Read Online To Love a Stranger by Adrianne Byrd - Free Book Online Page B

with her first crush, Cecelia leaned toward her and spoke with a note of awe. “I stand corrected. It is him.”
    No, Madeline thought. This was a better version of Russell.
    Everyone took their seats, leaving the chair directly across from Madeline free for Russell.
    Christopher chuckled and the sound melted the smile off of Madeline’s face. When she made a cursory glance around the table, all eyes were on her.
    Cecelia leaned over again. “What’s wrong with you?”
    â€œNothing,” the whispered lie slipped from her lips. “I was just being…friendly.”
    The night’s menu consisted of Russell’s favorite Italian foods—fried calamari as an appetizer, chicken scarpariello for the main course and crème brûlée for dessert.
    Madeline suspected the meal was Christopher’s attempt to jar some nugget of memory loose in Russell’s head, but Russell just gave the meal a perfunctory compliment and returned to gazing at her.
    â€œSo when do we get to hear your side of things?” Cecelia asked, her boredom of the idle chatter echoed in her voice. “You don’t remember who you are, but what do you remember? There had to be a story before this Bozo—” she indicated Shaw “—popped up and told you who you were. What were you doing?”
    â€œMother!” Madeline was mortified.
    â€œWhat? It’s a perfectly good question,” Cecelia replied.
    True, Madeline thought. It was way past time for a more in-depth explanation of Russell’s story, but she couldn’t halt this newfound protectiveness. “Can’t it at least wait until after dinner?”
    â€œIt’s okay,” Russell interrupted the budding argument. “I don’t mind answering. I don’t have anything to hide.”
    The table fell silent as all eyes fell on him.
    Glancing around, Russell cleared his throat. “Actually, Mrs—?”
    Eyes shifted around the table.
    â€œCurrently, Ms. Howard. I’ve had a couple of marriages since the last time I saw you, but if you are whom you claim to be then I’m also your mother-in-law,” Cecelia said.
    â€œAh,” Russell said. “I assumed sister-in-law given the striking resemblance.”
    To everyone’s surprise, Cecelia’s face blushed a deep burgundy from the compliment. She flashed Russell a genuine smile.
    Smug, now that the tables had turned, Madeline leaned toward her mother and asked, “What in the world is wrong with you?”
    Cecelia’s smile evaporated. “Please do go on with your story…Russell.”
    Russell set aside his napkin and retold the same story Shaw related the night before.
    Denitra took the spotlight with a broad smile. “I was the one who saw the article first. It ran with a grainy black-and-white photo. Despite the beard and the moustache, I knew there was something familiar about the shape of his face,” she said.
    Cecelia gave the young woman a withering smile. “Very good, dear. You can read.”
    â€œThen she brought the article to me,” Shaw interrupted. “And I went and checked it out.”
    Denitra’s hands flew to her hips as she glared at her partner. “We went and checked it out,” she said.
    â€œWell,” Christopher leapt in before the argument escalated. “We’re grateful to both of you,” he said.
    The detective and the tramp clammed up and forced smiles on their faces for their host.
    â€œIt’s certainly an intriguing story,” Cecelia said. “It’s just too bad about the amnesia part. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered.”
    Madeline’s gaze dropped to her half-eaten meal.
    â€œYou know the answers to more questions than I do,” Russell said. “There’s nothing I can do about the past, Ms. Howard. All I can do is ask for forgiveness and move on.”
    Madeline didn’t look up, but she felt the weight of his