April's Promise (Forever Love Series) Read Online Free Page A

was sorry.  But he could be even sorrier if he
acted on an impulse for old times' sake.
    As he
sat at the table, he tried to push his awareness of her aside.  "I've
enrolled Stephie in preschool.  I thought it would be good for her to interact
with other children her age."
    An only
child himself, his mother had died when he was ten.  It had been he and his dad
until Carl Chronister had suffered a fatal heart attack when Gabe was in
college.  He'd intended to become stable financially, then find a woman to love
who wanted a large family as much as he did.  But after Stephie was born,
Vanessa hadn't been interested in having more children.  In fact, for the last
year of their marriage, they'd slept apart more than together.
    "Do
I need to take her to school today?" April asked.  "I don't have a
car seat in my rental."
    "She
goes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  But if you need to drive anywhere, take
Vanessa's car.  It has a car seat.  I always use the SUV, and I've thought
about selling her sedan.  But I just haven't gotten around to it.  We can turn
in your rental tomorrow."
    April
was quiet for a moment.  "All right.  It does seem silly to keep the
rental while I'm here."
    Motioning
to the kitchen window, he added, "Remote is on the sill.  Insurance card
is in the glove compartment."
    As Gabe
dug into his eggs, keeping his eyes off of April, the lull in their
conversation grew uncomfortably long.  To fill the gap, he asked, "Do you
think Winnifred's happy in Florida?"
    "I
don't know.  Every time we talk, she tells me about all her activities.  She
wouldn't admit it, but she was lonely in that big house here after Vanessa and
I moved out."
    "She
was fortunate it sold so quickly."  There was something he'd wondered
about for years.  "What was your father like?  I know he and Winnifred
divorced when you and Vanessa were teenagers, but whenever I asked her about
him, she just said she never knew him very well...that after the divorce, he
didn't try to stay in touch."
    April
took a few moments before answering, and Gabe wondered why.  But then she said,
"That about sums it up.  His work took him away a lot, and we hardly ever
saw him."
    "He
was an expert at international law, wasn't he?"
    April
nodded.  "Whenever he came home from a trip, he'd bring a stack of
postcards to show us the places he'd been.  I guess he thought that would make
up for him not telling us about them."
    She
didn't sound bitter, just disappointed.  He sensed there was a lot she wasn't
saying.
    As he
reached for another strip of bacon, so did April.  This morning their fingers
didn't touch, but their gazes held for a few seconds.
    Then
April looked away, set the bacon on her plate and picked up her glass of orange
juice.
    They
might both want to be friends again, but something was standing in their way. 
Maybe if April stayed long enough, he'd find out what it was.
    ****
    April
could still feel the trail of heat from Gabe's thumb on her face after he left
for his office.  She had to get a grip on her emotions.  Every time he got that
close she wanted more.  She'd run from him years ago because of intangible
fears.  She'd come here determined to face those fears as well as her feelings
for Gabe.  Yet it was so complicated now.  Could Gabe ever forgive her for
leaving five years ago?  Could he forgive her for keeping Vanessa's secret?
    If she
held back the truth, Gabe and Stephie's relationship would be safe.
    Built
on a lie ? her conscience asked.
    She
didn't have the answer.  She'd loved her sister.  Before she died, Vanessa had
explained how she'd been racked with guilt since she'd discovered she was
pregnant, how she'd cut off her affair with Larry before Stephie was born...but
that they hadn't been able to stay away from each other.  However, before she
died, her main concern had been Stephie, and Gabe's feelings for their baby. 
That's why April had promised she wouldn't tell Gabe the truth...not ever.
    But