OPEN YOUR HEART
November 2002
BET Books
ISBN 1-58314-379-3
Years ago, nurse Shelly Bishop barely escaped a brutal assault by someone she trusted. She was determined to continue rebuilding her shattered life and confidence, but she never expected that her new patient would be the father of old acquaintance Justin Thornton—or that the brief desire she and Justin once shared would become dangerously irresistible passion . . .
Burned by betrayal and heartbreak, Justin had put his entire life into his family's banking empire, swearing to stay clear of emotional complications for good. Little by little, however, he found himself drawn to Shelley's gentleness and quiet honesty—and hoped for a chance to lay both their unhappy pasts to rest. Now, between buried secrets and a ruthless business rival, Justin and Shelly must risk their fragile trust to at last find the love of a lifetime.
2003 EMMA AWARD
Nominee for Favorite New Author of Multicultural Romance
"Monkou's moving debut novel is full of touching characters and heartfelt
moments." — Booklist
"Once the reader begins reading this book, it will
not be easy to put it down."
— Daughters of Eve Online Reviews
CHAPTER ONE
Justin Thornton barely discerned the yellow advisory road sign--sharp turn ahead. Sheets of rain provided a hazy curtain that made it difficult to see into the inky night. He’d driven Crescent Drive enough times to know each curve by heart, and the rain-slicked road didn’t deter him.
“Slow down, Justin,” his wife pleaded.
He eased his foot off the accelerator. “You lied to me.”
Oncoming lights blinded him. Justin squinted in an effort to see past the distorted high beams directed his way. He tried to increase the speed of the wipers. Its furious metronome whipped back and forth across the windshield already at full speed.
“I did what any woman would do to keep the man she loves.”
The headlights drew steadily closer.
“Justin, please talk to me.”
“There’s nothing to say.” His hands gripped the wheel and he bit down the rage burning a hole in his gut.
“I’m your wife. I made a mistake. A lousy mistake.” The woman’s voice broke. “Remember our vows? Remember ‘for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health?’”
“But it wasn’t one mistake. A business trip here, a night out on the town with girlfriends there, a weekend getaway to a spa.” She must have thought him a perfect, gullible fool. He ignored her shocked expression. “Yeah, I know about all your trysts. It cost me to know, but it was worth signing off on the five-digit check.” He wanted to rage, to pound something. “When did it end for us? God, I was so blind.” His throat tightened. “You must have thought me a fool when you made me believe that you were pregnant. That was the ultimate.” He slammed the steering wheel with his hand. “And it was all a lie.” Tears burned his eyes as he bit down on the raw edges of his grief. “A damned lie,” he whispered.
“No one’s perfect. You put me on a pedestal that I couldn’t live up to, but it never meant that I didn’t love you. I just can’t be the person you want me to be. I thought I wanted more, something else.” She reached out to touch his arm.
“Take your hand off me, Wanda.” He turned his view from the road and gave his full attention to glare at his wife. Her high-fashion beauty and thick, luxurious hair no longer made his pulse race. Betrayal warred with cherished memories that he couldn’t turn off. He wanted ice to run through his veins and freeze his heart against the sound of her voice, the warmth of her touch; against all the things she’d promised him when he lay in her arms.
“Oh God, look out!”
His gaze shot back to the road. Headlights came toward him.
No. They came at him.
In his lane.
Then the driver swerved widely back onto his side of the road.
Justin exhaled. His stomach muscles unclenched. “What the heck was that!”
A split second later the knot in his stomach bunched again. The car, now a few feet away, skidded back into his lane.
Wanda screamed.
Goose bumps prickled on the back of Justin’s neck. He yanked the wheel to the right to avoid a head-on collision. Brakes locked. In a flurry of motion, he grappled with the steering wheel trying to pull away from the soft shoulder. Tires hit the graveled edge and kept sliding. With the back of the car now leading, the vehicle broke through the guardrail with a decisive snap.
Justin looked over at Wanda; her lips mouthed his name. As the car shot backward crashing through trees and bouncing off rocks, Justin prayed for a miracle. He imagined that the Old Walker River, probably swollen by the constant rain, churned hungrily for its newest victims.
Waiting for the impending impact, he deliberately reached over and took his wife’s hand.
“Forgive me,” she whispered.
The car flipped completely over, throwing them violently against the steering wheel and dashboard. The window next to him shattered into a spiderweb pattern. They landed upside down in the river with a massive splash. Within a minute, the car slid in an all-consuming, black, watery grave.
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copyright 2002 Michelle Monkou
