Love Like You've Never Been Hurt

Love Like You've Never Been Hurt Read Free Page B

Book: Love Like You've Never Been Hurt Read Free
Author: SJ McCoy
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meet.”
    “I know, but you accidentally gave me the wonderful idea of
getting you two together.”
    “Forget about it, Em. I’m too busy with the store to
make room for a man right now, and by the sounds of it Pete has a
really busy life too. Between his construction empire, spending so
much time at the lake with his folks and your little gang of four I’m
sure he has no time for a relationship either.”
    Emma smiled sweetly and nodded her head.
    “Just leave it, OK?” said Holly.
    “Oh, I’ll be good. Anyways, enough man talk; they’re
more trouble than they’re worth. Tell me what’s going on
at the store.”
    The two chatted about Holly’s fashion boutique for a while,
always glad to catch up on each other’s lives. All too soon it
was time for Holly to leave, promising to be in touch soon.

    Jack headed to Pete’s on Friday afternoon, wondering what he
was letting himself in for. Did he really want to spend the weekend
in a sleepy little town by a lake, going to some teenager’s
birthday party? Would he even consider spending his summer up there?
If not, what was the point in going? Who was he trying to kid? He
knew what the point was. Ever since Tuesday he’d kept thinking
of Emma. Those eyes filled with concern when she’d thought he
might be hurt. Flashing with amusement as she’d slammed the
doors on Pete. The way he’d felt her heart beat when he held
her as they fell to the floor. The protective surge he’d felt
making sure she’d come to no harm. The other surge, the one in
his pants, as he’d held her soft body against him. The blush
that had spread across her neck and cheeks when he’d talked
about rolling around on the floor together. He shook his head, trying
to clear the images of her that kept crowding in.
    If he was honest with himself, he was going to the lake with Pete
because he wanted to see her again, plain and simple. At various
moments in the week he’d convinced himself that it was just to
prove himself wrong. That he’d see her and there would be
nothing there, only an attractive woman. The rest of the time, though
he was hoping, really hoping, that she would make him feel the way
she had on the floor of Pete’s office: amused, aroused,
protective, wanting to know more. He hadn’t felt any of those
things in a long while and had never before felt them all at the same
time about the same woman.
    He pulled into Pete’s driveway and grabbed his bag from the
back of his SUV. Pete came around the side of the house from the
pool.
    “Hey, man, you’re early. Eager to go?”
    Jack wasn’t about to admit how eager he was. “Yeah,
sorry. You know what the traffic’s like. Give yourself extra
time and you sail through.”
    “Not complaining. We can hit the road early, suits me fine.”
    The two of them loaded their gear into Pete’s truck and
headed out towards Summer Lake.

    Emma was so glad this week was almost over. All she had to do now
was get through this meeting with Carla and she’d be free for
the weekend. She was really looking forward to Scott’s birthday
party. She had almost resigned herself to never having children of
her own. She couldn’t imagine being a single parent, even
though Missy managed it so wonderfully. And since she was sworn off
men, remaining childless seemed a foregone conclusion. Her godson
Scott was as close as she would get and she loved him dearly.
    As she battled with the traffic once more on her way to Carla’s
oceanfront home she smiled as she thought of Missy. They’d been
in their senior year of high school when Missy had confided that she
was pregnant. At the time it had seemed like the end of the world for
her. The father had been a seasonal worker at the lake and had left
before Missy even knew she was pregnant. When Emma, Pete and Ben had
gone off to college, Missy had stayed behind to raise her son, and
she had raised a fine young man. Scott was quiet, a real computer
wizard and he loved his mom. Missy had made her three best

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