Childless: A Novel by James Dobson, Kurt Bruner Read Free Book Online Page A

would entail a boatload of billable hours, every one of them moving him closer to his goal. The extra cash and a bit more scrimping should enable him to pay off the business loan in eighteen months—allowing him to escape the shackles of Renee’s cosign. After…who knew how long? Three years plus another eighteen months? Practically married!
    The phone rang again. No use putting off the inevitable. He sighed while tapping his earpiece.
    “Hi, beautiful,” he said in a pretty convincing tone.
    “Don’t ‘Hi, beautiful’ me,” she chided. “You should have been here hours ago. Or at least called!”
    “I’m sorry. It’s just…well, I actually have some good news!”
    “Are you almost home?”
    She clearly had no interest in his good news. He felt a pail of chilly water soak his excitement over landing the Santiago case.
    “Listen,” he started, shifting into damage control mode. “I’m sorry about not calling, but when you hear why I think you’ll—”
    A slight sniffle on the other end of the line cut his words short. Something wasn’t right.
    “What’s wrong?” Tyler asked, rising above his aggravation to sound genuinely concerned.
    There was a pause, then, “It’s nothing. We can talk about it when you get home. Just…can you pick up a few things at Bulrich’s on the way? I’ll forward you a list.”
    “Sure. I’ll be home in fifteen.” He was about to end the call, but decided to earn a few extra points. “Then we can talk.”
    “Fine.”
    Two minutes later his car signaled the Longmont exit ahead. He eased out of the AutoDrive lane, off Interstate 25, and onto the street that led to Bulrich’s Organic Market. He pulled into the parking lot and then confirmed Renee’s list had made it onto his tablet. He walked inside and moved straight to the liquor aisle to pick up an item she hadn’t requested. Whatever the problem, he thought, a few glasses of wine could only help matters.
    *  *  *
    Tyler struggled to shove open the door to the house from the garage. Something was in the way. He managed to create enough of a gap to squeeze through, then stepped over the overstuffed box of used clothes sitting on the floor.
    “Renee?” he called out, then placed the bag of locally grown veggies and bottle of wine on the kitchen counter.
    Her voice hailed him from upstairs. “I’m in the guest room.”
    Guest room? They didn’t have a guest room. Not really. There was a bed in there, sure. But it had been officially declared his “office” when he bought the rickety old desk Renee refused to allow anywhere downstairs. She called it a monstrosity. She wanted it out of sight, along with the mess typically strewn across its surface. So the desk and its owner were both relegated to the spare room.
    A stack of clean blankets and two pillows sat like lumps in the hallway just outside the room. Not the old worn-out blankets, either. Tyler had grown accustomed to those from being banished to the extra bed, usually because Renee had caught him staring at another woman. These were the nice blankets, usually reserved for company.
    He peeked inside. Renee’s petite, fit form stood, motionless, dressed in a tight-fitting athletic top and spandex shorts, as though she were ready for an evening run. She was just standing there, staring.
    “What are you doing?” he asked.
    “Here,” she said, startled into action. She pointed to the end of his desk nearest the wall. “Help me move this.”
    He obeyed, lifting the heavy end as they dragged it across the room. They set it down at an angle that would make it impossible for him to use, comfortably or otherwise.
    “Is someone coming to visit?”
    Renee turned her gaze toward Tyler’s, then stepped forward, grabbing his arms and wrapping them around her waist in a hug. She caressed his stubbled jawline, then kissed him long and hard before pulling back and resting her head against his chest. He drew her face to his and kissed her back. This wasn’t