Over the Edge Read Online Free PDF Page B

your wife until you remember me, Seth.”
    Seth opened his mouth, no doubt to say something crazy. Callie touched his lips with one finger to stop him.
    “I came out here mostly because I was afraid you were dead. I wrote that letter to you on the long chance you might get it, but mainly I wanted to contact Rafe and Ethan. I thought it was fair that they knew they had a nephew and that they claimed him. There was trouble back in Texas and my pa died and I had nowhere else to go. You said you had a ranch out here and I wanted to give Connor whatever birthright goes with the Kincaid name. So I deliberately sent that letter and set out before your brothers could tell me to stay away. So I’m here and I’ve found my abandoning husband, and just like before, you seem drawn to me and eager to kiss me.”
    “I’m both.” Seth sounded fervent.
    “I believe you, but it’s not enough. You were both of those things before and you ran off as soon as you felt well enough, or maybe your nightmares drove you into the night, or maybe you’re just crazy. Whatever the truth is, you did it.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “And I’m not going to resume the whole of being married until I know I can trust you. I’m not going to be abandoned again, with another baby on the way. You shouldn’t be here in this bed with me. So yes, I’ll come to your cabin, but you, Seth Kincaid, are going to have to prove to me that you have a firm grip on your sanity.”
    “How do I do that?” He showed no signs of leaving the bed. His broad shoulders were bare and she could see his terrible scars.
    She fought the compassion he always awakened in her. “It’s the kind of challenge that’ll probably drive you crazy.”
    “How will we be able to tell?” Seth sighed. “Go back to sleep. As soon as you’re feeling better, we’ll head for home.” He adjusted the pillows and eased her onto her back.
    It wasn’t a satisfying end to this first real conversation she’d had with her husband in a long time. But there was no help for that. She shouldn’t even go to sleep and leave her son in the care of a lunatic. But she was too battered to stay awake, and if her husband ran off again, she’d at least be able to find his hopefully sane older brothers.
    Seth pulled her into his arms so gently it hurt her heart and that, combined with the beating she’d taken yesterday, helped her keep her mouth shut.
    As she fell asleep, she noticed he hadn’t moved away at all. In fact, he was closer than ever. He was warm and strong and gentle and so wounded she didn’t have the will to kick his backside out of her bed.
    And didn’t that just describe their whole relationship.

    Seth felt the licking flames. Fire crawled along the rock, following the line of spilled kerosene.
    It leaped at him, a living thing. His sleeve caught fire.
    He jerked awake. His heart pounded but the pain hadn’t come. And the screaming. Something had broken in just as the dreams started. Nightmares, not dreams. Not even close to dreams.
    He lay awake, alert as a western man—and a soldier—learns to be. But he couldn’t quite identify the noise he’d heard. It didn’t strike him as dangerous.
    Then he felt a tickle on his chin, and in the dark room, dimly lit by the moonlight, he saw dark curls and realized his arms held something.
    Someone.
    There was a woman in his arms. His heart flipped from fear to excitement, but it raced just as fast and slammed in his chest as his hold on her tightened.
    Who was she? Where was he? She fit in his arms so perfectly he felt like he’d come home in a way he’d never been before. Or maybe he was still dreaming.
    But his dreams were never like this.
    The sound again. What was it? Some little squeak.
    He wanted to revel in the feel of this woman, but the sound invaded his thoughts again and a tickle spooked him. He looked down toward his arm—the right one—the one not wrapped around a woman—and met the eyes of a child.
    Connor.
    Everything