Shades of Gray Read Free

his
life.  Why?  Why couldn’t he compress his grip?
    Reece’s brows
drew together, obviously confused as to why he still breathed.  “Do it, Gray,”
he coaxed.  “Choke me.  With all of these witnesses, I will possess everything
you own.  Everything.” 
    Someone pulled
on his arm, and Gray released his hold.  Mr. Shields’ held Gray’s battered
package up to him.  His eyes held no contempt, only understanding.
    Gray accepted
both and pushed past Reece, scraping the crate against him as he left.  He
burst outside and hurried down the sidewalk, gulping air as he walked.  Turning
a corner, he collapsed against the brick wall.  Unable to face another pointing
finger, he closed his eyes and waited for his body to stop trembling.  Although
the throbbing in his ears continued to pound, his pulse finally subsided.  He
shifted the weight of the heavy crate.  Why didn’t he leave it in the carriage
before dodging out of sight?  One man had removed everything good from his
life, and Reece’s mocking laughter had fueled five years of Gray’s blinding
rage.  Mr. Shields was wrong.  Gray didn’t have control of his temper where
Reece Mullins was concerned.  He only had contempt and hatred for the man. 
Still, there was no need to reignite community animosity.  He breathed deep and
pushed himself away from the building.  His carriage was one block away, he
could find rest there.  He tightened his arm around the crate and rounded the
corner.  Something unexpectedly soft blocked his path.  Lowering his box, he
looked to see what damage he had caused with his carelessness.
    In front of
him, a woman stumbled backward, tripping over her dropped satchels.  Her arms
flailed the air, grasping for anything to break her fall.  Landing with a thud,
an oversized straw hat fell from her head, revealing long, golden blonde hair. 
Gray dropped his box to the ground and bent to help her up.  Accepting his
hand, she stood to her feet.
    “Please
forgive me,” she said, and scrambled to gather her bags.  “I didn’t mean to. .
. ”  She righted the overturned cases and lined them up next to her. 
    Wind blew and
caught her hat, blowing it against Gray’s legs.  His stomach fluttered and he
froze.  It had only been a twinge, but it struck like a lightning bolt.  He
stared down at the woman rummaging for her belongings.  How could a strange
woman stir something in him he thought long dead?  Rattled, he picked up her
hat and handed it to her. 
    “Thank you,”
she said.  She tilted her head and blinked large green eyes up at him.  “I
should have paid closer attention to where I was walking.”
    “There’s no
need to apologize.  The fault is mine.”  He glanced around to see if someone
searched for her.  Except for the few passersby who held to the opposite side
of the street, they were relatively alone.  Rain spattered the dry roadway,
spotting the dirt with pea-sized divots.  Gray touched her elbow and guided her
under an awning.  He glanced up at the sky and then back to her.  From the
heaviness of the drops, she should have time to reach her destination without
being drenched.  “May I direct you?” he asked.
    Her brows drew
together and she stepped closer.  She touched her hand to his arm.  “By any
chance, are you Reece Mullins?”
    Gray
stiffened, his anger rising.  “I am not,” he stated flatly.
    She bent her
arms to cover her chest, and her fingers fluttered the lace on the front of her
dress.  “I’m sorry,” she said.  “I didn’t mean to presume.  It’s only, my name
is Katherine Bailey and I am to meet Mr. Mullins at the general store, but was
delayed.  When I saw you, I thought he had come to look for me.”
    Gray stepped
to the side and pointed to a spot down the street.  “You will find him there.”
    She bobbed a
thank you and hurried to her belongings. From the bulging sides of the canvas,
it appeared as though everything she owned was crammed into the