Rule Breaker. Joanne Rock

Чтение книги онлайн.

      It didn’t take an expert in body language to read April’s cues.

      Weston had seen the guardedness in her expression after her tense phone call, so he’d given her an out and she’d grabbed it like a lifeline. At first, he’d thought she was just trying to distract him from asking questions, but her curiosity about the Bitterroot Mountains and his rescue work revealed a dedicated climber’s knowledge. He found himself enjoying the long trudge down to his truck, a trip that took far longer than it should have given the depth of the snow. Besides, he knew she’d been exhausted the night before. He didn’t want her to deplete her energy completely.

      Plus, he was glad to forge a connection on another level after the awkward way she’d awoken in his arms that morning. He didn’t know who’d made the first move to initiate the contact, but he’d never forget the feel of her soft and warm in his arms. She didn’t know that he’d emerged from sleep before her, or that he’d found his hand tantalizingly affixed to her breast. Thank goodness she didn’t know. Breaking that contact had been what had awoken her. Those sensory memories had tormented him all day long.

      Now, as they paused for a water break and a shared protein bar, he found himself wanting to know more about her. About what caused those shadows in her eyes after the call from her mother. He understood something about painful family relationships. And while he wasn’t in the habit of revealing details of his personal life, he couldn’t help but think that a shared experience might help her, if only to remind this strong, capable woman that she wasn’t alone.

      After capping the water, they renewed their trek. The path widened and the incline decreased, making the walking easier. She stayed close to him, her cheeks flushed pink from the exercise, but she kept pace without a problem. He’d done this descent hundreds of times himself, so it was simple enough to focus on her. The conditions were solid here even with the foot of fresh powder. A winter wonderland glittered all around them, dazzling white from the intense sun.

      “I won’t ask you about your family,” he began, hoping to put her at ease. “But I can tell you that living far from mine has improved my relationship with them.” Which still wasn’t saying much, considering they hardly spoke. But it was better than the hurtful exchanges they’d had all too often when he lived on the family’s ranch.

      “You’re fortunate you have that option,” she said tightly, breath huffing in the cold air.

      “I realize that. I’m often reminded how lucky I am to have a brother who has never made a misstep in his life at the helm of our family’s ranch.” Weston wasn’t exactly bitter. It was tough to hold a grudge against Miles when he’d never done a damned thing wrong. “But I found it frustrating to continually fall short of my parents’ expectations for me.”

      “You’re the black sheep?” She sounded surprised.

      “That’s putting it kindly.” On second thought, the tension in his shoulders just thinking about the Rivera family made him realize how much he didn’t care to unearth old pains, even for her benefit. “But it did help to put some physical distance between me and them. Do you have siblings?”

      “No. Just me.” She was quiet for so long he nearly replied, but then she continued. “And my mother isn’t someone I can leave alone for long. She has a hoarding disorder, in addition to some other issues that aren’t as obvious or well managed, and I worry about her safety when I’m not with her.”

      “That sounds stressful.” He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but it hadn’t been that. “Is she getting treatment?”

      “Not as much as I would like.” April’s boots trudged a soft rhythm beside his, and he took in how she tucked her thumbs under the straps of СКАЧАТЬ