The Widow and the Will Read Online Free Page B

engagement ring on her finger, she’d had no doubts at all about getting married and spending the rest of her life with him. But as the heavy circle settled on her hand, Tess’s breath had caught in her throat. She’d taken it for pleasure and excitement at the time, but looking back she knew it was the first moment she wondered whether or not they were doing the right thing.
    Gazing down at the thousands of dollars resting between her knuckles, Tess wondered how long she would wear it. Would it still be there a year from now? Two? Five? Shaking her head, she didn’t know. She couldn’t even hazard a guess. She might be trying to make the decision to move forward with her life, but it would take small steps. Baby steps. Jack’s wedding ring was tucked safely into her jewelry box in her bedroom until she could decide what to do with it. Lilly had suggested wearing it on a necklace, but Tess wasn’t sure she wanted what felt like such an obvious marker announcing to the world that she was a widow. Someday she would figure it out. Maybe. Who’d have thought his wouldn’t stay on his finger?
    Tess climbed into her little Scion XB and headed toward the post office. When she got there, she wished she had asked Lilly to come with her. It took her four arduous trips, carrying all of the carefully packaged boxes. On the last one, the man going in right in front of her let the door close before she could wedge her toe in to stop it. Thanks, jerk , she thought nastily. But just as fast as her anger swelled, a feeling of relief and gratitude washed over her as another man coming out of the door stepped aside and held it open.
    Tess stopped abruptly. She couldn’t help but stare at him. He was dressed in dusty jeans, a black t-shirt and a black leather vest. His brown hair had the faintest streaks of gray at the temples and his face was covered with a sexy coat of stubble. His eyes were hidden behind dark Ray Ban sunglasses, but she could feel them on her just the same. There was an air of danger and sensuality about him which Tess was immediately ashamed for recognizing. Shit, I’m supposed to be in mourning .
    “Would you like some help?” he asked, the corner of his mouth rising in a half smile. His voice was low and gravelly and Tess was doubly embarrassed that it sent a little thrill through her stomach.
    “Uh, no.” She recovered and cleared her throat. “This is my last trip. Thanks for the door, though.”
    “No problem.” He waited for her to step inside.
    Tess shook her head, feeling chagrinned. Sorry, Jack .
    Thirty minutes later, every gift had been mailed and Tess felt somewhat better. As heartbreaking as the situation was, she knew she’d done the right thing and was glad it was finished. As she pushed her way through the exit, she fished in her purse for her sunglasses. Popping them on the bridge of her nose, she hurried back to the car and drove home. She had more than twenty hours of transcription waiting for her and she felt awful about it. Her boss, Dr. Guildford, had been extremely patient when he’d learned of Jack’s death, telling Tess she could have all the time off she needed. The only other transcriptionist in the office had done as best she could to pick up the slack, but Tess had gone back to work a month after the funeral. She had thought it would help to distract her from the grief.
    It hadn’t. Instead, she found her production slowing to a snail’s pace and her error ratio climbing skyward. Having to go back and revise almost everything every time she submitted records was what really spurned her to get her “work” shit together. Jack’s voice in her head telling her she was being a slacker hadn’t worked. Only the pitiful looks from Dr. Guildford cut through the haze of depression and grief, when he would return printouts to her with enough red pen revisions to make it look like a D-minus term paper. Over time, her content had improved but her speed was still way below what it