Emmett Read Online Free PDF Page B

children, having you away from home so much,” she continued. “Even if your housekeeper does look after them.”
    â€œThey’re resourceful,” he said noncommittally.
    â€œThey’re ruined,” she returned. “And you know it. Especially Guy.”
    His eyes narrowed as they met hers. “They’re my kids,” he said quietly. “And how I raise them is none of your business.”
    â€œThey’re my nephews and niece,” she pointed out.
    His face went taut under its dark tan. “Don’t bring that up.”
    â€œWhy do you have to keep hiding from it?” she asked miserably. “Randy’s my brother. I love him. But he couldn’t have taken Adell if she hadn’t wanted to go with him…!”
    â€œMy God, don’t you think I know that?” he asked with bridled fury.
    She saw the pain in his face, in his eyes, and she understood. “But, it wasn’t because something was lacking in you,” she said softly, trying to make him understand. “It was because she found something in Randy that she needed. Don’t you see, it wasn’t your fault!”
    His whole body clenched. He grimaced and lifted the cup, burning his lips as he forced coffee between them. “It’s none of your business,” he said gruffly. “Let it alone.”
    She wanted to pursue the subject, but it wouldn’t be wise. She let it go.
    â€œThere’s a little ice cream,” she told him.
    He shook his head. “I don’t like sweets.”
    Just like Guy, but she didn’t say it. Guy hated her. He hated her enough to let her cat out the door and into the street. Her eyes closed on a wave of pain. It was just aswell she wasn’t mooning over Emmett, because she was certain that Guy wouldn’t let that situation develop.
    â€œYou should be in bed,” she told Emmett after a tense minute.
    â€œYes,” he agreed without heat and then stood up slowly. “Tomorrow I’ll take the kids back to the hotel, and we’ll get a flight out to San Antonio. We’ll all be out of your hair.”
    She didn’t argue. There was nothing to say.

Chapter 3
    E arlier in the day, Melody had telephoned the nearest veterinarian’s office and animal shelter, hoping that Alistair might turn up there. But the veterinarian’s receptionist hadn’t heard of any lost cats, and there was only a new part-time girl at the animal shelter who wasn’t very knowledgeable about recent acquisitions. In fact, she’d confided, they’d had a fire the week before, and everything was mixed up. The lady who usually ran the shelter was in the hospital, having suffered smoke inhalation trying to get the animals out. She was very sorry, but she didn’t know which cats were new acquisitions and which were old ones.
    Melody was sorry about the fire, but she was even more worried about her cat. She went out into the hall one last time to call Alistair, in vain because he didn’t appear. She just had to accept that he was gone. It wasn’t easy. It was going to be similar to losing a member of herfamily, and part of her blamed Guy for that. He might hate her, but why had he taken out that hatred on her cat? Alistair had done nothing to hurt him.
    Melody slept fitfully, and not only because she was worried about Alistair. The couch was comfortable, as a rule, but Amy was a restless sleeper and it was hard to dodge little flailing arms and legs and not wake up.
    Just before daylight, she gave up. She covered the sleeping child, her eyes tender on the little oval face with its light brown hair and straight nose so reminiscent of Adell. Amy’s eyes, though, were her father’s. All the kids had green eyes, every single one. Adell’s were blue, and her hair was light brown. Amy was the one who most resembled her mother, despite her tomboy ways and the temper that matched her father’s. That physical