Handle with Care (9 page)

"Are
you going to run away from this?" His voice was thick with emotion. He
locked eyes with her and Abby cringed inwardly. It was the moment she had hoped
to avoid. Craig could see straight into her. It was something she had never
experienced with a man before. She had to make a choice. Should she lie or be
honest with him?

"Craig,"
she beseeched softly and looked away.

"No,
Abby," Craig said firmly though his tone was still quiet. He gently cupped
her cheek, guiding her eyes back to his. "Just tell me the truth, before I
get in further than I already have. Are you going to run away from me?"

Abby's
eyes closed against his probing stare. She wanted nothing more than to fall
into his arms and confess her deepest feelings, but she was afraid. She was
afraid she was wrong, just as she had been with Bill. She had followed her
instincts then, allowing her emotions to guide her. The end result was
destruction and pain. She couldn’t trust herself, couldn’t risk being wrong
again. Her heart pounded.
Craig trailed his thumb along the curve of her cheek as he waited patiently for
her answer. She could feel the heat of his lips drawing closer to hers, knowing
in the next moment, he would be kissing her. The sensation was hypnotic and
inviting. She wanted to savor it, to draw it in close. Her loins burned. She
wanted him deeply but felt she shouldn’t. Suddenly she pulled back, her eyes
open, turning her head slightly to avoid the impending kiss. Her breath was
shallow and she dared not allow him to continue, or she would never get on the
plane.

"It's
okay," he said, as he let his hand fall away from her cheek. "Maybe
it was me getting my hopes up. Maybe, it was me imagining you felt the same way
I did." He was disappointed. When she glanced up at him, he turned to face
the water below. Abby felt the absence of his touch with an ache and a longing,
as if a part of her had been ripped away. She had never experienced such
intense hunger for anyone. Her life was entirely focused on the emotional needs
of others. She had never been concerned with her own needs. Hadn’t even been
aware she had any.

One
of her friends had once beamed about how wonderful it was to be in love. Abby
couldn’t relate. At the time, she joked about love being all neurotransmitters
and hormones. But now she knew that was not the case. She had come to an
epiphany while in Winchester Bay: she found what was really important in life.
She was connected to community, to Craig and
Chloe, and to a primal element that didn’t exist in Philadelphia. Abby had
found acceptance here, and awakened a side of her she’d never nourished.

Love.
It seemed so simple now. She loved this place and, as that love grew in her
like a seed, she was able to share it with others. She now knew love personally,
how it could slip inside of you and possess every fiber of your being, leaving
you very few options. In the loss of their connection, Abby realized she had
grown to love Craig, and this was her chance. She could not allow fear to keep
her from him. She had met the man of her girlhood dreams and wanted to savor
every moment she had with him.

"Craig?"
she said. But this time, it was he who refused to look at her. He feared she
was going to Dear John him, giving him the “it's not you, it's me” speech.
That would crush him. Instead, she cupped his
cheeks in the palms of her hands, following his example and turning his face
toward hers. "I'm not going anywhere," she said.

She
leaned forward in the same moment he did. Their kiss was full of all of the
fear and joy they felt. A heady mixture of elation, terror and desperation.
Neither of them knew exactly what to expect, but both of them were certain of
one thing: it was a new beginning. Together they would make a fresh start, replacing
the heartache and tragedies of the past with something lighter, something
brighter, something full of love and something worth all the risk.

* * *

Coming late December 2013 to Amazon:
Dinner
for Two
– Lucy is an elegant, snobby, food critic. Her palate is the most
sophisticated, and unforgiving. Everyone wants their food to pass her approval.
But not Russ. He is the new sensation on the block, the farthest thing from
refined…but oh, can he cook. Their attraction is electrifying but they are as
different as night and day. Can Lucy and Russ find common ground to make it
work? This is a wonderful romantic comedy which has loads of fun moments. It is
coming to Amazon late December.

Coming
late January 2014 to Amazon:
Return to Misty Falls
– It’s been six years since Rae’s been
home. Six years in the city, focused on her career. But when news reaches her
that her parents are losing their homestead, all she can think of is what she
stands to lose – the dream of being married on that land. Rae returns home with
selfish motives: she wants to salvage her dream and…have one last fling before
she ties the knot. She returns home curious about the boy she left behind. But
little does she know, he has been waiting for her. He never gave his heart to
anyone else…

Emily Porterfield
has been writer for most of her life. She started writing in her early teens,
primarily prose, poetry, lyrics, and nonfiction. She was first published in college
- publishing multiple pieces every year. Emily is a composer, explorer, nature
photographer and amateur filmmaker. You’ll usually find her living off the
beaten path enjoying many a Norman Rockwell moments. She loves roaring fires,
quiet moments at home, and Bonaire Riesling. When she isn't stargazing, hanging
out at the farmer's market, hugging trees or mastering a Rachmaninov piece,
you’ll find her writing romantic comedies, romantic suspense and dramas, in
bite-sized novella and cozy novels.
You can find Emily at her website,
http://www.EmilyPorterfield.com
or find her on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/emilyporterfieldbooks

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