“The library.My father would drive me there and watch me go into the library.I waited until he was gone and slipped out the back, where Robert waited.”
“How did your father find out about your relationship?”
“He came into the library.I had left my book in his car.When he couldn’t find me, he flew off the handle.He tried to look around town for me, but we always went to the lake fifteen minutes away.”
“What did he do when he got you back?”He wanted to know but was afraid of the answer at the same time.
“He ...I was beaten that night.He’d hit me before, but never like that night.The next day, we loaded up and moved.”
Jared unclenched his jaw.God, he wanted to get his hands on that bastard.
“Did you ever get a chance to talk to Robert again?”
“No.I always wondered what he thought about my disappearance.”
“That was your only friend your entire childhood?”
“Once, a family moved in next to us when I was eleven.They had a little girl about my age.We met through the fence in our backyards.My father caught me sitting beside the fence, talking to her.He got angry and confronted the father.I could hear him from my house.After that, I wasn’t allowed to go into the backyard, and soon after, they moved.”
“Jesus Christ.What’s your father’s problem?”
“He’s told me he didn’t want me around any outside influence, that he didn’t want me to turn out like my whore of a mother.He preached that the world had fallen to the Devil, and he was protecting me.He called himself a religious man, but from what I saw, he didn’t have a Christian bone in his body.”
Jared pulled her onto his lap and held her against his chest.He didn’t want her to see the pulsing anger racing through him.
“Where was your mother?”
Sky pressed herself tighter against his chest.
“I don’t know.If she had wanted me, he wouldn’t have let me go anyway.He always told me I would be his ticket.I was never quite sure what that meant.”
Jared knew precisely what that meant and was afraid to find out how he would have used her if he hadn’t come upon his ad for a wife.He tilted her head back and kissed her softly.
They both moaned as he pushed his tongue into her mouth.A car driving by pulled him back.He lifted his head.
“This is not a good place for this, Honey.We need to get some shopping done so we can get back to the ranch.I’m pretty clueless about women’s clothes, but I’m sure we can ask for help if we need it.”
Sky nodded, stood, and then smoothed down the fabric of her dress.
He grasped her hand and started back the way they came.
“Let’s try the second place.I think there were several things you liked in there.”
Sky pulled him to a stop several feet from the shop.“Jared, I’m sure this is the last thing you want to be doing right now.Let’s just go home.”
“No way.I would like us to spend most of the day together.Eventually, we will go on a honeymoon if you want, but it’s a busy time on the ranch.If there is something else you’d rather do today, we can do that, too.”
“Well, there is one thing.Is there a place we can get an ice cream cone?”
Jared stopped suddenly, causing Sky to almost run into him.
“Yes, there is.We’ll do that after, okay?”He glanced down at his watch.“We’ll get some lunch while we’re at it.
Sky nodded.
The next two hours were torture for both.Sky decided she didn’t like to shop, and Jared decided it was hard to watch her change into so many outfits that showed off her body.He stayed hard the whole time, making sitting excruciating.They finally decided on several pairs of jeans, a dozen or so shirts in every style, dresses, shoes, and even underwear.He hadn’t seen that yet.Sky had been too shy to show him those.
Jared took her to a diner he’d always enjoyed, and he knew they made the best ice cream sundaes.After they were seated, Jared watched as Sky looked around, wide-eyed in amazement.A loud voice beside the table gained their attention.
