The Last Honest Woman Read Online Free PDF Page B

carelessly upbeat views on life in general. She couldn't call Trace. Big brother was roaming his way through Europe or Africa or God knew where. .
    She couldn't call any of them, Abby reminded herself as she stepped into the kitchen again. She was on her own and had been for years, by her own choice. They'd come, any and all of them would come if she so much as hinted at need. So she couldn't call. She wasn't simply the middle triplet now. She was Abby Rockwell, mother of two sons. She had to see to them, provide for them, raise them. And by God, she was going to make certain they had some kind of legacy from their father.
    She pulled vegetables out of the crisper and began to prepare a salad both her sons would mutter over.
    When the stock was fed and hands and faces reluctantly washed, Abby turned off the flame under the pot of chili. "Chris, go up and tell Mr. Crosby dinner's ready."
    "I'll do it." Ben's offer was quick and out of character. When Abby sent him a questioning look, he shrugged. "I want to get something upstairs anyway."
    "All right, thanks. But no fooling around. Everything's ready."
    "I don't have to eat mushrooms, do I?" Chris was already pulling himself onto his stool.
    "No, you don't have to eat any mushrooms."
    "You gonna pick them out?"
    "Yes."
    "All of them. If I eat one, I'll throw up."
    "Understood," she said, and glanced up to see Dylan and Ben come in. "Go ahead and sit, I'm just setting things up." Moving automatically, she began to dish salad into bowls.
    "I don't want any," Ben told her as he slid onto his stool.
    "Your body does." She added dressing. "Here, Chris, not one mushroom."
    "If there is I'm gonna—"
    "Yes, I know." She dished up a third bowl and set it in front of Dylan. "Now if you'll—" She caught herself when she glanced over and saw him grinning at her. "Oh, I'm sorry." She looked down at the salad she'd fixed him just as tidily as she had fixed her sons'. "I guess I'm just used to dishing it up."
    "It's all right." He picked up a bottle of dressing and shook it lazily. "I think we can handle it from here."
    She sat down and began to eat as Chris chattered between and during mouthfuls. Ben was picking at his salad and watching Dylan out of the corner of his eye. Odd, she thought, he looked… what? Wary? Resentful? She couldn't be sure. He wasn't the most open child, but…
    Then it occurred to her all at once that Dylan was sitting in what had been Chuck's seat. True, he'd only sat there a handful of times, and those times had been few and far between, but it had been his. Did Ben remember? He'd been barely three the last time his father had stayed at the house. Barely three, she thought, and yet so stiffly adult in too many ways. She felt the elbow nudge her ribs and blinked herself back.
    "What?"
    Ben pushed his salad bowl aside. "I said I ate most of it."
    "Oh." She started to reach for the ladle to spoon out chili.
    "I can get it myself."
    She started to serve him then caught Dylan's eyes over Ben's head. Something in them made her pass Ben the pot and sit back, annoyed with herself. "The rain seems to be letting up," she commented as she offered the chili to Dylan.
    "Seems to." Dylan helped himself. "I guess things'll be a mess for the next few days."
    "Mud up to your ankles." Abby set Chris's chili next to him to cool. "If you like being outdoors, I hope you brought something more substantial than your tennis shoes."
    "I'll get by." He tasted the chili. Ether it was delicious or he was starving. Whatever the reason he dug in. "The boys tell me you have some horses."
    "Yes, we breed Morgans. Use your napkin, Chris."
    "Breed?" Dylan deftly avoided being splattered with sauce as Chris jiggled his bowl. "I didn't know you were in business."
    "Unfortunately, a lot of people don't." Then she smiled and tugged at Ben's ear. "But they will. Do you know anything about horses?"
    "He had a rocker," Chris piped up.
    "A walker." Ben rolled his eyes and would have wiped his mouth on