Second Wife Read Online Free PDF Page A

kitchen Flynn settled Jeremy into
    a chair and then rummaged through the assortment of French cookware, food processors, coffee grinders
    and the latest in gourmet gadgetry until he found a plastic cup. Opening the two-door chrome-finished
    refrigerator he found a carton of milk. Carefully he poured the liquid into the cup and handed the drink to
    Jeremy, who took it eagerly.
    „Okay, kid, let’s go have a man-to-man talk. I could use a little advice from a slick operator such as
    you.“ Flynn headed for the living room and Jeremy ambled along behind him, dragging the blanket scrap and
    slurping happily on his cup of milk.
    When Flynn sat back down on the gold leather couch and repropped his booted feet on the slate table
    Jeremy scrambled up into his father’s lap.
    „What do you think, kid?“
    „Dark,“ Jeremy informed him in a positive tone.
    „I know. Sometimes it’s easier to think in the dark. And I’ve got a lot of thinking to do. Your old man
    struck out today. Did you know that? I really blew it. This is going to be tougher than I originally thought.
    She’s got all the defenses in place now that she should have had eight months ago.“
    Flynn reached for his brandy glass and he and his son sipped their nightcaps in companionable silence
    for a while. „It occurs to me,“ Flynn finally went on after a time, „that you may be my ace in the hole. She
    doesn’t know about you, kid. I never told her about you.“ Flynn broke off abruptly, remembering why he
    hadn’t mentioned his son to Heather. „If I don’t make any headway on my own maybe I’ll let you take a
    shot at softening her up. What do you think?“
    „It’s still dark.“ Jeremy sounded a little sleepy now, but basically willing to oblige his father.
    „She’s really not very hard,“ Flynn assured the boy. „Soft as wildflowers and warm as sunshine. She
    came to me so easily the first time. I didn’t even know what I had in my hands. And she felt so good in my
    hands. This time around things will be different. But first I’ve got to convince her of that. I think she still
    wants me, kid. I could feel the want in her this evening when I kissed her. Does that sound egotistical?
    Well, what the hell. It’s just us men talking. I sure want her. Tell you what. I’ll try getting her back on my
    own, and if I decide I’m botching the job I’ll bring on the heavy artillery – you.“
    „Don’t like the dark,“ Jeremy mumbled, half-asleep. The cup began to slide from his grasp.
    Flynn caught the cup and gently removed it from Jeremy’s fingers. „I’ll leave the night-light on,“ he
    promised the boy softly as he got to his feet and carried him back to his room. „Maybe I ought to leave one
    on for myself. It gets lonely at night.“
    The ladder was old, and it wobbled slightly as Heather braced herself on the top step and began to
    screw a light bulb into one of the fixtures in the new track lighting system she’d had installed that afternoon.
    The doorbell chimed halfway through the task.
    Pleased that the electrician who had installed the lighting had also gotten the doorbell working, she yelled
    „Come in,“ and continued twisting the bulb into the socket.
    The door opened to reveal a mass of dazzling yellow chrysanthemums. „What the devil are you doing on
    that ladder? It looks like it’s going to collapse at any moment.“
    Heather glanced at the boots beneath the huge collection of yellow flowers. Grimly she continued twist-
    ing the light bulb. „Hello, Flynn. What are you going to do with the flowers? Open a florist shop?“
    „They’re for you. Where do you want them?“
    Heather finished her task and took a couple of steps down the shaky ladder. She folded her arms on the
    top perch and leaned on them as she studied Flynn. His tawny eyes met hers through a spray of yellow.
    „Why?“
    „Why what? Why the flowers? Because I wanted to bring them.“
    „Why?“ she repeated patiently.
    „You used to love