Read Online Twice the Trouble by Sandra Dailey - Free Book Online Page B

friends he saw through the windows of the bus and ran to join them.
    “I hope I didn’t keep you from attending services.” Alex returned the wave Jenna sent from her window.
    “No, I don’t usually go,” Lacey informed him. “Indian Lake society and I don’t mix well.”
    “I guess we have the house to ourselves for a while.” Alex placed his hands on Lacey’s waist and pulled her against him.
    Lacey pushed away. She didn’t look him in the eye when she spoke. “Alex, I’m not in the habit of falling into bed with men at the drop of a hat. I know we have a history, but that was a long time ago. Besides that, things have changed. I can’t see you holding me to your ridiculous agreement, now that you know I have children.”
    Alex was stunned by Lacey’s coolness. He thought he was making headway with her. Was it the kids or something else? His intentions hadn’t had anything to do with their agreement or the kids, but if that was the game she wanted to play he could be just as cool.
    “So, you’re just going to give up? Just because you’re a mother doesn’t mean you have to act like my mother. What about your farm? You’re willing to just walk away from it to save your virtue? You’ve already lost that battle. Virtue goes hand-in-hand with truth and honor. We both know you don’t have any of those things. I should have known you wouldn’t follow through with our agreement. Hell, you even hid the fact that you have kids.”
    “Truth…honor…what would you know about either of those things? We don’t have an agreement. You’re holding the deed to my land over my head. Furthermore, my kids aren’t any of your business.”
    “If you’ll recall, this land belongs to me. I haven’t pretended things were anything but what they are. I made you an offer. When you accepted it, I thought you’d at least try to make it work. Furthermore, that acceptance put me smack in the middle of your little family and made the kids my business.”
    Alex paced to the end of the porch and back. “I don’t have a problem with a woman saying no. I’ve never forced myself on anyone. But tell me, is there any limit to your manipulation and deceit? Is that why the kid’s father took off on you? Was he smarter than me? Did he figure out he was being used?”
    “I’m not going to discuss my past with you, not when you can’t be reasonable.” Lacey crossed her arms and turned away. “I’ve already told you that I never received a single letter from you. If you don’t believe that, then you have a problem.”
    “So you don’t deny I wrote to you.” Alex felt smug satisfaction until he realized that she really may not have gotten his letters. Damn, this was complicated. “What’s happening between us, Lacey?”
    She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe I was letting a fantasy play out. I don’t have much excitement in my life anymore. Being alone with you, the reality crashed down on me and I got scared. It was a stupid thing to do and I’m sorry. Give me a little time to break it to the kids and we’ll start packing.”
    “Dammit, Lacey, I don’t want it to end like this.” Alex ran his fingers through his hair. He didn’t want to act like such a prick to her. He was playing this all wrong. He leaned against the railing to look down at a patch of Mexican heather. “I guess I let my own mind fantasize a little. I thought there might be a chance for us to put the pieces together again.”
    “You can see now how impossible that is, can’t you?” Lacey asked. “You’re not ready to be a family man. You’d always resent me for the past. I can’t live like that.”
    “Nobody said it would be easy. There is one thing you have to be honest with me about, though. I have to know about the kids…”
    Suddenly a terrible racket stole their attention. Two dogs barked excitedly as they raced back and forth between the porch steps and the east side of the barn. So far, the pigs had barely been noticeable,