Free Lakeside Romance by Lisa Jordan Page A

let out a sigh and waited for a response, and she handed him the key.
    Instead of speaking, Alec’s eyes searched her face. What was he thinking?
    * * *
    He took the key from her, but instead of pocketing it, he gave her hand a gentle tug, catching her off guard. She stumbled toward him and placed her palms against his chest to keep from falling. His heart pounded against her hand.
    He gripped her arms gently, then gathered her against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he leaned down and whispered, his breath warming her ear, “You did an incredibly sweet thing for Uncle Emmett.”
    Sarah should’ve pushed away, but she liked the feel of his strong arms around her. The scent of his cologne tangled in the threads of his button-down shirt, and the rhythmic beating of his heart seeped through her, patching cracks and empty spaces in her heart.
    She needed to get a grip. It was only a hug of gratitude. Nothing more.
    But, deep down, if she cared to admit her true feelings, she’d confess the hug felt like more...at least, to her.
    And she wasn’t quite sure how to handle that. She wasn’t going to allow herself to fall for her landlord. A man who was battling his own issues. Somehow, though, she needed to convince her heart of that decision.

Chapter Six
    S arah’s decision wasn’t going to make Alec happy. And he had a valid reason for not wanting to get involved with teens again, but what choice did she have? Surely she could get him to see reason. Besides, it was only for the night. So where was the harm in that?
    But she couldn’t shake the vulnerability she’d seen in his eyes that first day of the program when he’d shared his past. Maybe it would be all right as long as she kept the boys away from him. And they were such good kids, too. Definitely not troublemakers.
    Sarah sat in the bentwood rocker in Daniel and Toby’s living room and dug her bare toes into the beige carpet. Despite the hand-stitched quilt thrown over the back of the chair, she could feel the holes in the caning.
    Screams and laughter from the other kids in the mobile-home park filtered in through the open window. She’d have to remember to close it once the boys were done gathering their things, but for now it cleared the stuffy air tinged with humidity, canned air freshener and despair.
    Family photos in dollar-store frames hung on the paneled wall above the worn flowered couch with wooden arms. Embroidered throw pillows reminded her of the ones she’d seen at Alec’s uncle’s house. A laptop sat on a scarred end table next to the couch.
    Her heart went out to Nancy, the boys’ grandma. She was doing the best she could on her limited income. After losing her daughter and son-in-law at Christmas, she’d been trying to make ends meet for them while waitressing—that is, until the restaurant where she’d worked closed.
    Judging by the worn, outdated furnishings and Toby’s shirts and shorts that appeared to be a size too small, money wasn’t stretching very far.
    Daniel and Toby came into the living room with bulging backpacks slung over their shoulders. Daniel reached behind the couch, unplugged the cord and stuffed the computer into his backpack. “We’re ready.”
    Sarah closed the windows, followed the boys outside and waited while Daniel locked the front door.
    Less than ten minutes later, Sarah pulled into her driveway. Her heart sank. The open garage door revealed Alec’s luxury sedan parked in the left bay. Even though she couldn’t see him, he couldn’t be too far away.
    Maybe they could make a mad dash for the apartment without him catching them. But she wasn’t doing anything wrong. Not really.
    She shut off the ignition and dropped her keys in her purse. Tossing a smile at the boys, she jerked her head toward the house. “Come on, guys. I’ll give you the fifty-cent tour.”
    They scrambled out of the car,