1022 Evergreen Place Read Online Free PDF Page A

longer than he’d expected and it was almost five when he’d finished.
    Linc collected the keys to the garage and went home, hoping to pick up Lori and take her down to see the garage. He had a notebook filled with ideas on how to build the business. He wanted to tell her about them, and above all, he wanted to share this moment with her. They’d take the wine over to the property and toast there.
    When Linc arrived home, he saw a black Town Car parked in the very spot where he normally left his truck. Even before he reached their apartment, he heard raised voices.
    â€œDon’t say that, Daddy!” Lori cried. She sounded close to tears.
    Oh, boy. Lori hadn’t told her family yet that they were married. Linc didn’t understand why she’d delayed, but the decision was hers. When he’d asked her about it, Linc could see how uncomfortable the subject made her, so he’d dropped it.
    Now her father was upset, and frankly, Linc didn’t blame him. He’d do his best to set things straight.
    Squaring his shoulders, Linc opened the door and walked into the living room. Lori stood next to the fireplace, her father—a balding, heavyset man—no more than a foot away. One of his hands was raised, as if he’d been wagging his finger at her. The other was clenched at his side. At Linc’s entrance, they both turned to stare at him.
    â€œHello,” Linc said, hoping he sounded calm and composed. “You must be Lori’s father. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bellamy.” He thrust out his hand, which the older man ignored.
    Instead, Leonard Bellamy turned back to his daughter. “Is that the man?”
    â€œDaddy, this is my husband, Lincoln Wyse. Linc…this is my father.”
    Linc walked over to Lori’s side and placed his arm protectively around her shoulders.
    Bellamy continued to ignore him. “You’ve pulled some stupid stunts in your life, but this takes the cake.”
    â€œMr. Bellamy, I realize—”
    â€œIf I want to hear from you, I’ll say so,” the older man shouted. “Don’t you have any sense, Lori Marie? You married this man and you don’t even know him? What about his family? Who are his people?”
    â€œIf you’d allow me—”
    â€œYou,” Leonard said, pointing an accusing finger at Linc, “mind your own business. This is between me and my daughter.”
    Lori squeezed his arm, indicating that Linc should do as her father said. He didn’t like it, but he clenched his jaw and waited impatiently for the other man to get to the end of his rant.
    â€œFirst, you were engaged to that…that felon.”
    â€œGeoff was a mistake.”
    â€œA mistake!” Leonard shouted. “So that’s what you’re calling him. He was a major embarrassment to the whole family. How do you think your mother and I felt when we had to cancel the wedding? We couldn’t even say it was wedding-day jitters or make up a decent excuse. Oh, no. Geoff’s name was plastered across the front page of every newspaper on the Kitsap Peninsula. Everyone in the entire county knew why the wedding was canceled.”
    â€œI…I didn’t know what kind of man Geoff was,” Lori said, defending herself. Her voice quavered with mortification. “I agree I misjudged Geoff, but you liked him, too, remember?”
    Her father brushed off her comment. “What makes youthink you have better judgment this time?” he demanded. “How long did you two know each other, anyway?”
    â€œLong enough,” Linc said, unable to remain silent.
    â€œI asked you to stay out of this,” Bellamy shouted. He started pacing, then stopped and glared at Lori. “What were you thinking?” Briefly he closed his eyes. “What on earth possessed you to marry a stranger? ”
    â€œDaddy…”
    â€œCan you imagine how your mother felt to have a friend—mind you, a