1022 Evergreen Place Read Online Free PDF

friend —announce that you’d recently married?”
    â€œDaddy, please…”
    â€œYou couldn’t have told us yourself?” he bellowed, refusing to let Lori explain.
    â€œMr. Bellamy,” Linc said, trying again.
    Lori covered her face with both hands and began to sob.
    â€œYou’ve really done it this time,” Leonard said. “You’ve consistently shown poor judgment, and worse, you never seem to learn from your mistakes.”
    Frowning, Linc took a step forward. He understood why Lori’s father was upset, but the man was crossing the line now.
    â€œNo one in the family has ever done anything like this. Your mother’s beside herself.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” Lori sobbed.
    â€œAs you should be. You made one stupid mistake and then you immediately followed that up with another.” He whirled around and studied Linc through narrowed eyes. “A mechanic, Lori? For heaven’s sake, why would you marry a mechanic? It isn’t embarrassing enough that our daughter elopes without a word to her family, but then you have to marry a man with oil under his fingernails, an uncouth, uneducated…mechanic? What’s the matter with you, girl? Don’t you have a brain in your head?”
    â€œMr. Bellamy,” Linc said, his voice hard. It was one thing to belittle him, but Linc wasn’t going to stand idly by while Lori’s father chastised her as if she were a child. “I can see why you’re upset. I’ll be the first to admit that we rushed into this marriage, but that doesn’t give you the right to come to our home and ridicule my wife.”
    â€œ Your home?” The other man’s face reddened.
    Lori’s hand tightened around Linc’s forearm and she squeezed hard. “This building belongs to my parents,” she whispered. “I don’t pay rent.”
    Linc hadn’t known that—and wished she’d told him. “If you want us to move, we’ll be out by the end of the month,” he offered.
    â€œI want you out, all right,” Bellamy raged, jerking one thumb at the door. “Out of my daughter’s life.”
    That wasn’t going to happen. Rather than argue, Linc shook his head. “Lori and I are married.”
    Her father snorted contemptuously. “You saw a good thing, didn’t you? Lori was easy prey. She was at a low point in her life and you decided to take advantage of her because of her name.”
    The name meant nothing to Linc. “Bellamy?”
    â€œLori comes from a wealthy family and you were trying to—”
    â€œNow, just a minute here!” Despite his efforts, Linc was fast losing his temper. “I don’t need your money or your name.”
    Bellamy scowled back at him, his expression filled with disbelief and disdain. “We’ll see about that.” His threat hung heavy in the air.
    Linc wouldn’t allow Bellamy to intimidate him. “You might own this building, but you don’t own your daughter. I suggest you leave now, before we both say or do something we’ll regret.”
    Bellamy jabbed his index finger at Linc severaltimes, then whirled around and stormed out the door. He slammed it so hard the windows rattled.
    The room seemed to vibrate with tension. Lori burst into tears, and Linc put his arms around her. He held her tight against him, his shirt absorbing her tears as he gently stroked her hair.
    â€œMy mother’s friend Brenda owns the dress shop and…she must’ve told Mom. She promised she wouldn’t say anything until I’d spoken to my parents but…”
    â€œIt’s okay, Lori,” Linc whispered into her hair. “We should’ve told them sooner.”
    â€œI know…I know—but I was afraid of what my father would say, what he might do….”
    â€œHe’ll get used to the idea soon enough.” Linc said, hoping that was true.
    â€œYou