Read Online Do Not Disturb by Lisa Ballenger - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lisa Ballenger
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“She hated everything about it. How it
ruined her figure. The childbirth classes." He rolled his eyes. "And
the birth. You'd think she was the only woman who'd ever done that."
Wrapping her other hand around his neck, she
gently massaged his knotted muscles.
"I took care of Caroline when I was home - at
nights, on the weekends."
So that’s why they were so close. It sounded like
he’d been almost raising Caroline alone, even when he was still married.
"Did her mother work? Was she gone a
lot?"
Brett laughed. "Work? Never. She played
tennis. She belonged to clubs. She ate lunch with her friends." His jaw
became firm. "A baby interfered with all her plans, so as soon Caroline
was born she hired a nanny for when I wasn't home."
Allison raised her eyebrows at the harshness of
his comment. "I've always worked. Kelly had a nanny when she was a
baby."
He drew his face back to hers, his eyes softening.
"But you love Kelly. It's obvious when you're with her. She can feel
it." He ran a finger over Allison's mouth. "Her mother never wanted
to spend any time with her."
"That's awful.” How could a mother be like
that? Especially with such a sweet child like Caroline? “Then why is she with
her mother this weekend?"
"Because I insist they spend time together.”
Dragging her hair over her shoulder, he twirled it in his fingers. “Even if I
don't approve of her mother, I don't want Caroline to grow up not knowing her.
When she's older, she can decide for herself the type of relationship she wants
with her mother."
Allison let his words sink in. They’d made the
same decision about their exes. She’d finally realized she couldn’t control
James, although she still tried to influence him. And slowly she was accepting
the need for Kelly to create her own relationship with her father.
Maybe she and Brett were alike in some ways.
"Mom."
Allison jumped back out of Brett's arms at the
sound of Kelly's voice. Leaning around him, she saw her daughter come around
the corner of the porch.
"Grandma wants to talk to you." Kelly
handed Allison the phone.
"Thanks sweetie." She watched Kelly's
eyes drop to her waist where Brett's hand still rested. Before Allison could
move, Kelly smiled and bounced back into the house.
Brett squeezed her hip, "I'll go
inside."
When Allison returned to the kitchen, they were
making hamburger patties, Kelly following Brett’s detailed instructions on how
to create the perfect burger. Music blasted from the small speakers in a
cabinet that housed an antiquated stereo system and old CD player.
Kelly had inherited a musical talent from her
father that he had ignored, along with most everything else in his life. His
single-minded focus on his career dreams that had once drawn Allison to James,
now made him seem one dimensional and shallow.
Allison encouraged Kelly’s musical quest, and so
far they’d been through a flute, the drums, and piano lessons. This year it was
guitar. And the amazing part was that she was good at each instrument, just not
enamored enough to stick with any of them. Until the guitar. She might have
finally found true love.
The two cooks smiled as Allison slipped onto a bar
stool across the counter. "I think I'll just watch this lovely site and
relax."
"Why don't you start the grill, Mom?” Brett
flipped his burger in rhythm with the pounding base vibrating through the room.
“We're almost ready here."
"Me?” She pointed her finger at her chest.
“But you two have everything under control. I was just going to open a beer and
rest."
Brett poked Kelly with his elbow, "we don't
need her do we Kelly? Let her rest," then lowered his head to her ear.
"She'll need extra energy to clean up after we eat."
Allison jumped down from the stool and ran out the
door. "I'm starting the grill."
She heard Kelly laughing as she opened the porch
door to the back yard. Lifting the top off the grill, she regulated the gas
flames and stepped back.
"Ready for that beer now?"
Brett
ruined her figure. The childbirth classes." He rolled his eyes. "And
the birth. You'd think she was the only woman who'd ever done that."
Wrapping her other hand around his neck, she
gently massaged his knotted muscles.
"I took care of Caroline when I was home - at
nights, on the weekends."
So that’s why they were so close. It sounded like
he’d been almost raising Caroline alone, even when he was still married.
"Did her mother work? Was she gone a
lot?"
Brett laughed. "Work? Never. She played
tennis. She belonged to clubs. She ate lunch with her friends." His jaw
became firm. "A baby interfered with all her plans, so as soon Caroline
was born she hired a nanny for when I wasn't home."
Allison raised her eyebrows at the harshness of
his comment. "I've always worked. Kelly had a nanny when she was a
baby."
He drew his face back to hers, his eyes softening.
"But you love Kelly. It's obvious when you're with her. She can feel
it." He ran a finger over Allison's mouth. "Her mother never wanted
to spend any time with her."
"That's awful.” How could a mother be like
that? Especially with such a sweet child like Caroline? “Then why is she with
her mother this weekend?"
"Because I insist they spend time together.”
Dragging her hair over her shoulder, he twirled it in his fingers. “Even if I
don't approve of her mother, I don't want Caroline to grow up not knowing her.
When she's older, she can decide for herself the type of relationship she wants
with her mother."
Allison let his words sink in. They’d made the
same decision about their exes. She’d finally realized she couldn’t control
James, although she still tried to influence him. And slowly she was accepting
the need for Kelly to create her own relationship with her father.
Maybe she and Brett were alike in some ways.
"Mom."
Allison jumped back out of Brett's arms at the
sound of Kelly's voice. Leaning around him, she saw her daughter come around
the corner of the porch.
"Grandma wants to talk to you." Kelly
handed Allison the phone.
"Thanks sweetie." She watched Kelly's
eyes drop to her waist where Brett's hand still rested. Before Allison could
move, Kelly smiled and bounced back into the house.
Brett squeezed her hip, "I'll go
inside."
When Allison returned to the kitchen, they were
making hamburger patties, Kelly following Brett’s detailed instructions on how
to create the perfect burger. Music blasted from the small speakers in a
cabinet that housed an antiquated stereo system and old CD player.
Kelly had inherited a musical talent from her
father that he had ignored, along with most everything else in his life. His
single-minded focus on his career dreams that had once drawn Allison to James,
now made him seem one dimensional and shallow.
Allison encouraged Kelly’s musical quest, and so
far they’d been through a flute, the drums, and piano lessons. This year it was
guitar. And the amazing part was that she was good at each instrument, just not
enamored enough to stick with any of them. Until the guitar. She might have
finally found true love.
The two cooks smiled as Allison slipped onto a bar
stool across the counter. "I think I'll just watch this lovely site and
relax."
"Why don't you start the grill, Mom?” Brett
flipped his burger in rhythm with the pounding base vibrating through the room.
“We're almost ready here."
"Me?” She pointed her finger at her chest.
“But you two have everything under control. I was just going to open a beer and
rest."
Brett poked Kelly with his elbow, "we don't
need her do we Kelly? Let her rest," then lowered his head to her ear.
"She'll need extra energy to clean up after we eat."
Allison jumped down from the stool and ran out the
door. "I'm starting the grill."
She heard Kelly laughing as she opened the porch
door to the back yard. Lifting the top off the grill, she regulated the gas
flames and stepped back.
"Ready for that beer now?"
Brett
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