Fair Catch Read Online Free Page A

furrowed. Introspection rarely proved to be fun. It meant you needed to change.
    Hearing heavy footsteps, she raised her eyes to see a tall, dark and handso…she made her brain screech to a halt. Appreciating a nice looking male must be a knee-jerk reaction. Suddenly, she felt vulnerable and looked around to see if anyone would hear her scream if the approaching man turned out to be dangerous.
    As he neared, she looked up again and their eyes met. He smiled and Ellie felt the impact all the way to her toes. It irritated her that she even found him remotely handsome. He was tall with medium brown hair and his eyes were dark blue, framed by thick dark lashes. Trying to ignore her brain, which once again was taking in the square jaw and broad shoulders, she berated herself. Good grief what is wrong with me ?
    The man slowed down. Panicked, she wished she had her cell phone so she could pretend she had a phone call. Racking her brain for something to do, she looked at her watch and studied it intently.
    The stranger stopped in front of her. “Hi, do you have the time?”
    Wow, he had a nice voice. Automatically, she looked up and stared into unbelievable dark blue eyes. “Um, yeah it’s…” When she’d been studying her watch, it would have been nice to actually note the time. She glanced at it again and then relayed the time.
    The attractive man smiled. “Thanks. I just—”
    Her heart picked up the pace again and all he had done was smile. Retreat was her only option. “Oh wow! I didn’t realize it was so late.” She took off for home, waving over her shoulder. “Have a nice night.”
    Disturbed by her awareness of the unidentified man, Ellie approached the Stewarts’ house, eager to see her little boy. How could Thomas stand to stay away from Cade for so long? She could barely go an hour without feeling bereft.
    Involuntarily, the blue eyed stranger’s face lingered in her mind. For some reason the man had looked vaguely familiar and she racked her brain trying to figure out where she’d seen him before. With a face like his, you’d think she could remember. Hearing her son’s laughter coming from the backyard, she made her way around the house.
    “Mommy!” Cade cried when he saw her. She loved it when he called her mommy.
    Her eyes softened with love. “Hi, baby.”
    Cade made a face. “I’m not a baby.”
    She squinted at him and pretended to be thinking. “Okay, how about babelicious?”
    He giggled at the name she’d made up. Looking at Betsy, she noticed the same determined look on her face. The one that meant you’re-going-to-meet-the-new-neighbor-and-you’re-going-to-like-it. The woman was hard to deter once she had an agenda.
    “Did you enjoy your run?” Betsy asked with mild sarcasm.
    Again the handsome stranger’s face flashed behind her eyes. “Yeah, thanks for watching Cade.”
    Betsy’s eyes narrowed. “I was going to introduce you to our new neighbor, but now I don’t think I will.”
    That was way too easy . Ellie laughed. “Okay.”
    Betsy grinned. “Not so fast, little missy. Tomorrow you’re coming with me to say hello to Nick.”
    Nick, huh? Sounded like a perfectly harmless name. Still…
    “Um, I really have a full day tomorrow, but maybe later…like next week?”
    Betsy looked at her, clearly exasperated. “I don’t think you’re that busy.”
    She felt her defenses rising. “I am if you have in mind what I think you have in mind.”
    Betsy’s eyes softened. “Ellie, are you going to let one stupid man ruin the rest of your life?”
    The question wasn’t rhetorical and had been whispered so Cade didn’t hear, but Ellie wasn’t going to give Betsy an answer. The truth was that she continued to allow “one stupid man” to manipulate her. In fact, it was getting a little maniacal the way Ellie constantly thought about Thomas and all he had or hadn’t done to her.
    Ignoring the question, she called to her son. “Cade, we need to get home.”
    His little mouth