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Authors: Dyann Love Barr
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her.
She refused to take the card.
He placed it on the table beside the door. “But don’t think I’ll let this go, Zoe.”
She shook her head, giving him a sad smile. “I
didn’t think you would.”
The door chimed as he walked out.
Zoe picked up the card and turned it over. He’d left her his private cell phone number along with a short note.
I remember Vegas.
57
Dyann Love Barr
Chapter Seven
Zoe came close to burning the brisket.
The smell tipped her off the minute she got to
the kitchen. Cursing herself for being a fool, she pulled back the foil and pried off a piece to taste. Zoe sent up a flurry of prayers of thanks that the brisket retained enoughmoistness to serve.
Damn Alex for coming here and upsetting her
life like this.
Deep down, she had to admit she’d known this
could happen. They were bound to meet at
sometime. Part of her had even fantasized about it, she’d come up with her own scenario figured out about how she planned to tell Alex about the girls.
This just wasn’t it.
She went about packing up the food for the
garden party on autopilot. The linens, tableware, and centerpieces had already arrived at the
Hendersons, she’d made sure of that before Alex made his appearance. Her brain worked overtime
trying to figure out how to handle this mess, now that Alex knew about her children. Would he really want to be a father to the girls or forget about them when the responsibility of the job hit him right between the eyes?
Zoe couldn’t blame him for being angry. The
words he’d hurled at her about tricking James hurt, deep down to the bones, but she understood his
rationale. Hadn’t she married Alex for her own
selfish reasons? Still, it didn’t stop the memories of the anguish she’d felt that first day of their marriage 58
A Perfect Bride for Christmas
when she’d bashed his nose in for not remembering the night they shared. The words he’d said hurt, but not as bad as his rejection of her love.
By the time she got the van ready to go, she’d
convinced herself that Alex would be glad she hadn’t demanded he be a father to her girls. He just wasn’t father material. Especially with Sydney Stanford in the picture.
The rest of the day went fast and forgetful of
Alex. Maddie Henderson kept her on her toes,
asking this, wanting that. By the time the event ended and the last dirty dish was ready to go back to the vendor, Zoe could finally draw breath and think.
The kids were through with school by the time she got home. She smelled chocolate chip cookies. Cherri had Mia and Michaela spooning out dough onto the cookie sheet. Macy reached out to take one of the cookies cooling on the rack.
“No you don’t, baby girl, those are for supper.”
From the evidence around her cherub’s mouth,
she’d already had one. “I’m just checking to make sure they’re good.”
Zoe picked up one and bit in. “They are good.
But you’ve already had your share for the evening.”
“Mommy,” Macy whined. “That’s not fair.”
“Everyone gets a cookie for dessert, one each.
You know the rules. Cherri?”
Cherri didn’t look up. “I’m not ratting anyone
out.” “Did anyone else have cookies?”
“I did.” Michaela thrust out her chin.
Zoe figured she might be covering for her sister, but she wanted to find out if Mia would fess up.
“No you didn’t, I did.” Mia took Michaela’s hand.
“She’s just trying to keep me out of trouble.”
“Okay.” The girls knew their mother was strict
when it came to sweets. “I tell you what. You can each have a cookie for dessert, but no more. Sweets 59
Dyann Love Barr
are special. If you ate them all the time, you’d get sick.”
“Not me,” Macy said, her eyes on the new batch
of cookies being transferred from the baking sheet to the rack to join the others.
Zoe wrapped her arms around her cookie
monster. “Yes, even you.”
Dinner turned into mass confusion, with a
mixture of hot dogs,
She refused to take the card.
He placed it on the table beside the door. “But don’t think I’ll let this go, Zoe.”
She shook her head, giving him a sad smile. “I
didn’t think you would.”
The door chimed as he walked out.
Zoe picked up the card and turned it over. He’d left her his private cell phone number along with a short note.
I remember Vegas.
57
Dyann Love Barr
Chapter Seven
Zoe came close to burning the brisket.
The smell tipped her off the minute she got to
the kitchen. Cursing herself for being a fool, she pulled back the foil and pried off a piece to taste. Zoe sent up a flurry of prayers of thanks that the brisket retained enoughmoistness to serve.
Damn Alex for coming here and upsetting her
life like this.
Deep down, she had to admit she’d known this
could happen. They were bound to meet at
sometime. Part of her had even fantasized about it, she’d come up with her own scenario figured out about how she planned to tell Alex about the girls.
This just wasn’t it.
She went about packing up the food for the
garden party on autopilot. The linens, tableware, and centerpieces had already arrived at the
Hendersons, she’d made sure of that before Alex made his appearance. Her brain worked overtime
trying to figure out how to handle this mess, now that Alex knew about her children. Would he really want to be a father to the girls or forget about them when the responsibility of the job hit him right between the eyes?
Zoe couldn’t blame him for being angry. The
words he’d hurled at her about tricking James hurt, deep down to the bones, but she understood his
rationale. Hadn’t she married Alex for her own
selfish reasons? Still, it didn’t stop the memories of the anguish she’d felt that first day of their marriage 58
A Perfect Bride for Christmas
when she’d bashed his nose in for not remembering the night they shared. The words he’d said hurt, but not as bad as his rejection of her love.
By the time she got the van ready to go, she’d
convinced herself that Alex would be glad she hadn’t demanded he be a father to her girls. He just wasn’t father material. Especially with Sydney Stanford in the picture.
The rest of the day went fast and forgetful of
Alex. Maddie Henderson kept her on her toes,
asking this, wanting that. By the time the event ended and the last dirty dish was ready to go back to the vendor, Zoe could finally draw breath and think.
The kids were through with school by the time she got home. She smelled chocolate chip cookies. Cherri had Mia and Michaela spooning out dough onto the cookie sheet. Macy reached out to take one of the cookies cooling on the rack.
“No you don’t, baby girl, those are for supper.”
From the evidence around her cherub’s mouth,
she’d already had one. “I’m just checking to make sure they’re good.”
Zoe picked up one and bit in. “They are good.
But you’ve already had your share for the evening.”
“Mommy,” Macy whined. “That’s not fair.”
“Everyone gets a cookie for dessert, one each.
You know the rules. Cherri?”
Cherri didn’t look up. “I’m not ratting anyone
out.” “Did anyone else have cookies?”
“I did.” Michaela thrust out her chin.
Zoe figured she might be covering for her sister, but she wanted to find out if Mia would fess up.
“No you didn’t, I did.” Mia took Michaela’s hand.
“She’s just trying to keep me out of trouble.”
“Okay.” The girls knew their mother was strict
when it came to sweets. “I tell you what. You can each have a cookie for dessert, but no more. Sweets 59
Dyann Love Barr
are special. If you ate them all the time, you’d get sick.”
“Not me,” Macy said, her eyes on the new batch
of cookies being transferred from the baking sheet to the rack to join the others.
Zoe wrapped her arms around her cookie
monster. “Yes, even you.”
Dinner turned into mass confusion, with a
mixture of hot dogs,
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