Read Online Stranger in the House by Patricia MacDonald - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia MacDonald
Tags: USA
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cameraman. “Once in a while a story has a happy ending,” Camille began, “and here at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lange one of those rare happy endings is about to come true.”
Anna picked up one of the tasseled pillows from the comer of the sofa and squeezed it to her chest as she studied the arrangement of her living room. She crossed over, placed the pillow against the cushion of a wing chair, and stepped back to look at it. Then she picked it up again and circled around behind the matching chair across the room by the writing desk.
Thomas, wearing a clean sport shirt, stood in the doorway and watched her. “Is that a new outfit?” he asked.
Anna looked down at herself and then back at her husband. “Oh, yeah, I got it the other day,” she said. “I forgot to show it to you.” She picked the pillow up again and held it in front of her.
“It looks nice,” he said. “Anna, what are you doing with that pillow?”
Anna sank down onto the edge of the sofa and placed the pillow beside her. She straightened the blooming begonia, the magazines and the large art books on the coffee table in front of her. “I was going to move it,” she said.
“How long did Buddy say they’d be?”
Anna glanced at her watch. “He said he’d try to get him here by nine. Is the front light on?”
Thomas nodded and looked at his own watch. “Where’s Tracy?”
Anna gestured toward the foyer. “She’s still upstairs.” Thomas sat down in one of the wing chairs. She folded her hands in her lap and tried to focus her attention on him. “How was your day?” she asked.
Instantly he thought of Gail’s hands massaging his neck. He picked up a magazine and opened it. “Fine.”
“How’s that…um…computer business going that you mentioned?”
Thomas looked up at her warily. He had guilty thoughts of Gail, but at the same time he was pleased by Anna’s interest. “The new system we’re installing?”
“How long before you can start using it?”
“It won’t be too long, I think.”
“What remains to be done?” she asked, absently twisting her wedding ring on her finger.
“Well, I was just reading a report on it today. The software has been installed, but it’s a matter of reorganizing information and also retraining some of our staff.”
“People in your department?”
Thomas set down the magazine. “Well, I want the people in my department to know the quickest way to access information from it, but the main effort is going to be concentrated—”
A rapid series of thuds issued from the hallway stairs, and then Tracy shuffled into the living room, still dressed in her workout gear. Anna’s eyes shot to the slim, disheveled figure and widened in dismay.
“Tracy,” she blurted out, “why haven’t you changed?”
Tracy looked from her mother to her father, who shook his head. “What’s wrong with this?”
“You look like a mess,” said Anna.
Thomas got up from his chair. “I’m having a drink. Do you want one, Anna?”
Anna tore her critical gaze from Tracy and looked at Thomas. “There’s that champagne the Stewarts brought over.”
“I’m not in a champagne mood,” said Thomas sourly.
“There’s regular wine,” said Anna, taken aback by his tone.
“Well, I’m hungry now,” Tracy said, flouncing past her father toward the kitchen.
“It’s almost dinnertime,” Anna cried. Thomas followed Tracy out to the kitchen and returned with a glass of wine. Then he looked at Anna. “Do you want one?”
Anna shook her head. “I’ll wait until dinner. We’re going to eat as soon as he gets here.”
Thomas crossed over to his chair with his own drink and began to drain it.
“I’m having steak,” said Anna.
“Oh,” said Thomas, staring into his empty glass.
“I hope it will be all right,” she said. “I don’t know what he likes to eat. I figured all boys like steak.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll like it,” said Thomas.
Suddenly Anna shot up from her
Anna picked up one of the tasseled pillows from the comer of the sofa and squeezed it to her chest as she studied the arrangement of her living room. She crossed over, placed the pillow against the cushion of a wing chair, and stepped back to look at it. Then she picked it up again and circled around behind the matching chair across the room by the writing desk.
Thomas, wearing a clean sport shirt, stood in the doorway and watched her. “Is that a new outfit?” he asked.
Anna looked down at herself and then back at her husband. “Oh, yeah, I got it the other day,” she said. “I forgot to show it to you.” She picked the pillow up again and held it in front of her.
“It looks nice,” he said. “Anna, what are you doing with that pillow?”
Anna sank down onto the edge of the sofa and placed the pillow beside her. She straightened the blooming begonia, the magazines and the large art books on the coffee table in front of her. “I was going to move it,” she said.
“How long did Buddy say they’d be?”
Anna glanced at her watch. “He said he’d try to get him here by nine. Is the front light on?”
Thomas nodded and looked at his own watch. “Where’s Tracy?”
Anna gestured toward the foyer. “She’s still upstairs.” Thomas sat down in one of the wing chairs. She folded her hands in her lap and tried to focus her attention on him. “How was your day?” she asked.
Instantly he thought of Gail’s hands massaging his neck. He picked up a magazine and opened it. “Fine.”
“How’s that…um…computer business going that you mentioned?”
Thomas looked up at her warily. He had guilty thoughts of Gail, but at the same time he was pleased by Anna’s interest. “The new system we’re installing?”
“How long before you can start using it?”
“It won’t be too long, I think.”
“What remains to be done?” she asked, absently twisting her wedding ring on her finger.
“Well, I was just reading a report on it today. The software has been installed, but it’s a matter of reorganizing information and also retraining some of our staff.”
“People in your department?”
Thomas set down the magazine. “Well, I want the people in my department to know the quickest way to access information from it, but the main effort is going to be concentrated—”
A rapid series of thuds issued from the hallway stairs, and then Tracy shuffled into the living room, still dressed in her workout gear. Anna’s eyes shot to the slim, disheveled figure and widened in dismay.
“Tracy,” she blurted out, “why haven’t you changed?”
Tracy looked from her mother to her father, who shook his head. “What’s wrong with this?”
“You look like a mess,” said Anna.
Thomas got up from his chair. “I’m having a drink. Do you want one, Anna?”
Anna tore her critical gaze from Tracy and looked at Thomas. “There’s that champagne the Stewarts brought over.”
“I’m not in a champagne mood,” said Thomas sourly.
“There’s regular wine,” said Anna, taken aback by his tone.
“Well, I’m hungry now,” Tracy said, flouncing past her father toward the kitchen.
“It’s almost dinnertime,” Anna cried. Thomas followed Tracy out to the kitchen and returned with a glass of wine. Then he looked at Anna. “Do you want one?”
Anna shook her head. “I’ll wait until dinner. We’re going to eat as soon as he gets here.”
Thomas crossed over to his chair with his own drink and began to drain it.
“I’m having steak,” said Anna.
“Oh,” said Thomas, staring into his empty glass.
“I hope it will be all right,” she said. “I don’t know what he likes to eat. I figured all boys like steak.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll like it,” said Thomas.
Suddenly Anna shot up from her
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