After Tex by Sherryl Woods Read Free Book Online Page A

Tess’s attitude. The child had deliberately done everything in her power to goad Megan all through dinner. “She’s not making it easy, you know.”
    Jake clearly wasn’t persuaded. “Did you?”
    She thought back. She’d pretty much challenged Tex every chance she got until the ground rules were laid out and had taken hold. “I suppose not.”
    â€œYou’re the grown-up now, Meggie. Do what you wish had been done for you way back then.” That said, he finally seemed satisfied that he’d done whathe could. He stood up and headed for the door. “You need anything, call.”
    â€œI’ll manage.”
    He shook his head. “Whatever.” At the door, he paused. “We’ll go over the rest of Jake’s will after the funeral, okay? That’ll be soon enough.”
    Megan doubted there were any more bombshells to be dropped. Just in case, though, she muttered, “I can’t wait.”
    As soon as Jake was gone, she slipped over to Tex’s chair just as she had so many times in the past the instant her grandfather had left the room. The leather was still warm from Jake’s heat. She could almost pretend that Tex himself had just been sitting there, but it was Jake’s scent that surrounded her tonight. Despite her reluctance to accept anything at all from him, she curled up in the spot where he’d been and took comfort from the lingering traces of his presence.
    She thought of the pushy, irritating man who’d just left, the angry little girl upstairs and the sneaky old coot who was gone forever.
    â€œOh, Tex,” she whispered, battling fresh tears. “What have you done to me?”

4
    T he slightly plump woman standing on the front porch with an armload of casserole dishes had a wary expression in her eyes, as if she were uncertain of her welcome. Her arrival had taken Megan by surprise. In New York she wasn’t used to people dropping by, and even if they did, there was a whole layer of security built in before they ever reached her. Surprise didn’t take away the pleasure, however. It had been way too long since she’d seen her onetime best friend.
    â€œMegan, it’s me, Peggy,” the woman announced in an insecure rush before Megan could acknowledge her. “I probably should have called first, but we don’t stand on ceremony much around here. It’s probably not like that in New York. What with all you do, you probably have a zillion secretaries to keep people from bothering you.” She thrust the food toward Megan. “I’ll just leave this and run along.”
    If she’d slowed down for even a second, Megan would have welcomed her with a hug, but Peggy had always chattered on without pausing for breath. Being ill at ease only made her worse. Megan snagged her friend’s arm as she turned away.
    â€œYou get in here, Peggy. You’re not going anywhere,” Megan insisted.
    Peggy’s expression brightened. “Are you sure? I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you. I don’t want to be a bother.”
    â€œHow could you possibly be a bother? Now get in here. Let me take this into the other room and I’ll be right with you.”
    She waited until Peggy had come inside before carrying the still-warm casseroles toward the dining room table, which was already heaped with offerings from other neighbors. When she returned to the foyer, Peggy was still regarding her uncertainly.
    â€œI wasn’t sure you’d even remember me,” she confessed.
    â€œAnd why wouldn’t I?” Megan said, startled by the statement. “We grew up together. I slept over at your house whenever Tex would let me. You know more of my secrets than anyone else on earth. How could you possibly think I wouldn’t remember you?”
    Peggy shrugged. “It’s been a long time.” She said it without judgment or rancor, just a statement of fact that