An Accidental Kiss (Dearly Beloved) Read Online Free

couldn’t bear to live in the home they’d shared, so he’d sold it and moved into the townhouse he lived in now, thinking it would be a good base from which to plan the creation of a real home—a log house up in the mountains, where he could ride for hours on end and walk around in the woods, just him and nature, the stars shining down every night bright and clear.
    Room by room, he had planned his dream home, thinking it would be his salvation. It would have a conservatory and a huge, well-equipped kitchen where he could cook up batches of chili and tacos. His office would have soaring windows so that he could glance up as he worked and see the mountains in all their glorious and unchanging splendor. His bedroom would have a deck so that he could step outside at night and hear the coyotes howling in the distance and look up at the stars. But now, thinking about the home that waited for him, Frank felt an aching sense of emptiness. He’d achieved quite a lot during his life. But when he was with Marcy and Justine, he was reminded of all the things he didn’t have, and never would.
    Abruptly, he got to his feet, snapped on Doc’s leash, and left the house for what he called a therapy walk. What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I having these pointless thoughts?
    But of course he knew exactly why. Marcy Garrett had gotten under his skin. After he’d agreed to Justine’s interview, he’d cursed himself, because if there was one thing he hated it was strangers invading his home asking damn fool questions. But that was just it—Marcy and Justine hadn’t seemed like strangers. Sharing a meal with them had seemed like the most natural thing in the world. When Marcy walked into the kitchen to help him load the dishwasher he’d wondered if taking her in his arms would seem natural, too. The sight of her licking the wooden spoon clean before placing it in the dishwasher had almost sent him over the edge.
    After his guests said their goodbyes, Doc looked at him reproachfully, before slumping despondently on the rug in front of the fireplace. Frank knew exactly how he felt.
    After the “therapy”, he attempted to write, knowing the current work in progress wasn’t going well. The heroine was a flirtatious brunette named Clara, but when he tried to write her, all he could think of was a quietly intelligent woman with wayward curls and a tendency to blush. When suppertime rolled around Frank switched off the computer in relief, ate and took a quick shower.
    Then he looked over the pictures of his new house again, trying to reignite some of the enthusiasm he’d once felt at the idea of living in a glorified log cabin in the middle of nowhere.
    He couldn’t do it.
    Suddenly, Doc barked, seconds before the doorbell rang. Frank opened the door, and there stood Marcy on his doorstep. She peered at him from around the enormous dome-covered platter she was carrying. Through the clear dome, Frank spied a chocolate cake.
    “Oh, you are home,” she said. “I tried to call, and when there was no answer I thought I’d drive over anyway and just leave this outside for you.”
    “I must have been in the shower,” he said, surprised by the rush of joy he felt at the sight of her. “Come in.”
    After following him into the kitchen she placed the cake on the counter. “I wanted to tell you that Justine got an A for her assignment. This is a thank you from both of us.”
    Frank nodded, staring at her. She looked so pretty. Some sort of gauzy blue scarf draped around her neck, her cheeks flushed pink from the cold night air. He had absolutely no idea what to do, didn’t know whether he should ask her to remove her jacket, offer her a cup of coffee, ask if she was hungry. It was as if his brains had scrambled the second Marcy Garrett came into his house.
    She stood there, her hands fidgeting with her scarf. He fought the urge to cover them with his own. “I guess I’ll be going,” she said. “I really just wanted to say thanks