Jake's Bride Read Free Page B

he hadn't been enough for her.  His love hadn't been enough.  She'd wanted more.  She'd wanted something he couldn't give her because in giving her a child, he would have given himself unending heartache.  His grief over his dead son hadn't lessened, it had taken a deeper foothold.  Sara's broken promise had made him more guarded, and he knew he'd built an impenetrable shell around his heart.
    So why did Sara's presence in his house make that shell feel not quite as secure, as if it needed another layer?
    Jake glanced at her again.  If he looked too hard, too long, he might feel something that after she left again could only hurt him more.  She was so damn pretty.  Those big blue eyes once filled with optimism and sparkling enthusiasm now reflected sadness and something else he couldn't put his finger on.  But it didn't matter.  After tomorrow he'd never see her again.
    He opened the door for her.  When she stepped over the threshold onto the porch, he called, "Sara?"
    She turned.
    "Don't go to any trouble tomorrow.  I won't be able to stay.  I have appointments later in the afternoon."
    As soon as he saw her disappointment, he regretted his abrupt words.  She looked as if she was about to say something, but then changed her mind.  Instead, she nodded.  "I'll see you tomorrow around one."
    Jake watched her walk down the path to her car, wishing he could deny her effect on him, wishing tomorrow over so feelings he'd kept in check for four years could stay buried.
    #
    Jake walked up the steps to the house Jennie Standish had rented, remembering the last time he'd left it the night Sara had called off their wedding.
    He'd thought he was over her.  He'd thought he'd gone on with his life.  But just one look at her, the scent of her, the lift of her brow when she was unsure, was enough to make every nerve in his body need.  And not just any woman, but her. He hadn't slept last night.  Not that insomnia was new to him.  But too many memories had come crashing back.
    When he rang the doorbell, Sara answered immediately.  She must have been waiting.  She was dressed in a navy top and shorts that wasn't intentionally seductive, but showed off  her slim figure.  Had she lost weight?  He'd always liked her short hair, but he had to admit the longer style was sensually enticing.  He wanted to touch it, to brush her cheek, to—
    He gave himself a mental kick.
    "Come in," she said softly.
    That damn soft voice.  He'd never heard it raised in anger.  "I can't stay long."  He knew he was curt, but he had to watch every response, every syllable, every thought.
    She led him to the living room couch.  He chose a side chair.  Not commenting, she lifted a small felt pouch from the coffee table.  "This is what Mom wanted you to have."
    Her fingers brushed his palm and the years slipped away.  Heat forked through him and he remembered the night they'd made love.  He'd never forget that night as long as he lived--the intimacy, the closeness, the sheer pleasure.
    Focusing on the pouch, he opened it and shook the contents into his hand.  A gold watch.  Her father's watch.  A lump formed in Jake's throat.
    "Sara, I don't know what to say."
    "You don't have to say anything.  I think Mom had a reason for giving that to you."
    He heard the seriousness in Sara's voice and his investigative senses went on alert.  More was going on here than a bequest.  Sara had come back into his life for some reason.  "Why did she give it to me?"
    He watched Sara's breasts rise and fall as she took a deep breath.  "I've been living in Wasco, Jake.  When Mom died, I wasn't with her.  It was a heart attack, out of the blue..."  Her words faded and she blinked away emotion.
    He wanted to comfort her, but he knew better and stayed put.  "Sara?"
    She regained her composure.  "When Mom died, I had to rethink decisions I'd made.  Decisions that involved you."
    He cocked his head and listened intently, to hear what she wasn't