Heal the Wounded

"You don't get it, Dylan! Ronnie was absolutely beautiful, smart, fun to be around...."

"And you're not, is that what you're saying, Leigh?" Dylan stopped and spun her around. "Did Jake ever say that he liked Ronnie more than you?"

"He didn't need to say it, I just knew..." Leigh would not look Dylan in the eyes.

"You've got a huge chip on your shoulder, Leigh." Leigh was hurt by the tone of his voice but she had to admit that he was right...

"Look, don't put yourself down...ever, at least not around me. I think maybe it was my baby sister who showed me to admire girls who don't take any crap from anyone. She was stubbornly pig headed...remember my tattoo?" Leigh nodded. "Maybe that's what Jake liked about Ronnie. She sounded like a girl who didn't care what the rest of the world thought of her, she did her thing anyway. Not saying she made all the right choices, but hey..." Dylan did not finish the sentence. He refused to make a judgement about the way Ronnie had led her life.

"I'm not too sure about this Jake guy though. I'm worried when he realizes how dumb he was to let you go that if he ever comes back into your life, you'll dump me...but then again..." He paused and looked deeply into Leigh's eyes, "...maybe not. Give me a chance okay?"

Before Leigh could react, Dylan leaned down and kissed her warmly on her lips. His eyelashes fluttered against her cheek. His lips were soft and she felt herself kissing him back. He lingered there for what seemed to Leigh like an eternity and then when he released her she thought her knees would buckle under her. Dylan looked at her, grinned and then said self-assuredly. "Bet that Jake guy never kissed you like that."

Leigh had to agree.

HEAL THE WOUNDED is the much-anticipated sequel to LYNN DOVE'S debut novel, SHOOT THE WOUNDED.