Broken Pieces by Carla Cassidy Read Free Book Online

him or anything like that?”
    Mariah smiled and shook her head. “It wasn’t like that between us. Finn and I were very best friends. He was like the brother I never had.”
    “Speaking of brothers, it’s not too late for you to give me a little brother or sister,” Kelsey said with a sly grin.
    “I’m not sure I could handle a teenager and a toddler at the same time,” Mariah said with a laugh.
    Kelsey tilted her head slightly and smiled. “I think you could handle almost anything, Mom.”
    Mariah’s heart expanded. She wasn’t sure how she’d managed to do something so right, but she’draised a loving, intelligent daughter who made her proud every day.
    “And I still think you should get me a cell phone,” Kelsey added.
    “Get out of here. A new dog is enough for one day.”
    Kelsey got up from the table. “Okay, but you haven’t heard the last of the cell phone problem.”
    “Thanks for the warning,” Mariah replied.
    Kelsey left the kitchen and Mariah got up to pour herself a fresh cup of coffee. She returned to the table and stared out the open window, where the faint scent of rain-washed grass still lingered from the storm the night before. The sky was a blue she rarely saw in Chicago.
    She should be working. She should be pushing herself to get everything done and get back to their high-rise apartment. But she remained sitting, enjoying the warmth of seeing Finn again, surprised to discover the pleasant memories his visit had evoked.
    Somehow in the years she’d been away from Plains Point, she’d remembered only bad things. But now happy memories bloomed in her mind, memories of her and Finn lying in sweet-smelling grass and looking up at the clouds overhead, of making clover chains to wear around their necks and sipping from a bottle of Scotch to try to figure out why Finn’s father loved it so much.
    Although Jed had kept a hard thumb on her, there had been moments of freedom made all the more sweet because they came so rarely. There had been the occasional birthday parties and school functions that she’d been allowed to attend. When she wasfifteen, she’d been allowed to go to a carnival in town with a bunch of kids and their parents.
    It had been one of the best nights of her life. The thrill of the rides couldn’t compete with the thrill of her temporary independence from her parents and her home.
    And when she’d gotten home that night, she’d paid for her good time. Her father had beaten her black-and-blue for not dusting the living room to his satisfaction. But it had been worth every lick of the switch. As he’d whipped her, in her mind she’d gone back on the Ferris wheel with the wind in her face and Finn’s laughter ringing in her ears.
    She startled as she realized her purse was ringing. She dug in it and retrieved her cell phone, the caller ID letting her know who was calling.
    “Hey, girlfriend,” she answered.
    “Ah, you survived your first night in hell,” Janice said.
    “I not only survived, but I’ve cleaned a kitchen, bought groceries, seen my old boyfriend and acquired a dog.”
    “Wow, you have been busy. How’s the boyfriend?”
    “Older, paunchy and a drinker,” Mariah said.
    “And the dog?”
    “Little, dark gray and with a broken leg.” Mariah explained to Janice about hitting the dog and the rush to get him to the vet. As she talked, a vision of Jack Taylor filled her mind. It had been a long time since a man had crossed her mind more than once.
    “How’s everything else? You doing okay? Did you have nightmares last night?” Janice, ever the counselor, asked.
    “No, no nightmares and I’m doing fine.” Mariah leaned back in the chair and cast her gaze out the window once again. “There’s a ton of work to get done before I can get this place on the market. I haven’t told Kelsey yet, but I can’t imagine us getting back home for at least a month or so.”
    Janice was silent for a long moment. “You going to be okay there for that long?