Read Little Rainbows for Free Online Page B

in those scenarios.” The smile turned wistful. “Maybe if I’d known then what I know now, I would have made a different choice. But can you honestly say you were ready that summer for everything you discovered later on in life?”
    Heather felt herself relax further. These were good memories to focus on and she allowed herself to go back there. Jason was right. She had been innocent. It hadn’t lasted much longer, but during those weeks, she’d still thought all she needed was someone to love, someone who would treat her as if she was fragile. Those were the days when cuddling brought all the excitement she needed. Fucking, or lovemaking as she had thought of it at the time, had been something to save for the future and the someone special she’d hoped to meet one day. Back then she’d wanted attention and validation far more than intimacy, and Rick had fitted those needs perfectly.
    She barely noticed as the dish of Eastern treats was placed in front of her by the unobtrusive waiter.
    “You were right, of course, Jason. I wasn’t ready.” Heather couldn’t stop herself from grinning. “Although I think the vibes you and Moira sent out did have a lot to do with my later curiosity.” She allowed her mind to flow freely for a moment. “I think I needed Darren to fully awaken those needs in me.”
    Shock robbed Heather of her words. She couldn’t believe she’d said that. She’d been so determined to keep Darren out of her dealings with Jason. Wexford was supposed to be a safe subject between them. Bless Jason for ignoring her last statement, as if he knew how much she’d surprised herself when she’d said those words.
    “Heather, you and Rick looked good together back then. I thought you two were well matched.”
    She thought she might be imagining it, but for a moment Jason seemed troubled.
    “I remember you as being happy. Weren’t you? Was I fooling myself? Trying to make myself feel better about picking the easier option?”
    Her heart made a little jump inside her chest, taking Heather by surprise. As she delved into a salmon-filled pastry wrap, she wondered why the fact that Jason had felt the same attraction she had experienced, made her happy. It was safer to not explore that line of thought right now though.
    Smiling at the handsome man across the table, she shook her head.
    “No. You were right. Rick and I were well matched. I don’t think either of us was ever in love. But the attraction was there.”
    She paused. How honest did she want to be? If she wasn’t prepared to talk about Darren, should she not at least have the courage to admit to everything she’d felt and thought before she had met him?
    “Don’t get me wrong, Jason. I didn’t spend those six weeks pining for you. But I would catch you looking at me and in those moments I always had these ‘what if’ scenarios running through my head.”
    They’d also shared an afternoon on the beach. She wasn’t going to mention that though. Not unless he did.
    Without thinking her next words through, Heather continued. “When I found out later that you’d said…”
    She couldn’t finish that sentence. If Jason had never said those words, saying them out loud now would be too embarrassing. Even if it were true, she didn’t want him to think it was still important to her now. Because it wasn’t—it couldn’t be.
    “That I said what?” The tone in his voice left her in no doubt Jason knew exactly what she hadn’t said. His teasing smile only added to her embarrassment.
    “Never mind. Forget I said anything. I must be misremembering things.”
    Jason just continued to smile. “That I’d said that if I were to ever marry, it would be to a girl like you.”
     
    Strange how it wasn’t difficult to admit to those words. Jason had meant them at the time. And he’d never married. Whether it was because he’d never met another woman like Heather was a question he didn’t want to answer right now—not even to himself. He’d