excuse me, I need to check on Mom.â She tried to brush past him.
âHey, Linds, hold on a second.â Stephen cupped her elbow. âSorry for barreling into you like that. Howâs she doing?â
She closed her eyes and backed out of his reach, bumping into the wall behind her. âI really need to go.â
âLindsey.â He spoke in a soft, patient tone that warned she wasnât going to win this one.
âStephen, why are you here? Why do you even care? Weâre history. Remember?â Her voice cracked on the last syllable. She cleared her throat and looked at him.
Stephen rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a half smile that his grandma used to claim could charm the gruff off a goat. âIâm not stalking you. My son fell and hurt his arm. And what happened between us doesnât mean I donât careâ¦about your mom.â
âIâm sorry about your son. I hope heâs okay.â
âThanks. Heâs a tough kid.â He laid a hand on her shoulder. âLet me know if I can help. With anything.â
Lindsey shrugged off his hand. Eyes blazing, she glared at him as if he was something disgusting she found on the bottom of her shoe. âYou can help by not touching me! You have no right. You lost it the day you chose her over me. Iâmsorry she d-died. No one should have to deal with that. But stillâ¦you have no right.â
Her words ping-ponged off the walls in the corridor and hovered over them like dust-covered cobwebs. Heat scorched his cheeks as if she had physically slapped him. He was only trying to help. Problem was, she didnât want his help. He needed to get that through his thick head.
Lindsey clapped a hand over her mouth and closed her eyes, but not before he saw the welling tears. She sagged against the wall.
Stephen shoved his hands in his pockets to prevent himself from reaching out for her again. Her vulnerability sucker punched him in the gut. Seeing her was an answer to many whispered prayers, but he had hoped for different circumstances. Grinding his teeth, he prayed for strength. For years, he fought to keep her memory from crippling him. Now he was going to be tested?
He forced himself to breathe. He had to fix this. Make it right. Rubbing a thumb and forefinger over his eyelids, he dropped his voice to a whisper. âYouâre right. Iâmâ¦sorry. I didnât mean to hurt you.â
âNo, I shouldnât have said that. It was mean and hurtful.â A tear squeezed between her lashes and drifted down her cheek.
âDonât worry about it.â He lifted his hand, then hesitated, not sure if sheâd slap his hand away again or not, but she looked as if she needed a friend. He thumbed away her tear and let his finger linger a second longer than it should have.
Lindsey turned her face away from his hand and took a step sideways. She tripped over a large potted plant next to the water fountain.
Stephen grabbed her before she fell. Before common sense could kick in, he