Page 58 of The Promise Of Rain

I gritted my teeth against the agony of regret; of leaving her alone when she needed me most.

She was everything.

If I wanted honesty between us, I had to start.

“I never stopped loving you, Jenny.”

I never will.

11

Never Be Good Enough

Jenny

I locked the bakery after a seemingly endless day, ran around the back, and trudged up the outside stairs to my sweet escape from the world.

My lips still tingled from Deacon’s endless kiss the night before.My God, his taste, the strength in his arms, and worst of all, his unexpected tenderness.

By the time he released me, I felt cherished.

Not just wanted.

After he left, I dragged old faithful out of the drawer to finish what he didn’t.Memory and imagination mercifully filled in the blanks while I looked forward to the day Deacon would make it a reality.

And I woke up wrapped in hope.

But by the end of the workday, dragging myself upstairs to my sanctuary, I saw things in a wholly different light.

And I had questions.

What did Deacon’s family think about all this?Did they know he was spending time with me?As far as they were concerned, I cheated on him.

Did he tell them what really happened since he’d been back?

My lip curled in distaste at the thought of them knowing what happened to me.They’d probably find a way to spin it and make it my fault.Certainly, I didn’t expect any compassion from them.

I didn’t want compassion from them.

Once safely inside, I dropped my purse and keys on the hall table and shed my new winter coat and my fuzzy boots before heading to the kitchen.

The thought of them knowing irritated me.They had judged and dismissed me without giving me a chance from the beginning.

I huffed out a sharp laugh.

As if they could.

I swiped my hand over the back of my mouth.Anger left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I flicked on the kettle and pulled my favourite mug out of the cupboard.Plopping in a Vanilla Peppermint teabag, I headed into the family room and frowned.

How was I supposed to sit here after Deacon’s all-consuming kiss without thinking about him all night?

Crossing to my bedroom, I stripped off my clothes and traded them for fleece sweatpants and a hoodie.Then I grabbed my tea from the kitchen and plopped down on the couch.

I had barely settled when my cell phone rang.

Deacon’s number flashed on the screen.