Heartache Falls Read Online Free PDF Page B

his newspaper, he stood and carried his dishes to the sink. As he topped off his coffee, he heard her footsteps on the stairs, along with the clunk clunk clunk of a rolling suitcase.
    Okay, so she’d actually packed. She still wouldn’t leave. She might haul the suitcase downstairs, even go as far as throwing the thing in her car, but she wouldn’t back out of the driveway. This was a grandgesture, an infantile attempt at manipulation. Ali was a master at that.
    His temper simmered. She wanted to talk, did she? Now, on her timetable? Wasn’t that special. Never mind that he’d tried for months to get her to talk to him. Finally he’d quit trying.
    What a crock.
    He fought to keep a neutral expression as she allowed the bag to bang its way down the staircase, step after step after step. She was mad, was she? Well, fine. He was plenty angry himself. In fact, he was furious. He was sick to death of the roller coaster she’d had him riding for months now. Sick to death of the games.
    Mac’s grip tightened around the handle on his coffee mug. Let her go. In fact, he hoped she did go. Maybe he’d carry her bag to the car. Start the engine for her.
    At the entrance to the kitchen she stopped and stared at him. Her blue eyes were red-rimmed and wounded. The sight of them fed his fury. He wasn’t a villain. He was sick to death of being stared at with wounded, suffering eyes. She’d been doing it for months, looking at him as if he were the source of all the ills on earth, and he didn’t deserve it. What did she have to feel wounded about?
    Something mean rolled through him. It must have shown in his eyes because hers widened slightly and registered caution.
    Good—she should be wary of him. The emotions that churned inside him at the sight of her with suitcase in hand, her expression accusing him of all sorts of nefarious deeds, were as ugly as any he’d felt inyears. He didn’t as a rule go around analyzing his own psyche, but really, did she think this injured-party business was a one-way street? He had plenty of scrapes and cuts and bruises and breaks, thank you very much.
    So, now what? Did she expect him to drop to his knees and beg her to stay? Well, forget that. He was calling her bluff.
    Masking his thoughts, he calmly lifted his coffee cup to his mouth for another sip, then pulled out his three aces. “What about the kids?”
    At that, her eyes went big and round. Aha—hadn’t thought of your children, had you? And you, the poster child for great motherhood .
    She grimaced and cleared her throat. “I guess I should call them.”
    “I guess you should.” He’d like to eavesdrop on those conversations, hear her attempt to explain this nonsense. However, he knew good and well that those phone calls wouldn’t happen because any minute now she’d come up with an excuse to stay.
    “What about the governor’s dinner?” he added, throwing her a bone. He was slated to speak at a dinner honoring the recipients of the Governor’s Award for heroics in law enforcement in a few weeks. He had two seats at the head table, and he knew Ali was looking forward to the event. “Shall I ask …” The words “a date” hovered on the tip of his tongue, but when it came time to say them, he couldn’t be that cruel. Instead, he substituted their daughter’s name. “… Caitlin to take your place?”
    Ali pursed her lips. “That’s so close to the end of the semester. Cait might have trouble getting away. Idon’t want to interfere with her studies.” Then she lifted her chin and declared, “I’m not cancelling my commitments, Mac. I’ll attend the dinner.”
    Well, lucky me . He’d expected her to lob out some sort of excuse that would allow her to attend, but this particular one touched an old nerve. Same song, ten thousandth verse. He loved his children. Truly, he did. But why did their needs invariably come before his with her? “Don’t do me any favors, Alison,” he snapped. “Maybe I don’t want