Read Online Pretense by Lori Wick - Free Book Online
Authors: Lori Wick
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Family, Man-Woman Relationships, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, Sisters, INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE
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little girls."
Mackenzie smiled, and Marrell kissed her cheek.
"Now, tell me something fun that you did."
"Dad took us down to play tennis. D.J. went first and then me, and then D.J. and I played each other."
"Are you getting better at hitting the ball?"
"Sorta. I think D.J. hits it more than I do." A competitive frown lowered the nine-year-old's brow, and Marrell smiled.
"Did y'all have lunch?"
"No, and I'm hungry."
With Shay's face suddenly in her mind, Marrell hugged Mackenzie. Remembering how painful the morning had been, she knew that no job she might need to perform for her children and husband would cause her to complain.
"So how was it?"
Night had finally come. Paul and Marrell were alone in the living room. Only one light burned. Marrell was on the sofa and Paul in an overstuffed chair. The light was on Marrell's face, and Paul was watching his wife, much as he'd done all afternoon. She had played with the girls and been completely normal for them, but he had seen the pain.
"It was hard, Paul," Marrell began softly. She was silent for a moment and then continued. "I was so afraid that it would be uncomfortable, and it was, but not because of the divorce. Shay's head is so messed up. She's been into all this trash, ridiculous psychotherapy, and even drugs, and now she's on the verge of having an affair with her therapist."
Paul nodded but wasn't too surprised. Something pretty serious had to have made his wife this upset.
"You probably wouldn't have recognized me," Marrell went on. "I told her how I felt. I decided that I would have my say even if she kicked me out."
55
A small smile lingered around Paul's mouth. He would have loved to see her in action.
"What did you say?"
"I can't remember all of it," she admitted. "I know I asked her if they'd already been intimate, and when she said no, I told her to call and break it off with him. You wouldn't have believed it, Paul." Her face was shocked as she remembered it all over again. "He called in the middle of our conversation."
"You're kidding."
"I wish I were. I was ready to leave her so she could talk to him, but she wanted me to stay."
Marrell had run out of words. She laid her head against the sofa back and stared at the ceiling. Paul continued to watch her.
"How did you end up inviting her for dinner Tuesday?"
"I don't think she has anyone," she said before looking at him. "We don't have plans, do we?"
"No, I just wondered. She's not bringing this guy, is she?"
Marrell shook her head. "She broke it off. Right on the phone she told him. Their sessions are usually on Tuesday nights, so I invited her for that night specifically so he can't contact her."
Paul took a moment to compute all of this, remembering the way she had come home and hugged him, the almost desperate way she had held on. Paul wasn't close to anyone other than his wife and girls, but he hurt when they hurt and could well imagine how all of this had affected her.
"Still glad you went?" he asked.
"Yeah. I love her, Paul. And in so many ways she's still the same Shay. Even with all she's been through, I feel so lucky to be in the same town and able to see her." Marrell pulled a sudden face. "She says I have an accent."
"They're saying the same thing to me at work."
Marrell's mouth opened. The women she had met in Texas had had such pronounced accents that she never heard her own.
"Do the girls?"
"I'm sure they do. What's the trauma?"
"I just don't want them teased at school."
"Don't borrow trouble. The other kids may think it's fun."
Marrell was not convinced, but Paul was done talking about Shay, Texas accents, and his daughters.
"Are you tired?" he asked.
56
"A little."
"How tired?"
There was no missing his tone. Marrell smiled, and with that Paul rose and went to the stereo. Moments later the room was full of the soft sounds of the Glenn Miller Band. Paul held out his hand, and Marrell joined him in the middle of the floor. They danced slowly for the next 40
Mackenzie smiled, and Marrell kissed her cheek.
"Now, tell me something fun that you did."
"Dad took us down to play tennis. D.J. went first and then me, and then D.J. and I played each other."
"Are you getting better at hitting the ball?"
"Sorta. I think D.J. hits it more than I do." A competitive frown lowered the nine-year-old's brow, and Marrell smiled.
"Did y'all have lunch?"
"No, and I'm hungry."
With Shay's face suddenly in her mind, Marrell hugged Mackenzie. Remembering how painful the morning had been, she knew that no job she might need to perform for her children and husband would cause her to complain.
"So how was it?"
Night had finally come. Paul and Marrell were alone in the living room. Only one light burned. Marrell was on the sofa and Paul in an overstuffed chair. The light was on Marrell's face, and Paul was watching his wife, much as he'd done all afternoon. She had played with the girls and been completely normal for them, but he had seen the pain.
"It was hard, Paul," Marrell began softly. She was silent for a moment and then continued. "I was so afraid that it would be uncomfortable, and it was, but not because of the divorce. Shay's head is so messed up. She's been into all this trash, ridiculous psychotherapy, and even drugs, and now she's on the verge of having an affair with her therapist."
Paul nodded but wasn't too surprised. Something pretty serious had to have made his wife this upset.
"You probably wouldn't have recognized me," Marrell went on. "I told her how I felt. I decided that I would have my say even if she kicked me out."
55
A small smile lingered around Paul's mouth. He would have loved to see her in action.
"What did you say?"
"I can't remember all of it," she admitted. "I know I asked her if they'd already been intimate, and when she said no, I told her to call and break it off with him. You wouldn't have believed it, Paul." Her face was shocked as she remembered it all over again. "He called in the middle of our conversation."
"You're kidding."
"I wish I were. I was ready to leave her so she could talk to him, but she wanted me to stay."
Marrell had run out of words. She laid her head against the sofa back and stared at the ceiling. Paul continued to watch her.
"How did you end up inviting her for dinner Tuesday?"
"I don't think she has anyone," she said before looking at him. "We don't have plans, do we?"
"No, I just wondered. She's not bringing this guy, is she?"
Marrell shook her head. "She broke it off. Right on the phone she told him. Their sessions are usually on Tuesday nights, so I invited her for that night specifically so he can't contact her."
Paul took a moment to compute all of this, remembering the way she had come home and hugged him, the almost desperate way she had held on. Paul wasn't close to anyone other than his wife and girls, but he hurt when they hurt and could well imagine how all of this had affected her.
"Still glad you went?" he asked.
"Yeah. I love her, Paul. And in so many ways she's still the same Shay. Even with all she's been through, I feel so lucky to be in the same town and able to see her." Marrell pulled a sudden face. "She says I have an accent."
"They're saying the same thing to me at work."
Marrell's mouth opened. The women she had met in Texas had had such pronounced accents that she never heard her own.
"Do the girls?"
"I'm sure they do. What's the trauma?"
"I just don't want them teased at school."
"Don't borrow trouble. The other kids may think it's fun."
Marrell was not convinced, but Paul was done talking about Shay, Texas accents, and his daughters.
"Are you tired?" he asked.
56
"A little."
"How tired?"
There was no missing his tone. Marrell smiled, and with that Paul rose and went to the stereo. Moments later the room was full of the soft sounds of the Glenn Miller Band. Paul held out his hand, and Marrell joined him in the middle of the floor. They danced slowly for the next 40
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