Read Online Playing With You by Cheyenne McCray - Free Book Online
Authors: Cheyenne McCray
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married to a real bastard who abused me.”
Maybe it was the wine, but Ricki found her own words slipping out before she could pull them back. “My ex-husband did the same to me.” She stared at her wine glass for a moment as she moved her fingers up and down the stem.
After a moment Ricki continued, “He was cruel, too. No one saw that side of him but me. When we were around others, he appeared attentive and acted so loving toward me. Outwardly he was intelligent, fun, and charming to others.” Ricki shook her head. “That façade dropped the moment we walked into our home. Sometimes he’d get so violent that I thought he was going to hit me, but he never did.”
Tension made Ricki’s body ache as she had a moment of panic and anxiety as she remembered how it felt to be in that marriage and have no one believe her.
“I bet no one could understand why you wanted a divorce.” Deena scowled and clenched her fist on the tabletop. “My ex-husband, Bart, was like that, too. Sonofabitch.”
“My family still doesn’t understand.” Ricki sighed. “They liked him and still do.”
Deena shook her head. “Sometimes family can hurt you the worst.”
Ricki felt a strong kinship between Deena and herself. They had more than one thing in common and it all seemed to form a bond between them as they spent time together.
Deena put her hand to her forehead. “I think I’ve had enough wine.”
“Goodness, it’s getting late.” Ricki glanced at the clock. “I’ve got to get in early to start baking. I’d better take you to your hotel.”
Deena looked a little reluctant to leave. She was probably lonely staying in a hotel in a town she wasn’t familiar with and no one with whom to spend time. She glanced at Xena then looked back at Ricki.
“You’re right.” Deena pushed her chair back, stood, and swayed. She gripped the edge of the table “I’d better be heading back and get to bed soon because I want to wake up early in the morning.” She smiled at Ricki. “I plan to drive to the neighborhoods you showed me so that I can take another look at them. I’m also going to call the rental agencies for the houses we looked at in your neighborhood and a couple of others that I wrote down earlier.”
“I have a map you can use to look at other neighborhoods that we didn’t hit.” Ricki went to a catch-all kitchen drawer, where she kept flyers, take-out menus, miscellaneous catalogs, and a couple of maps. She selected a pencil from a cup filled with pens and pencils then carried the map back to the table. She circled a couple of neighborhoods that she thought Deena might be interested in and gave the map to Deena.
“I should help you clean up from dinner,” Deena said.
“Don’t worry about that tonight.” Ricki shook her head. “I’ll take care of it after I drop you off and you’re tucked in.”
Deena had a sultry expression on her face as she said, “I could use someone to tuck me in.”
Ricki smiled. “You may just find your dream man in this town.”
“Men are worthless.” Deena snorted. “Finding a good one is as impossible as locating a needle in a haystack the size of Mt. Everest.”
Thoughts of Garrett came to Ricki’s mind. Her heart told her he was a good man, someone she could trust to tell her the truth and to treat her right.
She mentally shook her head. They’d had one date and already she was thinking about having a relationship with the man. Even though she tried to push the images aside, she could imagine spending time with him and getting to know him better. A lot better.
“Ricki?” Deena’s voice captured Ricki’s attention and she looked at the woman who was frowning. “You zoned out on me. Everything all right?”
“Sorry.” Ricki smiled and picked her keys and purse. “I guess I’m just a little tired. Time to get you back to your hotel.”
Deena’s smile looked forced. “All right. Let’s go.”
Chapter 8
Garrett had his phone on speaker as
Maybe it was the wine, but Ricki found her own words slipping out before she could pull them back. “My ex-husband did the same to me.” She stared at her wine glass for a moment as she moved her fingers up and down the stem.
After a moment Ricki continued, “He was cruel, too. No one saw that side of him but me. When we were around others, he appeared attentive and acted so loving toward me. Outwardly he was intelligent, fun, and charming to others.” Ricki shook her head. “That façade dropped the moment we walked into our home. Sometimes he’d get so violent that I thought he was going to hit me, but he never did.”
Tension made Ricki’s body ache as she had a moment of panic and anxiety as she remembered how it felt to be in that marriage and have no one believe her.
“I bet no one could understand why you wanted a divorce.” Deena scowled and clenched her fist on the tabletop. “My ex-husband, Bart, was like that, too. Sonofabitch.”
“My family still doesn’t understand.” Ricki sighed. “They liked him and still do.”
Deena shook her head. “Sometimes family can hurt you the worst.”
Ricki felt a strong kinship between Deena and herself. They had more than one thing in common and it all seemed to form a bond between them as they spent time together.
Deena put her hand to her forehead. “I think I’ve had enough wine.”
“Goodness, it’s getting late.” Ricki glanced at the clock. “I’ve got to get in early to start baking. I’d better take you to your hotel.”
Deena looked a little reluctant to leave. She was probably lonely staying in a hotel in a town she wasn’t familiar with and no one with whom to spend time. She glanced at Xena then looked back at Ricki.
“You’re right.” Deena pushed her chair back, stood, and swayed. She gripped the edge of the table “I’d better be heading back and get to bed soon because I want to wake up early in the morning.” She smiled at Ricki. “I plan to drive to the neighborhoods you showed me so that I can take another look at them. I’m also going to call the rental agencies for the houses we looked at in your neighborhood and a couple of others that I wrote down earlier.”
“I have a map you can use to look at other neighborhoods that we didn’t hit.” Ricki went to a catch-all kitchen drawer, where she kept flyers, take-out menus, miscellaneous catalogs, and a couple of maps. She selected a pencil from a cup filled with pens and pencils then carried the map back to the table. She circled a couple of neighborhoods that she thought Deena might be interested in and gave the map to Deena.
“I should help you clean up from dinner,” Deena said.
“Don’t worry about that tonight.” Ricki shook her head. “I’ll take care of it after I drop you off and you’re tucked in.”
Deena had a sultry expression on her face as she said, “I could use someone to tuck me in.”
Ricki smiled. “You may just find your dream man in this town.”
“Men are worthless.” Deena snorted. “Finding a good one is as impossible as locating a needle in a haystack the size of Mt. Everest.”
Thoughts of Garrett came to Ricki’s mind. Her heart told her he was a good man, someone she could trust to tell her the truth and to treat her right.
She mentally shook her head. They’d had one date and already she was thinking about having a relationship with the man. Even though she tried to push the images aside, she could imagine spending time with him and getting to know him better. A lot better.
“Ricki?” Deena’s voice captured Ricki’s attention and she looked at the woman who was frowning. “You zoned out on me. Everything all right?”
“Sorry.” Ricki smiled and picked her keys and purse. “I guess I’m just a little tired. Time to get you back to your hotel.”
Deena’s smile looked forced. “All right. Let’s go.”
Chapter 8
Garrett had his phone on speaker as
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