The Jilted Bride Read Online Free

the doorstep of the church when her then adoptive parents found her.
     
    This girl’s been abandoned twice in her life. She was sweet, humble and compassionate and deserved so much better in life. The thought occurred to Jake that maybe he could be the one to give her the “so much better in life.”
     
    Later in the evening they both sat on Jake’s enormous balcony overlooking the lake. The sun was setting in the distant making the sky red and warm. Romantic.
     
    “You haven’t told me about your own family. You pretty much know everything about mine, and, well, my adoptive family. I have no idea who my real parents were.”
     
    “I’m sure it must have been real rough for them, especially your real mom to make that decision.”
     
    “To dump me on the doorstep of a church?”
     
    “That is cold, but thank God it was a church and service was about to begin, anyway.”
     
    “And how do you know that?”
     
    “Oh, I was on my iPad looking up information while you were sleeping.”
     
    “What, the floor too hard for you in the night so you decided to investigate my background while I slept?”
     
    Jake gave a sexy grin. “Oh, that’s cold. You know it wasn’t like that. You’re too funny. Anyway, I read through a few articles and found out more about you.”
     
    “Why?”
     
    “Maybe because I want to know more about you.”
     
    “Because?”
     
    “Because I care about you, Jody.”
     
    His deep, smooth words  bought a shiver of delight down her spine. His warm words seemed to dissolve the padlock she had over her heart. Suddenly, she didn’t feel the need to have her heart under lock down from this point forward. Jody felt something deep down she’d never felt before with anyone. It was indescribable. It was empowering.
     
    “You do? Even though I staged that elaborate lie.”
     
    “It wasn’t what you did, it was the reason behind it that makes your heart gold. Your granddad seemed to pop quite a few of those heart pills last night. He seemed a little frail. Do you really think giving him information that could ruin his time here would be beneficial to his health?”
     
    “No. You’re right.”
     
    “And your grandmother, I was stunned when she told me she was suffering from depression especially having to care for your grandfather and the loss of a child. Do you really think adding that their only granddaughter was a jilted bride would have made her feel any better?”
     
    “Well, when you put it that way, Jake.” Jody grinned as she rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head.
     
    “Sometimes things should be said on a need to know basis. This Greg dude is nothing to them, why bring him into the picture now?  He’s gone! You’ve moved on, haven’t you?”
     
    “Well, yeah, sort of. What exactly are you getting at?”
     
    “You don’t think about him, do you?”
     
    “Ew. Of course not. Grandpa always said that being wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”
     
    “Your grandfather is wise—just as the ancient philosopher Confucius.”
     
     
     
     
     
    “Thanks.”
     
    Jake grinned and his dimpled smile warmed her heart. There was a magnetic pull between them that was undeniable. She didn’t want the night to end. She’d never believed in love at first sight…but that was before she first met Jake.
     
    “You should only give airtime in your mind to those that matter to you. Not those who can’t be bothered.”
     
    She could not disagree with him. They both went back into his condo unit and stood in the kitchen  area as he placed the glasses in the sink. Jody said she was going to leave but she just didn’t want to move. She didn’t want the night to end.
     
    “So, you’ve been watching me?” she said throaty.
     
    “What makes you think that?”
     
    “Because you seemed to know so much about me.”
     
    “Only because I care about who my neighbours are.”
     
    “Really?” she cocked a brow, disbelieving him. “So you