Honeybun Hottie (Plus Size Romance 5) Read Online Free Page A

only five years old when her dad got back from the Gulf.  After a year of his brutality, she started wetting the bed and stopped eating.  Carla couldn’t abide by that.  Even if she could have survived, her daughter wouldn’t have.  So they fled to our house.”
    Sean furrowed his brows.  “I don’t remember seeing them there.  I was always hanging around your place.  Seems like I would have noticed you having houseguests.”
    “They were only with us for three days.  Carla went back home to try and talk Michael into getting help.  When she got there the front door was ajar, and the stench was horrendous.  According to the coroner, Michael had been dead for nearly seventy-two hours.  He hanged himself shortly after his wife and daughter walked out the door.”
    Knifing his fingers through his hair for the second time that day, he asked, “How the hell do you come back from that?”
    Shelly smiled.  “When you’re Blythe Dalton, there’s nothing you can’t do.  The woman is amazing.  She graduated valedictorian of her high school, put herself through college and graduate school while staying rock-solid for her mom.  She’s dedicated her life to counseling young people, giving them the hope and coping skills that hadn’t been at her disposal.  Her door and her heart are always open, Sean.”
    “Not to me they’re not.  On our date, I screwed up royally, Shelly Bellybutton.  It was out of my control, but that’s irrelevant.”
    “What did you do, Sarge?”
    “She didn’t tell you?”
    “All she said was, a nice time was had by all, but she wasn’t ready for a romantic relationship with an overly-macho, domineering marine.  I just assumed there wasn’t any chemistry and let the subject drop.”
    Sonofabitch! Blythe really was amazing.  She had covered for him.  Despite how much he had hurt her that night, she placed the onus on herself.  By not telling Shelly how badly he had behaved, Blythe was protecting his childhood friendship.
    “Oh, there was plenty of chemistry,” he said, smiling sadly.  “But given her heartbreaking experiences with her dad, hooking up with a soldier is probably the last thing she wants or needs.”  Walking to the door, he paused.  “What’s in her other two suitcases?”
    Shelly smiled.  “Her self-medicating drug of choice.”
    “Nothing illegal, I hope.”
    “As far as I know, honeybuns are still lawful in the state of South Carolina.”
    Shaking his head, he chuckled and left the cabin.
     
    FOLDING THE PILLOW OVER her ears, Blythe groaned.  The bugle call of Taps being played at five thirty in the morning should be a felony.  Lots of stuff about summer camp was equally offensive: severe cases of poison ivy, homesickness, relentless practical jokes, horrible cafeteria chow that inevitably ended up as flying weapons in spontaneous food fights.  And worst of all, the branding of nicknames—surely that was the worst. 
    Slowly, creakily, she dragged herself from the bed.  She was starting her day in a sleep deficit.  Last night hadn’t gone as she had planned.  After her encounter with Sean, she had made her way to the lake, lugging all three of her suitcases behind her.  Blythe had felt the heat of his stare boring into her back.  She knew it went against his well-trained grain to stand by and watch the weaker sex struggle with her luggage. 
    Hearing his heavy, bull-like breathing made her smile.  She had enjoyed causing him some discomfort.  Assassin or no, his behavior on their date deserved a degree of payback.  Blythe looked for Cabin B, assuming she would be bunking with Shelly.  But when she passed Cabin A and saw a CAMP COUNSELOR plaque mounted on the door, she knew she had found her home—at least for the next two weeks. 
    Blythe shook her head at the thought.
    The best way to cope with a bad situation was to mentally remove yourself from the reality of it.  Yep, that’s what she would do.  Pretend she was on a