Read Online Fair Catch by Cindy Roland Anderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Cindy Roland Anderson
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I’m still invited.”
The mixer turned off and Betsy laughed. “You sure are. Cade and Ellie should be here around six. Does that work for you?”
The clock in his car read five forty, but he was a guy and could be ready in less than five minutes. “I’ll be there. Can I bring anything?”
“Just your charm.”
After the last dinner get-together, he would definitely need charm. When he mentioned this to Betsy, she assured him Ellie wasn’t mad at him, just embarrassed, and that she didn’t want any apologies.
“So I should just let it go?” he asked, tapping on his brakes as he approached an intersection not far from home.
“I knew you were a smart man. See ya soon.”
He ended the call and waited as a Honda Accord passed by. The car looked familiar—so did the driver. Their eyes met briefly then the blonde head whipped back around, her mouth open wide. Nick grinned and lifted a hand to wave.
Chapter Six
Ellie forced her eyes back on the road, narrowly missing a trashcan. Her cheeks felt hot and her mouth went dry. She swallowed back a mixture of excitement and dread. Looks like the new guy on the block was back in town.
Her face felt even hotter when she thought about the emotional breakdown a couple of days before. After she had run home from the Stewarts’, she had let herself cry over what should have been. When she’d married Thomas, they had been the perfect couple. At least that’s what she had thought at the time. Thomas worked hard, went to church with her every week and was excited about starting their family.
Then he had changed, and had become increasingly unhappy, mainly with Ellie. From the way she did her hair to her homemaking skills, nothing she did pleased him. Finally, he had stopped going to church with her, and frequently wouldn’t come home at nights, claiming he had work to do. Little did she know, Thomas had started living a double life.
The question that haunted her the most was wondering if she could have done something to prevent it. No matter how many times people tried to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault and that Thomas had made his own choices, she wondered how she could keep from blaming herself? When Nick had asked how old Cade had been, it had brought back all those insecure and devastating feelings she thought she had dealt with.
She just wanted to forget the whole thing and hoped Nick would too. Betsy said he’d gone to California for business, but part of her wondered if she had scared him off. Reviewing her past week, she wasn’t happy about the fact that she’d embarrassed herself on several occasions. Oh well, that meant it could only go up from here, right?
“Mommy, I’m hungry.” Cade tapped the back of her seat with his foot. They’d spent the afternoon at the park where she had indulged in reading while Cade played nonstop. She believed her son didn’t sleep at night—it was more like he recharged his batteries. Suffice it to say, he had boundless energy.
It was tempting to buy a couple of cheeseburger meals from a drive-through, but Betsy had invited them to dinner and Ellie promised to be there. “We’re almost home, honey. Then we can go next door to the Stewarts’ for dinner.”
“Can I play football with Nick again?”
Hearing the man’s name made her stomach flutter with emotion. “I don’t know.”
The next question made her stomach roll. “Does Daddy know how to play football?”
“I think so.” She knew Thomas had played in high school and was obsessed with the sport, but she couldn’t see him having the patience to play catch with a four-year-old.
Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel at the thought of her ex. She needed a diversion. If Cade started asking questions about his dad, then his next question would be about his trip. She still hadn’t been able to tell him that his father wasn’t coming.
Thomas had actually followed through and mailed both passes to Ellie.
The mixer turned off and Betsy laughed. “You sure are. Cade and Ellie should be here around six. Does that work for you?”
The clock in his car read five forty, but he was a guy and could be ready in less than five minutes. “I’ll be there. Can I bring anything?”
“Just your charm.”
After the last dinner get-together, he would definitely need charm. When he mentioned this to Betsy, she assured him Ellie wasn’t mad at him, just embarrassed, and that she didn’t want any apologies.
“So I should just let it go?” he asked, tapping on his brakes as he approached an intersection not far from home.
“I knew you were a smart man. See ya soon.”
He ended the call and waited as a Honda Accord passed by. The car looked familiar—so did the driver. Their eyes met briefly then the blonde head whipped back around, her mouth open wide. Nick grinned and lifted a hand to wave.
Chapter Six
Ellie forced her eyes back on the road, narrowly missing a trashcan. Her cheeks felt hot and her mouth went dry. She swallowed back a mixture of excitement and dread. Looks like the new guy on the block was back in town.
Her face felt even hotter when she thought about the emotional breakdown a couple of days before. After she had run home from the Stewarts’, she had let herself cry over what should have been. When she’d married Thomas, they had been the perfect couple. At least that’s what she had thought at the time. Thomas worked hard, went to church with her every week and was excited about starting their family.
Then he had changed, and had become increasingly unhappy, mainly with Ellie. From the way she did her hair to her homemaking skills, nothing she did pleased him. Finally, he had stopped going to church with her, and frequently wouldn’t come home at nights, claiming he had work to do. Little did she know, Thomas had started living a double life.
The question that haunted her the most was wondering if she could have done something to prevent it. No matter how many times people tried to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault and that Thomas had made his own choices, she wondered how she could keep from blaming herself? When Nick had asked how old Cade had been, it had brought back all those insecure and devastating feelings she thought she had dealt with.
She just wanted to forget the whole thing and hoped Nick would too. Betsy said he’d gone to California for business, but part of her wondered if she had scared him off. Reviewing her past week, she wasn’t happy about the fact that she’d embarrassed herself on several occasions. Oh well, that meant it could only go up from here, right?
“Mommy, I’m hungry.” Cade tapped the back of her seat with his foot. They’d spent the afternoon at the park where she had indulged in reading while Cade played nonstop. She believed her son didn’t sleep at night—it was more like he recharged his batteries. Suffice it to say, he had boundless energy.
It was tempting to buy a couple of cheeseburger meals from a drive-through, but Betsy had invited them to dinner and Ellie promised to be there. “We’re almost home, honey. Then we can go next door to the Stewarts’ for dinner.”
“Can I play football with Nick again?”
Hearing the man’s name made her stomach flutter with emotion. “I don’t know.”
The next question made her stomach roll. “Does Daddy know how to play football?”
“I think so.” She knew Thomas had played in high school and was obsessed with the sport, but she couldn’t see him having the patience to play catch with a four-year-old.
Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel at the thought of her ex. She needed a diversion. If Cade started asking questions about his dad, then his next question would be about his trip. She still hadn’t been able to tell him that his father wasn’t coming.
Thomas had actually followed through and mailed both passes to Ellie.
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