Free Once More (Mercy Heart #1) by Madeline Rooks Page B

be around for months," Katelyn said weakly, trying to muster up a convincing smile.
    Knowing they were out of sight, Marc slipped his arms around her, kissing her forehead.  Feeling like her body would give out at any moment, she leaned into Marc’s arms, allowing his strength to support her.
    She wasn’t much for physical affection, and Marc certainly wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass by.  He tucked her in close and gently rubbed her back, pleased that she would turn to him.  Speaking softly, he said, "Darling, are you sure you're okay? I've never seen you so ruffled. Is it because of that Clem guy? What’s the story there?  Were you two together or something?"
    Or something, she thought. Should she tell Marc that Clem was her first love? That she had mourned the loss of him as if he had left the earth, instead of just Arkansas? That it had taken her two years to get back out there and try dating again? That she measured every man she'd been involved with since up to Clem, including Marc, and not one of them had come close to effecting her the way Clem had? And apparently, the way he still did, if her racing heart and the butterflies in her stomach were any indication.
    Clem had broken away from the group and followed Marc and Katelyn unnoticed to their present location. He leaned his back against the wall, holding his breath in anticipation of her answer. If Marc had to ask, that meant Katelyn hadn't mentioned him to Marc before. At first, Clem thought perhaps that their relationship couldn't be very serious if she wasn't divulging that part of her life story to Marc, but then he realized that it could mean she considered her relationship with Clem too insignificant to mention. Clem squeezed his eyes shut and hoped to God the latter wasn't the case.
    Deciding that the truth was probably the best way to go, Katelyn leaned against the table and folded her hands in her lap.  “Clem Bryant and I were in a relationship, seven years ago.  I met him right before I graduated from nursing school.  We were together a very short time, but it was…very special,” she said with little outward emotion, staring into her hands.
    Swallowing, Marc sat down next to her.  “What happened?”
    Taking a deep breath, Katelyn looked forward and continued.  “He received a very good job offer, in California.  He asked me to go with him, and I asked him for time to think about it.  I decided that I needed to focus on getting my career started instead of pinning my hopes on someone I barely knew.  It may seem like a cold and callous way to react to ending a relationship, but I had never been in one before that, so I figured it out as I went along.”
    As Clem heard Katelyn speak of their time together in such a detached way, it almost made him regret coming back to her at all.  He fought the urge to walk away in self-preservation, but his curiosity about this interaction between Marc and Katelyn left him planted in the shadows, eavesdropping on their every word. 
    Marc was taken aback by her admission.  They had been casually dating for about six weeks, but she was very slow to move onto the next step.  He had always assumed that she had been in a relationship that had ended badly in the past.  Obviously, things had gone south with this Bryant guy.  Perhaps Marc still had a chance with Katelyn.  He’d never attempted to date someone at the office, but he’d also never had anyone as gorgeous as Katelyn show interest in him, either.  If he had any hope of winning her heart, he’d have to be here for her as she dealt with whatever emotional response resulted from this past love coming back into her life. 
    Marc stood, pulled Katelyn to her feet, and wrapped his arms around her, planting a tender kiss on her lips as her hands came to rest on his chest.  “Well, I don’t think you should waste time on thinking about the past.”  He palmed her face, rubbing his thumb along her cheekbone and looking deep into