Secret Vow Read Online Free PDF

her back, molding to her spine to urge her against the broad, solid warmth of his chest. Responding with equal ardour, she wrapped her arms over his shoulders to smooth her palms along the sinewy planes of his back.
    Once they parted, Brooke had no idea how much time had passed, and didn’t much care. Easing her hold on Ian, she studied his face, the hunger in his eyes blatant even in the evening dark.
    A slow smile curved his mouth. “You’re completely forgiven,” he said thickly.
    Brooke stared at him, needing a moment to remember just what he was forgiving her for. Oh yes, hurting his feelings back in high school. She uttered a shuddery laugh, letting the lightness in her heart push away the fear that her larger transgression would not be so readily absolved.
    “We should go back,” she said, unsure how she’d manage to walk on legs that felt as sturdy as rubber bands. “And I should go home.”
    “I suppose you’re right,” Ian agreed, his voice laced with reluctance. Twining his fingers through hers, he led her out from under the tree and toward the lights of the marina that guided them back to his house.

     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
    Faith waited outside, gently rolling her son’s stroller back and forth on the sloped driveway. By the time Brooke joined them, the baby had drifted to sleep, his blond head lolled against one shoulder and his lips puckered slightly open.
    Faith’s appearance had brightened considerably since the previous day at the funeral, a broad smile readily gracing her lips as she greeted her old friend. Her long curls, worn loose about her shoulders, framed her face with hues of russet and gold that gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. She looked more like her old self, though thinner than she ought to be.
    “He’s adorable, Faith. He’s just perfect,” Brooke whispered, bending to gaze at the plump baby boy in denim overalls splayed under a blanket in the stroller. She thought he resembled his father more than Faith, though the copper highlights in his hair came courtesy of his mother’s Scottish heritage.
    “You don’t have to whisper, he’s out like a light,” Faith said, as the women strolled side by side along the shoulder of the road, headed for the boutiques that lined Main Street, several blocks away. “When are you going to settle down and make a few babies of your own?”
    “I don’t exactly have a schedule for it.” To this point in her life, Brooke hadn’t given motherhood much thought—though it was impossible to turn thirty without letting the prospect enter one’s mind. “Anyway, seeing as I’m unemployed and unattached, babies aren’t at the top of my mind.”
    “From what I heard, you were a rising star at your job. Why’d you quit?”
    She was used to the question by now, but still lacked a satisfactory answer. “I guess it just wasn’t what I wanted.”
    “What do you want?” Faith persisted.
    Brooke lifted one shoulder noncommittally. “I’ll have to figure that out before I go back.”
    They walked for a moment in silence, save for the rhythmic crunch of their shoes on the gravel, alongside the intermittent squeak of the stroller wheels. Other than having a child with them, it reminded Brooke of the hundreds of walks they’d taken as girls, to the river, the shops, the beach or McKitrick park—the destination hadn’t mattered, as long as they were together.
    Finally Faith asked, “So how long are you staying?”
    “I haven’t decided. Long enough to spend some time with you, I hope.”
    “Making up for a decade of neglect?” Catching a look of surprise from Brooke, Faith added quickly, “I’m only kidding. I’m being selfish, I know. But it was hard for me after you left. My mom had just passed away, and I felt like everyone had abandoned me.”
    Brooke winced, knowing she deserved a harsher reprimand than her old best friend was willing to dish out. “I’m the one who’s been selfish,” she admitted. “I