Read Online After Sundown by Anna J. McIntyre - Free Book Online
Authors: Anna J. McIntyre
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whisper. Cole pushed his plate back and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Put it this way, Megan's mother wouldn't make bread even if she had a bread machine that turned itself on."
“ Just because a woman doesn't enjoy cooking doesn't mean she can't be a good mother and wife."
"True." Cole sat quiet and pensive for just a moment before he spoke again. It had been a long time since he'd discussed Connie. He'd never shared the true nature of his marriage with a living soul. He found himself willing to share the truth with this woman , who was now part of his li fe . Exactly how Kit fit into his life was unclear.
"You want to talk about it?" Kit asked quietly. It was obvious that Cole's mind was churning over memories. "I'm a good listener and I never betray confidences."
"Connie was from a very wealthy family." He began slowly, after a moment of silence. "You might say that she was a society girl. The kind that has formal coming out parties. A debutante."
"You mean they still do that?"
"Sure. Of course , I wasn't aware of that lifestyle until I met Connie. I was a carpenter back then. We met when I was doing some work at her family’s mountain cabin. At leas t, they called it a cabin. But it's bigger than my house." The comparison impressed Kit , because she knew Cole's home was enormous.
"I'd rather Megan never know that her mother and I didn't share a great love. To p ut it bluntly, Connie thought having an affair with one of the construction crew was exciting. I don't think it would have mattered to her much who it had been. As it happened, I was the first horny fool who went for the bait."
"But why did you marry her?" Kit asked, not considering for a moment the obvious reason. Cole flashed a look that seemed to say, don't be stupid .
"You mean she got pregnant? ” Kit asked. Cole gave a little nod.
“ Oh my. While I could personally never have an abortion, from how you describe her, I am a little surprised she decided to have the baby. "
"She wanted to have an abortion, but her father found out about the pregnancy before she had a chance to. T he old man ha d his own unique code of right and wrong. He let his daughter know that if she didn't do the right thing, which to hi m, meant marrying the father, th en he would disinherit her. I wanted my child , so I went along with it."
"But you were married for what, three years? Did it work out?"
"Connie was selfish and spoiled. I had enough youthful pride that I didn't want her family's money, and my lack of money to be thrown in my face for the rest of my life . I worked like hell. I got my contractor's license and began building my business. Connie reentered her active social li f e the minute Megan was born and left our daughter in the care of a nanny, hired by D addy's money."
"How did you get along with her parents?"
" I never met Connie’s mother. She died from complications of childbirth, and I imagine that’s why Connie’s father spoiled her shamefully. She was the only child and he never remarried. Actually, her father and I became close , w hich irritated the hell out of Connie. Once I showed him that I didn't intend to live off my wife's family, my father-in-law began treating me like a son."
"Do you still see him ? "
" We were married for about three years when her father had a heart attack and died. Connie announced at his funeral she intended to divorce me. Since her father was gone, she no longer had to stay married to me. Had she ended the marriage when he was alive, he would have disinherited her.”
"What happened?"
"She was killed in a plane crash two days later and hadn’t yet filed for divorce. She was anxious to take a ski trip with some guy she’d met, and figured she’d settle with me after her trip. "
"What happened to her family's fortune?" Kit knew the question was rude, yet her curiosity got the best of her. Cole only smiled.
"You inherited?"
"Everything. Had I not been so close to Connie's father, I would have felt
"Put it this way, Megan's mother wouldn't make bread even if she had a bread machine that turned itself on."
“ Just because a woman doesn't enjoy cooking doesn't mean she can't be a good mother and wife."
"True." Cole sat quiet and pensive for just a moment before he spoke again. It had been a long time since he'd discussed Connie. He'd never shared the true nature of his marriage with a living soul. He found himself willing to share the truth with this woman , who was now part of his li fe . Exactly how Kit fit into his life was unclear.
"You want to talk about it?" Kit asked quietly. It was obvious that Cole's mind was churning over memories. "I'm a good listener and I never betray confidences."
"Connie was from a very wealthy family." He began slowly, after a moment of silence. "You might say that she was a society girl. The kind that has formal coming out parties. A debutante."
"You mean they still do that?"
"Sure. Of course , I wasn't aware of that lifestyle until I met Connie. I was a carpenter back then. We met when I was doing some work at her family’s mountain cabin. At leas t, they called it a cabin. But it's bigger than my house." The comparison impressed Kit , because she knew Cole's home was enormous.
"I'd rather Megan never know that her mother and I didn't share a great love. To p ut it bluntly, Connie thought having an affair with one of the construction crew was exciting. I don't think it would have mattered to her much who it had been. As it happened, I was the first horny fool who went for the bait."
"But why did you marry her?" Kit asked, not considering for a moment the obvious reason. Cole flashed a look that seemed to say, don't be stupid .
"You mean she got pregnant? ” Kit asked. Cole gave a little nod.
“ Oh my. While I could personally never have an abortion, from how you describe her, I am a little surprised she decided to have the baby. "
"She wanted to have an abortion, but her father found out about the pregnancy before she had a chance to. T he old man ha d his own unique code of right and wrong. He let his daughter know that if she didn't do the right thing, which to hi m, meant marrying the father, th en he would disinherit her. I wanted my child , so I went along with it."
"But you were married for what, three years? Did it work out?"
"Connie was selfish and spoiled. I had enough youthful pride that I didn't want her family's money, and my lack of money to be thrown in my face for the rest of my life . I worked like hell. I got my contractor's license and began building my business. Connie reentered her active social li f e the minute Megan was born and left our daughter in the care of a nanny, hired by D addy's money."
"How did you get along with her parents?"
" I never met Connie’s mother. She died from complications of childbirth, and I imagine that’s why Connie’s father spoiled her shamefully. She was the only child and he never remarried. Actually, her father and I became close , w hich irritated the hell out of Connie. Once I showed him that I didn't intend to live off my wife's family, my father-in-law began treating me like a son."
"Do you still see him ? "
" We were married for about three years when her father had a heart attack and died. Connie announced at his funeral she intended to divorce me. Since her father was gone, she no longer had to stay married to me. Had she ended the marriage when he was alive, he would have disinherited her.”
"What happened?"
"She was killed in a plane crash two days later and hadn’t yet filed for divorce. She was anxious to take a ski trip with some guy she’d met, and figured she’d settle with me after her trip. "
"What happened to her family's fortune?" Kit knew the question was rude, yet her curiosity got the best of her. Cole only smiled.
"You inherited?"
"Everything. Had I not been so close to Connie's father, I would have felt
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