Once You'Ve Touched the Heart Read Online Free Page B

each other. Once Uncle Joe was out of the kitchen, Tracy seemed to relax. She bentdown and started picking up the shattered glass.
    “Mrs. Harrison, I am so sorry about this. I will replace it tomorrow.”
    JD got the broom and dustpan out of the closet.
    “I’ll take that,” Tracy said, taking the broom out of his hands. “I have a tendency to be a little clumsy,” she smiled weakly.
    “JD, why don’t you take some plates out to Joe beforehe comes back in here,” Martha suggested.
    JD handed Tracy the dustpan. “You all right, Tracy?” he asked.
    “Yeah,” she replied, shrugging her shoulder, “just a little clumsy.”
    JD picked up the plates and left the kitchen.
     
    ♥
     
    At JD’s house later that night, he couldn’t sleep. It was about two in the morning. As always, when he was involved in a case, he had sleepless nights. Tonight was no different. He had lost two cases and did not want this one to be the third. His mind was distracted not only by the prep work he had to do in the morning, but by the nagging feeling that he was missing something with the case. He hated losing and knew this would be another loss if he took the case to court in its present state. JD got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. He noticed a light was on in there. He walked around the counter and saw Tracy sitting at the table reading and eating a slice of cake.
    “Why are you up this late?” he asked with a frown.
    Tracy jerked her head up from the book and began to get up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said.
    “No, sit down. You don’t have to leave and you didn’t wake me.” He smiled; it seemed he had unnerved her. “What are you reading?”
    “ Quantitative Measures ,” she answered.
    “For one of your classes?”
    “No, I have to take it next semester.”
    JD frowned with a look of confusion and then smiled. “You’re reading a book for a class you’re taking next semester?”
    She blushed. “I’ve finished my books for this semester.”
    “Okay.” JD laughed.
    Tracy got up to put her glass in the sink and was about to scrape the rest of her cake into the trash. “Hey, hold up. Let me have that.”
    She looked at him. “What, the cake?”
    “Yeah, that’s good cake,” he exclaimed.
    She smiled and handed the cake to him. He stepped towards her and reached into the drawer to get a fork, then sat at the other end of the table. Tracy began to pick up her books to leave.
    “Stay and talk to me a minute,” he said. Not giving her a chance to refuse, he continued. “I see you have form—who taught you to play ball?” He pointed to the chair for her to sit; she did.
    “My brother,” she replied.
    “Are you that good or was that just a lucky shot?”
    “I got game,” she boasted with a smile.
    JD noticed her eyes sparkled when she smiled. He laughed. “Oh, you do?”
    “A little,” she replied.
    “Do you play at school?”
    “No.”
    “With a jumper like that, why not?”
    She put her head to the side. “Practice would interfere with school.”
    “Oh, so you’re an intellectual?” JD asked, nodding as he continued to eat the cake.
    “No, well, maybe.” She thought about it. “I am guided more by intellect than emotions.”
    “Hmmm, really. That would mean you are very rational.” He took a bite of cake. “You know, it seemed like Uncle Joe scared you tonight.”
    Tracy pulled her legs up into the chair, wrapped her arms around them, and laid her chin on her knees as JD talked. “Your reaction did not appear to be very rational. Uncle Joe is loud and usually wrong, but he’s innocent enough. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
    “No one is completely innocent. Everyone has a propensity for violence given the right circumstances,” Tracy replied sharply.
    JD’s eyebrows went up and his eyes widened, surprised by her answer. “So you believe people have a natural inclination to be violent. They actually prefer to be that way?” he asked.
    “I think people are