Bygones Read Online Free PDF Page A

and had seen the magnificent view, clear across the river to
Wisconsin
, and had gasped in mutual delight. Nothing that had happened since had changed Bess’s opinion of the house. She still loved it.
    She pulled into the garage and entered the service door to the kitchen. She’d redone the room since her business had flourished, and had installed plush cream-colored carpeting in the attached family room. The color scheme there was a blend of smoky blues and apricots, inspired by the view of the river and the spectacular sunrises that unfolded beyond it.
    Bess dropped her coat onto the long, loose-cushioned sofa in the family room and went to the window. The curtains were a blue and-apricot floral, which was repeated in two deep, chubby chairs.
    She stood looking out at the winter view, thinking of Lisa . . . Of Michael . . . and of their unborn grandchild.
    My God, we’re going to have a grandchild.
    The thought brought a lump to her throat. It was difficult to hate a man with whom you were sharing this milestone.
    The dots of window light glimmering here and there across the river became starbursts, and she realized there were tears in her eyes. Bess turned away from the window.
    She built a fire in the family-room fireplace and sat on the floor . before it, disconsolate. She wondered what Michael thought about becoming a grandfather, and where Randy was, and if Lisa truly loved Mark Padgett, and how she herself was going to survive this charade Lisa was asking of her. Already she was bluer than she’d been in months.
    The telephone rang, and Bess glanced at her watch. It was going on eleven. She picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
    “Hi. Just checking in.”
    “Oh, hi, Keith.” She scooped her hair back from one temple.
    “You got home late. How was the dinner with Lisa? ”.
    “Not so good, I’m afraid . . . . Oh, Keith, Lisa is pregnant.”
    At the other end of the line, Keith released a swoosh of breath.
    “She wants to get married in six weeks.”
    “To the baby’s father?”
    “Yes. Mark Padgett.”
    “Then I don’t understand. What’s the problem?”
    That was one of the troubles with Keith. He often failed to understand. She had been seeing him for three years, yet in all that time he’d never seemed sympathetic at the moments she needed him to be.
    Particularly when it came to her children.
    “The problem is that I’m her mother. I want her to marry for love, not for expediency.”
    “Doesn’t she love him?”
    “She says she does, but-was “Then what are you so upset about?”
    “It’s not that cut and dried, Keith”
    “Well, what, then?”
    Bess said ,. ”...Michael was there.”
    Silence. Then, “Michael?”
    “Lisa set us up. She invited us both, then made an excuse to leave the apartment so we’d be forced to confront each other.”
    “And?”
    “And it was hellish.”
    Silence again, before Keith said, “Bess, I don’t like this.”
    “My seeing Michael? For heaven’s sake, I haven’t spoken a civil word to the man in six years.”
    “Maybe not, but it only took one night to upset you. Bess, I want to come over.”
    “I don’t think you should. It’s nearly eleven, and I should go into the shop early in the morning.”
    From his silence she anticipated his reaction.
    “You’re pushing me away again, Bess. Why do you do that?”
    “Please, Keith, not tonight. Randy will be home soon.”
    “I wasn’t asking to stay overnight.” Though Bess and Keith were intimate, she had made it understood early in their relationship that as long as Randy lived with her, overnights at her house were out. Randy had been hurt enough by his dad.
    “Keith, could we just say good night now?
    I really have had a rough day.”
    “Oh, all right,” he said with exasperation, “I won’t bother you tonight. What I called for was to see if you wanted to go to dinner on Saturday night.”
    Bess became contrite. “I’m sorry, Keith. Yes, of course. I’d love to go. What