LOVING ELLIE Read Free Page B

her child was old enough to receive and care for such a special keepsake.
    She lowered her hand with a grateful smile.  “Thank you.” 
    He nodded.
    “Look,” she said, needing to understand, “I don’t know why you stayed away for so long-”
    “Jarrett didn’t tell you?” he said, the surprise clear in his voice.
    Of course he would be surprised.  She’d been his brother’s fiancée.  It was only natural Lucas would think she knew the details of his past.
    “No,” she said, shaking her head.  Not really.
    He made no attempt to explain his reasons for leaving to her.  Not that it was any of her business.  Another reason she hadn’t pressed Jarrett for more.
    “You were Jarrett’s only family,” she said, exhaustion setting her on edge.  Details or not, she knew Lucas Tanner had abandoned his brother, something she was an expert on.  “How could you have missed his memorial service?”
    His frown returned.  “I didn’t know about it.”
    He was actually going to stand there and lie to her of all people?  “I called your cell – three times.  Are you telling me you didn’t receive any of my messages?”
    His frown deepened.  “That’s exactly what I’m saying.  I didn’t have service where I was.  The messages never came through.  At least none from a woman claiming to be my brother’s fiancée.  Believe me, I would have remembered that one.”
    “Then how did you know to come home?”
    “My mail was being held for me while I was away in Venezuela on a job.  When I returned to Brazil a few days ago and picked up my mail there was a letter from my brother’s attorney telling me what happened.”  He looked away as if it pained him to speak about it. 
    “I’m sorry,” she said with a weary sigh.  “I had no right to judge you so harshly.  I’m just overly tired this evening.  It’s been a long couple of weeks.”
    “I can imagine,” he said with an empathetic nod.  “Losing someone you care about, especially when they’re too young to die, can take a heavy toll on those left behind.”
    “How about we start again?”  She held out her hand.  “I’m Ellie Sanders.”
    He reached for it, curling his much larger fingers around her smaller ones.  “Lucas Tanner, but then you already know that.”

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
    Lucas’s gaze dropped down to their locked hands and a frown moved over his face.  “Your hand is freezing.”
    She frowned, tugging free of his grasp.  “I just came in a little while ago from seeing to the animals.”
    “That explains the water.”
    “What?”
    He pointed to the puddle that had pooled atop the polished wooden planks at the foot of the sofa.
    She frowned as she stared at the mess she’d made.  “I should have taken my boots off.”  Only she’d been too tired.
    “It’s only water.  I’m more concerned about your hands.  They’re not going to warm up anytime soon with the heat turned down so low.”
    “It’s not turned down,” she admitted.  “The heater hasn’t been working like it should the past few days and I haven’t had a chance to call for service on it.”  And then there was the issue of money.  She didn’t have the extra for repairs at the moment.  Besides, the fireplace, when she didn’t let it burn down as it was now, kept the temperature in the house bearable.
    “I’ll take a look and with any luck we’ll have it up and running the way it should.”
    Luck?   Did such a thing really exist?
    He glanced toward the dying fire.  “In the meantime, we need to get that fire going again.” 
    Ellie followed his gaze to the fading embers.  She’d seen to the horses and collected eggs from the coop, but in her haste to get in out of the bitter cold she’d forgotten to bring in more firewood.  And at that point all she’d wanted to do was sleep.
    She watched as he walked over to the stone-encased fireplace and grabbed the long iron poker from its hook on the wall. 
    He