Read Online His Other Wife by Deborah Bradford - Free Book Online
Authors: Deborah Bradford
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spinning, spinning. Hilary couldn’t take her eyes off Eric’s daughter. And she couldn’t help feeling that
she was just like the little girl, slowly spinning out of control.
Chapter 5
E mily waited at the end of the driveway, gripping her bike handlebars. Seth shoved his cell into his pocket and turned to her.
“Guess I’d better get home. My dad’s here.”
“Is he?” Emily watched her boyfriend, trying to read his eyes.
“Dad wants to take me to dinner tonight. You want me to ask if you can come with us?”
“I can’t,” she said. “Mom wants me here to do stuff with Gran.”
Seth shrugged. “So I won’t see you until graduation tomorrow?”
“Guess not.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Got to keep the relatives happy, huh?”
She’d thought he would go to his car then, only he didn’t. He didn’t move for a minute. She wondered if it had something to
do with his dad. Whenever Seth’s dad came, Seth got quiet. He never liked to talk about their time together. “Seth? Are you
freaking out or something? About your dad being here?”
“That’s stupid. Why would I do that? He’s my dad.”
“You know,” she said. Sometimes when she and Seth had been out together and alone, when the stars had cloaked them and the
rest of the world had seemed far away, she had sensed that he was still mad at his dad for leaving them.
“Give me your bike.”
“Seth. You said you had to get home.”
“Come on. Just let me ride it.”
“Why?”
“I’m not going to take it or anything, silly. I just want to try out the brakes before I take off.”
“But you tried them in the garage.”
“We need a road test.”
She walked it to him and he swung his leg over the seat. “Get on,” he said, motioning for her to hop on the handlebars in
front of him.
At first Emily was able to balance in front of him. She fell against Seth’s chest when he took the corner. As he steered up
Walnut Street, she could feel the slow, steady drum of his heart behind her shoulder. She closed her eyes and lifted her face
to the dappled sunlight as they passed beneath the trees. She held on for dear life as they turned onto a four lane and Seth
shot to the middle, cars whizzing past on both sides. They veered into the 7-Eleven parking lot, hung a U, and headed toward
her house again.
“You haven’t tried the brakes yet!” she shouted.
“I will when it’s time. Not yet.”
So this was how it felt to be alive and young. She couldn’t believe high school was over! Tomorrow they would graduate! And,
after that, so many other things would happen. During the next years of their lives, so many things would change. They would
leave home, pick careers, fall in love, get married, maybe have their own children. They’d make big plans. Maybe they’d make
big mistakes like some of their parents had done.
Who knew where any of them would end up a few years from now?
Today was the start of everything they had waited for.
Behind her, Seth pedaled hard. His heart felt like it might hammer out of his chest behind her. He didn’t throw on the brakes
until they’d hopped the curb, careened up the sidewalk, and bumped halfway across her front lawn. That’s when they finally
jerked to a stop.
“Brakes work fine,” Seth growled as he helped her off and then dropped the bike on its side in the grass. Right in front of
the house where everyone could see, he hugged her against him longer than he had before, kissed her hair, and whispered, “I’ll
miss you until I see you tomorrow, Em.”
“I’ll miss you, too.”
So happy. So full of promise. It was a moment as fragile as glass. Emily stood on her front porch after he’d left, remembering
the feel of his lips where they’d touched her, not wanting to go inside.
The Jefferson High School football field stretched before Hilary like an oval emerald. Hilary caught her mother’s arm and
led her toward the folding
she was just like the little girl, slowly spinning out of control.
Chapter 5
E mily waited at the end of the driveway, gripping her bike handlebars. Seth shoved his cell into his pocket and turned to her.
“Guess I’d better get home. My dad’s here.”
“Is he?” Emily watched her boyfriend, trying to read his eyes.
“Dad wants to take me to dinner tonight. You want me to ask if you can come with us?”
“I can’t,” she said. “Mom wants me here to do stuff with Gran.”
Seth shrugged. “So I won’t see you until graduation tomorrow?”
“Guess not.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Got to keep the relatives happy, huh?”
She’d thought he would go to his car then, only he didn’t. He didn’t move for a minute. She wondered if it had something to
do with his dad. Whenever Seth’s dad came, Seth got quiet. He never liked to talk about their time together. “Seth? Are you
freaking out or something? About your dad being here?”
“That’s stupid. Why would I do that? He’s my dad.”
“You know,” she said. Sometimes when she and Seth had been out together and alone, when the stars had cloaked them and the
rest of the world had seemed far away, she had sensed that he was still mad at his dad for leaving them.
“Give me your bike.”
“Seth. You said you had to get home.”
“Come on. Just let me ride it.”
“Why?”
“I’m not going to take it or anything, silly. I just want to try out the brakes before I take off.”
“But you tried them in the garage.”
“We need a road test.”
She walked it to him and he swung his leg over the seat. “Get on,” he said, motioning for her to hop on the handlebars in
front of him.
At first Emily was able to balance in front of him. She fell against Seth’s chest when he took the corner. As he steered up
Walnut Street, she could feel the slow, steady drum of his heart behind her shoulder. She closed her eyes and lifted her face
to the dappled sunlight as they passed beneath the trees. She held on for dear life as they turned onto a four lane and Seth
shot to the middle, cars whizzing past on both sides. They veered into the 7-Eleven parking lot, hung a U, and headed toward
her house again.
“You haven’t tried the brakes yet!” she shouted.
“I will when it’s time. Not yet.”
So this was how it felt to be alive and young. She couldn’t believe high school was over! Tomorrow they would graduate! And,
after that, so many other things would happen. During the next years of their lives, so many things would change. They would
leave home, pick careers, fall in love, get married, maybe have their own children. They’d make big plans. Maybe they’d make
big mistakes like some of their parents had done.
Who knew where any of them would end up a few years from now?
Today was the start of everything they had waited for.
Behind her, Seth pedaled hard. His heart felt like it might hammer out of his chest behind her. He didn’t throw on the brakes
until they’d hopped the curb, careened up the sidewalk, and bumped halfway across her front lawn. That’s when they finally
jerked to a stop.
“Brakes work fine,” Seth growled as he helped her off and then dropped the bike on its side in the grass. Right in front of
the house where everyone could see, he hugged her against him longer than he had before, kissed her hair, and whispered, “I’ll
miss you until I see you tomorrow, Em.”
“I’ll miss you, too.”
So happy. So full of promise. It was a moment as fragile as glass. Emily stood on her front porch after he’d left, remembering
the feel of his lips where they’d touched her, not wanting to go inside.
The Jefferson High School football field stretched before Hilary like an oval emerald. Hilary caught her mother’s arm and
led her toward the folding
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