Read Online Do Not Disturb by Lisa Ballenger - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lisa Ballenger
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already?"
"Yeah. For two years this time.” Kelly
continued, not taking her eyes off the television. “To a foreign country to
help the poor. It sounds great."
The doorbell rang with Allison's hands stuck in
the hamburger.
Kelly leapt up. "I'll get it."
James leaving for two years? Anger gripped her.
How could he leave his child for two years? He didn’t see her enough now.
"Look what Mr. Tyler brought, Mom."
Kelly bound into the room, a bag in her hand. "Cookies for dessert."
Allison's eyes followed Kelly as she lay the bag
down and ran back to the television.
"What's wrong, Allison?" Brett whispered
in her ear.
She lifted wide eyes to his face, her mouth open.
She was sure all the color had drained from her face.
"Come with me."
“Wait.” She held up her greasy hands.
He pumped soft soap into her outstretched hands
and shoved them under the water. “Wash.”
She rubbed her palms together slowly. He jerked
several paper towels off the roll, turned off the water and wrapped her
dripping hands.
After slinging the wet towels on the counter, he
ushered her out of the kitchen through the open sliding glass door and onto the
back porch off the family room. He shut the door, sealing off Kelly from his
voice, then towed her around the corner, out of Kelly's eyesight.
"What happened?"
She swallowed the lump of fury and whispered,
"Kelly said her father's leaving the country for two years."
"Why are you so upset?” Brett frowned as his
grip on her arms tightened. “Do you still love him?"
The question drew her out of her trance. "Oh
my god no." She shook her head rapidly. "I haven't loved James
since...I...way before we..."
She tore away and walked to the far end of the
porch, Brett following. She crossed her arms, feeling chilled even in the heat
of September.
"How can he be so selfish?" She shivered.
"Poor Kelly. She won't see him for two years."
He drew her back against his chest. "Did
Kelly say she was worried about this? She didn't seem upset."
No.” A warmth encased her body as Brett wrapped
his arms around her, placing his hands on hers. "She thinks it’s
exciting."
"Then why are you worrying? I wouldn’t be
away from Caroline for two years, but you said James was different.” He lay his
cheek on the side of her head. “We can't always understand other people’s
choices."
She hesitated, then spoke softly. "Like, why
your ex-wife married a man that doesn't like Caroline?"
He stiffened. "How did you know that?"
"Caroline told Kelly."
She turned in his arms. His face was stern.
"Brett?" She hesitated only a second, he looked so miserable, before
reaching up to trace the lines on his forehead.
"It's true. Her step-father is not...” he
stopped, then continued through clenched teeth. “He's not a warm person."
"And?" She ran her finger lightly down
his face, unable to stop touching him, wanting to sooth him.
"He suits her mother. She's not a warm person
either."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Brett."
He held her hand to his face, flattening her palm
against his rough cheek, "It's OK. Caroline accepts her mother the way she
is," then dragged her finger down to his lips, kissing the tips, closing
his eyes briefly. “Even if I can’t.”
“Sometimes children are more forgiving.” She
thought of how Kelly had accepted James throughout the years. And her. Kelly
never complained about her work, her school, her hours.
"Yeah.” He placed her hand on his shoulder,
his face tensing. “Caroline doesn’t know this, but her mother never wanted
children."
"You mean Caroline was..." She stopped
herself. How could she have asked that?
But Brett just nodded, unconcerned with her
prying. "Her mother had trouble with birth control and was actually
talking about having an operation, but found out she was already pregnant when
she went to the doctor to discuss the options."
"But surely after she got pregnant she
changed her mind."
"No.” His thumbs rubbed up and down her
shirt, his hands resting on her waist.
"Yeah. For two years this time.” Kelly
continued, not taking her eyes off the television. “To a foreign country to
help the poor. It sounds great."
The doorbell rang with Allison's hands stuck in
the hamburger.
Kelly leapt up. "I'll get it."
James leaving for two years? Anger gripped her.
How could he leave his child for two years? He didn’t see her enough now.
"Look what Mr. Tyler brought, Mom."
Kelly bound into the room, a bag in her hand. "Cookies for dessert."
Allison's eyes followed Kelly as she lay the bag
down and ran back to the television.
"What's wrong, Allison?" Brett whispered
in her ear.
She lifted wide eyes to his face, her mouth open.
She was sure all the color had drained from her face.
"Come with me."
“Wait.” She held up her greasy hands.
He pumped soft soap into her outstretched hands
and shoved them under the water. “Wash.”
She rubbed her palms together slowly. He jerked
several paper towels off the roll, turned off the water and wrapped her
dripping hands.
After slinging the wet towels on the counter, he
ushered her out of the kitchen through the open sliding glass door and onto the
back porch off the family room. He shut the door, sealing off Kelly from his
voice, then towed her around the corner, out of Kelly's eyesight.
"What happened?"
She swallowed the lump of fury and whispered,
"Kelly said her father's leaving the country for two years."
"Why are you so upset?” Brett frowned as his
grip on her arms tightened. “Do you still love him?"
The question drew her out of her trance. "Oh
my god no." She shook her head rapidly. "I haven't loved James
since...I...way before we..."
She tore away and walked to the far end of the
porch, Brett following. She crossed her arms, feeling chilled even in the heat
of September.
"How can he be so selfish?" She shivered.
"Poor Kelly. She won't see him for two years."
He drew her back against his chest. "Did
Kelly say she was worried about this? She didn't seem upset."
No.” A warmth encased her body as Brett wrapped
his arms around her, placing his hands on hers. "She thinks it’s
exciting."
"Then why are you worrying? I wouldn’t be
away from Caroline for two years, but you said James was different.” He lay his
cheek on the side of her head. “We can't always understand other people’s
choices."
She hesitated, then spoke softly. "Like, why
your ex-wife married a man that doesn't like Caroline?"
He stiffened. "How did you know that?"
"Caroline told Kelly."
She turned in his arms. His face was stern.
"Brett?" She hesitated only a second, he looked so miserable, before
reaching up to trace the lines on his forehead.
"It's true. Her step-father is not...” he
stopped, then continued through clenched teeth. “He's not a warm person."
"And?" She ran her finger lightly down
his face, unable to stop touching him, wanting to sooth him.
"He suits her mother. She's not a warm person
either."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Brett."
He held her hand to his face, flattening her palm
against his rough cheek, "It's OK. Caroline accepts her mother the way she
is," then dragged her finger down to his lips, kissing the tips, closing
his eyes briefly. “Even if I can’t.”
“Sometimes children are more forgiving.” She
thought of how Kelly had accepted James throughout the years. And her. Kelly
never complained about her work, her school, her hours.
"Yeah.” He placed her hand on his shoulder,
his face tensing. “Caroline doesn’t know this, but her mother never wanted
children."
"You mean Caroline was..." She stopped
herself. How could she have asked that?
But Brett just nodded, unconcerned with her
prying. "Her mother had trouble with birth control and was actually
talking about having an operation, but found out she was already pregnant when
she went to the doctor to discuss the options."
"But surely after she got pregnant she
changed her mind."
"No.” His thumbs rubbed up and down her
shirt, his hands resting on her waist.
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