Commitments by Barbara Delinsky Read Free Book Online

dutifully answered it, then passed it on when she learned who it was. Sabrina was still trying to settle a cranky Nicky on her hip. ' had to get out., ' did you go?" Shifting the phone to her other ear, she wedged it between her shoulder and jaw, hoisted Nicky a little higher and belted him in with her arms.
    "I took a drive.' ''ve been trying to reach you since noon. It's seven now. That was quite some drive.' ' felt good getting out of the city." Page 16
    Barbara Delinsky - Commitments
    "I hadn't realized you were bored,', he said with just enough sarcasm to set her off. ' bored, Nick. Tired and frustrated and wound up tight. It's been an awful month. Taking Nicky out in the slush and cold is twice as hard as taking him out normally, and we've had appointments with each of three regular doctors, and two new ones, an eye specialist and a psychologist. I needed a break./ ''s wrong with this connection, Sabrina? I can't hear half of what you're saying., She sighed. It flgured that held miss the message. ''m walking Nicky, so I'm using the cordless.' . so a lousy cordless. You'll have to pick up a new @next time you're out.' That settled, he blithely to the next item on his mental agenda. ' meeting go with Naholy? I Naholy was the manager of the Westchester club where Nicholas golfed. Once upon a time, had enjoyed an occasional afternoon at the , that was before Nicky. She only went to the now for dinner, and only then -when she couldn't She and Nicholas were hosting one such affair weeks' time, and she was to have met with the day before to make the final menu selection. canceled that meeting to drive to Vermont. "couldn't make it yesterday not?' s imperious tone made it easier for her to say, se Nicky was acting up.' She didn't want Nichojo know she'd visited the Greenhouse as the aential center in Vermont was called. It was exclu-and expensive. She wanted to make sure that it the right place for the child before she launched a de for his admission. icky is always acting up/
    barked his father, ' ' to go on., rina closed her eyes and took an unsteady breath. didn't want to argue. Not now. Not when she was ing just that little bit refreshed after two days' om. ' I talked with Joseph, he said we still plenty of time.' ,"A"You could have stopped there today, as long as you out. That really was a long stretch you were gone, a. Are you sure you should have left Nicky with all that time?" Sabrina kept her voice low and calm. ' is a 51 trained therapist. She's perfectly qualified to care for him.' ' he needs you.' ', Nick. He needs someone, but whether it's me or you or Pam doesn't matter.' The child chose that moment to stiffen up and wail. In her attempt to soothe him, Sabrina lost her grip on the phone. It fell to the carpet. She knelt down to snatch it up. '/ she told her husband. Still on her haunches, she gently bounced Nicky on her knee.
    "Just dropped tile phone.' , heard him cry. What's wrong?' She wanted to say, ' isn'tv But she didn't. Nicholas would accuse her of being a pessimist, and though she'd argue that she was being honest, she couldn't win. Not with Nick. So she said, ' knows? He may be hungry. Pam said he didn't eat much supper. Or he may be constipated. He doesn't have a fever, but his ear may be bothering him again. I wish he could tell me, but he can't.' ' you'd been back earlier, you'd have had a better chance of guessing.' ''s not true.' ''d have been able to keep an eye on him.' ' have my eye on him now. Earlier wouldn't have made a difference.' ', it would have made a difference, to me/
    Nicholas declared. ''ve been leaving meetings to call you. It's annoying to find you're not there, especially when you knew I was due back.' ' I'm here, just when you said you'd be. But you're still in Chicago.' He ignored her logic as though it were irrelevant. ' was what I called to say. We've run into a lastminute glitch. I won't be back until tomorrow. If we 52 things up by noon, I should be home by five-ut we're