Free Full Circle by Jennifer Simpkins, Peri Elizabeth Scott Page A

don’t leave your … girlfriend too long. Or I’d ask you in for a drink.” Ellie inched backward.
    Heath forced his rebuttal back down his throat where it belonged. There had been jealousy behind that sarcastic comment about Melissa, and maybe some wishful thinking. He badly wanted to tell Ellie that his “girlfriend” could wait, that women waited on him willingly, and he’d have that drink. A stupid part of him wanted to lay those damn cards out on the table, confront her with her perfidy of thirteen years, three months and … eleven days ago. He wanted to ask her why she’d cheated on him, ask her what happened to the baby, and above all, ask why she hadn’t simply told him. He liked to believe he’d have been man enough to figure it out with her if only she’d told him, and he wouldn’t have hit the road because of his pride and humiliation. Instead, he sniped back. “Probably better you and I don’t spend any time together. It might give people around here ideas, not to mention you might want to work your wiles again.”
    “Heath!” Mia scrambled in front of him and punched him in the belly. If he didn’t work out every day she’d have doubled him over. As it was, her fist freaking hurt. When she followed it with a left, he caught her hand and lowered it to her side. She glared at him.
    “If working my wiles would mean being willing to share my body with you and giving you my heart again, Heath, then you’re safe. I’m hardly that stupid—or masochistic. Lock up after yourself, Mia.” Ellie made a dignified exit, but not before he marked her pallor and the tears standing in her eyes.
    “You’re an asshole.” Mia’s accusation hardly penetrated as he stared after Ellie’s retreating form. Her body? Not quite all of it. She’d given that to some other dude. And her heart? Not likely.
    “Let’s go. She doesn’t even want me here thanks to you. First time I ever regretted having a brother.” Mia shepherded him out the door like a feisty little border collie and he allowed it. It was preferable to acting the coward and running away. Again.
    They walked in silence to the car, and once they were inside and driving to Bodacious Blooms , his sister spoke up. “What the hell was that all about? What did Ellie ever do to you to deserve that crack?”
    “None of your business.”
    “I’m making it my business. My brother comes home after forever and still isn’t willing to forgive dad. Oh, don’t think I didn’t notice, Heath. I bet you haven’t even talked things out. Haven’t even tried. You’re all the family I’ve got, you selfish …” Her tirade faded off as the unmistakable sound of tears made her voice catch. He felt worse than shit.
    “I’ll talk to him.” There. Maybe she’d be satisfied.
    A gentle press on his forearm told him he’d gained some modicum of forgiveness. But of course Mia pushed her luck. “What happened with Ellie? She’s missed you. And she’s a mess now you’re back.”
    How much to share? Did he want to impact her friendship with Ellie in a negative way? “That’s really between her and me, munchin.”
    “But she has no idea why you left. I know she thinks she did something wrong but can’t figure it out. At the very least you owe her an explanation. I thought it was because you thought you were too old for her.”
    Ellie owed him ! Not that he’d given her the opportunity. He carefully answered his sister. “It wasn’t that. I learned something she should have told me herself.”
    “What?”
    “Back off, Mia.”
    To his surprise, she obeyed. “Okay. But now that all this time has passed you might want to ask her why she didn’t say anything if it was that serious. I’d be dying of curiosity.”
    Making a noncommittal sound, he stopped in front of the flower shop. “I’ll walk you in.”
    “But—”
    “I’ll walk you.” There was no sign of anyone lurking about or anything suspicious, but he’d feel better, and for sure his dad