Harvest Moon Read Online Free Page A

was at home. He did not want to die in a hospital.”
    “You said he did not suffer.”
    She shook her head. “No. His doctor made certain he wasn’t in any pain toward the end.” Aaron sat motionless, staring at her, his expression impassive. Her gaze narrowed. “Do you think I would’ve permitted my husband to suffer more than was necessary, Dr. Spencer?”
    “Aaron,” he chided in a deep, quiet tone. “I’d prefer that you call me by my name.”
    “Then Aaron it is.”
    Placing his elbows on the table, he rested his chin on a clenched fist. “Did my father give you any specific instructions on how he wanted to be buried?”
    “You didn’t answer my question, Aaron.”
    “And you didn’t answer mine,
Regina
.”
    The strain of caring for a sick husband for the past eight years suddenly overwhelmed her, and she wanted to scream at Aaron Spencer that he had no right to question her role as wife and caretaker. Closing her eyes, she filled her lungs with deep drafts of nighttime mountain air. All she wanted was for it to be over; she wanted to bury Oscar and leave Mexico—forever.
    Opening her eyes, she glared at him. “He’d talked about being cremated. Then said he’d allow me to make that decision.”
    Vertical lines appeared between Aaron’s eyes. “Have you considered cremating him?”
    “No.”
    He nodded, seemingly letting out his breath in relief. “Where do you intend to bury him?”
    “I thought I’d leave that up to you.”
    “I won’t make that decision. You’re his wife.”
    “And you’re his son,” she retorted. “You and Oscar share bloodlines. Don’t you have a family plot somewhere?”
    Raising his chin, he averted his gaze. “No. My mother was buried in Chicago, her parents in South Carolina and her only sibling in Bahia.”
    “How about Oscar’s family?”
    “He was an only child. He has a few distant cousins, but he lost contact with them years ago.”
    Running a hand through her hair, Regina pushed a wealth of curls off her forehead. “Then we’ll bury him here at
El Cielo
. He will be closer—to…heaven.”
    Her voice quivered as she struggled to regain control of her fragile emotions. She would not permit anyone to see her cry. She would do what she had been doing for years—she would grieve in private.
    Rising to her feet, she placed her napkin beside a plate of untouched salad. Aaron also stood up. “I’m sorry, Aaron, but I must retire. Please stay and finish your meal.”
    She took a step, but he reached out, his fingers snaking around her wrist and halting her departure. “There’s one thing I
need
to know,” he said in a dangerously soft voice.
    For the second time since she had come face-to-face with Aaron Spencer, Regina registered the fiery brand of his touch. “What is that?”
    “Did you love my father when you married him?”
    She flinched, then squared her shoulders. He was just like all the rest. Everyone thought she had married Oscar for his fame, or for his money. Her head came around slowly as she tilted her chin to stare up at the man standing inches from her.
    “I did not love him when I married him,” she answered as honestly as she could. “But I did fall in love with him before he died. And I made certain to tell him I loved him—every day. Is there anything else you
need
to know?”
    Aaron released her wrist, his gaze boring into hers. “That’s enough, for
now
.”
    “Goodnight, Dr. Spencer,” she said softly, her eyes narrowing.
    He opened his mouth to reprimand her about using his professional title, but swallowed back the words. At that moment he felt vulnerable because Regina Spencer disturbed him, disturbed him in ways that aroused old fears and uncertainties. He watched her until she disappeared into the house.
    He would stay and bury his father, then leave Mexico and not look back. His life and his future were in Brazil, and that future did not include interacting with Oscar Spencer’s widow.

Chapter 3
     
    R egina