Angel Falls (Angel Falls Series, #1), Babette Jongh [books for 6 year olds to read themselves .TXT] 📗

interfering, then you don’t get the chance to grow together the way Melody would have wanted. I’ve sacrificed part of my life to allow you to be absent from yours.”

“Angel.” I heard all the words he couldn’t say—I’m sorry, I love you, I’ll always love you, I wanted you but I couldn’t change what happened. “I didn’t mean to take advantage.”

“I know you didn’t. Everything I did for you or the kids, I did because I wanted to. Because I love them, and I loved Melody, and I’ll always love you, no matter what. ”

He tugged me close, and this time I let him.

“Even though you’re an idiot,” I felt I had to add, “a lot of the time.”

“Point taken.” We sat there for a while, absorbing each other’s energy. After a second, we moved apart. He leaned against the wall and I leaned against the stair rail. He nudged my knee with his, his blue eyes solemn. “Go on. I know you’re not done.”

I took a breath before the plunge. “The thing is, we all need to move on. And when you find someone to share your life, it needs to be because you love her more than you need her.”

“I’m not sure I agree, but I’m listening.” He reached for my hand, straightening out my fingers and stroking down their length the way Ian had done.

Ben’s touch imparted cool comfort. Ian’s had ignited passionate heat. “Ben, it’s my turn to find my soul mate.”

“You and the Newspaper Nazi?” Ben squeezed my hand.

“Don’t you ever tell Ian I called him that.” I scowled and pointed a finger at his face. “I know people who’d murder you for fifty dollars and toss you into the canal. And some owe me money for their kids’ ballet lessons.”

“I won’t.” But his promise was made with a grin that looked a little too devilish for my liking.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter,” I said. “Ian is leaving, and we all know how well long-distance relationships work out.”

Ben took my face in his hands and pinned me with his intense blue gaze. “I was stupid back then, punishing us all because I couldn’t have you in exactly the way I wanted. I won’t be that stupid again.” His hands slid from my face to my shoulders. “I understand that if you don’t try with Ian, you’ll always wonder what might have happened if you had. If he’s what you want, I’ll back off. At least for now. But if it doesn’t work out, I’ll be waiting.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Back home, before ten a.m. as Ben had promised, I dumped my dirty clothes into the washer and started weekend house-cleaning.

I planned to call Ian later, but first I was going to take this time alone, scrubbing and vacuuming and mopping and thinking. I had already made my decision, but I still needed to make peace with it. My ego rebelled against my heart’s choice, but I planned to offer to drive—Hell, I’d walk, if I had to—all the way to South Carolina on weekends. I was willing to work at building a lasting relationship. What I was not willing to do, was to be Ian’s no-strings-attached weekend-fuck-buddy. He could take me or leave me on those terms.

The church bells down the street signaled the end of the morning service. I didn’t hear the doorbell, but Lizzie’s happy bark announced Ian’s tall, broad-shouldered form standing behind the thick beveled glass door.

I’d been cleaning for a good hour and a half, so I looked like a dirt-smeared homeless person. I wrenched open the door and faced him with a belligerent yet hopeful stare. “Yes?”

He grinned a sexy, lopsided grin that was totally unwarranted given the fact that we weren’t exactly on speaking terms. “Hi.”

I cocked my weight back on one hip and pretended I was wearing motorcycle leathers instead of slouchy socks and ratty sweats. “Your dime, start talking.”

He shouldered past me, petting Lizzie on the head and breathing all the air in my living room. “Pack a bag for the night.”

I drew myself up. “What makes you think I’m going anywhere with you?”

He strode down the hall, veering into the laundry nook to pick up the empty duffel bag I’d left in front of the washer. “I’m not asking permission.” He marched into my bedroom and tossed the duffel onto the freshly-made bed. “I’ll kidnap you, if that’s what it takes to make you listen to me.”

“You’ve had success with this caveman attitude in the past?” I trotted after him, hovering in my bedroom doorway while he opened my closet door.

“Where’s that black velvet dress?”

“I have no idea which dress you’re talking about,” I lied, remembering his fully clothed body spread across my naked one.

“Ah, here it is.” He took down a hanger and whipped off the dress, then wadded the velvet into a ball and stuffed it into the duffel.

“Wait!” I rushed forward and retrieved the dress, holding it against me to fold it properly. “You’ll wrinkle it.” Washable velvet didn’t wrinkle easily, but he didn’t know that.

“Underwear.”

Turning toward my dresser, he opened the top drawer and took out the first scrap of fabric he touched, a tattered old pair of yellowed granny panties I reserved for the heaviest days of my period.

“Not those!” I snatched them out of his hand and buried them at the bottom of the drawer.

Ian backed off and crossed his arms over his chest. “You pack, then.”

I brushed past him and took out black thongs, a lacy, high-rise pair with just enough spandex for tummy control. “Where are we going?”

He looked smug. “I’m not telling.”

I eyed him. He wore a tan cotton sweater that draped deliciously over every ridge of his divine torso, and tight-enough faded gray jeans. “Do I get to change before we go?”

He eyed me right back, his gaze roaming over my sweaty, tangled hair and grimy, holey sweats. “Do what you want. You look fine to me.”

It would serve him right if I didn’t bother to change clothes.