A Cold Christmas Read Online Free PDF

did was work to pay bills, work to pay bills. Was that all there was to life? He loved Lillian; she was a good wife and a good mother. He didn’t want to hurt her. He hated himself for what he was doing, and he told himself again this was the last time.
    He ducked under the elm branches hanging over the narrow walkway and counted numbers as he went past doors. At number nine, he raised his fist to knock and a horrifying thought flashed through his mind. What if the door opened and Lillian was inside? What if this was a trap: telling him she was going shopping, then doubling back to catch him. Paranoia. He wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing. Besides, if that were the case she wouldn’t take Jo and Mandy.
    This had to stop. Then the thought of never holding Cindy again was more than he could bear. It would be different if Lillian was a terrible wife, but she wasn’t. She didn’t nag, she didn’t cheat, she kept the house in order. She kept herself looking nice. He still loved her.
    But there was Cindy. He couldn’t help himself. That time at her house they were just going to be together a while, have a cup of coffee. In the kitchen he’d put his arms around her. She felt so right, lips soft, body good. Holding her tight against him, he buried his face in her hair and kissed the back of her neck. When he heard a noise and looked up, he saw the furnace repairman watching them through the glass pane in the kitchen door.
    They sprang apart like guilty teenagers. The bastard never said a word, but his knowing eyes put two and two together quicker than a calculator, and amused malice crossed his face. Later Roy found out the son of a bitch’s name was Tim Holiday. He waited for Holiday to make some kind of blackmail overture. Sure enough, a few days later the guy called. He wanted to come and see him. Roy said no way. Holiday said Roy’s wife might like to know what was going on while she was working. Finally, Roy said okay. What else could he do?
    Roy was prepared to blow the guy’s head off. That was all he could think of. He had no money; what little there was, Lillian knew all about. She took care of the budget and paid the bills. She kept track of every penny. If their savings account suddenly turned up missing funds, she’d spot it immediately. There was piss-all in it anyway.
    And then the guy only wanted to ask questions about Mat James. Come right down to it, Holiday was weird. Swear to God, the bastard gave Roy the creeps.
    He tapped lightly on number nine and Cindy was in his arms as soon as the door shut behind them. He inhaled a deep breath of her sweet scent. They kissed long and hard. God, he’d missed her. She kept his life going; without her—
    â€œAny more trouble from Holiday?” he asked when they drew apart.
    â€œNot a word,” she said. “Oh, Roy, I’ve missed you so much. I love you.” Her eyes glistened. “If you ever left me, I don’t know what I’d do. I’d die, that’s what. I’d just die.”
    â€œCindy, listen, maybe we—”
    She clung to him. “Don’t tell me this is wrong. I know it’s wrong. I know we have to stop. It’s just that you are the only good thing in my life. I don’t know what I’d do if—” She kissed him fiercely.
    He’d been going to tell her this was the end, he couldn’t see her again. It was going to break his heart, but he couldn’t continue cheating on Lillian. If she ever found out, she’d poison Jo against him, tell the girl her father was a no-good bastard. He’d go to any length to see that didn’t happen.
    Since he was here. One last time. He slipped his hands under Cindy’s soft yellow sweater and cupped her round sweet breasts, teased her nipples with his thumbs. She gasped. For a moment, he saw his younger daughter’s shocked face, then he was lost in Cindy’s sweet passion. If Lillian