Read Love's Embers (Canon City Series) for Free Online Page B

words that spilled from his mouth. Since a very horrible night in June, she hadn’t let him come near her and felt ill whenever she thought about being in the same room with him. The worst of it, though, was that he scared her and she was stuck on how to deal with him.
    “I wouldn’t have been any fun for you. It was pretty exhausting.”
    “Why don’t you plan on coming up next weekend? We could have a quiet night and relax before the big Christmas rush starts.”
    “I’ll see how things go this week. It will be pretty busy.”
    “Dear, are you all right? You don’t sound like yourself.”
    “I’m fine, Thomas. I’ve just got a mountain of work to do. I’ll call you later this week.”
    He said good night and hung up. Lark held the phone to her lips and wished she hadn’t answered. She sat back in her chair and looked at the ceiling. Is this my future? What am I thinking?
    She’d met Thomas five years earlier at a business meeting in Denver. She and Nancy were just getting the company off the ground and he gave her some good advice on advertising and marketing. He was an attractive man and impressed her with his knowledge of business and finances. They’d dated for two years and then bought a condo in Denver together. It was just after they’d moved into the dwelling that she’d become uncomfortable with some of his ideas of games to play. When he asked her to marry him two years ago, she’d agreed, but kept finding excuses to put off the wedding. He’d argued with her on several occasions and finally convinced her it would be in her best interests to give in and marry him.
    Lark shook her head and wanted to stop thinking about Thomas. She tossed around the idea of getting some food, but decided she wasn’t all that hungry. She walked down the stairs and found Gran at the kitchen table going through her recipe book.
    “Gran, I’m going to head over to the rink. There’s supposed to be a broom ball meet tonight. Do you want to go?”
    “No, it’s too cold outside and I’d rather not sit by the rink where it’s just as cold. I’m getting my shopping list together for next week. I have pies to get ready for the festival.” She pumped her fist.
    Lark laughed. “Okay, I’ll be back early.”

Chapter Six

    When Lark arrived at the rink, she saw Nancy sat on the bleachers with her three kids around her. She was putting a piece of duct tape on the bottom of her oldest son’s tennis shoe. He’d need it to slide around on the ice during the game. She waved and started toward Nancy, but got sidetracked when she saw Jay Hager by the boards. His elbows were planted on the wood and he held a cup of coffee in his hands.
    Like Charlie, Jay was tall. He stood six-foot-four inches and when he was still in high school, got drafted by a professional hockey team. He’d been sent to Portland to play on the pro-teams junior club and after his first year took a terrible hit during a game and broke his knee and leg. After five surgeries he’d given up the sport. That was the way he liked to put it. The team actually released him before a contract was signed. He’d been disappointed and depressed for a couple of months after, then went back to school and got his degree. He’d saved enough money to buy into the rink and turned the business around. He was doing really well. He and Charlie were friends in school and they often went on adventures with Jay as their third and some other friends.
    “Hey, Mister.” She smiled and stood next to him.
    “Hey, Miss. Are you going to play tonight?” He straightened up to his full height and
    gave her a half-hug.
    “Maybe, if you need extra people for the adult game. I don’t want to go out there with the kids. I nearly lost a knee-cap the last time I did that.”
    “We always need extra people,” he said and watched the skaters move around the ice.
    “I’ll need to borrow some duct tape.”
    “No problem.”
    “Jay, I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but