Falling Hard Read Free Page A

hers but I couldn't look away. I was drawn to her. Before I knew it, I'd crossed the floor and sat beside her.
     
    “Why are you here?”
     
    Wasn't that obvious? “Please, come back home with me,” I said awkwardly.
     
    She shook her head. “I’m going home.”
     
    “Jim said you had no home or money,” I reminded her.
     
    “Jim said a lot of things that weren’t true,” she answered softly, her eyes filling with tears. She looked away from me, then without another word, she got up and hurried out of the station.
     
    Okay. This running after her was getting old. This time I should really let her go. Instead, ignoring the stares of the few people around us, I followed her. I caught up with her before she’d gone more than a few feet. When she realized I was there, she stopped and turned to look up at me.
     
    “Will you just go away and leave me alone?”
     
    I would if I'd have an ounce of common sense and even a modicum amount of self-preservation.
     
    “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to take any of this anger out on you.” I stopped. What the hell was I apologizing for? What had I done? “My problem isn’t with you. It’s with Jim. There’s no need for you to feel that you’re alone.”
     
    “I am alone!” she said.
     
    Not as long as I was alive. “You're not.”
     
    She nodded. “I wanted so desperately to believe your brother when he said he cared about me.”
     
    “He does.”
     
    “Then why am I standing on this corner alone while he's off in L.A?”
     
    “You're not alone. I'm on this corner with you.”
     
    “Don't try to take up for him. I was stupid not to realize what he was after. He got that and now I'm back where I was before I met him--alone.” Her lips trembled. “I’ve always been alone. Always.”
     
    I should have known I was in over my head when I found myself pleading with her. “You’re not alone now, Tanya. You don’t ever need to be alone again.”
     
    She stared at me, tears in her eyes.
     
    I offered her my hand. “Please. I promise you can trust me.”
     
    She shook her head and took a step away from me. “You don’t want me there,” she said.
     
    I shouldn't, but God help me, I did.
     
    “You think I’m some kind of tramp, too stupid to keep herself out of trouble.”
     
    At that moment, I didn't care what she was or her level of intelligence. I just wanted her to come back with me. “I--”
     
    “So why are you here?”
     
    I let my hand drop to my side. “I don’t think that. I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. It’s just that this whole thing has been a shock. I didn't even know you existed until last night.” And now I was so desperate to get her to return home with me, I was begging. No wonder Jim had fallen so hard for her. “I always thought I’d be a father before I was an uncle.” I extended my hand again. “Let me be here for you.”
     
    For a long time she stood there searching my eyes, wanting to believe, wanting to trust.
     
    God only knew what my gaze revealed, but I guess I'd managed to mask my interest because after several moments, she slowly lifted her hand.
     
    I took it in mine. I felt a rush of desire and struggled against the impulse to lift it to my lips and kiss it. I settled for giving it what I hoped what a gentle and reassuring squeeze.
     
    “Please, Tom…”
     
    Sensing her vulnerability, I took her in my arms and whispered, “I won’t let you down. I promise.”
     
    When she burrowed against me, it was all I could do not to shudder. It was going to be a long, long few weeks before Jim returned home. But as I walked her back to the station to get her bags and drove her home, I knew I wouldn't have had it any other way.
     
    She was quiet and withdrawn on the ride home and I worried that she might suspect how I felt. I wanted to reassure her that I wasn't Jim and she'd be safe with me-but feared scaring her off. I remained silent.
     
    Back home, she went into Jim's room