A Very Crimson Christmas (Crimson, Colorado 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

accused me of taking the money. She kept Austin at her side most of the day yesterday. She’s definitely avoiding me. Once I know for sure I’m going to have to tell Liam. How humiliating is it to admit to the guy who left me behind that I’ve royally messed up my life?”
    “You didn’t mess it up. The scumbag ex-husband messed it up,” Millie offered sympathetically.
    “I married him.”
    Millie lifted her glass in a mock toast. “Good point.”
    “I have money from the inheritance I got when my grandma died,” Katie offered. “I can help you pay back Ruth if she did indeed give money to Brad.”
    Natalie shook her head. “As much as I appreciate the offer, I need to take care of this mess myself. I know I have to stand up to Brad so this stops. It’s no way to live.” She took a bite of the chicken quesadilla wedge Olivia put on her plate. “It’s not fair to Austin. I’m always struggling to get ahead and I should be putting money away for his college. He deserves so much more than I’m giving him right now.”
    “You deserve more, too,” Olivia reminded her.
    Fear and guilt warred inside her. Her ex-husband was a problem that had been growing for years, like a festering wound she continued to try to hide with a Band-Aid. As worried as it made her, she had to deal with him, no matter the fallout. “I’m going to talk to Ruth and if she did give money to Brad, I’ll figure out how to pay her back.”
    “And?” Katie prompted.
    “And ask Jason Crenshaw about getting the terms of the divorce redone. It will mean going back to court, but if Brad tries to fight me I’ll go public with everything. I’ll press charges if I have to.”
    “Attagirl,” Millie told her.
    “Whatever happens,” Katie added, “you’re not alone. You have friends and we’re here for you, Natalie.”
    “Thank you.” Natalie blinked several times. She was a lot of things, but a crier wasn’t one of them.
    “Your mother?” Katie asked. “How much does she know?”
    “Very little. Mom was always very pro-Brad. She thought if I’d managed to catch a husband, that my main job was to keep him happy. She was furious when Brad and I divorced. I tried to explain the situation to her then, but she didn’t want to hear it.” She took a deep breath. “I guess it’s time to try again.”
    “What about Liam?”
    Natalie thought about Liam’s stormy eyes and the way her whole body tingled when he towered over her. “I’m hoping to have everything sorted out with Ruth before Liam has to know any details.”
    “You two were close once,” Katie said gently. “He’s rich and powerful. He could make a good ally.”
    “No way. Liam made it clear what he thought of me when he left Crimson for college. He walked away and never looked back. As far as he will ever know, staying in town only brought me happiness.”
    Her friends looked skeptical but didn’t argue with her.
    “Whatever you need, we’re here,” Katie said. “Promise you won’t go forward alone.”
    Natalie gave a jerky nod and wiped her fingers across her cheeks. “I’m going to make this right.” She just hoped she could do it before her life blew up any more than it already had.
    * * *
    Liam walked out the front door of Ruth’s house later that night, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. He’d brought her home after she won several rounds of bingo. He’d promptly fallen asleep in her bedroom’s big recliner as they watched reruns of
I Love Lucy
. She was fast asleep when he’d woken up a few minutes ago.
    It was almost midnight as he pulled his phone out of his coat pocket. Several texts had come through from his latest ex-girlfriend, asking to see him again. Gretchen had called herself his girlfriend, although they’d only dated a couple of weeks before he’d ended things. Liam hadn’t allowed himself to have a serious girlfriend since—well, since Natalie had chosen Crimson over him.
    Seeing her boy had been like a swift kick to