Over You

by Christine Kersey

“I couldn’t leave you all by yourself. And I’ll bet you haven’t had dinner. Am I right?”

  “Yes, but only because I fell asleep.”

  “My point exactly. You need someone to take care of you.”

  Jessica laughed and allowed him to enter. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  “I know you are. But I think you deserve a little pampering, don’t you?”

  “I won’t argue with that.” Though she knew having him here would just make it harder to say good-bye later, she was willing to put it off for a little while longer. “What did you have in mind?”

  He held up a bag. “I brought Chinese.” He winked at her. “Your favorite.”

  Surprised by his apparent need to take care of her, if she didn’t know he was engaged to Melanie she’d think he was flirting with her. But he was engaged to Melanie, so she could only take his actions to mean that he was taking care of an old friend.

  He walked into the kitchen and set the bag on the table. “Where are the plates?”

  When she started walking toward the cabinets, he gently held on to her arms and steered her toward the table.

  “I can find them myself. You need to sit.”

  She smiled, loving the attention and soaking it up while it lasted. He found the plates as well as utensils and glasses, and set the table before sitting across from her.

  “I know you like the orange chicken and the fried rice, so I got plenty of both.” He scooped out a generous helping onto her plate, then filled his own.

  Jessica dug in, surprised by how hungry she was. “This is delicious. Thanks for bringing it over.”

  “My pleasure,” he said, grinning. He took a few more bites, then set his fork down. “I have to admit, it bothers me that your fiancé didn’t make the effort to be here with you after all you’ve been through.”

  Jessica froze, her fork midway to her mouth. She set it down and straightened the napkin in her lap before meeting Kyle’s eyes. “The truth is, I didn’t call him.”

  “Why not?” he asked, obviously confused.

  She held up her bare left hand. “I’m not going to marry him.” She waited for pity to become evident on his face, but instead a small smile turned up the corners of his mouth. Is he laughing at me? Poor Jessica, can’t find the right man. She wished she hadn’t told him.

  “I see.” The smile disappeared as he took another forkful of food.

  Is that all? Jessica wondered, glad he hadn’t made a big deal about it.

  “What did your aunt say when you told her about Douglas?”

  Glad for the change of subject, she said, “She was pretty shocked about everything.”

  “I can imagine.”

  They finished eating and she stood to clear her dishes.

  “Uh-uh,” Kyle said, leaping to his feet. “I’m pampering you, remember?” He grabbed her dishes and carried them to the sink before she had a chance to respond. Then he cleaned up the remains of the meal.

  She stayed in her seat and watched him work, fresh envy for Melanie sweeping over her. When he was done he suggested they sit in the living room, since the sun had set and the sunroom wouldn’t have the cheerful feel it did during the day.

  As they entered the room, Jessica paused, staring at the couch with the chair pulled up to face it. Refusing to let the memory of what happened keep her from enjoying the room, she walked to the chair where Douglas had sat and moved it aside. She noticed that the lamp was still on the floor.

  “Go ahead and sit,” Kyle said. “Let me take care of that.”

  She didn’t argue, her body still incredibly stiff and sore. She sat on the couch and put her feet up on the ottoman that was in front of her. It only took a moment for Kyle to plug the lamp back in and put in its rightful place. When he was done, he sat on the ottoman where her feet rested.

  “So, you decided not to marry Alex,” Kyle said, a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

  Why is he bringing that up? “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Okay. What do you want to talk about?”

  She rested her head against the couch, then lifted her head and looked at him. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You bring me dinner and insist on pampering me. Before tonight we’d mostly argued.”

  He had that same small smile on his face that she’d noticed several times since he’d come over. “Can’t I help an old friend?”

  “We were a lot more than that.”

  His face sobered. “Yes, we were.”

  Not up to a long discussion about their past relationship, Jessica just sighed.

  “I should probably go,” Kyle said. “You must be tired.”

  Despite her mixed feelings, she didn’t want him to leave. “No, I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded and tried to move to a different position, but winced at the pain in her back.

  “You look like your back really hurts. Would it be okay if I gave you a foot rub?”

  “Yes. That’s probably the one place I don’t hurt.”

  He pulled her sock-covered feet onto his lap, then took one foot in his hands and began massaging.

  “That feels great,” she said, closing her eyes.

  “Does it take your mind off of your back?”

  “Yes, actually. It does.” She smiled, enjoying the sensation. Melanie sure has a lot to look forward to, she thought. Then she went rigid. This isn’t right. She opened her eyes and looked at Kyle, who was watching her.

  He stopped the massage. “What’s wrong?”

  She pulled her feet away from him, resting them on the floor, and sat up straighter. “How can you be doing this for me?”

  “What?” His eyebrows drew together in confusion.

  “Is this what you did to me? Before?”

  “Jess, what are you talking about?”

  “When we were engaged. Did you spend time with other women?”

  He leaned back as if struck. “No!”

  “Then why are you doing this now?”

  He shook his head, obviously confused. “I don’t understand. What are you getting upset about?”

  “You and Melanie. You’re engaged.” She couldn’t believe how dense he was being.

  He burst out laughing.

  Irritated by his laughter, she frowned. “I think it’s time for you to go.”

  He slid forward on the ottoman, his knees on either side of her legs, trapping her. “No, I think it’s time we had a talk.”

  Jessica’s pulse skyrocketed as he leaned closer and placed his hands on either side of her legs.

  “But I need to do something first,” he said, his eyes locked on hers.

  Immobilized by his penetrating gaze, Jessica thought her heart would explode as he came ever closer. Heat throbbed through her as he moved toward her at an excruciatingly slow pace. She found her breathing had become shallow in anticipation of what she hoped he was promising. Finally, when she thought she couldn’t wait another second, his lips pressed against hers with an urgency that surprised her. She slid her arms around his neck, making it clear that she wanted this.

  After a moment, he pulled back and they were both a little breathless. Though she was ecstatic that he had kissed her, she was still unsure how Melanie and the child played into this.

  Kyle sat back on the ottoman, a grin on his face. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”

  “You have?”

  He nodded.

  “I don’t understand. I thought you were going to marry Melanie. And what about your daughter?”

  “My daughter? You mean Avery? That adorable little girl of Melanie’s?”

  Jessica felt a flutter of alarm at his obvious affection for the child.

  “She’s not my daughter, Jess.”

  “She’s not?”

  “No.” He laughed. “Although Melanie wanted me to adopt her. That is, if we were to get
married.” He leaned forward, his face intense. “But we’re not.”

  “But she called you Daddy.”

  Kyle frowned. “I know. She doesn’t see her real father and thinks I’m him.”

  “Oh.” Jessica paused. “The other night when Melanie came over I got the impression she expected you to propose.”

  “She wanted me to. No question there. But Jess, don’t you see? Once you showed up it didn’t take long for me to realize that it was you I wanted.”

  “You did?” Shocked by his admission, she didn’t know what to say.

  “Yes.” He laughed.

  “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  “By the time I had gathered the courage to tell you, your boyfriend showed up and I thought it was too late.”

  Jessica thought about the day Alex had shown up and how Kyle had reacted, then she remembered the day she and Alex had been kissing on the front porch when Kyle had appeared at the door. And she’d had no idea that he was interested in her. “What about Melanie?”

  “I broke it off with her the other night.”

  “Did you tell her anything about me?”

  “That first day after she met you, I think she could tell that you were more than just a client, and I admitted that we had been engaged before.”

  Jessica thought about the disc Melanie had dropped off with the family-style pictures. “So, when she brought that disc over for me to give to you, she knew about our past.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. I think she was hoping you’d look at it and think that she and I were more serious than we were.”

  “It worked.”

  He was quiet for a minute. “I feel like we can have a second chance now.”

  Jessica became thoughtful. “You know, I was devastated when you left me.”

  Kyle stared at his lap a minute before looking at her. “I really have no excuse for the way I behaved, but I was scared and immature.”

  “Why did you leave? You never really explained.”

  He looked down, as if embarrassed, before looking her in the eye. “As the time for our wedding got closer I started having nightmares, flashbacks really, to when I was a teenager and my parents were going through a bitter divorce and . . . well, I started thinking that if I made a mistake in getting married that I would have to go through the same thing. The thought paralyzed me, and I panicked.” His voice softened. “But Jess, I never stopped loving you.”

  Thrilled to hear him admit that he still loved her, she was still wary. “I just can’t go through that again.”

  “I’ve changed. I mean, that was five years ago. The idea of getting married, being committed to someone, doesn’t scare me anymore. In fact, I look forward to it.”

  “I have to be honest, Kyle. The thought of opening up my heart to you makes me anxious. I mean, you and I were engaged and you left me. I don’t know how many women you were with after that, but I know Melanie thought the two of you were serious, and you just dumped her.” What am I doing? He just confessed he loves me, which I’ve been wanting him to do for a while, and now I’m pushing him away? Even so, she couldn’t seem to stop herself. It was as if all those years of hurt had finally found a voice and she couldn’t silence it.

  “I don’t blame you for feeling that way. I was a complete jerk when I left. No question. But I promise, I promise, that won’t happen again.”

  Though he seemed sincere, Jessica was still afraid.

  “What about Melanie’s daughter, Avery? She thinks you’re her father.”

  He smiled sadly. “And I love her as if she were my daughter.”

  Though his admission worried her, she also had to admit that his paternal instincts made him more attractive. “Where does that leave you and Melanie?”

  “Melanie and I are done. I made that clear to her the other night. But I can’t abandon Avery.”

  Jessica wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but his commitment to the child gave her confidence that he had changed.

  He leaned forward and took both of her hands in his. “Will you give me a chance to prove myself?”

  His touch sent a jolt of electricity through her, and as she gazed into his green eyes she nodded. “Yes.”

  He smiled, then leaned forward again and gently stroked her face. “I love you, Jess.”

  As she leaned into his touch she felt like her whole world had become brighter. “I love you too.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The next morning, while Kyle continued working on the bathroom, Jessica drove herself to see her aunt. Though still quite sore, she’d taken several aspirin and the pain was bearable.

  “Let’s take a walk,” Ellen said, once Jessica had arrived.

  They walked outside, enjoying the sunny morning.

  “You’re getting around really well,” Jessica said.

  “Yes, the physical therapy has really paid off.” Ellen held Jessica’s arm as they strolled around the gardens near the long-term care facility. “In fact, my doctor said I can come home on Monday.”

  “That’s great. And I think there’s a good chance your bathroom will be done by then.”

  “Wonderful.” Ellen was silent a moment. “You seem really happy today, Jessica. I’m glad. I was really worried about you after you told me what had happened.”

  Jessica couldn’t hold back a grin.

  “What’s going on?” Ellen asked.

  She told her aunt how she’d found out that Kyle wasn’t engaged, and how Kyle had confessed his love for her.

  “No wonder you seem so happy.” She smiled as they made their way back toward her room. “So what happens now?”

  “Now, I let Kyle try to win me back.”

  “That sounds like fun.”

  “I need him to prove to me that he truly loves me.”

  “You’re not afraid of losing him again?”

  “I’m terrified, but I just feel like he won’t appreciate me if I make it too easy for him.”

  “I suppose I can understand that. After all, he broke your heart when he left you.”

  Her aunt’s agreement convinced her she was right. “Exactly. And if he loves me like he says he does, he’ll be willing to put forth the effort to win me over.”

  “Just don’t make it too hard for him. In the end, you want to let him catch you.”

  Jessica laughed. “I know.”

  When she got back to her aunt’s house and saw Kyle’s truck parked out front, she smiled, happy to see it there for a change. She went inside and immediately went to the master bathroom to see him. He was kneeling on the floor, pushing grout between the tiles. “Kyle,” she called out.

  He turned and a large smile lit his face. “Hi there. Just let me finish this before it dries.”

  “Okay.” Jessica watched him work, admiring his muscular arms. Eager to have those arms around her, she willed him to work faster. About ten minutes later he finished, then stood. “Adding the grout really makes it look finished,” she said. “Ellen’s going to love it.”

  “I hope so. I have to wait about twenty minutes before I wipe it down. Let me go wash up in the other bathroom.”

  Jessica waited while he cleaned up. When she heard him coming back down the hall, she smiled in anticipation. To her pleasure, he immediately swept her into his arms and kissed her.

  “I’ve missed you,” he murmured against her lips.

  “I just saw you this morning,” she said, laughing as he set her down.

  “Yeah, but you were on your way out the door. I’ve been thinking about you all morning.”

  Jessica beamed as she absorbed his affection. “I told my aunt about the two of us.” She smiled shyly, almost afraid to believe he really loved her.

  “Oh yeah?” he asked softly. “What did you tell her?”

  Emboldened, she said, “I told her that you’re crazy in love with me.”

  He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close, and she snaked her arms around his neck, delighting in his touch
.

  “And did you tell her how you’re crazy about me?” he whispered.

  A shiver raced up her spine as she felt his warm breath in her ear. “No.”

  He pulled back, forcing her arms to loosen. “No? What do you mean, ‘No’?”

  She smiled teasingly. “I told her I hadn’t decided how I felt about you.”

  “Oh, I see how it is. You want me to work for it.”

  “You did say you were going to prove to me how you felt.”

  “I did, didn’t I?”

  Jessica nodded, pleased he remembered.

  “Well, I guess I have my work cut out for me, don’t I?”

  “Yes, you do.”

  He grinned. “I look forward to it.”

  # # #

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  To see Christine’s publishing schedule, to contact Christine, and for other information, visit Christine’s website: christinekersey.com

  Now, enjoy the first four chapters of the sequel to Over You, called Second Chances.

  Book description

  After surviving an attack by a madman, Jessica’s terror turns to joy when Kyle admits that he never stopped loving her after breaking their engagement five years before. Though thrilled that he still loves her, she is uncertain how he feels about Melanie, the woman he was dating when Jessica came back to town. Complicating matters, Melanie seems less than willing to give up the man she loves, the man who is like a father to her young daughter.

  When Jessica begins receiving frightening warnings, she is unsure who is behind them. With several people in her life who are unhappy with her, Jessica doesn’t know who to be scared of and who to trust.

  Will she discover who wishes her harm before that person’s desires are fulfilled? And will this second chance with Kyle come to fruition, or will he decide to take another path?

  Second Chances does not contain any profanity or sexual content.

  Second Chances Chapter One