The Cowboy's Faith. Danica Favorite

Чтение книги онлайн.

       Chapter Three

      Nicole went into the small apartment above the barn, carrying some linens Leah had asked her to bring over for Fernando. After everything that had been said earlier, she didn’t really want to talk to him, but her sisters had made it clear she had to stop running from the pain. She still wasn’t sure what to say to him.

      The apartment wasn’t what you would call luxury lodgings, but Fernando had said he didn’t mind and had even promised to help fix it up. Which made Nicole feel like even more of a jerk for not welcoming him with open arms. He’d done everything he could to be nice, and she kept shoving him away.

      But how did one welcome the reminder of your biggest mistakes with joy? He didn’t answer her knock on the door, and she remembered hearing that he’d wanted to take a walk later. When she let herself in, she saw him sound asleep, sprawled out on the bare mattress. She looked down at the bundle of sheets and blankets she’d brought. Moving as quietly as possible, she carried them to the dresser. But as she set them on top, Fernando yelled, “I didn’t do it! Leave me be.”

      She turned, but Fernando was still fast asleep, tossing and turning on the bed.

      “I didn’t tell. It wasn’t me! I promise, I didn’t help.”

      He was having a bad dream. And from the way he thrashed about, it was a terrible one.

      “Please. I beg you. Don’t do this. It wasn’t me.”

      Should she wake him? She took a step toward him, and the board creaked.

      Fernando sat bolt upright. “What?”

      He seemed wide awake now.

      “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I just brought you some linens.”

      He nodded slowly as he looked around the room.

      “It’s all right,” she told him, wanting to comfort him like she did her nephews when they had nightmares, but not feeling so generous as to want to give him a cuddle the way she did with the boys.

      Then he looked at her more closely. “You look like you just saw something terrifying. Was I talking in my sleep again?”

      Nicole nodded slowly. “I wasn’t afraid of you, though. I was afraid for you. It seemed like you were having the most awful dream.”

      He ran his fingers through his hair as he nodded. “Sí. I mean, yes. What did I say?”

      He looked so out of sorts, it seemed almost impossible to withhold compassion.

      She walked over and sat on the edge of the bad, near him, but not next to him. “You can use Spanish around me if you want. Adriana did sometimes, and she was trying to teach me a few words.”

      Then she shook her head. “I don’t know why I just said that. That was dumb of me.”

      Especially the part about Adriana. She’d done her best to forget about her former best friend, and it was weird the way the memory came back up so quickly. Part of why she hadn’t wanted Fernando around in the first place. She didn’t need the reminders. But he was here now, and she had to deal with it.

      He shook his head slowly. “Thanks. I don’t...”

      Fernando seemed unsure of himself, hesitant. And she didn’t blame him. After all, she’d done everything she could to make him feel unwelcome, and now that he was clearly in the middle of something disturbing, he wouldn’t find her very comforting. And honestly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be that person for him.

      “I’m sorry.” She stood, then gestured at the blankets. “I was going to try to soothe you or something, but I can’t imagine that you would feel comforted by me. I haven’t been very nice to you, and I don’t exactly have warm feelings toward you.”

      Even as the admission came out, she knew there was one more thing she had to do. Not that she liked it much.

      “My sisters say I owe you an apology,” she said.

      “But you disagree.” There was no judgment in his voice, no anger. Just acceptance.

      She shrugged. “Obviously.”

      He nodded slowly as he yawned, then ran his hands over his face.

      “Sorry. I guess I was more tired than I thought.” СКАЧАТЬ