Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“Most men do,” she said wryly.
“I’m not like most men.”
Megan nearly rolled her eyes at that one. No, he wasn’t. Cole was so handsome she had found her faith in God again. Only He could have created someone so stunningly beautiful.
Treepoint had more than its fair share of good-looking men, but there was a difference with Cole. He had such a gentle glow about him, as if the beauty on his face mirrored the heart within. His muscular frame made her feel protected, not afraid, as Curt’s had. He didn’t make small digs at her, thinking she was too stupid to understand he was making fun of her, nor did he say ugly remarks behind people’s back. So far, she could only find one fault with him.
Cole was making her fall in love with him.
Seven
Megan managed to find her voice despite coming to the conclusion she was staring at the face of her next heartbreak. “I would agree with that.”
“I hope you mean that in a good way.” His good humor turned thoughtful. “I’m trying to think of a polite way to describe Casey and my mother.” Giving a defeated sigh, Cole gave her a wry smile. “Put it this way: the only person our mother cares about is herself. She doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body. When we grew up, she would get involved with men who … let’s just say weren’t father material, either. She had the uncanny ability to lure men into spending money until they would bankrupt themselves. Those were the ones she used, keeping Casey and me hidden away from them. The men she married were in a different category. They were useless pieces of shit, making her give them the money she had talked the other men out of.
“As soon as I was old enough, I took off. I knew if I didn’t get out of there, one or both of us would be dead. I wanted to take Casey with me, but my mother wouldn’t let me. I didn’t have a job or a place to stay, so getting custody of her was impossible. I found a job in construction, worked my ass off twenty hours a day, determined to get custody of my sister. When I finally had enough to afford an apartment where I could give Casey her own bedroom, I just needed enough money saved to hire a lawyer to help me get custody.
“The day I earned enough money to pay a retainer fee, I received a call. My father had died, and Casey and I were the beneficiaries of his insurance policy. I went to get Casey. Her suitcases were packed, and my mother was doing what she could to convince Casey to stay, telling her that she would force me to spend all my money on legal fees if she went with me. I had to leave her that day. My lawyer finally helped me get custody of my sister when I showed pictures of my mother being abused by her husband.
“The day I was awarded custody, I drove to get her. My mother had been too nice to me when I told her I was on my way—that should have been my first clue.”
Megan’s hand tightened over Cole’s, sensing what he had gone through was horrific from the way he was talking.
“I should have told Casey to meet me downstairs, or Mom bring her to the police station. But I didn’t. I thought I could handle Mason. What I didn’t count on was him bashing my head in with a steel pipe when Casey went to get her suitcases.”
She couldn’t prevent her shocked gasp, sickened at what Casey and Cole had to deal with, with no help from their mother.
“Casey managed to call 911 before Mason started beating her with the pipe. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that both of us would have been dead by the time the police arrived. Casey told me I was barely clinging to life for months, in a coma. During that time, my mother managed to get Casey to lie to get the charges dropped on Mason by saying we were the ones who attacked him. She also tried to have my life support turned off and managed to convince Casey to hand over her inheritance so she could protect me.
“When I came out of the coma, I had the mental capacity of a five-year-old. I think Casey was being generous when she told me that. I can’t tell you how, but if not for Greer, I still would be.”
“You don’t have to say how.” There were those who were meant to be angels walking on Earth to share their beauty, then there were the chosen few who were placed on Earth meant to be at the right place, at the right time, to protect angels in distress …