Read Online After Sundown by Anna J. McIntyre - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anna J. McIntyre
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strange as hell. Plus, I had Megan to think about."
"You want some cake?" Kit asked as she stood up and began clearing away the dirty dishes. "It's German chocolate. I made it this morning."
"I'd love some."
Fifteen minutes later , Cole and Kit sat alone on the floor in the living room eating chocolate cake. Cole had built a fire in the fireplace , after the girls begged for extra time to work on their Halloween decorations.
"What about you? Think you'll ever remarry?" Cole asked before popping a forkful of cake into his mouth.
"I can't imagine remarrying. I don't think I could deal with the thought of some man, other than her natural father, disciplining my daughter. And it really wouldn't be fair to my would-be-husband if I placed limi tations on his status as a step- father. No, I don't think I could share her."
"So what you're saying is, it w ill be at least twelve years before you would consider remarriage?"
"I guess." Kit took her last bite of cake and washed it down with milk. She would think about the calories tomorrow.
"So tell m e, Kit, are you planning to remain celibate for the next dozen years?"
"What do you mean?" Kit asked as she wiped the milk from her lips.
"What I mean is, what are you saving yourself for? You need sex, I need sex . " Cole grinned devilishly as he reached out and gently stroked her upper arm, allowing his thumb to steal a caress from the soft swell of her breast.
" O h, stop that!" Kit swatted his hand as she set her empty plate on the carpet with her glass.
"Okay , " Cole shrugged in surrender. "Tell me about your husband." Cole leaned back and pillowed his head on his clasped hands.
“ Kevin and I started dating in college. We were both majoring in business . After school he got into real estate and I was working for my family's restaurant."
" Your parent's restaurant?"
"It was started by my grandfather and his father. My father took it over and someday it was to go to me. Brandon never had any interest in the business."
"What happened?" Cole sat up and moved to put another log in the fire.
Stirring the embers with a brass poker, he listened to Kit.
"Mom got sick with cancer when I was in high school. After my mother died, Dad let his medical insurance lapse. He said, why pay all the high premiums, lightening doesn't strike twice. He was wrong."
"Cancer?" Cole closed the fireplace screen and s at down next to Kit.
"Leukemia. The medical bills wiped out everything. M y dad died and we were forced to sell his home and the business to payoff all the debts."
"Do you have any other brothers or s isters?"
"There's just me and Brandon."
They were quiet for several minutes when Cole reminded Kit that he had asked about her marriage.
“ Kevin and I were best friends. He was very supportive when D ad died. I had lost my father, my job and our family's legacy in one swoop. He was great. I didn't have the heart to work for someone else's restaurant, so Kevin talked me into applying for a job with a restaurant consultant company. I enjoyed it, but it involved a lot of traveling. Both Kevin and I wanted kids. We'd decided when Sarah was born that I'd stay home with her. Kevin was making good money in real estate. We had everything planned out." She sounded bitter.
“ Kevin was on his way home one night when he stopped at a convenience store for milk. Some junky killed him over a lousy twenty bucks. I know Kevin would have just handed over the mone y. He’d never play hero for something like a few bucks. There was no reason for the guy to kill him." Kit's eyes filled with tears. Cole reached out and touched her knee, giving it a light squeeze.
"You don't know how often I've cursed myself for asking him to pick up some milk. My entire life has changed because of a lousy gallon of milk that I forgot to pick up earlier." The self-loathing in Kit's voice was obvious.
"Kit, my go d, you don't blame yourself for his death?" Cole sat up abruptly and looked into Kit's face. Silent
"You want some cake?" Kit asked as she stood up and began clearing away the dirty dishes. "It's German chocolate. I made it this morning."
"I'd love some."
Fifteen minutes later , Cole and Kit sat alone on the floor in the living room eating chocolate cake. Cole had built a fire in the fireplace , after the girls begged for extra time to work on their Halloween decorations.
"What about you? Think you'll ever remarry?" Cole asked before popping a forkful of cake into his mouth.
"I can't imagine remarrying. I don't think I could deal with the thought of some man, other than her natural father, disciplining my daughter. And it really wouldn't be fair to my would-be-husband if I placed limi tations on his status as a step- father. No, I don't think I could share her."
"So what you're saying is, it w ill be at least twelve years before you would consider remarriage?"
"I guess." Kit took her last bite of cake and washed it down with milk. She would think about the calories tomorrow.
"So tell m e, Kit, are you planning to remain celibate for the next dozen years?"
"What do you mean?" Kit asked as she wiped the milk from her lips.
"What I mean is, what are you saving yourself for? You need sex, I need sex . " Cole grinned devilishly as he reached out and gently stroked her upper arm, allowing his thumb to steal a caress from the soft swell of her breast.
" O h, stop that!" Kit swatted his hand as she set her empty plate on the carpet with her glass.
"Okay , " Cole shrugged in surrender. "Tell me about your husband." Cole leaned back and pillowed his head on his clasped hands.
“ Kevin and I started dating in college. We were both majoring in business . After school he got into real estate and I was working for my family's restaurant."
" Your parent's restaurant?"
"It was started by my grandfather and his father. My father took it over and someday it was to go to me. Brandon never had any interest in the business."
"What happened?" Cole sat up and moved to put another log in the fire.
Stirring the embers with a brass poker, he listened to Kit.
"Mom got sick with cancer when I was in high school. After my mother died, Dad let his medical insurance lapse. He said, why pay all the high premiums, lightening doesn't strike twice. He was wrong."
"Cancer?" Cole closed the fireplace screen and s at down next to Kit.
"Leukemia. The medical bills wiped out everything. M y dad died and we were forced to sell his home and the business to payoff all the debts."
"Do you have any other brothers or s isters?"
"There's just me and Brandon."
They were quiet for several minutes when Cole reminded Kit that he had asked about her marriage.
“ Kevin and I were best friends. He was very supportive when D ad died. I had lost my father, my job and our family's legacy in one swoop. He was great. I didn't have the heart to work for someone else's restaurant, so Kevin talked me into applying for a job with a restaurant consultant company. I enjoyed it, but it involved a lot of traveling. Both Kevin and I wanted kids. We'd decided when Sarah was born that I'd stay home with her. Kevin was making good money in real estate. We had everything planned out." She sounded bitter.
“ Kevin was on his way home one night when he stopped at a convenience store for milk. Some junky killed him over a lousy twenty bucks. I know Kevin would have just handed over the mone y. He’d never play hero for something like a few bucks. There was no reason for the guy to kill him." Kit's eyes filled with tears. Cole reached out and touched her knee, giving it a light squeeze.
"You don't know how often I've cursed myself for asking him to pick up some milk. My entire life has changed because of a lousy gallon of milk that I forgot to pick up earlier." The self-loathing in Kit's voice was obvious.
"Kit, my go d, you don't blame yourself for his death?" Cole sat up abruptly and looked into Kit's face. Silent
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