After Sundown Read Online Free PDF Page B

knees and her father’s dark eyes. The first time Kit met Megan, the child had reminded her of a cherub.
    "Megan, what are you doing here?" Kit fairly squeaked the question , once the door closed and the bus began moving down the street.
    "Daddy came by the school and told me I get to go home with Sara from now on!" Her bright smile beamed up at Kit.
    "Oh no , " Kit quietly moaned, then quickly forced a smile and took each girl by a hand and began walking down the street toward her house.
    Megan's exuberant delight at being in the Landon ’s home made it difficult for Kit to begrudge the chil d’s presence. Megan was starving for feminine attention and companionship. When Kit served the girls homemade oatmeal cookies and cold milk , the dark haired chatter box promptly explained that her daddy only served cookies that came in packages . Those cookies were hard and nothing like Kit's wonderful homemade baked goods.
    Each afternoo n, Kit worked with her daughter at the piano, giving her a music lesson . Megan was fascinated with the ivory keys and promptly took a place on the piano bench. Megan, Kit and Sarah scrunched together on the narrow bench, with Kit in the middle.
    After piano lessons , the girls helped Kit measure ingredients i nto the bread maker, preparing homemade pizza dough. Megan grated cheese while Kit helped Sarah slice pepperoni .
    Several hours later, while the two girls played quietly in Sarah's bedroom, Kit sat at her desk sorting through paper work. It had been two months since her last consulting job , not counting After Sundown. It was as if the market suddenly dried up. She knew her demands as a fulltime parent kept her from applying the extra effort needed to drum up more business.
    Wearily , she rested her arms on the desktop, l aid her head on her arms and closed her eyes. She didn't want to get a full time job. Working with a large consultant firm meant extensive traveling and time away from Sarah. A restaurant management job meant long grueling hours. She considered selling her Suburban, and buying a less expensive, older vehicle. Kevin had paid cash for the Suburban with one of his larger commission checks.
    Megan spotted her father's car from Sarah's bedroom window and raced to reach the door before he rang the bell. She fairly flew into his arms and greeted him with enthusiastic kisses across his brow.
    " H i, pumpkin ," Cole chuckled as he set his daughter on her feet. He had arrived a good hour earlier than he had told Kit. He was beginning to feel guilty about forcing her to watch Megan and he questioned the wisdom of leaving his cherished daughter with a woman whom only days before he considered a bar slut . However , when he looked into his daughter's beaming face, he knew she was happy. He noticed Megan's hair was pulled back into a neat f rench braid.
    " O h, Daddy, we had so much fun! Do you like my hair? Kit did it. I wish you knew how to f rench braid, maybe she can teach you. We had homemade cookies and Kit let us make pizza. Homemade pizza daddy. Kit said I could have some when it's done. Please can we stay daddy ? I t's going to be ready soon! And she read us a book and said we couldn't watch TV , cause it will rot our brains, but she showed me where middle C is on the piano and we had to take a nap."
    "Where is Kit, pumpkin?"
    "Mommy's in the den , " t he little girl standing behind Megan piped up. "She doesn't know you're here , cause we saw you from the window." Cole's eyes washed over the slender blond e child. She was a miniature of her mother . Sarah's vivid blue eyes filled with curiosity as she watched her friend's father. Cole wondered if Sarah missed having a father as much as his daughter missed having a mother. He often wondered which parent was more important to a young child.
    "You must be Sarah. Since Megan's calling your mom by her first name, why don't you call me Cole?" Cole closed the front door behind him and looked around for some sign of Kit.
    "The den is