Read Home Sweet Home: A Sweet, Texas Novella for Free Online

believe.”
    “Move on, Paige. Forget about me.” He glanced away again, and Paige knew even he was having a hard time believing his own words. Then those dark, haunted eyes came right back to her. “I can’t love you.”
    “Can’t? Or don’t?” She sucked in a lungful of air to calm the desperation churning like acid in her heart. “Because there’s a difference.”
    His chin dropped to his chest, and he shook his head. “Too much has happened.”
    “Maybe so. But you’re wrong, Aiden. You’re still the man you used to be. Only more.” Paige kept her voice calm. Yelling wouldn’t get through to him. He had to arrive at conclusions on his own. No amount of whining, crying, or persuading would do a bit of good. She just had to state the facts, then give him time. She’d already given him plenty. What were a few more days, weeks, months?
    “I love you, Aiden.” The confession that jumped from her mouth was not a surprise to either of them. “I always have. If I have to give you up because you’ve fallen in love with someone else, I’ll do it. I won’t like it, but I’ll do it. Because your happiness means everything to me.”
    Her fingers curled into her palms. “But I will not give you up and let this sorrow swallow you and make you disappear. I can’t do that.”
    He stood silent, looking away into the darkness. Then his eyes came back to hers, and she saw the pain. The heartache. The reluctance to actually take those steps in the opposite direction.
    “You may have given up on you.” Slowly she shook her head and held back the wash of tears that burned in her eyes. “But I never will.”
    Several heartbeats passed while they stood an arm’s length away from each other in a stare-down that Paige swore she would win. At their feet, Cricket roused from her nap and gave a little whine as if she sensed the tension in the air.
    Paige stood in place, resolute that she would not bend in her belief. No matter what he said or what he did.
    The pressure in her chest squeezed harder as he bent at the knees and gave Cricket a brisk rub on her head. Then he stepped forward and wrapped Paige in his arms. He held her tight. Kissed her forehead. And then completely broke her heart.
    “Good-bye, Paige.”

Chapter Six
    GOOD-BYE, PAIGE?
    Jesus.
    Why hadn’t he just chucked her on the chin or given her a pat on the back with that lame-ass exit? He’d known what had to be done. He’d been thinking about it from the moment he’d boarded the plane back to the U.S. He’d talked it over with his brother, who had called him all kinds of crazy before relenting that maybe he was right. Maybe it was time to let go of the best thing that had ever happened to him.
    Right didn’t make it hurt any less.
    His form of a good-bye had been ludicrous and selfish. Especially when he’d said it to the woman who’d patiently waited years for him to come home.
    He should never have had her get in his truck.
    Should never have gone to her house.
    Should never have looked at her the way he’d envisioned her in his dreams all those lonely months.
    He should have kept his damn pants on and his good-bye brief.
    But he hadn’t done any of that.
    He’d taken everything she’d offered. Made love to her like a man who planned to stay. And then he’d walked away as if she meant nothing.
    Hell.
    She meant everything.
    Which was exactly why he’d had to walk.
    He started up his truck and backed down Paige’s driveway. When the tires hit the street, he looked up to the Victorian house and pictured Paige out on that big veranda, sipping sweet tea in the summer, or decorating for Christmas. Paige happy. Paige with a family. Paige with a faceless man who’d hold her close and make love to her whenever he damn well wanted.
    Closing his eyes didn’t take away the vision. It only made it worse.
    Damn him for having such a graphic imagination.
    Pressing his foot down on the accelerator spun the tires and carried him away from the only woman he’d ever loved. But that had been before life had