Her Name Was Annie by Beth Rinyu (the little red hen read aloud txt) 📕

I don’t want us to ever forget it happened because then it would mean we were forgetting him, but I want us to get past the blame.”

I nodded and he rubbed his thumb along his cheek, wiping away a tear. The lights from the Christmas tree reflected off his blue eyes that were so full of emotion. My hand reached for the side of his face, caressing his razor-stubbled face.

I had loved him for most of my life, and regardless of everything that had happened between us, I still loved him. It wasn’t the same butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling of first love, it was a mature one. One that withstands obstacles and heartache. One that has as deep history that nothing or no one could ever erase. Besides my father, he had been the one man in my life who I could always depend upon, even when I vehemently pushed him away. My head inched closer to him, and unlike last time, I was the one to initiate the kiss, and this time, I didn’t plan on having any what-if moments.

Chapter 20

THE HOUSE WAS chilly when I awoke the next morning. My heat was set to automatically drop in the middle of the night in case the hot flashes decided to kick in while I was sleeping. Normally, I’d hop out of bed and bump up the temperature while I carried on with my morning routine. But there wasn’t anything normal about this morning. Yes, I had woken with a man lying beside me countless mornings prior, but that seemed like a lifetime ago. What seemed so perfect the night before, now seemed like a big mistake in the light of day. Jack turned on his side and pulled me closer. The warmth coming from his body instantly melted the chill away along with any doubts about what we had done.

“What are you thinking?” Jack asked, pushing my hair out of my face.

“I was just thinking how cold I was, but not anymore.”

“Is that it?”

“Umm...maybe I was thinking I hope we didn’t do something last night that we’re going to regret.”

“I won’t,” he said with such affirmation that it gave me that boost of reassurance I needed to believe I wouldn’t and shouldn’t either.

“What time do you have to be in the office?” I asked, lifting my head to see the time on the clock.

“Not until later. I have a meeting in the afternoon.”

“Oh, well, that’s a coincidence, my meeting is this afternoon as well.”

“So that means we’ve got all morning to…”

“Go back to sleep.” I laughed.

His hand skimmed my bare breast and falling back asleep was the furthest thing from my mind. I pressed my naked body into his, and everything inside of me was wanting him once again. He pulled me on top of him just as Max began to carry on from downstairs. It wasn’t his usual, I need to go outside bark, it was his, someone is at the front door bark. My body froze as I listened carefully, cinching my eyebrows in confusion upon hearing the familiar creak of the front door opening.

“Someone just walked in the house,” I whispered to Jack. He bolted out of bed and grabbed his pants from the floor, putting them on in record time. I hopped out of bed as well, fumbling through my drawers for anything to put on.

“Where’s Grandma, Maxie boy?” Kara’s familiar voice carried up the stairs.

“Oh my God!” I whispered. “It’s Kara!” What should’ve been a call for relief in knowing a stranger hadn’t broken in was actually quite the opposite. How on earth was I going to explain Jack being here to her? What the hell was she doing here at 8:00 a.m.? “Go in the guest room,” I demanded.

“What?” Jack stood in place in a state of confusion while I scurried around the bedroom, picking up the rest of his clothes that were scattered on the floor. “Go in the spare bedroom. I’ll tell her you were here until late last night and were too tired to drive home.”

“Steph, you’re being ridiculous. You’re acting like that time your mother caught us when we were teenagers.”

“Yes, and do you remember how that ended? I was grounded for a month and forbidden to ever see you again.”

“Well, clearly she got over it because we ended up getting married. The same way Kara will—”

“Just go!” I placed his belongings in his arms and shooed him to the guest room.

I knew I was being a little ridiculous, but I didn’t want Kara to get any false sense of hope that her mother and father were getting back together. I was in a state of total confusion about what had happened between us the night prior, so I knew she would be even more perplexed over it. “Kara?” I called once I threw on my sweats and T-shirt and Jack reluctantly went into the guest room. I took a deep breath and headed down the stairs. I hated lying to my daughter, but it was for everyone’s own good. “Kara?” I called again. I was relieved to have a few more minutes to pull it together when I looked out the kitchen window and saw her throwing around a stick for Max to fetch. I used that time to calm myself down and prepare a pot of coffee.

“Good morning!” she shouted as she and Max came inside.

“Morning!” I turned around to face her. “What are you doing here so early?”

“I went to bed super early last night, so I was up by five.” She walked over to the knife block and took out a paring knife, then grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. “I wanted to get out of there before my roommate woke up. Her boyfriend spent the night, and they like to have loud morning sex,” she continued as she took a seat at the island and began to slice her apple.

“Oh, boy!” I turned around quickly and rifled through the cabinets for some coffee cups, hoping