Free Cross My Heart by Abigail Strom Page B

God, I can’t even imagine it. I can see why Allison does the work she does.”
    Jenna slid her hands into her pockets as she looked out into the night. It was so quiet she could almost hear her own heart beating.
    She’d been eighteen when Megan got the cancer diagnosis, and twenty-one when she died. One of her biggest regrets was that she hadn’t spent more time at home during those years. She’d buried herself in music, and even though she’d come home as often as she could between concerts and recording sessions, the truth was, she could have done more. The band had offered to cancel tour dates so she could take a break, but she’d said no.
    Her twin brother, Jake, had just enlisted in the Army when Megan got sick, so there was no way he could have come home. But she could have.
    “Did I say something wrong?” Michael asked after a minute.
    She shook her head, wondering why all her insecurities were rising to the surface tonight. “I was just thinking it’s a shame Allison’s taken. The two of you would make a perfect couple. You’ve both dedicated your lives to helping other people.”
    He shrugged. “I think Allison’s great, but there was never any attraction there.”
    That was all he said, but unspoken words seemed to hang in the air between them. The silence felt charged, and a tingle of awareness made her conscious of every inch of skin as the porch swing moved slowly back and forth.
    When it came to summer nights, Iowa had Chicago beat. The sweet scent of freshly mown grass…the soft breeze against her face…the music of the crickets. She tried to focus on that and not the big male body just a foot or two away from her. After a few minutes she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
    She jerked upright when she felt Michael’s arm slide behind her shoulders.
    “Sorry,” he said when she turned startled eyes on him. “I just thought you’d be more comfortable with a head rest.”
    She hesitated.
    “It’s all right,” he said softly. “Go ahead and lean back. Close your eyes again.”
    So she leaned back, a little cautiously at first but then relaxing against his strong arm. He shifted, and after a moment she found herself sitting sideways on the swing, her head resting against the place where his chest met his shoulder.
    It was incredibly comfortable, but she had no desire to close her eyes. Her pulse was racing too fast for that.
    He smelled so good. No cologne or after shave—just clean male skin.
    After a few minutes he began to stroke her hair. His caress was light, gentle, sending waves of sensation through her body.
    Then his thumb brushed against her earlobe. Shivers ran down her spine like water, and she made an almost helpless sound of pleasure.
    His hand froze in her hair. Jenna stopped breathing, and they both went still.
    “I should be heading home,” she said after a long moment, rising to her feet without looking at him.
    After a few seconds he got up, too.
    He walked her home, as she’d known he would. And he looked down at her again, like he had last night, in the dim glow of the light above her back door.
    “Good night, Jenna. And thanks again for tomorrow.”
    She nodded. “No problem. Tell Claire I’ll see her at two o’clock.” She reached for the doorknob, her hand shaking a little, and when the door stuck a surge of panic went through her.
    It opened with a jerk. Michael hadn’t moved a muscle during her brief struggle, though she’d been very conscious of his big body looming behind her. His expression was hard to read when she met his eyes one more time.
    “Good night,” she said, disappearing inside as quickly as she could.
    She went straight through the kitchen and up the stairs, putting as much physical distance between her and Michael as possible.
    Wasted effort. Standing in her bedroom, taking deep breaths while her heart thumped in her chest, she wasn’t sure Australia would be far enough away to dull her attraction to this man.
    She didn’t