Rekindled Read Online Free

him but the idea of that seemed… wrong, somehow.
     Strange.
    If they were strangers it might have been easier. But they weren’t. They had a pesky
     history that made her blush just thinking about it. She’d been so full of it back
     then. So sure that life couldn’t touch her because she was a Ryan. She was set for
     life. College paid for. A ticket out of Silver Creek and into society anywhere else
     if she wanted it, and she had wanted it. And she’d taken it.
    And now she was back. With none of the certainty. With none of that feeling of inborn
     sparkle that she’d thought made her better than other people.
    She jumped when the front door slammed shut.
    “Smells good.”
    She looked up and saw Mac walking toward her. “Great. I’m glad. Everything is…
     set out. So if you want to go ahead and sit I’ll just leave you to it.”
    “I thought I told you that you could eat with me.”
    “You did. But… it just feels awkward. I mean… Did your last housekeeper
     eat with you?”
    “Yes.”
    Lucy felt a brief burst of annoyance at the thought of another woman sitting down
     to dinner with him, and she wasn’t sure why. Just because it was another reminder
     that she was in no way unique, maybe.
    Get over yourself.
    Yeah, she had to get over herself. And over all the junk that Daniel’s words had buried
     inside of her, beneath her skin.
    Probably not today, though.
    “So you were… friendly with her, then? Why did she quit?”
    “She retired. To spend more time with her grandchildren. They live out of state, and
     she moved closer.”
    “Oh.” The fact that the other woman was a grandmother made her feel better. It shouldn’t
     have, because she shouldn’t have felt bothered to begin with.
    “Yeah. Have a seat.”
    She complied. She was hungry, after all, and this was, apparently, normal to him.
    Mac put two of the tortillas on his plate and loaded them up with all of the fixings
     she’d provided. Then he got up and went to the fridge, and her stomach sank a little
     bit.
    “What did I forget?” she asked.
    “Beer. Want one?”
    She almost said no. She didn’t drink beer. Never had. Wine and wine coolers, yes.
     Some nice mixed drinks at a party, yes. But nothing so common as beer.
    “Yes,” she said.
    He nodded and pulled two bottles out of the fridge, pausing to pop the tops before
     returning to the table and setting one down in front of her.
    “Sorry, I’ll remember next time,” she said, curling her hand around the cold glass.
    “It’s no big deal. First day and all.”
    “Still… thanks.”
    He raised his bottle. “To new beginnings?”
    She raised hers too. “Why not?” She tipped it back and took a sip. It was kind of
     disgusting, but she relished the choice. If Daniel could see her now, drinking beer
     from a bottle across the table from a cowboy with muddy boots, he would think she’d
     gone crazy. Maybe she had. But why not? Her entire life was tilted sideways. She might
     as well enjoy it. With a little alcohol and a little eye candy.
    She took another sip of the beer and grimaced. Okay, “enjoy” was too strong a word
     where that was concerned.
    “What do you like for breakfast?” she asked.
    “Eggs. Bacon. Whatever. Normal stuff.”
    Not cereal then. Damn. That would have been easy.
    “Great.” She looked down at her place. “I bet you’re used to a slightly larger spread
     than this too.”
    “Usually, but this is fine.”
    “You don’t have to go easy on me.”
    “Trust me,” he said. “I’m not.”
    “You don’t just feel sorry for me?”
    “Not in the least.”
    She frowned.
She
felt sorry for her. “All right. What do you feel?”
    “Amused, mainly, that my little jab about you cleaning my floors has come to pass.”
    She set her fork down. “Low blow, Denton.”
    He shrugged. “Maybe, but no one’s perfect, and I haven’t forgotten our last big conversation.”
    Neither had she. It was weird, because she didn’t know what had started