Read Online Invincible by Joan Johnston - Free Book Online Page B

visit her for Mother’s Day at The Seasons. He’d already made plans to have his children meet their mother there. He’d ordered her to go somewhere else.
    Bella had refused. Since she was still Bull’s wife, she was entitled to use of The Seasons. Instead, she’d suggested Foster have his family join hers, as they had during holidays in years gone by. Given no other choice, he’d agreed.
    â€œIt seems it won’t be as crowded here this weekend as I feared,” Foster said.
    Bella saw the superior look on his face in the gilded mirror behind the breakfront. And heard the satisfaction in his voice. Foster expected five of his sevenchildren—two of his four sons and his three teenage daughters—to be on hand today. He must be aware that at least four of her five children would not.
    â€œI wouldn’t look so smug if I were you,” Bella said.
    â€œWhy not?” Foster said.
    â€œYour children are making their way here from a few miles up the road. It’s understandable if mine aren’t able to come from halfway around the world. And I’m expecting Max to turn up at any moment.”
    â€œOne out of five,” Foster mused. “Frankly, one more than I expected.”
    â€œYou’ve always been a son of a bitch, Foster.”
    â€œYou’re the bitch incarnate,” Foster shot back.
    â€œHow dare you!” Emily said, rising from her chair to confront Foster. “Take that back.”
    Foster laughed viciously. “Take it back?” He turned to Bella and said, “Tell your minion to back off, Bella. Or I’ll have her for breakfast.”
    Emily looked flustered, but she stood her ground.
    â€œSit down, Emily,” Bella said in an even voice. Then she focused her narrowed eyes on Foster and said, “Don’t threaten Emily again, or I’ll have to retaliate in a way you won’t like.”
    â€œWhat would that be?”
    â€œUse your imagination,” Bella said. “You know I make good on my promises.”
    The last time they’d locked horns Bella had arranged for Foster to lose an extraordinary amount of money on one of his investments. Foster understood the power of money.
    His mouth turned down in a sour look. “Like I said. You’re a bitch.”
    He turned back to the silver coffeepot and continued his recitation as though their altercation had never happened. “Just so you know, Ben brought his fiancée, Anna,” he said as he poured coffee into a china teacup. “Carter’s home on leave from duty in Iraq, so he invited his girl, Sloan, to come for the day.”
    He added a spoonful of sugar, then turned to her with china cup in hand. “I’m surprising Patsy by having Amanda and Bethany and Camille flown in on the family jet from that French boarding school they attend. I pick them up in Richmond before lunch.”
    â€œI’m sure Patsy will enjoy having her daughters here,” Bella said neutrally. She was willing to be just exactly as polite as Foster was. Besides, she’d never had any enmity for Patsy or her three daughters. The elder two girls were twins with curly blond hair who resembled their mother. The younger had dark hair like her father.
    To be perfectly honest, Bella liked Patsy Benedict. Foster’s second wife would never be called thin or chic, but Patsy had warm hazel eyes and had always been extraordinarily kind to her.
    But from the beginning, there had never been any love lost between her and her brother-in-law. The first time Foster had met her, he’d called her “a conniving bitch.” He was the one who’d insisted on the prenup. This was the first time they’d come in contact with one another in ten years. It seemed Foster’s animosity had survived her separation from Bull intact.
    Which caused her to reply to his recitation with just a little satisfaction of her own, “I’m sure it will be nice to have