The Pastor’s Jezebel Lover Read Online Free Page B

his feet, he stalked over.
    As the young priest looked into the car, he was shocked to find it empty, the keys still in the ignition and the engine running.
    Whoever had caused the accident had panicked and ran. Probably, he figured, if the snow hadn’t prevented him or her from fleeing the scene in the car, they’d have done so. As it was, the police would swiftly find whoever was so callous as to leave a young child dying on the road.
    He cursed inwardly the odd coincidence that had brought Suzie Parsley to be hit directly in front of the church. He’d merely invited both girls over for a stern talking-to, nothing more, but then fate had intervened, and doled out a much harsher punishment than befitted the girl’s crime.
    A child prank, he’d assured Mrs Cooper and Mrs Burke when they’d complained about the two girls throwing rocks at the side of the church, and when he’d discovered a small window had been broken, he’d merely sighed and smiled. He’d been young once, and done worse things than accidentally break a window.
    And now this. He stood, the door of the car in his hand, as the sirens of the ambulance drew nearer, watching Eileen bent over the little girl, gently stroking her forehead, and was touched by both the serenity and the love that was evident in her touch.
    He knew her to be a trained nurse, but had never seen this loving side of her before. She usually closed herself off from others, until that moment just before in the sacristy, and now that he saw the love in her touch as she comforted both Erin and Suzie, he felt something tug at his heart, and the thought entered his mind that she would make one hell of a mother.
    And one hell of a wife for a deserving husband, the little voice continued, and in spite of the cold, he felt a warm feeling spread through his bosom.
    A deserving husband. Could he be that husband? Could he be that man for her? He was surprised at the swiftness with which his mind closed itself off from the possibility.
    Of course she wouldn’t consider him marriage material. After all, he was what he was. The parish priest. She wouldn’t want that kind of life for herself, not when the entire congregation spoke ill of her. She wouldn’t— he wouldn’t allow her to subject herself to that kind of scrutiny and harsh criticism.
    And yet… She looked so enchanting now, her cheeks glowing from the cold, her breath escaping in little wisps, and her lovely face so hauntingly beautiful…
    Then she looked up, and gave him a sad smile, and his heart twitched. Whatever she might think of him, he definitely wanted to spend more time with her. A lot more time.
    Then the nurses arrived with a stretcher, and she stepped back, allowing them to work on the victim of this unfortunate accident.
    Moments later, the police arrived, and both he and Eileen were called upon to supply statements of what had happened.
    The driver, so it turned out, was Jack Rafter, a businessman from Arlingville, a town a hundred miles from Brookridge.
    The name sounded vaguely familiar to Ramon, but only when the police had left, and the tow truck had removed Rafter’s car to the impound, did he finally remember where he’d heard the name before.
    Turning to Eileen, who stood shivering in the church entrance, he asked, “Does the name Jack Rafter ring a bell?”
    When her eyes widened, he knew his memory had served him well, in spite of the vehemence with which she shook her head.
    Jack Rafter, Eileen’s ex-husband, had suddenly reemerged out of the blue, before taking off faster than the speed of light.

Chapter 6

    Suzie looked just like an angel, Erin thought. A little angel that had fallen from heaven and now lay unmoving and silent on a bed of snow.
    She touched her hand to the starchy sheets. Well, perhaps not snow, exactly, but still.
    She was worried that Suzie looked about as white as the sheets she was tucked under, tubes leading from her face and hands to machines beeping by her side and a bag of