Read Online A Christmas Affair by Adrianne Byrd - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Adrianne Byrd
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“Don’t you understand?”
Tess hesitated, but then she slowly nodded.
“Good. So you’ll help me?”
“All right.”
I drew my sister into my arms. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” When I stood back up, I wiped at my eyes and dove back into my packing. When I finally got my two bags stuffed with all I was ever going to get into them, I headed toward my bedroom window.
Tess stopped me. “Wait. What about Lyfe? Shouldn’t you leave him a note or something?”
I blinked. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You need to say something.”
“I … I can’t.”
“But—”
“What can I say that won’t make him come chasing after me? If I apologize and tell him that I still love him, then he’ll come after me. You know he will … or he’ll just sit here and wait until I come back. I don’t want him to do that.”
“But if you just disappear, it will break his heart—and what about Mom and Dad?”
More tears rushed to my eyes. “If I break his heart, then he won’t come after me and try to change my mind. And I’m not so sure that he wouldn’t be able to change my mind if he tried. And Mom and Dad … I’ll call them when I get there.”
“But—”
“No. This is best,” I decided firmly. “No note.”
Tess just pressed her lips together. “You’ll call me once you get there, won’t you?”
“Of course I will.” I smiled.
The bedroom door knob jiggled, and then there was a knock.
“Corona Mae, are you in there?”
Tess’s eyes bulged.
“Yes, Momma. I’ll be right out.” I turned toward my sister again. “Give me five minutes before you let her in.”
“They’re going to kill me you know,” Tess complained.
“I really appreciate you doing this for me.”
“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”
I delivered a quick peck to her plump cheek. “I love you, lil’ T. I’ll call you as soon as I get to Aunt Charlene’s.” With that I ducked out of the window and raced away from my wedding, determined not to look back …
“We’re here, Ms. Banks,” the driver announced.
Corona snapped out of the past and closed her diary. However, her chest still ached as if she’d just made that heart-wrenching decision a few seconds ago. After allthis time, there were still so many
“what-ifs”
tumbling around her head like Texas tumbleweed.
The driver opened the back door and Corona glanced up as ten-year-old Melody climbed into the car and smiled at her with her father’s cognac gaze.
“Hey, Mom.”
Chapter 7
“W ell, well. Lookie here. It’s the birthday boy!” Tess stepped in front of Lyfe and crowded his personal space. Her bright brown eyes and apple-cheeked smile was like a punch in the gut. Lyfe had to take a deep breath and lean back from her in order to get his bearings.
“It’s the second time in three days that we’ve run into each other. We better watch out, this could actually mean something.” Tess laughed and reached up to pin her number to his chest. “Here you go, handsome.”
He glanced down and shook his head. “Uh, I don’t think that is such a hot idea.”
When he started to unpin the number, she covered his hand with her own. “Don’t be so hasty. You know there
is
a chance that you were just with the wrong Banks girl.” She shifted her brows up. “If you get my drift.”
His brothers exchanged knowing looks and cocky smiles.
Lyfe’s laugh was out of his mouth before he had a chance to consider whether it would hurt her feelings. He didn’t have to look over at the pool table to know that he was once again the center of attention.
Tess’s brows stretched up.
“No offense, Tess, but I can’t help but look at you like a little sister.”
Hennessey leaned over to remind him, “We don’t have a sister.”
“And if we had one that looked like her, I’d gouge my eyes out,” Dorian said, as his gaze slowly caressed her curves.
The glowing comments made Tess toss them each a devastating smile. “Why thank you, guys. You
Tess hesitated, but then she slowly nodded.
“Good. So you’ll help me?”
“All right.”
I drew my sister into my arms. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” When I stood back up, I wiped at my eyes and dove back into my packing. When I finally got my two bags stuffed with all I was ever going to get into them, I headed toward my bedroom window.
Tess stopped me. “Wait. What about Lyfe? Shouldn’t you leave him a note or something?”
I blinked. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You need to say something.”
“I … I can’t.”
“But—”
“What can I say that won’t make him come chasing after me? If I apologize and tell him that I still love him, then he’ll come after me. You know he will … or he’ll just sit here and wait until I come back. I don’t want him to do that.”
“But if you just disappear, it will break his heart—and what about Mom and Dad?”
More tears rushed to my eyes. “If I break his heart, then he won’t come after me and try to change my mind. And I’m not so sure that he wouldn’t be able to change my mind if he tried. And Mom and Dad … I’ll call them when I get there.”
“But—”
“No. This is best,” I decided firmly. “No note.”
Tess just pressed her lips together. “You’ll call me once you get there, won’t you?”
“Of course I will.” I smiled.
The bedroom door knob jiggled, and then there was a knock.
“Corona Mae, are you in there?”
Tess’s eyes bulged.
“Yes, Momma. I’ll be right out.” I turned toward my sister again. “Give me five minutes before you let her in.”
“They’re going to kill me you know,” Tess complained.
“I really appreciate you doing this for me.”
“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”
I delivered a quick peck to her plump cheek. “I love you, lil’ T. I’ll call you as soon as I get to Aunt Charlene’s.” With that I ducked out of the window and raced away from my wedding, determined not to look back …
“We’re here, Ms. Banks,” the driver announced.
Corona snapped out of the past and closed her diary. However, her chest still ached as if she’d just made that heart-wrenching decision a few seconds ago. After allthis time, there were still so many
“what-ifs”
tumbling around her head like Texas tumbleweed.
The driver opened the back door and Corona glanced up as ten-year-old Melody climbed into the car and smiled at her with her father’s cognac gaze.
“Hey, Mom.”
Chapter 7
“W ell, well. Lookie here. It’s the birthday boy!” Tess stepped in front of Lyfe and crowded his personal space. Her bright brown eyes and apple-cheeked smile was like a punch in the gut. Lyfe had to take a deep breath and lean back from her in order to get his bearings.
“It’s the second time in three days that we’ve run into each other. We better watch out, this could actually mean something.” Tess laughed and reached up to pin her number to his chest. “Here you go, handsome.”
He glanced down and shook his head. “Uh, I don’t think that is such a hot idea.”
When he started to unpin the number, she covered his hand with her own. “Don’t be so hasty. You know there
is
a chance that you were just with the wrong Banks girl.” She shifted her brows up. “If you get my drift.”
His brothers exchanged knowing looks and cocky smiles.
Lyfe’s laugh was out of his mouth before he had a chance to consider whether it would hurt her feelings. He didn’t have to look over at the pool table to know that he was once again the center of attention.
Tess’s brows stretched up.
“No offense, Tess, but I can’t help but look at you like a little sister.”
Hennessey leaned over to remind him, “We don’t have a sister.”
“And if we had one that looked like her, I’d gouge my eyes out,” Dorian said, as his gaze slowly caressed her curves.
The glowing comments made Tess toss them each a devastating smile. “Why thank you, guys. You
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