Read Online Until the End of Time by Melanie Schuster - Free Book Online

best of her. The other irritant was that Andrew for once had a date, albeit a most unsuitable one, in Renee’s opinion. She was short and busty and had the weave of life, something that didn’t escape Renee’s expert eyes. Plus, whoever had put on her sculptured nails should have been shot because they were horrible-looking. They were much too thick and long. Altogether, Renee thought she was a bit on the cheap side, even for Andrew. But why she was even concerned about Andrew’s love life was unexplainable. What did she care what he did with his spare time?
    Even when LaKeisha, for that was her name, asked where Renee got her contact lenses she remained calm. She gave her usual answer, “From God, dear,” although she wasn’t sure that LaKeisha was bright enough to understand what she meant. For the most part, Renee was calm and unruffled, but an undercurrent of irritation remained. And Marshall was unknowingly stirring it up with his grumpiness. Renee decided to avoid possible cross words by busying Marshall. He always seemed happier when he was fussing over her. “Marshall dear, could you get me something to drink? I’m terribly thirsty,” she said sweetly. Unfortunately, Drew heard her remark and like the devoted little godson that he was, he dashed off to get Uncle Renee some punch.
    “ I’ll get it for you,” he called as he sped off. He was back quickly, both grubby hands clutching a large plastic tumbler glass of punch that was a little too full for him to carry. And before anyone could come to his aid, he stumbled in his eagerness and the contents of the glass spilled out all over Marshall’s spiffy white pants. A look of complete horror transformed Marshall’s face, but Renee missed it completely. In seconds she was on her knees scooping up Drew as the tears of mortification gushed out of his big eyes. “Are you all right, honey lamb?” she crooned. She set him on his feet to make sure that he had no scratches or cuts from his tumble.
    “ I-I-I’m s-s-s-sor-r-ry, Uncle Renee!” he wailed. “I didn’ mean to spill it on that man!” Renee took Drew on her lap and kissed his tears away.
    “ Oh, honey lamb, Uncle Renee knows that and so does Mr. Marshall,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Marshall and daring him to say otherwise. “Mr. Marshall is just going to go change his pants and come back to pick me up so we can go up North. Unless he would rather go by himself,” she ended with a very fake smile directed right at Marshall.
    Marshall was caught between a rock and a hard place, his usual situation with Renee. It was obvious that if he didn’t do as she instructed she would certainly leave him to fend for himself over the holiday. And it was equally obvious that he had to get out of the doomed pants soaked with punch the color of blood. He had no idea that Renee was so fond of children, but that too was plain to see. All of her concern was for that sniveling brat and not a bit for him. So he had no choice but to play the gracious gentleman and agree to pick her up in an hour. Renee didn’t even seem to hear him as he bade her farewell because she was too absorbed with the weepy Drew.
    By this time his mother, Faye, became aware of what was going on and came to collect her offspring. She apologized to Renee, who brushed it off as unnecessary. “You all forget that I have nieces and nephews, too. This kind of thing is in the job description of a small child. It’s what they do,” she said with a smile.
    Faye had to agree. “But you know, Renee, Drew absolutely adores you. If he thought you were angry with him, he would have been heartbroken.”
    Renee leaned over to give the sticky sweetie one more kiss so he knew that she was still his best girl. That’s when Faye noticed that there was quite a bit of punch on the leg of Renee’s silk Capri pants. “Renee, I don’t know if that will come out, but you’d better try to spot it a little,” she fretted.
    Renee cast a casual glance at