The Sweetest Love (Love Conquers All Book 5) Read Online Free PDF

commented as she looked at her daughter over the tiny table for two.
    Giving her mom a tiny smile, Roxy picked up the salad bowl with one hand and the tongs with the other, placing a second helping of spring greens on her plate. Setting the bowl and tongs down, she shrugged her shoulder. “No reason.”
    Roxy lowered her eyes as she picked up her fork and speared a cherry tomato. She didn’t like lying to her mother, but she wasn’t about to bring up her run-in with Adam. It had been almost three weeks since he held her close, whispering words of comfort to her wounded soul. And each time she thought about how she ended up in his arms, waves of embarrassment would wash over her.
    What had possessed her to literally propel herself into the arms of the man who had treated her like crap as a child? She had sworn never to speak to Adam West for the rest of her life. She had pretty much accomplished that sworn oath. After that night he exploded on her, hurting her beyond anything she had ever felt in her ten little years, she had refused to step foot in the West home.
    But after two weeks of not seeing or playing with her best friend she was absolutely miserable. To elude her tormentor, Abby came up with the bright idea to blindfold Roxy and lead her to Abby’s bedroom like a seeing-eye dog to keep from looking at his ugly face. This little arrangement worked until Abby became severely ill and had to be hospitalized.
    The first time her mother had taken her to see Abby on the pediatric unit, her stomach was a mess of tied up knots at the fear of seeing Adam. Fortunately for her, Adam was at some afterschool sports activity. The angels must have been watching over her because each time she’d gone for a visit he wasn’t there. It wasn’t until the most dreadful day of her life that she had seen Adam. And even then she was too consumed with grief to give him a second thought.
    Fast forward sixteen years and out of nowhere Adam West is the lone person to ever come close to truly empathizing with her pain. Sure her mom and Abby’s parents had held her and provided a measure of comfort. But it was Adam who she truly felt understood her grief.
    She had pondered that perhaps it was because they both had a sibling connection with Abby. Or it could have been that they both were way too young to experience such a devastating loss. Or maybe it was that they both felt guilty because they had grown into adulthood and Abby never had a chance.
    Roxy had tossed and turned every night remembering the warmth and safety of his arms. She had stayed there for what seemed like forever just soaking up and drawing healing from his strength. Once contact was broken, it was the strangest thing… whatever ill feelings she had toward him were suddenly insignificant. Why was she holding on to this grudge anyway? Wasn’t it time to let all of that old baggage go? After all, they were adults and just needed to move on.
    Reba studied her child. Letting out a soft sigh, she thought, she is such a bad liar. She wouldn’t push Roxy to tell her what was on her mind. This time of the year was always tough on her daughter. She had never fully gotten over the death of her childhood friend. But she had learned not to let the loss totally consume her life.
    Those early years after Abby’s death had been nerve wracking. Watching her child go into a deep depression at such a young age was heartbreaking. She should have been playing with children her age and not sitting alone in a dark room crying inconsolably. Reba had no idea what to do until the school counselor suggested counseling. The counselor explained that a traumatic experience at such a young age could potentially have a negative effect on the child.
    As a single mom struggling to make it, there never was extra money for anything, not even emergencies. Taking the school counselor’s advice she pleaded with her boss for a few extra hours a week to be able to afford the weekly sessions. Making that