Wedding at Willow Lake Read Online Free PDF

this?” Her voice climbed a few decibels to match the deafening thud of her heart. She grasped his hand, afraid she might fall if she let go. “Why now?”
    “You need to know. I want you to know. It’s only fair.”
    “Nothing is fair—not where we’re concerned.”
    “Even so…” A single, callused knuckle skimmed her cheek, his gaze a flash of lightning as it drank her in. “Why did you come here today?”
    “I told you.” She swallowed hard against the growing lump in her throat. “I brought you lunch.”
    “And that’s all? That’s the only reason?”
    “I’m not sure.” Her nerves were tangled, and her brain refused to function beyond the most basic tasks—breathe, beat, blink. “I thought that was all. But now…”
    “Tell me, Cate. I need to know what you’re feeling. Right here, right now. You know I’ve never minced words and neither have you. So let’s lay everything out on the table, set the record straight and go from there. It’s the only way.”
    “I know. You’re right.” She pulled back from him and turned to pace the length of the office. Solid oak planks lined the floor, and she imagined Brody had helped Mason lay the wood with his own hands. The sweet, musky scent of sawdust had a calming effect. “When I saw you again last night, Brody—”
    Catherine’s cell phone suddenly exploded in a fast-paced ring tone coupled with an earth-shattering vibration, startling them both. Catherine’s hand trembled as she pressed it to her hip to still the annoying quake.
    “Leave it.” Brody admonished. “We have to talk.”
    “I have to take this.” She held up a single finger and reached into the pocket of her jeans. “It’s the clinic, and that’s my emergency ring.”
    “Take it, then.” Brody nodded.
    She hesitated only a moment before lifting the phone to her ear as it rang once more.
    “But I have more to say, and I’d like some answers.” He held her gaze as he stepped back to let her engage the call. “We’re not finished here, Cate. Not by a long shot.”
     
     
     
     

5
     
    Brody watched Catherine move through the front waiting area of the clinic, straightening magazines along the coffee table and switching off overhead lights. The soft glow of a security beam streamed from the hallway, bathing her in milky shadows as she removed a stethoscope and set it on the reception desk before shimmying from her lab coat and draping it over the desk chair. She released her hair from an elastic band and ran her fingers from crown to ends, smoothing the silky strands, before reaching into her pocket for a tube of lip gloss.
    Brody tapped the clinic’s window glass and Catherine’s head shot up. Her gaze caught his, and her mouth rounded into a slight oh of surprise as her hand slipped and applied gloss to her nose instead of her lips.
    Cute, he thought, as she crossed the room to unlock the entrance door, swiping at the berry-pink shade. Cute and a handful, too.
    “That color looks good on you.”
    “Thanks.” She pulled a tissue from her pocket and swiped once more, removing any remnants that were off the mark. “You startled me. I missed my lips.”
    “I can help you with your aim. We could practice.”
    “Brody…”
    “There you go again, saying my name. I have to admit it sounds pretty good, coming from you.”
    “Please. Be serious.” She stutter-stepped back from him. “I work here.”
    “Yes, and you’re the boss.”
    “Someone might come in.” Her voice was breathy and light as the dimple along her cheek deepened. “Then what?”
    “Is that all your worried about? I’ll lock the door.” He turned back, flipped the latch. “There you go. It’s done.”
    “I’m serious. And, no, that’s not all I’m worried about. You make me feel…”
    He took a tentative step toward her, scratching his chin. “Feel what?”
    “Hungry. I’m starving.” She sidestepped, turning to switch off the reception area lights. “If I remember right, I missed